Passport for 13 year old

[Minidonk]

Does my 13 year old grandson need a passport to go to Bermuda?

[LadyShiva]

He is a citizen of which country? And you're cruising from where to where?

 

If he has to fly to the US from Bermuda, the best case scenario is he has a passport.

[lady_cruiser]

No but at thirteen it would be nice if he had a passport so he can start collecting stamps from the different countries he will be traveling too.

[MedicKen]

A few "IFs" If, he is a US citizen, If it is a "closed loop" cruise (departing and returning to the same US port), If you have proper permission documentation from both parents, all he will need is a certified copy of his birth certificate. NOT a hospital issued or baptismal certificate but one issued by the governing authority with a raised seal, or othe official "stamp" on it. As for the "proper parental permission" you can search on CC for formats of letters that should be filled out and signed by both parents as well as notarized allowing you to take him out of the country.

 

This all seems like a whole bunch of hassle but it allegedly helps keep kids from parental, an non-parental kidnapping.

[xxoocruiser]

No but at thirteen it would be nice if he had a passport so he can start collecting stamps from the different countries he will be traveling too.

 

The OP did not state country of citizenship nor did OP state if it's a closed loop cruise so your reply may not be correct.

 

Correct reply is if the 13 year is US citizen , it's a closed loop cruise (beginning and ending) in the same US port and the individual is not flying from a a foreign city than all that is needed is a photo ID and Government issue Birth Certificate. Additional parent permission documents are required if the child is not traveling with both parents... just as traveling with onlyone parent or traveling with the parents of a friend.

[sail7seas]

Keep in mind that should there be an emergency, he will not be able to fly internationally without a valid passport.

 

[thinfool]

Does my 13 year old grandson need a passport to go to Bermuda?

 

A US passport for him will be valid for 5 years, not 10 as would be the case for an adult.

 

A passport makes things very convenient, but may not be necessary, as others have commented.

[SMerritt]

He is a citizen of which country? And you're cruising from where to where?

 

If he has to fly to the US from Bermuda, the best case scenario is he has a passport.

 

If you are taking your grandson on a cruise without his parents - PLEASE check with your cruise line, or here on CC, to verify what documentation will be needed to cruise on a ship with a minor & you are not the birth mother or father. Yeah grands should count as parents, but they don't

 

I saw a Cruise Critic show about children travelling with only one parent needing the other parents notarized permission, minors with names that did not match adults with no permissions or proper identification.....etc.

 

I have seen people in tears at the "special desk" when embarking

 

A passport make this cruise and other travelling nice and easy for him and you - at his age, with no history, it should be easy to get

 

My 18 moth old grandson already has his passport

 

Lucky Grandson! Have Fun!

[Galveston Cruiser]

My son had his first passport at 2 months:)

He is now 28 and travels internationally on business.

A passport is a must for everyone, Who knows when there will be a chance to travel somewhere at the last moment:cool:

[Warm Breezes]

My son had his first passport at 2 months:)

He is now 28 and travels internationally on business.

A passport is a must for everyone, Who knows when there will be a chance to travel somewhere at the last moment:cool:

 

No a passport is not a must for everyone :rolleyes:. No one in my family has one, nor have they needed one...ever. I am 46 years old and have sailed 9 times on closed loop cruises without ever needing one. My DM is 67, she has never needed one...ever. She sailed with us once and got extremely sea sick and she will not cruise again. She has no desire to go out of the country at this stage in her life. I know many people who either can not afford to or who have no desire to travel internally....it is not a must for them to have passports. We will probably get one in the future if our travel plans require it. As of now they haven't and we have a lot of domestic travel on our wish list before we have any interest in travel internationally (with the exception of closed-loop cruises).

 

To the OP, the others are correct. If your cruise is closed loop to and from a US port and your grandchild is a US citizen, then all that is required by law is a certified birth certificate from your grandsons state of birth dept of vital statistics. If you are traveling without his parents then you need a certified letter giving you permission to take him out of the country from his parents.

[Galveston Cruiser]

Warm Breeze: Don't take it so serious:(

If one wants to leave the country (not a closed loop cruise), a passport is required. At some point, there will be requirements for a passport for everyone leaving the country.

