Confirmation please...Passports

[smjlt]

I have cruise a few times now and have never Needed my Passport. I have always had it but thought I did not need it, Is it true I will need it in the Bahamas?

[irishnyc]

I have cruise a few times now and have never Needed my Passport. I have always had it but thought I did not need it, Is it true I will need it in the Bahamas?

 

If you are a US citizen you need either a passport, or your birth certificate and photo id to cruise to the Bahamas.

[Bobby_Mac]

No, you will not need a PP, but having one is the best option.

[Sea Legs]

If the only port of call is Bahamas, is a passport necessary?

[lola61]

No birth certificate is good, passport preferred.

[vols_159]

depends if its a closed loop cruise and if you are a American citizen or not.. Passport IMO is the only way to travel..

[Sea Legs]

This is for a friend who has never cruised and is thinking of getting her feet wet with a short Bahamas cruise. For some people, if they don't plan on going outside of the U S, the cost of the passport (for a family of 3) can influence whether or not to go on a short cruise.

[LovesCruising]

necessary if you have an emergency and need to fly home

[Mysticks1]

You need a passport or a birth certificate and photo ID. If you use the passport then you only need that as is serves as both your proof of citizenship and your photo ID. It is much easier to me.

[megmno]

If you want to use the photo ID and birth certificate option, make sure your birth certificate is a certified copy issued by your state or local government, not something that you got from the hospital. (In many, but not all states, certified BCs have a raised seal.)

 

There have been stories about people who have not been allowed to sail because they didn't have a proper birth certificate. (Also, this is only information for US citizens. If you are a resident and not a citizen there may be other items needed.)

 

I prefer to carry a passport because in the event that I need to unexpectedly fly then the passport would be needed. For example, if we missed the cruise and wanted to catch up at the next port, or if we got left behind at a port. You can't fly internationally without the passport.

[FL Cruise Guy]

I have cruise a few times now and have never Needed my Passport. I have always had it but thought I did not need it, Is it true I will need it in the Bahamas?

 

It is not required if you cruise begins and ends at the same U.S. port. However, a passport is highly recommended since you will require it in case of an emergency. For instance, if someone gets sick or misses the ship when in port in the Bahamas they will not be able to easily return to the U.S. without a passport since it's required to fly.

[E-burgGrammy]

It is not required if you cruise begins and ends at the same U.S. port. However, a passport is highly recommended since you will require it in case of an emergency. For instance, if someone gets sick or misses the ship when in port in the Bahamas they will not be able to easily return to the U.S. without a passport since it's required to fly.

 

Would the passport card work?

[Sherlock43031]

Would the passport card work?

 

no, you cannot fly internationally on the card.

[BlueRiband]

I have cruise a few times now and have never Needed my Passport. I have always had it but thought I did not need it, Is it true I will need it in the Bahamas?

 

Since you do have a valid US passport, why would you NOT take it? Most passport questions here come from those who don't have one but want assurance that they can sail without it. You're going to need proof of citizenship documentation and a passport is the ultimate travel (and identification) document. Is it really more convenient to carry a raised seal birth certificate, "bridge document" (for women using a married name), or Consular Record of Birth Abroad (born overseas to US citizen parents)?

 

For all the reasons outlined above take the passport. It is better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

 

Click here for a US government link outlining the differences between a Passport Book and a Passport Card.

Edited February 25, 2014 by BlueRiband

[E-burgGrammy]

no, you cannot fly internationally on the card.

 

Thanks that is good to know.

[smjlt]

Since you do have a valid US passport, why would you NOT take it? Most passport questions here come from those who don't have one but want assurance that they can sail without it. You're going to need proof of citizenship documentation and a passport is the ultimate travel (and identification) document. Is it really more convenient to carry a raised seal birth certificate, "bridge document" (for women using a married name), or Consular Record of Birth Abroad (born overseas to US citizen parents)?

 

For all the reasons outlined above take the passport. It is better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

 

Click here for a US government link outlining the differences between a Passport Book and a Passport Card.

 

Thank You!

