Passport card vs passport book

[OnTheBrink]

We'll be cruising to Cozumel, Costa maya, Roatan, and Belize in July. The kids' passports (full books) expire in August. Is there any reason we shouldn't just get the (cheaper) passport cards rather than the books?

 

 

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[cb at sea]

I believe the "card" is only for land crossings.....I thought if you had to fly, you'd need the real passport.

[OnTheBrink]

Ah - good thought!

 

 

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[SadieN]

Think of the card as a BC and ID in one.

[kitty9]

The card is virtually useless. For domestic flights, it's not much better than a drivers license. You cannot use the card for international flights, but you can use it for closed loop US cruises.

[Pikaia]

The card most useful for those who often travel to Canada or Mexico by land, and do not do any other international travel. An example would be a US citizen who frequently drives across the border to Canada as a part of her job or to visit friends/family; in parts of Michigan, for example, this is not uncommon. For everyone else, a passport is a better choice.

[cherylandtk]

Many cruisers have both; they take the passport card ashore and leave the passport in the ship safe.

[Mistizoom]

Many cruisers have both; they take the passport card ashore and leave the passport in the ship safe.

 

This is what I am planning on doing.

 

From http://travel.state.gov/passport/ppt_card/ppt_card_3926.html:

 

The U.S. Passport Card can be used to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda at land border crossings or sea ports-of-entry and is more convenient and less expensive than a passport book. The passport card cannot be used for international travel by air.

So the passport card is fully valid as ID for a cruise, but if there was an emergency and you had to fly home from a foreign country it would be useless.

[crusinmama06]

Card is useless for what we would need it for (flying home in an emergency) - so cruisers need the book. :)

[Daisywalker]

Card is useless for what we would need it for (flying home in an emergency) - so cruisers need the book. :)

 

This :)