toyotaford Posted May 17, 2014 #1 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Leaving next Saturday on the Jewel to Alaska roundtrip out of Seattle. Bringing my nephew and 3 friends as a high school graduation trip. All 4 of them will be 18. Just realized that two of the guys have passport cards, not full passports. Didn't think that would be a problem but called NCL just now and they said a passport card nor the certified copy of the birth certificate with state issued ID would do. Has to be actual passport. I know we traveled to New England which did a stop in Canada in October and to Mexico in November with friends who had the cards and some who had birth certificates and photo ID and it was not a problem. Anyone have any recent experience with this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triptolemus Posted May 17, 2014 #2 Share Posted May 17, 2014 (edited) Remember that required documentation is used to establish your US citizenship. As such, a passport, passport card, or a State issued ID with a state issued birth certificate are acceptable, http://www.ncl.com/about/required-travel-documentation Info on US Passport Card: http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/information/card.html You will be fine. Edited May 17, 2014 by triptolemus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garycarla Posted May 17, 2014 #3 Share Posted May 17, 2014 i would check the state department page.... but pretty sure the main reason for passport cards are to and from Canada and Mexico - other than that, they are not worth much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smeyer418 Posted May 17, 2014 #4 Share Posted May 17, 2014 (edited) ...called NCL just now and they said a passport card nor the certified copy of the birth certificate with state issued ID would do. Has to be actual passport. I know we traveled to New England which did a stop in Canada in October and to Mexico in November with friends who had the cards and some who had birth certificates and photo ID and it was not a problem. Round trip US from same port does not require a passport. either passport cardor state issued ID and birth certificate are ok...this is from NCL's website Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Alaska, Mexican Riviera, Or Canada & New England Cruises For round-trip sailings (cruises that depart from and return to the same U.S. port), you may sail with either a valid passport, proof of citizenship and a valid government-issued photo I.D. (driver’s license with a photo), or any other WHTI compliant document. Proof of Citizenship examples include: State certified U.S. birth certificate Original certificate of U.S. naturalization Original certificate of U.S. citizenship U.S. Consular report of your birth abroad. Baptismal paper, hospital certificates of birth and Puerto Rico birth certificates issued prior to 7/1/10 are not acceptable. A U.S. citizen under the age of 16 do not require a government-issued photo ID. For open-jaw sailings (cruises that depart from one U.S. port and return to a different U.S. port), you are required to carry: A valid passport U.S. passport card U.S. or Canadian Enhanced Drivers License(emphasis added) even though it doesn't say it the passport card is ok for the round trip too... the NCL csr who told you otherwise is mistaken(as in wrong) Edited May 17, 2014 by smeyer418 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toyotaford Posted May 17, 2014 Author #5 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Thanks for the comfirmation. I went to the NCL website after I had called them and saw the information. I then called them back to confirm and the second person I talked to gave me the information that agreed with the website. I think I am going to go get them certified copies of their birth certificates this week just to make me feel better. Traveleing with 4 guys all 18 years old makes me want to cover all my bases. Can't wait to see what they pack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medtech2 Posted May 17, 2014 #6 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Thanks for the comfirmation. I went to the NCL website after I had called them and saw the information. I then called them back to confirm and the second person I talked to gave me the information that agreed with the website. I think I am going to go get them certified copies of their birth certificates this week just to make me feel better. Traveleing with 4 guys all 18 years old makes me want to cover all my bases. Can't wait to see what they pack. Make sure you get signed letters of consent from their parents to take with you, just in case. No one ever seems to ask for them but you never know. Also carry their insurance cards and when my son travelled with others I also sent along a medical consent form, in case of emergency. I work in a hospital and like to cover my bases... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sauer-kraut Posted May 17, 2014 #7 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Make sure you get signed letters of consent from their parents to take with you, just in case. No one ever seems to ask for them but you never know. Also carry their insurance cards and when my son travelled with others I also sent along a medical consent form, in case of emergency. I work in a hospital and like to cover my bases... They are in their majority, no need for parental consent. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMHAM1 Posted May 18, 2014 #8 Share Posted May 18, 2014 We had passport cards along with the other documents needed because I'm paranoid about having someone denied boarding. In New Orleans, they just swiped the passport cards through a credit card type machine and they did not ask us for any of the other documents. Could not have been easier. Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toyotaford Posted May 18, 2014 Author #9 Share Posted May 18, 2014 I am a little paranoid. We take our employees on company trips every year and last year we had two that were denied boarding. One was out of New York and one out of New Orleans. We have been doing company trips for about 15 years and it had only happened once before and that was right after Katrina. Our employees wife had sent her passport for renewal to New Orleans and Katrina hit before she got it back. She had been an army baby born in Germany. We went to the port with ever piece of documentation she had and they wouldn't let her on. I had not really worried about it again but then after last year I pay a little more attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medtech2 Posted May 18, 2014 #10 Share Posted May 18, 2014 it always throws me because 18 can·t drink here or even rent a car but can do everything else Sent from my SPH-L710 using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garycarla Posted May 18, 2014 #11 Share Posted May 18, 2014 ... I think I am going to go get them certified copies of their birth certificates this week just to make me feel better. Traveleing with 4 guys all 18 years old makes me want to cover all my bases. Can't wait to see what they pack. Passport cards are fine. Then again, for some reason 18 year old have a high rate of things getting lost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traveller20074 Posted May 18, 2014 #12 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Leaving next Saturday on the Jewel to Alaska roundtrip out of Seattle. Bringing my nephew and 3 friends as a high school graduation trip. All 4 of them will be 18. Just realized that two of the guys have passport cards, not full passports. Didn't think that would be a problem but called NCL just now and they said a passport card nor the certified copy of the birth certificate with state issued ID would do. Has to be actual passport. I know we traveled to New England which did a stop in Canada in October and to Mexico in November with friends who had the cards and some who had birth certificates and photo ID and it was not a problem. Anyone have any recent experience with this? Only a problem if you have to fly back for any reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traveller20074 Posted May 18, 2014 #13 Share Posted May 18, 2014 I am a little paranoid. We take our employees on company trips every year and last year we had two that were denied boarding. One was out of New York and one out of New Orleans. We have been doing company trips for about 15 years and it had only happened once before and that was right after Katrina. Our employees wife had sent her passport for renewal to New Orleans and Katrina hit before she got it back. She had been an army baby born in Germany. We went to the port with ever piece of documentation she had and they wouldn't let her on. I had not really worried about it again but then after last year I pay a little more attention. what? on a closed loop cruise (out of Seattle, and coming back to SEattle)a passport isn't needed *shrug* I must not be getting what you're saying. why would they deny boarding to someone without a passport if they have other documentation??