Yes, I do have my passport and use it when we cruise but I was actually asking for friends who are going on their first cruise in a few weeks and a family member told him he Needed a passport to the Bahamas. We have never personally cruised to the Bahamas...YET lol...So I wasn't 100% that you still did not need your passport. I knew every where else I had been if you did not have your passport then Valid Id was needed but thankful I asked cause I was unaware of needing a Birth Certificate as well!

That's why I LOVE Cruise Critic!!!!

Thank You Everyone who took time to comment!! :)

[SMerritt]

If you want to use the photo ID and birth certificate option, make sure your birth certificate is a certified copy issued by your state or local government, not something that you got from the hospital. (In many, but not all states, certified BCs have a raised seal.)

 

There have been stories about people who have not been allowed to sail because they didn't have a proper birth certificate. (Also, this is only information for US citizens. If you are a resident and not a citizen there may be other items needed.)

 

I prefer to carry a passport because in the event that I need to unexpectedly fly then the passport would be needed. For example, if we missed the cruise and wanted to catch up at the next port, or if we got left behind at a port. You can't fly internationally without the passport.

 

***Megmno said it best - we have seen cruisers denied boarding due to lack of documentation. There was also a CC special on the travel channel about this long ago.

 

If you want to use the photo ID and birth certificate option, make sure your birth certificate is a certified copy issued by your state or local government, not something that you got from the hospital. (In many, but not all states, certified BCs have a raised seal.)

 

There have been stories about people who have not been allowed to sail because they didn't have a proper birth certificate. (Also, this is only information for US citizens. If you are a resident and not a citizen there may be other items needed.)

[BlueRiband]

... I was actually asking for friends who are going on their first cruise in a few weeks and a family member told him he Needed a passport to the Bahamas...

 

Depends on the citizenship of your friends. If they are US citizens sailing on a "closed loop" cruise there are circumstances where documentation other than a passport is acceptable. It's best to check the official state department or immigration web sites of the countries to be visited rather than relying on hearsay information.

 

A few weeks ago somebody asked if her parents could sail on their "green cards". It turned out that they were still citizens of Vietnam and every port on the itinerary required a valid passport and visa for citizens of Vietnam. Had they shown up at check-in without the required documents they would have been denied boarding and would have lost 100% of their fare.

Edited February 25, 2014 by BlueRiband

[MrsPete]

Passport

Pros:

- Simple to use.

- Fairly idiot-proof, whereas people do confuse themselves over birth certificates.

- Can be used in the very unlikely event that you need to fly home unexpectedly. However, people tend to gloss over the fact that on a cruise you can't fly home just any old time, no matter what ID you have. Why? Because most of the time you're not on land! So if you have an emergency on, say, Tuesday, and Wednesday is an at-sea day, you still can't leave 'til you reach the next island.

- Essential for international flights, which might be useful if you intend to take other trips during the passport's 10-year usability.

Cons:

- Very expensive ($135), especially for people who plan to cruise just once and don't intend more international travel in the near future. People like to say, "It's only X amount per year", but you have to pay it all at once, and IF it's going to sit in your safe most of the time, it's still expensive.

- Requires several steps to obtain (photograph, paperwork, mail away, post in person if it's your first passport).

- If children are involved, both parents must physically be present for posting of the application (or must fill out/notorize a form). When the child becomes an adult, he or she must go through the process again, just as if he or she'd never had a passport in the first place.

- Does expire, and you can't cruise with it the last few months, which is downright wrong.

- Large, unwieldy shape that doesn't fit in your wallet or pocket; thus, it's easier to lose if you take it ashore.

- Some people complain they don't want to get an official birth certificate to cruise -- you need the official birth certificate to obtain the passport, so you're not getting out of that either way.

 

Passport card

Pros:

- None for cruisers. Intended for people who live close enough to drive over the Mexican or Canadian borders, this card offers no benefits beyond the driver's license and birth certificate choice.

- Less expensive than a passport ($30).

- Fits nicely into a wallet.

- People who are torn over the choice of whether to take their passports ashore or leave them in their cabin safe can buy both (for $165) and do both.

Cons:

- You cannot fly with the passport card

- Offers nothing beyond the driver's license/birth certificate, so most of us really don't see the point.

 

Driver's license and Birth certificate

Pros:

- Free. Who doesn't already have a driver's license (or other state ID) and a birth certificate in his or her safe?

