birth certificate for 3 yr old

[photoman100169]

Hi, my family and I are going on a cruise in alittle over a month. it was kind of a last minute thing. Well I never thought about this until right now. we are going with my 3 yr old son, and he does not have a passport, now I know you can board with a birth certificate and id but how does this work with a child that has no id? Thank you in advance for any comments

[cb at sea]

For children under 16, no picture ID is needed. The birth certificate (issued by the STATE), will be fine.

[june18susy]

if you are going out of the usa you will need a passport.

[sharktums]

An expedited passport will get back to you within a month. I am a strong advocate that everyone should have passports.

[Kerry's Girls]

If a birth certificate is acceptable i.d. for your itinerary, make sure you have a certified birth certificate - they don't accept the souvenir birth certificate issued by the hospital. You may already know this, but others have made this mistake and only found out too late when they tried to check in.

 

Best,

Mia

[photoman100169]

yeah I did know that you need the actual birth certificate. we will be on the splendor mexican rivera. I'm just getting nervous...that last thing I want to happen is to show up at port not ready and not be allowed on the ship

[Warm Breezes]

if you are going out of the usa you will need a passport.

 

Not correct. A passport is not required if you are a US Citizen going on a closed loop cruise to/from the same US Port. Under 16 a certified birth certificate from your state department of vital statistics is all that is required. 16 or older you will need a government issued photo ID and certified birth certificate.

[cruiserNC]

It sounds like this is not the case but it is important that he shares the same last name as you.

[photoman100169]

It sounds like this is not the case but it is important that he shares the same last name as you.

 

yeah last name is the same, and both parents will be there. So the birth certificate will be fine right? as soon as we get back I am for sure going to get him a passport just so I don't have to worry anymore

[acceber32]

We used a birth certificate for my 18 month old DS last month on our cruise and had no problems (did not need a photo id either). When we disembarked the customs agent said "please get your son a passport next time you travel; it's just safer in case something happened". We didn't get him one this time but we will next time.

[cherylandtk]

...When we disembarked the customs agent said "please get your son a passport next time you travel; it's just safer in case something happened". ....

I keep wondering when someone will respond with, "Gee, then why does your department have this regulation in the first place? Are you telling me, on duty, that you disagree with the Code of Federal Regulations?" I just wanna see that happen...once.:p

[JOwen72]

You don't need a passport for sea travel. The problem is this. If you get to Mexico and there is some sort of emergency, your child will need a passport to fly home. I would get the passport.

[gerif]

I keep wondering when someone will respond with, "Gee, then why does your department have this regulation in the first place? Are you telling me, on duty, that you disagree with the Code of Federal Regulations?" I just wanna see that happen...once.:p

 

OK, then - let me give you a scenario - something happens while in Mexico (sudden illness or someone falls and breaks a leg requiring hospital visit, group misses sail away) - child cannot fly (or drive) back INTO the US without a passport.

[cherylandtk]

OK, then - let me give you a scenario - something happens while in Mexico (sudden illness or someone falls and breaks a leg requiring hospital visit, group misses sail away) - child cannot fly (or drive) back INTO the US without a passport.

I do not object to the advise itself, in fact, it is my opinion, too. It is something everyone must consider and make a rational, informed choice about.

 

I object to a uniformed officer with positional authority making that statement when screening US citizens upon re-entry to their country. It is perfectly legal to travel they way they did, and to 'suggest' they should have a passport is inappropriate in that setting. Pass out a flyer that is an approved position statement by the US State Dept. or Homeland Security? No Problem. An individual, unsolicited suggestion while in uniform? No way. We do not allow our active duty uniformed service members to endorse or publicly promote any candidate for office because it crosses a line of the military supporting one party or another. The ICE officers should not be promoting or implying that a passport is necessary, which is what they do when they tell arriving passengers to 'get a passport next time'. The implication is that they won't let you in without one, and that is improper.

