Passport Card?

[lilmizz]

I just asked this question on my Roll call but Id like to get as much info as possible.. Thanks!

 

My DD and SIL just got the Passport cards. This will be their first cruise. after reading about passport cards the only thing I see that is good about them is getting thru customs. Even tho I think it is the same as just a birth certificate and ID. I read that if something happens in a port ( god forbid miss the ship or get sick) the card wont work to fly back home? Is this true? Would they really be quite "screwed" ? Please say no!! has this happened to anyone or has anyone heard of this?

[dwayneb236]

Its true. The cards are good for ground or water travel only. The book is definitely the best way to go. My wife and I finally got our passports this year

[Havingfun2010]

I just asked this question on my Roll call but Id like to get as much info as possible.. Thanks!

 

My DD and SIL just got the Passport cards. This will be their first cruise. after reading about passport cards the only thing I see that is good about them is getting thru customs. Even tho I think it is the same as just a birth certificate and ID. I read that if something happens in a port ( god forbid miss the ship or get sick) the card wont work to fly back home? Is this true? Would they really be quite "screwed" ? Please say no!! has this happened to anyone or has anyone heard of this?

 

I have both, a card and a regular passport. On a cruise, I stick my card in my wallet, and leave my passport book at home. So your main question is that you are now worried if you get left behind in a foreign country. First, you can get home. Are you "screwed". First answer is yes, because you are left behind and will cost you a small fortune to get home. So the next question is, you are on the island, out snorkling etc, and you, like most people, leave the passport book in the safe. It is the same thing as not having one at all. So if you are left behind, you need to go to the consulant, fill out paperwork, verify you have a missing in action passport or show your passport card, which is a big plus to speeding up the process, to get an ermergency passport book to get home. Are you "screwed"? No, but you will have additional hassles to overcome. Your real issue, is that you have to fly, which will cost you more in some cases as the cruise......

[blubonnet]

Passport cards are valid for land and sea travel to and from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean. Sadly, they are not valid for air travel. Here's a link to the State Departments' passport card page: http://travel.state.gov/passport/ppt_card/ppt_card_3926.html

 

The card does make re-entry easier! I hope you all have an amazing cruise!

[sparks1093]

I just asked this question on my Roll call but Id like to get as much info as possible.. Thanks!

 

My DD and SIL just got the Passport cards. This will be their first cruise. after reading about passport cards the only thing I see that is good about them is getting thru customs. Even tho I think it is the same as just a birth certificate and ID. I read that if something happens in a port ( god forbid miss the ship or get sick) the card wont work to fly back home? Is this true? Would they really be quite "screwed" ? Please say no!! has this happened to anyone or has anyone heard of this?

 

If something happens and they need to fly back then the passport card would not work, so they need to figure out what the chances are that they will miss the ship or get sick. They wouldn't be screwed but they would be delayed long enough for the State Department to issue an emergency travel paper (which would probably be speeded up because they are already in State's system by having a passport card).

[lilmizz]

Thank you all for the fast Responses! Well Im gonna make sure they stay very very close to me in the ports lol! They uh lets say like to drink... alot... So do I but well this is all new to them. I know my daughter well. She can wonder off after a few .......Gonna have to get a collar and Chain for them I guess.. Kidding :o

[sparks1093]

Thank you all for the fast Responses! Well Im gonna make sure they stay very very close to me in the ports lol! They uh lets say like to drink... alot... So do I but well this is all new to them. I know my daughter well. She can wonder off after a few .......Gonna have to get a collar and Chain for them I guess.. Kidding :o

 

Yep, sounds like a short leash is called for. I don't think being overserved at Senor Frogs is covered by travel insurance.;)

[cruisinfanatic]

I have both, a card and a regular passport. On a cruise, I stick my card in my wallet, and leave my passport book at home. So your main question is that you are now worried if you get left behind in a foreign country. First, you can get home. Are you "screwed". First answer is yes, because you are left behind and will cost you a small fortune to get home. So the next question is, you are on the island, out snorkling etc, and you, like most people, leave the passport book in the safe. It is the same thing as not having one at all. So if you are left behind, you need to go to the consulant, fill out paperwork, verify you have a missing in action passport or show your passport card, which is a big plus to speeding up the process, to get an ermergency passport book to get home. Are you "screwed"? No, but you will have additional hassles to overcome. Your real issue, is that you have to fly, which will cost you more in some cases as the cruise......

The license in my wallet is just as good as your passport card in yours off the ship.

I have never once seen any official document saying it's easier or faster to get a passport just because you have the card.

[latitude918]

The license in my wallet is just as good as your passport card in yours off the ship.

I have never once seen any official document saying it's easier or faster to get a passport just because you have the card.

 

It is easier to get a passport if you already have a card because, you can just fill out paperwork online, print it, and mail it directly to the passport processing facility in Philadelphia with the same picture you took for your card. If you don't have a pass port, you have to fill out the paperwork, get a photo, go to a processing facility, have them take care of it.

 

It took some time (a few days) for me to go through the process to get my card. It literally took me 1 hour to get everything done for my passport since I already had my card, and that includes sitting in Washington DC traffic to drive to the post office.

[cruisinfanatic]

It is easier to get a passport if you already have a card because, you can just fill out paperwork online, print it, and mail it directly to the passport processing facility in Philadelphia with the same picture you took for your card. If you don't have a pass port, you have to fill out the paperwork, get a photo, go to a processing facility, have them take care of it.

 

It took some time (a few days) for me to go through the process to get my card. It literally took me 1 hour to get everything done for my passport since I already had my card, and that includes sitting in Washington DC traffic to drive to the post office.

that doesn't help when you can't fly home

[ThirstyFrog203]

Just to add to this thread and to give myself some piece of mind. We are cruising on the Liberty to Cozumel, Belize, Roatan and the Cayman islands in early February. We are applying for our passport cards this week. If for some reason, we don't get them in time. (we all know how the government works) Is it ok to just use your drivers license and birth certificate as ID? Ship leaves from and returns to Miami.

[cherylandtk]

To put your mind at rest, you likely will have your cards processed and back to you before 2014 rolls around. Processing is very fast this time of year, with 2-3 week turnaround normal.

 

Yes, your cruise itinerary is one where just ID and proof of citizenship is OK. However, you must send off your proof of citizenship to get the passport (cards), so you may want to obtain a duplicate proof JIC.

[mickide]

My husband and I both have the passport card but are going to get the books before our next Mexico cruise. We want to spend the night in Cabo and want to make sure we can fly to the next port if for some terrible reason, they can't tender in the 2nd day. We leave a lot of family and very important people to us at home when we travel and if something happened and I couldn't fly back to them in a timely manner, I would be devastated.

That said, we have never had a problem thus far and we "sail" right through customs with our passport cards.