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saving Up To Be Eccentric Posted May 18, 2014 #14 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Passport cards are fine. Then again, for some reason 18 year old have a high rate of things getting lost. Make copies of all important documentation. Even if they had another decade, this is a good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason26 Posted May 18, 2014 #15 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Passport cards will work as long as you come back into the US via the cruise ship. If you need to leave the ship early and be required to fly back into the US, I believe the passport card is useless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toyotaford Posted May 18, 2014 Author #16 Share Posted May 18, 2014 what? on a closed loop cruise (out of Seattle, and coming back to SEattle)a passport isn't needed *shrug* I must not be getting what you're saying. why would they deny boarding to someone without a passport if they have other documentation??? If you are referring to the trip I am fixing to take I think it has been pretty much determined that the original person I talked to at NCL just gave me the wrong information. If you are referring to the post you quoted here are the reasons those three were denied boarding. All three trips were closed loop out of three different ports. Galveston on CCL and NYC and New Orleans on NCL. On the first on her birth certificate was in German(born while dad was in military) and they couldn't read it. The only things they could read were the names. We had her parents birth certificates in English and her dads discharge papers. We had her drivers license and her marriage license. We tried everything we could and waited until they came and told me if I didn't get on I would miss it too. Last year the two different guys that weren't allowed just didn't have the right stuff. One of them was adopted and his adoptive parents divorced when he was very small. When his mother remarried he took her husbands name but never legally. I'm not sure how he has done it up to this point but everything he has is in the name he took. Social Security number, drivers license, etc. He went to the dock in New York with the document signed by a judge that says that John Smith (his adoptive birth name) is now John Jones (the name he took after his mother remarried). He had drivers license and social security card with him with the name John Jones. What he didn't have was his original birth certificate showing that he was born John Smith. The other guy didn't have an actual birth certificate. It was something issued by the hospital, not the state. We always stress to our employees the importance of getting a passport but leave it up to them to get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toyotaford Posted May 18, 2014 Author #17 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Only a problem if you have to fly back for any reason. Exactly. When we took my niece on her senior trip a couple of years ago that did happen. We were still in the US so the passport was not an issued. Just as the boat was pulling out we got a call that the mother of one of the friends she had taken with her had died. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toyotaford Posted May 18, 2014 Author #18 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Passport cards will work as long as you come back into the US via the cruise ship. If you need to leave the ship early and be required to fly back into the US, I believe the passport card is useless. That is my understanding. We have been told the card is only good if you are driving between the countries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njhorseman Posted May 18, 2014 #19 Share Posted May 18, 2014 (edited) That is my understanding. We have been told the card is only good if you are driving between the countries. Passport card is also good for entry to the US by sea...such as on a cruise, as you have been told several times. Edited May 18, 2014 by njhorseman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowbiter Posted May 18, 2014 #20 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Passport card is good to entry by sea, train or car into the US from Canada. The only reason you would need a real passport is of you need to fly in from Canada. All of your other stops are US so you will be fine. The Canadian ports on Alaska cruises are usually only a few hour car or train ride so the flying back is likely a non issue. Sent from my SPH-L710 using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbrugler Posted May 18, 2014 #21 Share Posted May 18, 2014 I think your mind is creating a problem. Do not overthink this. They have passport cards. Enough said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevCruise Posted May 18, 2014 #22 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Do keep in mind, there is at least one excursion out of Skagway that you will not be able to do if you don't have a passport or other legal means of entering Canada. This won't keep you from boarding the ship, you just won't be able to do those excursions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S.S.Oceanlover Posted May 18, 2014 #23 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Do keep in mind, there is at least one excursion out of Skagway that you will not be able to do if you don't have a passport or other legal means of entering Canada. This won't keep you from boarding the ship, you just won't be able to do those excursions. Yep, the one up into the Yukon. Great excursion BTW. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njhorseman Posted May 19, 2014 #24 Share Posted May 19, 2014 (edited) Do keep in mind, there is at least one excursion out of Skagway that you will not be able to do if you don't have a passport or other legal means of entering Canada. This won't keep you from boarding the ship, you just won't be able to do those excursions. Yep, the one up into the Yukon. Great excursion BTW. Bill It's actually not Canada that's the issue...a US citizen is allowed to enter Canada with just a birth certificate. Reentry to the US is what requires more than a BC. A passport card is perfectly valid for any land or sea crossing between the US and Canada (including excursions from Alaska into Canada)...only air travel between the US and Canada requires a passport book. Any cruise line that says you must have the passport book is wrong. (Although if they want to enforce something that's not required they can.) Edited May 19, 2014 by njhorseman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevCruise Posted May 19, 2014 #25 Share Posted May 19, 2014 Yep, the one up into the Yukon. Great excursion BTW. Yep, we did it, but due to us being on the last cruise of the season, we only made it to the border and back. Still worth it..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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