Passports for Kids

[kiwi121210]

My family is sailing in October and I was wondering if you sail with your kids, do they have passports?? I have all their raised sealed birth certificates that I will be taking with us, but I was wondering what everyone else does. Thanks.

[discjoker]

My daughter has had a passport since she was 18 months old (she is now 3 and a half). We originally got it for cruising but have also used it on trips into Canada.

[veronicalee]

We sail Sunday. My kids passports are expired but I will bring them anyway to suplement the birth certs.:confused:

[debster11]

We have passports for the kids. You never know what could happen if they were to get ill on the ship heaven forbid. I wouldn't want to be stuck in a foreign country not able to get home. It most likely won't happen, but I want to be prepared in case it does.

[girlscruise2011]

We have passports for the kids. You never know what could happen if they were to get ill on the ship heaven forbid. I wouldn't want to be stuck in a foreign country not able to get home. It most likely won't happen, but I want to be prepared in case it does.

 

Same here. I have 3 kids and it was an expense to get them passports but to me, better safe then sorry.

[TheCalicoCat]

We got our son a passport - easier to keep 3 passports together, without worrying about loss, tearing, etc.

 

Also they are a fun/cheap souvenir - He already has a Bahamas stamp & in November, he will get a Bermuda stamp...

[hlb76]

We just renewed our kids (11 and 16) last night for our next cruise. We did not get them for our first cruise but our trip to Cancun we had to have them. Since then I have not regretted it.

 

Granted they are expensive it was $270 for both w/ pics last night but when you break it down it was like $27 a year for the next 5 years*. Well worth it.

 

 

*this is a estimate as my 16 year olds was more expensive but good for 10 years not 5!

[sylvis]

Yes my two boys have them. As others have said better safe than sorry. A case in point: the situation that just happened in Puerto Rico. If only you had passports and your kids did not than none of you could have flown on to Barbados and met the ship.

[Wildgrits]

Yes I bit the bullet and paid to have my 14 & 15 year olds to get their passports for our trip. You never know what could happen. I figure if by the time they need to renewed, they will be employed and it will be their bills.;)

[Buffalofirsttimer4]

We also "bit the bullet"-all four of ours (20, 15, 12, 11) have passports. Makes life easier for traveling not only on cruises but to Canada as well.

 

Happy Sailing :)!!!

[pjhootch]

Yes, we got passports for our kids. We didn't do it when they were small, but when they started the restrictions on traveling to Mexico we decided it was time. We frequently visit grandparents in Arizona and walk across the border there.

 

We got lucky and our kids were 16 when we decided it was time for passports for them, so they are good for another 6 years. I wouldn't cruise without passports for the kids at this point in time because the birth certificate issues are just getting too messy.

 

Also, a good point that should there be a bump in the travel plans I wouldn't want to have trouble flying into one of the islands.

[kiwi121210]

My kids are still little 8, 5, and 4. I think we might bite the bullet and get them passports, but I don't know. We are leaving from Mobile and I don't know if they are even going to want to get off the boat. They are really excited about camp carnival. I guess we will see.

[Soonerbaby]

All four of our children have passports, as well as our two daughters boyfriends who travel with us. You never know when you might get stuck in a port and need to fly home or have to catch a flight to another port for embarkation due to a hurricane. :)

[smcgoldr]

I went on the first cruise with just birth certificates. It was a 4 night and only had one stop out of the US. Since learning more, I got passports for all four kids. Not worth the risk of getting stuck somewhere with no travel documents.

 

Some passengers out of San Juan last week learned the hard way. The ship had to leave port early because of Irene. Not all guest had boarded the ship yet and only the ones that had passports could fly to Barbados to catch the ship.

[mompolo]

We don't have passports for ourselves (next cruise will be our 5th) and we didn't get one for our son (next cruise will be his 2nd).

 

We got enhanced driver's license (enhanced state ID for our son) and we aren't too concerned about getting stuck in a port.