[RoadTripFanatic]

When we cruised with DD before she had a passport I brought along a State issued ID. I did it for my own peace of mind. I knew she didn't need a photo id but I felt better about having one for her.

[russianmom]

You don't need a passport for sea travel. The problem is this. If you get to Mexico and there is some sort of emergency, your child will need a passport to fly home. I would get the passport.

 

OK, then - let me give you a scenario - something happens while in Mexico (sudden illness or someone falls and breaks a leg requiring hospital visit, group misses sail away) - child cannot fly (or drive) back INTO the US without a passport.

 

 

I agree get the passport.... Most local post offices and libraries have a day or days when they accept applications-some will even take the photograph for you.... The minor cost and inconvenience of getting one sure beats the MAJOR cost and inconvenience of being stuck in a foreign country:eek:

[Nebr.cruiser]

Of course it's better to get a passport, but it is legal and will be fine (except for the faint chance of having to stay in another country for an emergency) with a certified (raised seal) birth certificate. You don't need an id card for a child.

[photoman100169]

Of course it's better to get a passport, but it is legal and will be fine (except for the faint chance of having to stay in another country for an emergency) with a certified (raised seal) birth certificate. You don't need an id card for a child.

 

 

thank you.. I knew i was going to get told what a bad parent i was for even considering going on a cruise with my son and no passport. I agree 100% that I SHOULD have one, but as of right now i don't. All I really needed to know was if my son "could" go without one. You have to love a public forum...lol

[Nebr.cruiser]

thank you.. I knew i was going to get told what a bad parent i was for even considering going on a cruise with my son and no passport. I agree 100% that I SHOULD have one, but as of right now i don't. All I really needed to know was if my son "could" go without one. You have to love a public forum...lol

 

We just took 7 grandchildren on a cruise with just their birth certificates. Thousands of other people do this too. We knew, of course, that there was a tiny, tiny risk of being stranded in a foreign country, yes, I'd have preferred passports, but it just wasn't feasible for us.

 

Of course you're not a bad parent!

[crusinmama06]

I keep wondering when someone will respond with, "Gee, then why does your department have this regulation in the first place? Are you telling me, on duty, that you disagree with the Code of Federal Regulations?" I just wanna see that happen...once.:p

 

Cause no one is that dumb. :p Everyone breathes a sigh of relief when they get through customs. Except maybe my mother-in-law who at the top of her lungs says to me as she JUST passes through customs "Oh good, they didn't find the extra cartons of cigarettes that I hid in my luggage!" :eek:

[cantw8togo]

I keep wondering when someone will respond with, "Gee, then why does your department have this regulation in the first place? Are you telling me, on duty, that you disagree with the Code of Federal Regulations?" I just wanna see that happen...once.:p

 

 

I bet that that it must get pretty frustrating as a front line agent who deals with the public, and who sees (or at least hears) the inside scoop about the fallout when citizens get stranded because they don't have the proper documentation to get home. I would have taken his comment more as helpful advice than as railing against the Code of Federal Regulations. He isn't implying that you can't re-enter if you don't have one, just that travel is much easier with a passport if you can't come home the way you originally planned.

 

As someone who has been ill outside of my home country twice and who's preschool son also took ill in a Caribbean country, it was reassuring to to know that I didn't have to worry about a beaurocractic nightmare to get back home if things had taken a turn for the worse. There are too many other things to worry about at a time like that.

 

To the OP, try to get an expedited passport if you can. If you can't, then take comfort in the knowledge that it is perfectly legal to travel with a bc. Have a great trip and make lots of memories.

[imsulin]

Cause no one is that dumb. :p Everyone breathes a sigh of relief when they get through customs. Except maybe my mother-in-law who at the top of her lungs says to me as she JUST passes through customs "Oh good, they didn't find the extra cartons of cigarettes that I hid in my luggage!" :eek:

 

Ha ha!! I could have been your MIL ten years ago!!~