Birth Certificate vs Passport

[Casper2422]

I am cruising in feb and am doing a closed loop cruise from miami. I know you can use your birth cert & ID but it is highly recommended to use a passport. Well in the process of planning my wedding I have not had a chance to get my passport. I know I still have time to get one but my question is should I or will I be fine with just my birth certificate? My last cruise was 5 years ago and I was fine with just my birth cert but I am getting paranoid and afraid the process to board and disembark will take extra long because I do not have a passport. Any advice would be great!

[sparks1093]

You will be just fine unless you have to fly back to the States. You have to assess for yourself how likely that possibility is for you and plan accordingly.

[kimmimom]

The only thing it will impact if you need to catch a flight home for an emergency. Another thing to consider is you won't be able to get one in your married name until you are married (Assuming you are changing names) and I don't know if you can update your name on it or if you would have to apply for a new one once you are married. But if I had to get a new one once married, I would wait. This is our third cruise WITH the kids adn they don't have one and my husband does not either, and we have not had any problems. Just be sure your birth cert is state issued and not mothers copy or hospital copy.

[FlaGrl4Evr]

What ever name you get your passport in must match your booking. The good thing is that you can get a passport in your maiden name, if that is how you booked, and then chage it to your married name fore FREE as long as you do this within on year of passport application.

[manduh]

I've cruised several times with just my birth certificate and never had any issues at all.

[mattp420]

afraid the process to board and disembark will take extra long because I do not have a passport.

 

I did notice on my last cruise that the line for customs was SUPER long for people with birth certificates when debarking. Those of us with passports breezed through. That was in Galveston though so not sure if it applies everywhere.

[M&MGirl1]

The line in NOLA for customs for birth certificates was also horribly long back in June.

 

Also, if for some reason you missed the boat in Miami, if you don't have a passport then you can't fly to another port to catch up to the boat. While the odds are good you wouldn't encounter an emergency situation that you'd need a passport for, accidents DO happen and I tend to think going ahead and getting a passport is worth the peace of mind.

[gelo7]

Get a passport and you will never have to ask this question again.

[Cruzface]

6 cruises with a birth certificate. No problems. I would suggest, as others have, that you bring the marriage certificate if your name on the booking and your name on the BC are different. As for needing to fly back from an island. The US gov. spokesman said that in times of an emergency, they will not prevent a US citizen from re-entering the country simply because he or she does not have a passport.

[zqvol]

I am cruising in feb and am doing a closed loop cruise from miami. I know you can use your birth cert & ID but it is highly recommended to use a passport. Well in the process of planning my wedding I have not had a chance to get my passport. I know I still have time to get one but my question is should I or will I be fine with just my birth certificate? My last cruise was 5 years ago and I was fine with just my birth cert but I am getting paranoid and afraid the process to board and disembark will take extra long because I do not have a passport. Any advice would be great!

 

 

Either is fine, BUT make sure you book the cruise in the name on the ID, if it is a honeymoon cruise better to book in your maiden name and worry about name changes later.

[Casper2422]

Thank you for all the responses! I am not changing my name until we get back from the cruise so I wont have to worry about my name not matching the booking. Also my parents are going with us and they are using their birth certificates so even if there was a shorter line we probably wouldnt leave them. Think we will just stick with the birth certs for now and get our passports later. Thanks everyone! Cannot wait until feb :D

[beshears]

I take "both" with me, so I don't know how this would go. It looks like people have answered "both" ways. I have never been ask to show my birth certificate, as I always show my passport, but I carry the birth certificate for "just in case.":) I find there is never a "hold up" when I show my passport anywhere.

[kimmimom]

disembarktion. The rest of my family does not have a passport, yet we all go the same way off and never had a long line. I think that is port dependent. We have gone Tampa, Port Canaveral, and Jacksonville.

[carib123]

Whatever you have, the name has to match your cruise documents.

 

If something happens on the cruise, an emergency or missing the ship, and you have to fly home a birth certificate will not work. You have a passport then you dont have to worry about it

[cruisinfanatic]

I take "both" with me, so I don't know how this would go. It looks like people have answered "both" ways. I have never been ask to show my birth certificate, as I always show my passport, but I carry the birth certificate for "just in case.":) I find there is never a "hold up" when I show my passport anywhere.

no one with a passport is ever asked for a BC.

