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cruiser415

By cruiser415,
in Princess Cruises

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paul929207

paul929207

Posted
Posted
We're going to Alaska, round trip from San Francisco.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Forums mobile app

If you are US citizens, you can take an Alaskan cruise that starts and end in the same US port with only an original copy of your birth certificate and and a government issued photo ID.

 

Be aware, without a passport, you would not be able to fly to Canada to catch the ship. Under the Passenger Vessel Services Act, you could not go to another US port to board. So you would miss the entire cruise.

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cruiser415

cruiser415

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If you are US citizens, you can take an Alaskan cruise that starts and end in the same US port with only an original copy of your birth certificate and and a government issued photo ID.

 

Be aware, without a passport, you would not be able to fly to Canada to catch the ship. Under the Passenger Vessel Services Act, you could not go to another US port to board. So you would miss the entire cruise.

 

Great! So good to know that. Thanks:D

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Forums mobile app

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rebeccalouiseagain

rebeccalouiseagain

Posted
Posted (edited)

Victoria is the second to last port. If you had to stay in Victoria then you could drive back to the United States instead of fly and all you need to have is your birth certificate and photo ID. From there you can fly back to San Fran, if indeed you had a medical emergency in Canada.

 

The short answer is it has to be an original birth certificate not a photocopy and a valid driver's license.

Edited by rebeccalouiseagain
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SdKT

SdKT

Posted
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this is a fun game.

SO just so happens my friend was going LA - Hawaii, no passport - last month...

they denied her entry and her small child.

it was a 2 wk cruise and no crying, or government issued IDs or birth certs let her on.

You will travel thru international waters, and i HIGHLY RECC YOU GET YOUR PASSPORT !!

its good for 10 yrs, and makes your life forever easier.

and its not that long turnaround now. 4-6 wks.

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rebeccalouiseagain

rebeccalouiseagain

Posted
Posted (edited)

Ok- most closed loop cruises originating from the US require only a birth certificate and photo ID. I checked on this when looking into a Panama Canal closed loop cruise for instance. I have not run into an issue with these close looped US cruises in my research. I also just did a roundtrip Port Canaveral cruise with my 13 year old son with only his birth certificate AND no photo ID for him because it is not required for minors. However, Princess reserves the right to require passports for minors. I am not exactly sure why it is required for minors if it isn't required for parents? This is only true when the child is traveling with ONLY one family member. It isn't true if the child is traveling with more than one family member. Bottom line- bite the bullet and have a passport.

 

A parent traveling alone with minor (married or divorced) has to bring a letter of consent in order for the child to cruise with a minor. What's more, if the parent's last name is different from the child. the parent HAS to bring a copy of the child's birth certificate (as well as a passport if required for travel) to show the adult traveling with them is indeed the mother.

 

Many parents are divorced and travel solo and they know this BUT even if you are married, if you take your child on a cruise without the other parent- you have to bring the notarized letter of consent and the birth certificate if the mother's last name is different.

 

There are no such requirement though for domestic travel in the United States. I can fly anywhere in the US as a single parent with my sons- who both have different last names than me.

Edited by rebeccalouiseagain
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cruiseryyc

cruiseryyc

Posted
Posted
Victoria is the second to last port. If you had to stay in Victoria then you could drive back to the United States instead of fly and all you need to have is your birth certificate and photo ID. From there you can fly back to San Fran, if indeed you had a medical emergency in Canada.

 

The short answer is it has to be an original birth certificate not a photocopy and a valid driver's license.

 

 

Actually you require a passport to drive between Canada/US not just birth certificate.

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rebeccalouiseagain

rebeccalouiseagain

Posted
Posted (edited)

I am so glad I read this post! We always travel with our passports but my son's passport expired in May of 2013 and we are now renewing it for a trip to Asia. However, I was not aware of this issue and thankfully I haven't taken him to Canada on a whim with just his birth certificate and consent form. Some how we were allowed to board the Enchantment of the Seas closed loop cruise in December of 2013 with only his birth certificate and consent letter and no one said anything.

 

The rules changed in 2009 apparently and I was still operating under the old guidelines.

 

So everyone should have a passport period- looks like because if you were stranded in Mexico or Canada on a closed loop cruise- you'd be in for a rude awakening trying to return across the border.

Edited by rebeccalouiseagain
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Cruisin' Chick

Cruisin' Chick

Posted
Posted
this is a fun game.

SO just so happens my friend was going LA - Hawaii, no passport - last month...

they denied her entry and her small child.

it was a 2 wk cruise and no crying, or government issued IDs or birth certs let her on.

You will travel thru international waters, and i HIGHLY RECC YOU GET YOUR PASSPORT !!

its good for 10 yrs, and makes your life forever easier.

and its not that long turnaround now. 4-6 wks.

 

Hmm, didn't know you can't board with a passport. Our last three cruises have been the LA to Hawaii round trip, but the three of us, including daughter (who got her first passport at age 3) had the passports, which is the ID we showed to get back on board at each port (we didn't bother with Ensenada).

 

Just wondering if the reason your friend couldn't board was that she didn't have any notarized permission from the child's father. That would be more likely, especially for any travel (including flights) out of the country.

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Jasperdo

Jasperdo

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Posted
If you had to stay in Victoria then you could drive back to the United States instead of fly and all you need to have is your birth certificate and photo ID.

That is not true any longer. Beginning June 1, 2009 a valid passport book or passport card is required to enter the United States by land. A birth certificate and photo ID is no longer sufficient.
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