- Free. This is worth mentioning twice, especially if you're talking about a whole family needing documentation, or if you're talking about a family who plans to cruise just once. Passports for a family could cost as much as an off-season cruise ticket.

- Carrying two pieces of paper is not more difficult than carrying one.

- People worry about photo ID for young children, but the cruise ship doesn't ask for photo ID for children under 16.

- A birth certificate never expires, so as long as you renew your driver's license (and why wouldn't you?) you're set.

- Simple to obtain, simple to use.

- Customs doesn't care what ID you have, as long as it's appropriate.

Cons:

- You cannot fly home (without trouble, possibly a few days of trouble; while this is unlikely, it could be expensive).

- Must be an official birth certificate, though I don't understand why that throws people for a loop.

- The birth certificate doesn't fit in your wallet.

Personally, I say IF you're going to do other international traveling during the next ten years, get the passport . . . but IF you're just planning to cruise, don't spend the money. It's just not necessary.

 

What I'd really like to see in the future is a national driver's license, which would take the place of passports. This would serve as a day-to-day ID for cashing checks, etc. AND would prove your citizenship. Since it would fit in your wallet, it would be more convenient, and it would be easily recognizable by LEOs across the US.

Edited February 25, 2014 by MrsPete

[njhorseman]

Passport card

Pros:

- None for cruisers. Intended for people who live close enough to drive over the Mexican or Canadian borders, this card offers no benefits beyond the driver's license and birth certificate choice.

- Less expensive than a passport ($30).

- Fits nicely into a wallet.

- People who are torn over the choice of whether to take their passports ashore or leave them in their cabin safe can buy both (for $165) and do both.

Cons:

- You cannot fly with the passport card

- Offers nothing beyond the driver's license/birth certificate, so most of us really don't see the point.

 

MrsPete;

 

The above is not accurate. Passport cards have two distinct advantages over over the drivers license/birth certificate combo.

 

(1) The passport card can be used for most of the common open jaw itineraries originating and ending in a US port, such as repositioning cruises. For example at the end of the summer cruise season a ship that had been based on the northeast repositions to a Florida homeport for the winter (the itinerary will include various Caribbean Islands and will include a stop at a distant foreign port such as Aruba). You can't use a BC/DL for this type of cruise as it's not a closed loop, but a passport card can be used. (Note that some cruise lines may not let you use the card for these itineraries even though CBP rules permit it, so always check with your cruse line.)

 

(2) If you have a passport card and find yourself in need of a passport book in an emergency in order to fly home, because you have already gone through the same process and filled out the same application as you would have if you had applied for a passport originally, issuing a passport or a temporary emergency authorization to fly home will be simpler and faster than if you had to start the process from scratch.

Edited February 25, 2014 by njhorseman

[cb at sea]

You will NOT need a passport on a "closed loop" cruise. The Bahamas do NOT require passports from cruise passengers.

[wassup4565]

I don't know why you would rely on the miscellaneous advice of people you don't know on these boards for their opinions

 

You should look online for your US federal government website that gives advice and info about traveling abroad. If you can't find that, call your congressman's office and ask how to find out what you need to know to travel abroad.

[sparks1093]

I don't know why you would rely on the miscellaneous advice of people you don't know on these boards for their opinions

 

You should look online for your US federal government website that gives advice and info about traveling abroad. If you can't find that, call your congressman's office and ask how to find out what you need to know to travel abroad.

 

Nothing wrong with coming here and validating what one reads on those government websites or checking with the people that actually have experience with the issue at hand.

[dwjoe]

I don't know why you would rely on the miscellaneous advice of people you don't know on these boards for their opinions

 

You should look online for your US federal government website that gives advice and info about traveling abroad. If you can't find that, call your congressman's office and ask how to find out what you need to know to travel abroad.

I wouldn't be calling my congressional representative about this.

 

www.getyouhome.gov has details on required documentation to enter the US. People should also check their cruise line's published information on what documentation is needed to cruise.

[dwjoe]

Would the passport card work?

Not for flying to the US from Bahamas.

 

However, it would work for traveling by ferry from the Bahamas to Florida. www.ferryexpress.com has the details. It runs from Grand Bahama to Fort Lauderdale, and takes about three hours.