ID Needed for 16 year old?

[perkypat23]

Hi all!!!

 

Excited for the cruise starting in a couple of weeks!!! Our oldest son just turned 16 yesterday...he has a passport, but I was looking through the Norwegian rules, and they said (if I read it right) that he also needs a photo id...is this correct? He doesn't have one (we thought just the passport would work)). We can get one if it's needed, but with everything going on the next two weeks, it would be awesome if we DIDN'T have to get one!!!

[che5904]

don't U.S. passports have photos on them?

[sparks1093]

The passport is the creme de la creme of travel documents and it is all one needs as it establishes both identity and citizenship.

[Barb Nahoumi]

Although the passport should suffice, check with NCL for an official ruling------just to be safe.

[Cubechick]

The passport IS a photo ID and all you need.

[che5904]

The passport IS a photo ID and all you need.

 

Thank you, I was beginning to wonder when OP said had a passport but then said also needed a photo ID. I always thought U.S was like ours and had photo on them.

[DPurcell58]

I would still check further. We don't carry our passports off the ship, we take our driver's license. My son turned 17 and I called NCL and they said he should have a photo id. I'm not sure if it's 16 and over or over 16. I got him a Non Driver ID from Motor Vehicles.

[albertamom]

My kids are 12 and 13, and we are going on our first cruise on the POA in December. Will they need photo id to get back on the ship? We weren't planning to take our passports off the ship.

[sparks1093]

I would still check further. We don't carry our passports off the ship, we take our driver's license. My son turned 17 and I called NCL and they said he should have a photo id. I'm not sure if it's 16 and over or over 16. I got him a Non Driver ID from Motor Vehicles.

 

My kids are 12 and 13, and we are going on our first cruise on the POA in December. Will they need photo id to get back on the ship? We weren't planning to take our passports off the ship.

 

Two different issues at work- the ID required at initial check-in and the ID required to re-board in a port of call. The passport works for both. For those 16 years and older a photo ID will be necessary for clearing the check point before getting back to the ship.

[che5904]

Two different issues at work- the ID required at initial check-in and the ID required to re-board in a port of call. The passport works for both. For those 16 years and older a photo ID will be necessary for clearing the check point before getting back to the ship.

 

Just to clarify sparks photo ID or passport for port clearance for some ports not ship clearance as their room key does that.

[mkad1109]

My kids are 12 and 13, and we are going on our first cruise on the POA in December. Will they need photo id to get back on the ship? We weren't planning to take our passports off the ship.

all you need is room card. You also need it to get off the ship so it is not possible to forget them! I always hold my whole families cards so no one's gets lost while we are off ship.

[flashdog_1]

My kids are 12 and 13, and we are going on our first cruise on the POA in December. Will they need photo id to get back on the ship? We weren't planning to take our passports off the ship.

 

We were on PofA last December, and we definitely had to have both our room card and a photo ID at all ports.

 

As others have said, it is not necessarily NCL that requires that photo ID but immigration/customs.

[NMLady]

all you need is room card. You also need it to get off the ship so it is not possible to forget them! I always hold my whole families cards so no one's gets lost while we are off ship.

 

In Port Canaveral, in order to clear port security to return to the ship we needed to show Photo id in addition to our room key card. To board the ship there we only needed our room key card but the port security required photo id in order to allow passengers clearance to go to the ship.

 

If OP's son doesn't have photo id, then make sure he takes his passport off the ship with him in case he needs photo id for any of the security places at the ports that require that.

[bakerintn]

Lots of passengers don't want to take their passports off the ship in foreign ports, although that is one of the normal uses of passports. If one misses their ship, having the actual passport with you is much easier than not having one.

 

When returning to the ship at a port, there is most often a security guard to keep non-passengers off the dock. Since the ship's cards could be easily picked up by local residents, and don't have a photo, the security guards normally check the photo ID and name against the ship's card.

 

When you get to the ship, after passing that security check point, your ship's card will get you back on board (no photo id card required), because when the ship's security swipes your card, your picture appears on their computer screen, acting at the photo ID.

 

It is a good idea for your son to have a government photo ID anyway, so I suggest that you get one via your drivers license station (ID only). You will need a birth certificate or his passport to get one.

[sparks1093]

Just to clarify sparks photo ID or passport for port clearance for some ports not ship clearance as their room key does that.

 

Yep, I meant to say "port check point" but my fingers got ahead of me:o.