 

I'm not much of a worrier - it's pretty unlikely that we will have to fly to another port or stay on an island.

[chipmaster]

I personally would never sail even a roundtrip that goes to a foreign port that doesn't require passport without one.

 

I'm an advocate to keeping the passport in the safe, can't be too safe :D and for the same reason would want a passport. Murphy has been known to follow my kids and I on vacation and having the knoweledge that if Murphy was to visit I'd have my passport is a must, in the ship safe of course!

 

My family is sailing in October and I was wondering if you sail with your kids, do they have passports?? I have all their raised sealed birth certificates that I will be taking with us, but I was wondering what everyone else does. Thanks.

[Warm Breezes]

We don't have passports for ourselves (next cruise will be our 5th) and we didn't get one for our son (next cruise will be his 2nd).

 

We got enhanced driver's license (enhanced state ID for our son) and we aren't too concerned about getting stuck in a port.

 

I'm not much of a worrier - it's pretty unlikely that we will have to fly to another port or stay on an island.

 

Same for us we have sailed 8 times with just BC and DL (for those over 16) with absolutely no issues. We are not worried about flying to another port or getting left on an island. Even with what happened in San Juan the chances are really quite slim that it would happen. Quite frankly if we were with that group sailing on the Victory we would have been on the ship as soon as they allowed us to board and would have been sailing with it and not left behind. To me that wasn't a lesson on having a passport but a lesson to paying attention to the weather/news updates and always get to your embarkation port at least the day before.

[MIZZ_K]

My family is sailing in October and I was wondering if you sail with your kids, do they have passports?? I have all their raised sealed birth certificates that I will be taking with us, but I was wondering what everyone else does. Thanks.

I made my stepdaughter get one for her daughter when I took her on her first cruise in 2008, which I keep.

[MIZZ_K]

We don't have passports for ourselves (next cruise will be our 5th) and we didn't get one for our son (next cruise will be his 2nd).

 

We got enhanced driver's license (enhanced state ID for our son) and we aren't too concerned about getting stuck in a port.

 

I'm not much of a worrier - it's pretty unlikely that we will have to fly to another port or stay on an island.

It may be unlikely, but things happen, look at what just happened in San Juan, you can't fly with an EDL, but not knocking you, to each his own.

[MamaParrotHead]

both of mine have passports. i'm a firm believer in "i'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it" when it comes to most things regarding travel with my kids.

[elcuchio24]

I've had a passport since I was 4yo.

[smitty89]

We just got passports for our two children (11 and 9) because we are cruising in November. We also added the passport card at the same time as the passports. We knew we wanted the kids to have a picture I.D. to take off of the boat and the passport cards were roughly the same price as getting an official state I.D. card. So, the plan for our family is, to take our passports and passport cards on the cruise. We will leave the passports on the boat, and take our passport cards off the boat with us. We feel better knowing that our kids have them, but like other posters have said, it is really up to you and your comfort level.

[rhcpchika1]

I have passport cards for us and the kids... We just ordered my 1.5 year olds on Tuesday

[ShakyBeef]

Yes, both of my DDs (9 and 5) have passports.

 

My 5-yr-old has had hers since she was 10 months old. It just expired this month. I'll wait until we are planning another family cruise before I get it renewed. It's kind of cute and funny showing her passport photo to Customs and security - they look at the picture of the infant, then back at my little 5-yr-old, then back at the picture of the baby. Then they just end up taking my word for it that it is indeed a picture of her.:rolleyes::p

[BJAMINGIRL]

I have passport cards for us and the kids... We just ordered my 1.5 year olds on Tuesday

 

Just so you know that the passport cards are equal to a birth certificate, not a passport book as far as flying goes.

 

If one of your children were to get sick or injured in a port...remember you need to get back to the ship before it sails as they can not get back into the us via air with a passport card.

 

Passport cards were ment for people who cross the borders by car frequently, not for vacation travelers.