Do It Now - Don't Procrastinate - Do You Want to Board That Ship?

[nana541]

This is wrong... Adoptees have birth certificates, if he was adopted in the State of New York (and Born there) the state will issue him a birth certificate and no he does not need to go to court and no his birth records do not get unsealed. They issue these for adoptees all the the time.

 

One last question, was his adoption a formal adoption or did someone just take him in and raise him?

 

Alternative identification is typically for much older people.... Included such things as military records (DD214) , baptismal papers... What has he been using for a birth record? He just needs the record he has updated.::. Many states did not use to put parents names on BC.

Edited December 14, 2014 by nana541

[marion10]

If your relative is getting SS benefits, he must have proved his identity at some point. As the other link stated, there are alternate methods if no birth certificate. If there are problems, I would suggest contacting you congressman.

Edited December 19, 2014 by marion10

[GottaKnowWhen]

First-time cruisers and first-time passport users. :)

 

How does that work when we board the ship? Is it similar to boarding an airplane? The passport, along with some sort of cruise doc (too early for us to check in so I don't know exactly what we will get), is our 'boarding pass'?

 

And do you take them with you when you get off at ports? I would assume there is some sort of customs to go through to re-board the ship? TIA

 

The usual practice seems to be to issue you an ID card when you check in. It is your room key, your credit card onboard, your id when leaving and re boarding the ship. Your passport only comes into play when you check in and when you check out at the end.

[GottaKnowWhen]

After reading once again about a panicked hopeful cruiser who cannot find their birth certificate and have an expired passport, I chose to post this message on several forums.

 

After posting it elsewhere, someone suggested check the expiration date on your passport and that, of course, is good advice.

 

 

 

Speaking of passports, remember the bad old days when we were required to get advanced permission to visit another country's? Visas they called them. Well, don't forget that many countries still do require visas. And some, e.g. Brazil, will NOT issue a visa at the border, you must do it ahead of time. Your TA should know this. If you don't have a TA, do your due diligence!

[paul929207]

Brazil, Russia, China and India all require visas that must be obtained in advance. Allow plenty of time.

[jocap]

Brazil, Russia, China and India all require visas that must be obtained in advance. Allow plenty of time.

And for members of the 38 countries which are allowed to have a visa waiver for the USA, you must apply for an ESTA before you travel- use the US Government's own page only, as there are many pages which will try to do this simple job for you, and will then charge much more than the US's $14.

[captain_hug99]

Passport renewals are in the mail as of today. We cruise in June. Woohoo

[kitten3008]

I only waited three weeks for my passport, and did not pay the expedited fee. I realize that that's not typical, but the post office told me that right now the wait time has been typically around a month, especially if there are not issues and you have everything you need!

[bossrat]

I've cruised previously using only my BC. Decided to get a passport for my upcoming March cruise since I'm considering a trip to Scotland. Anyway, non-expedited passport was in my hands 13 days after I applied at the post office. I was pleasantly surprised. lol

[jszpira]

I've cruised previously using only my BC. Decided to get a passport for my upcoming March cruise since I'm considering a trip to Scotland. Anyway, non-expedited passport was in my hands 13 days after I applied at the post office. I was pleasantly surprised. lol

 

 

I wouldn't count on a "pleasant surprise" when it comes to getting a passport quickly. Allocate plenty of time, pay the expedited fee or visit a passport agency.

 

It would be terrible to receive an unpleasant surprise that derails a trip.

[Wayfairers]

You also need time for mistakes. Our Chinese visa paperwork had to be resubmitted because the visa website had the wrong version of the application. Caused us to have to pay for an expedited visa because we needed our passports for another trip.

[notentirelynormal]

This thread reminds me of when my son in law applied for his. He is of Mexican heritage but his parents and he were all born in the US. His passport didn't come so he called and asked why. He was given two reasons. The first was because he had worked for the DOD and they hadn't completed their paperwork and released him from their "travel rules".

 

The second was the funniest. He was asked if he was adopted. Umm, no, he says. Well, on your birth certificate it says that you are "white". On your application it says are "Hispanic". So he calls his mom. Mom says "back in those days you were either black or white, so I picked white." Ahh, makes sense now.

 

Now keep in mind. They didn't call him. He had to call them and find out what the delay was. We still pick on him today about it.

[bossrat]

I agree. I would never count on a pleasant surprise. I would highly recommend to anyone that if they are getting a passport, get it well in advance. I'm sure I was an exception, not the rule, which is why I applied 5 months before my cruise.

[captain_hug99]

Passport renewals are in the mail as of today. We cruise in June. Woohoo

 

Just received my passport today! Two weeks and two days later. We didn't pay for expediting. We were plain renewals.

[NewSalt]

It is a Law of the Universe that short periods for passport renewals only occur when there is no immediate need for said passport.

[GalCruzer]

Very surprised since we took my daughters passport application to post office about the 30th of last month and she received the actual passport yesterday. :)

 

No worries of that for our 30 days prior to sailing...