[valleyvillage]

I just read a review by a cruiser who missed the ship in Mexico. Their passports were back in the cabin and getting out of Mexico cost them several hundred dollars in bribes/fees.

 

I would not worry so much in Canada. I am thinking of getting a passport card in addition to my passport book for convenience.

 

At the very least, make a photocopy of your passports and carry them with you at all times off the ship in a foreign port.

[sdmike]

We never once needed photo ID's to get our kids (10, 14, 16 now) back through any security and back on the ship. This includes Grand Cayman, Roatan, Cozumel, Mazatlan, PV, Cabo, Ocho Rios and more. We all have passports, but have never been asked for them.

 

Boarding the Epic brought your picture up on their computer screen when they scan your cruise card. It's easy for them to tell if the right person is handing them the card.

[gail-s]

In the Bahamas we had to show our ids to get back to the pier where the boats were docked. We had passport cards with us and left our passport books back on the ship.

[78ultra81108]

Just back from Bermuda and we had to show passports to get onto the ship. Even my 3 year old. A passport will suffice for photo ID, your son doesn't need an additional one.

[LocalTracks]

Just back from Bermuda and we had to show passports to get onto the ship. Even my 3 year old. A passport will suffice for photo ID, your son doesn't need an additional one.

 

Do you mean when you initially embarked in New York, or each time you returned to the ship while at King's Warf?

 

We don't have passports - we use our driver's licenses and birth certificates - I believe we showed them in Bermuda (in 2008) as well.

[78ultra81108]

Do you mean when you initially embarked in New York, or each time you returned to the ship while at King's Warf?

 

We don't have passports - we use our driver's licenses and birth certificates - I believe we showed them in Bermuda (in 2008) as well.

 

Two check-ins to get back on the boat at King's Wharf. The first with wharf staff - needed to show both keycard and passport. The second with boat security - needed to just scan keycard. The language that was used was always "passport," as in, "Please show us your passport, please keep your passport out."

 

You should really get a passport if you don't have one already. As I'm sure you know, should you miss the boat or have an emergency, a driver's license will not allow you to fly out of Bermuda.

[njhorseman]

Do you mean when you initially embarked in New York, or each time you returned to the ship while at King's Warf?

 

We don't have passports - we use our driver's licenses and birth certificates - I believe we showed them in Bermuda (in 2008) as well.

 

You won't need a passport to get back on the ship in Bermuda. Although we have and always cruise with our passports, we just take our drivers licenses and ship room key cards with us ashore. We've been cruising to Bermuda for almost 25 years, and were there three weeks ago, and have never been required to show a passport to reboard the ship.

 

What happens is that the Bermuda security agent often asks passengers to show passports,when in reality what they mean is for passengers to show their photo IDs...and a drivers license works just fine.

[njhorseman]

Two check-ins to get back on the boat at King's Wharf. The first with wharf staff - needed to show both keycard and passport. The second with boat security - needed to just scan keycard. The language that was used was always "passport," as in, "Please show us your passport, please keep your passport out."

 

You should really get a passport if you don't have one already. As I'm sure you know, should you miss the boat or have an emergency, a driver's license will not allow you to fly out of Bermuda.

 

They use the word "passport" at the pier but you don't need it. We never take our passports off the ship in Bermuda. They're really just looking for a photo ID, and a drivers license suffices.

[LocalTracks]

You won't need a passport to get back on the ship in Bermuda. Although we have and always cruise with our passports, we just take our drivers licenses and ship room key cards with us ashore. We've been cruising to Bermuda for almost 25 years, and were there three weeks ago, and have never been required to show a passport to reboard the ship.

 

What happens is that the Bermuda security agent often asks passengers to show passports,when in reality what they mean is for passengers to show their photo IDs...and a drivers license works just fine.

 

 

Thank you - that's what I thought. I know we're taking a slight risk not having passports, but we don't travel that often, and I didn't want to spend another $500 for this trip if I didn't have to.

[phillygirl63]

My kids are 12 and 13, and we are going on our first cruise on the POA in December. Will they need photo id to get back on the ship? We weren't planning to take our passports off the ship.

 

We were just on the POA 4/30/11 sailing. In all of the ports, they told us before we disembarked that we had to have both our room card and photo i.d. They were both needed to go through the port's security, but after going through security, only the room key was needed to enter the boat. Take your passports with you.