There are those that won't leave their neighborhood, but for those of us that have traveled the entire U.S. and love traveling overseas, it is a good thing to be prepared.

[RoofingPrincess]

No a passport is not a must for everyone :rolleyes:. No one in my family has one, nor have they needed one...ever. I am 46 years old and have sailed 9 times on closed loop cruises without ever needing one.

However, if something ever went wrong on one of your closed loop cruises and you had to fly home from one of the islands... you would have encountered difficulty. This is why many people who do nothing but closed loop cruises do get their passports anyway.

[Travelcat2]

The simple answer is that if you need a passport, he needs a passport.

[Warm Breezes]

However, if something ever went wrong on one of your closed loop cruises and you had to fly home from one of the islands... you would have encountered difficulty. This is why many people who do nothing but closed loop cruises do get their passports anyway.

 

But the chances of this happening are extremely small. This is a personal choice that the gov't gives us. For some of the us the risk level is not high enough to justify the cost. We don't feel the need to have a passport as a security blanket. Others they do. But it is a "choice" we make and not a "must" as the poster I was replying to had said.

[Warm Breezes]

Warm Breeze: Don't take it so serious:(

If one wants to leave the country (not a closed loop cruise), a passport is required. At some point, there will be requirements for a passport for everyone leaving the country.

There are those that won't leave their neighborhood, but for those of us that have traveled the entire U.S. and love traveling overseas, it is a good thing to be prepared.

 

 

The "At some point" is not here. I was objecting to your saying that it was a "must" for everyone. It is not a "must" yet. The government still gives us the "choice" for those who only travel internationally on closed loop cruises. IMHO you were giving out false information to the OP with your statement. If you travel internationally besides closed loop cruises then yes it is "must". But as of right now....it is not a "must" for everyone.

[Galveston Cruiser]

The "At some point" is not here. I was objecting to your saying that it was a "must" for everyone. It is not a "must" yet. The government still gives us the "choice" for those who only travel internationally on closed loop cruises. IMHO you were giving out false information to the OP with your statement. If you travel internationally besides closed loop cruises then yes it is "must". But as of right now....it is not a "must" for everyone.

 

It is a must for those traveling out of the country:confused: not on a closed loop cruise. Does that sound better:rolleyes:

You are entitled to do whatever you wish, but don't take things so serious.

[njhorseman]

The simple answer is that if you need a passport, he needs a passport.

 

That's not correct. One of the two people might not be a US citizen, and therefore must have a passport to cruise, while the other might be a US citizen, and wouldn't need a passport for a (closed loop) cruise to Bermuda.

[Warm Breezes]

It is a must for those traveling out of the country:confused: not on a closed loop cruise. Does that sound better:rolleyes:

You are entitled to do whatever you wish, but don't take things so serious.

 

The OP asked a serious question. Your post gave them an incorrect answer. I did take that seriously and gave the OP the correct information based on the law not my opinion. Sorry if that offends you.

[Cruisin' Chick]

We got our daughter her first passport at 3 years of age (for her second cruise). Probably not necessary, but peace of mind for us to have an official photo ID for her, and if somehow we would need to fly home from a foreign port. She's had two renewed ones so far and the next one, she'll be able to keep it for 10 years.

[Galveston Cruiser]

The OP asked a serious question. Your post gave them an incorrect answer. I did take that seriously and gave the OP the correct information based on the law not my opinion. Sorry if that offends you.

It appears that you are the one offended, not me:D

I did not give incorrect information nor did others. Everyone is trying to be helpful. No one needs to be scolded.

[Warm Breezes]

My son had his first passport at 2 months:)

He is now 28 and travels internationally on business.

A passport is a must for everyone, Who knows when there will be a chance to travel somewhere at the last moment:cool:

 

It appears that you are the one offended, not me:D

I did not give incorrect information nor did others. Everyone is trying to be helpful. No one needs to be scolded.

 

Your post speaks for itself :rolleyes:. If I were a new cruiser reading your original post, I would take it to mean what you said, that everyone "must" have a passport. After all you were answering a question by the OP on whether or not her Grandson needed a passport. IMHO that is incorrect information. Your opinon is not the current law. I was just making sure the OP knew that ;)...and yes I was serious because the OP asked a serious question that deserved a serious answer.