[cdamion]

If you don't have a passport and something unusual happens, it may be a pain in the neck, but you will be able to get back home. You are not going to be refused admittance back to the US just because you don't have a passport (assuming you are a US citizen).

 

ESPECIALLY if there is some unique reason like something went very wrong with the cruise. You would just have to go through the local US Embassy to get travel docs.

[Kidsgoneletscruise]

We recently cruised with (and always do) our birth cert and state ID. And as a matter of fact my husband's ID expired so we had a PAPER form of ID that Carnival didn't even bat an eyelash at. It did not take us any longer than anyone else to get through the line.

 

As others have said unless you foresee yourself not getting on-board on time then this should not be an issue.

[parrotthead]

If you don't have a passport and something unusual happens, it may be a pain in the neck, but you will be able to get back home. You are not going to be refused admittance back to the US just because you don't have a passport (assuming you are a US citizen).

 

ESPECIALLY if there is some unique reason like something went very wrong with the cruise. You would just have to go through the local US Embassy to get travel docs.

And this can take several days....

Yes you *will* get home... but ...They are not going to let you fly "just because" something went wrong. You will have to go to the Embassy and have them assist you in getting a PassPort issued aborad. This does not happen on the spot.

[parrotthead]

FYI:

Copied/pasted from the State Dept Website

http://www.getyouhome.gov/html/lang_eng/eng_sa.html

"Closed Loop" Cruises: U.S. citizens who board a cruise ship at a port within the United States, travel only within the Western Hemisphere, and return to the same U.S. port on the same ship may present a government issued photo identification, along with proof of citizenship (an original or copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular report of Birth Abroad, or a Certificate of Naturalization). Please be aware that you may still be required to present a passport to enter the foreign countries your cruise ship is visiting. Check with your cruise line to ensure you have the appropriate documents.

 

Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) and Air Travel for U.S. Citizens

When traveling by air between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda, you are required to present a U.S. passport, except as noted below. This applies to everyone including newborns, infants and children.

 

The only exceptions to this requirement are for:

•U.S. citizens on active duty with the U.S. Armed Forces, traveling with military ID and travel orders

•U.S. citizen merchant mariners traveling in conjunction with maritime business, with U.S. issued Merchant Mariner Document

•Travelers with a NEXUS card used at a NEXUS kiosk at Canadian Preclearance airports

•U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents with a Permanent Resident Card or other evidence of permanent residence status and required documentation; refugees and asylees with a Refugee Travel Document

 

For more information on the travel documents required for U.S. citizens to enter or re

 

~~Lots of good info at www.travel.state.gov

[elcuchio24]

The only reason to not get a passport is if you don't want to spend the money on it. Any other conversation on the matter is just palaver. If you can afford it, get one.

[beshears]

I don't know if anyone mentioned this or not, but I always make a "copy" of my birth certificate and my passport (page with picture and number), so this way, if I lose it or anything happens, I have my copies at home.

[Herfnerd]

As a previous poster stated, the BC should be a certified one, not the original from the hospital

 

Or does Carnival not care about that?

 

 

Doesn't matter to me - I have a passport...

[1948buddy]

Ditto gelo7 and GET a passprt...We have been breezing through customs leaving Galveston after our cruiuse is over..They have a separate line for birth certs..Also, you just never know when you might have to fly.

[Casper2422]

Officailly applied for our passports. Went to the post office on tuesday and sent in the application. Figured might as well get it and maybe this will be motivation for us to travel somewhere exotic to really be able to use them :) Thank you so much for the advice!

[parrotthead]

Officailly applied for our passports. Went to the post office on tuesday and sent in the application. Figured might as well get it and maybe this will be motivation for us to travel somewhere exotic to really be able to use them :) Thank you so much for the advice!

Good for you! :)

you'll feel like a 'real traveler', not just a toirist... ;)

(GingerBabys came back in 10 days!- REGULAR SERVICE))