Well, I warned everyone.....(Passport Threads - (6 threads merged together...so far)

[mikeymars]

Hello, I am part of the crowd you refer to. Never ever needed one before. BUT i won't be getting a loud wakeup call because it won't happen until 2008. 3 years seems more like the snooze alarm going off again..........

 

Oh, really? Before you go back to sleep, you might want to re-check your calender, because that alarm is going off a lot earlier than you think.

 

The below is directly from the "when will passports be required" FAQ in the goverment annoucement yesterday:

 

December 31, 2005 - Apply the requirement to all travel (air/sea) to or fro the Caribbean, Bermuda, Central and South America.

 

So, enjoy taking out the checkbook at the post office this summer......

[jcanino]

All persons reentering the US will be expected to show passports. This includes, Mexico, Canada, the Bahamas, etc. So with such an early warning, there should be no more excuses not to get a passport. You can download the forms, fill them out, get the pics taken and head to a place that does passports. You can even find where to go to get processed when you download the forms. It really is painless....and it's good for 10 years!!!

 

Everyone really need to read the AP (or other news agencies) story on the whole passport requirement. Let me quote the last line of the AP story.

 

"The proposed rules are scheduled to be finalized this fall."

 

Anything can happen in the government between now and then. I definately think it a good thing, but it is far from being gospel.

[L2J]

All persons reentering the US will be expected to show passports. This includes, Mexico, Canada, the Bahamas, etc. So with such an early warning, there should be no more excuses not to get a passport. You can download the forms, fill them out, get the pics taken and head to a place that does passports. You can even find where to go to get processed when you download the forms. It really is painless....and it's good for 10 years!!!

 

This just in........old news. Old enough that it's collected dust :rolleyes:

[98Charlie]

I have a 13 year old who is biologically my grandson but in all other respects he has always been my son. I am listed as parent/legal guardian on records for school, boy scouts, medical, etc. and always have been, but there is no court document that says I am his legal guardian. How will this work? Will I have to hunt down his mother which I really don't care to do in order to get him a passport? His father is deceased.

Maybe this is heading off topic but, I would be checking with an attorney about becoming his legal guardian. Should his mother suddenly reappear at any moment and claim that she is ready to be the parent, I would not want it left to the court system to decide what is best for the boy. JMHO.

 

Charlie

[mikeymars]

Everyone really need to read the AP (or other news agencies) story on the whole passport requirement. Let me quote the last line of the AP story.

 

"The proposed rules are scheduled to be finalized this fall."

 

Anything can happen in the government between now and then. I definately think it a good thing, but it is far from being gospel.

 

Well, given Congress has already passed a LAW mandating this, there is nothing to "finalized," and the State Department pointed that out yesterday, as shown in the following AP story.

 

"The restrictions were outlined by the State Department and Homeland Security as part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The changes were mandated by the intelligence reform law approved by Congress in December.

 

Under a phased timetable, passports will be required for all air and sea travel to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama and other countries in Central and South America by Dec. 31 of this year. Passports wil be required for air and sea travel to and from Mexico and Canada by Dec. 31 of 2006, and for border crossings with those two countries by Dec. 31, 2007."

 

Then again, any cruiser without a passport who wants to delay on getting one for their early 2006 cruise because they think these rules are "still in play"....go ahead, be my guest....

[mikeymars]

And now CC itslef is laying in:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=1279

[Momto5boys]

A little like warning about aliens coming...It really does not matter...until it happens.

I mean..Its not like you are proving someone wrong..Because.until,up until its changed...BC have been acceptable...why does this make someone wrong...

Ok..Now you need a PP...big deal..get a PP..

People keep warning me,that there will be a day,when we are a cashless society..But..until then....I will continue to use cash.:rolleyes:

 

Good point! I don't understand the people who are so obsessed about using passports vs. birth certificates on cruise ships...strange that it should be such a hot topic!

 

For the person who asked, a new passport is $97 per adult and $82 per child, plus the cost of passport photos. There goes $700 for our family! :rolleyes: We were planning to get them within the next couple years before we take the kids to Europe, but I was hoping to stall off as long as I could since the children's passports only last five years instead of ten.

[98Charlie]

Many of them homeport in Vancouver.

I guess that is my point. They either begin or end in Canada or have a stop there. No matter, at some point in time, you will need a passport to return from every cruise (POA currently the exception).

 

Charlie

[Flip2cruise]

Carnival's response:

 

''While we are in full support of measures designed to increase security, we have some serious concerns about the timeline,'' said Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines spokeswoman Jennifer de la Cruz.

 

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/3114730

[tef43]

Carnival's response:

 

''While we are in full support of measures designed to increase security, we have some serious concerns about the timeline,'' said Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines spokeswoman Jennifer de la Cruz.

LMAO, as if Homeland Security gives a rats azz what Carnivla thinks.

[L2J]

LMAO, as if Homeland Security gives a rats azz what Carnivla thinks.

 

Answer......THEY DON'T

[herb]

All over the cruise internet sites, one post after the other about now needing a passport!

 

One would think the government asked that everyone dig tunnels, and fell trees as part of the process of obtaining a passport.

 

All you need is to have your picture taken, fill out a form, write out a check and mail it... that's not so difficult!

[tef43]

Answer......THEY DON'T

Exactly. And in terms of manpower involved in checking in passengers, this doesn't impact Carnival AT ALL. So I'm not entirely sure *why* Ms de la Cruz is running her mouth in the first place. :confused:

 

And while we're on the subject, because you *know* it's going to happen, wanna take a wild guess how many pathetic "Waaaah, Carnival wouldn't let me sail without a passport. I'm going to write Uncle Bob and demand a free cruise" threads we're going to have on the front page here the first week in January? :mad:

 

Morons.

[lucki701]

It's the "writing out the check" part that's difficult! My DH and I just decided to get them for our upcoming cruise and it cost us $200!

 

-Lucki701

[blackwing]

I agree. What's the big deal about needing to get a passport? Doesn't almost everyone have one? It's not like you need to take a test or anything, and it lasts for 10 years.

 

Now if they decided you needed to get a visa to every single country your ship makes port in, THAT would be a hassle.

[tef43]

It's the "writing out the check" part that's difficult! My DH and I just decided to get them for our upcoming cruise and it cost us $200!

You have been warned about this for months. In fact, you'd have saved $15/pp had you done this just last month.

 

They're good for *ten* years, fercripessakes.

[L2J]

And while we're on the subject, because you *know* it's going to happen, wanna take a wild guess how many pathetic "Waaaah, Carnival wouldn't let me sail without a passport. I'm going to write Uncle Bob and demand a free cruise" threads we're going to have on the front page here the first week in January? :mad:

 

Morons.

 

Fiddy?

 

Yep:rolleyes:

[tef43]

Fiddy?

The Hosts are going to be busy cleaning up *that* mess.

[L2J]

The Hosts are going to be busy cleaning up *that* mess.

 

Yeah well at least it will be entertaining...albeit a rerun :rolleyes:

[kimmimom]

I had planned on getting mine and my husband's renewed, but were not going to get our kids right now since we don't know if they will even like cruising and we aren't planning on going out of country any other way (I won't fly). Anyway, we are going to Cozumel, Belize, Progreso, and Key West on Glory in Jan 2006. That is Mexico IMO. But someone else said on another board we would have to have it by Dec 31, 2005, because we would be in caribbean at some point during our cruise b/c we are leaving from east coast (FL)? What do you cruise pros think? Don't mean to sound stupid here. Also, Carnival accepts passports that have expired within the last 10 years; will that change when this new law goes into effect that they will have to be valid. My husband and mine expired in 1999 and I was going to do mine for sure since my name has changed since i got my passport back in 1989.

 

Thanks for any help.

[irishgirl]

According to Carnival's website, you will need a passport to cruise anywhere in the Caribbean as of December 31, 2005.

 

On Tuesday, April 5, the U.S. State Department announced details of the proposed "Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative." If the proposed rules are enacted, U.S. citizens will be required to carry a passport for travel to or from certain countries/areas that were previously exempt. The proposed implementation is as follows:

 

* December 31, 2005 - Passport required for all air and sea travel to or from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Central and South America.

 

* December 31, 2006 - Passport required for all air and sea travel to or from Mexico and Canada.

 

* December 31, 2007 - Passport required for all air, sea and land border crossings.

 

According to the U.S. State Department's press release: "To provide vital information to the general public, the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and State (DOS) are issuing an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on the plan to the public and requesting input and/or comment on the suggested documents and possible alternative documents that can meet the statutory requirements. A more formal rulemaking will be issued later this year following review of those comments to implement the first phase of the initiative. This rulemaking will take into account comments received from the advanced notice as well as soliciting further comments on the rulemaking itself."

 

Once the proposed rules are finalized - either in their current form or a modified form - the cruise industry will communicate that information to our travel agent partners and guests. In the meantime, individuals with future travel plans that would be affected by the proposed new rules may wish to proceed with obtaining a passport now.

 

We will provide additional information as it becomes available.

 

For additional information from the U.S. government, visit:

 

www.travel.state.gov

[Ehpride]

I had planned on getting mine and my husband's renewed, but were not going to get our kids right now since we don't know if they will even like cruising and we aren't planning on going out of country any other way (I won't fly). Anyway, we are going to Cozumel, Belize, Progreso, and Key West on Glory in Jan 2006. That is Mexico IMO. But someone else said on another board we would have to have it by Dec 31, 2005, because we would be in caribbean at some point during our cruise b/c we are leaving from east coast (FL)? What do you cruise pros think? Don't mean to sound stupid here. Also, Carnival accepts passports that have expired within the last 10 years; will that change when this new law goes into effect that they will have to be valid. My husband and mine expired in 1999 and I was going to do mine for sure since my name has changed since i got my passport back in 1989.

 

Thanks for any help.

 

Belize is in Central/South America, not Mexico. And it's not a cruise thing anymore, but a homeland security thing. That makes the deadline Dec. 31, 2005.

[mcgore83]

I live in North Carolina. What is the procedure for obtaining a passport. Going to the Carribean in January and know I will need one. Any help appreciated. Thank you in advance.

[tef43]

http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

[ColoradoJuli]

Get the forms off the internet, fill them out, take an official birth certificate and a photo to your local post office that accepts passport applications. Pay the money and then watch the mail. It really isn't that difficult.

 

http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

 

All questions should be answered from this site.