Passport Question

[sparks1093]

At that age anything can happen. He could simply trip over his own feet and 'break a hip'.

Takes a few days to get a passport, even a one time use one. If it happens over the weekend you'll have to wait for Monday.

A passport gives peace of mind.

 

He does buy travel insurance?

 

Thing is he doesn't have to wait for a passport, he has to wait for the Consulate to issue an emergency travel document as they have the authority under the regulations to waive the passport requirement for an emergency or for humanitarian reasons. Yes, it will take a little time but not as long as it would take to issue a passport.

[sparks1093]

Why do folks try so hard to avoid a passport? For $11 per year it's the gold standard for travel if you plan to go outside the US borders. It's good in every situation and eliminates any chance of problems.

 

Forgot to add it's not $11 a year, it's payable in full up front. When my family went on our first cruise I would have had to shell out in the neighborhood of $900 for the 7 of us for a 4 day cruise (which actually would have been more than the cruise). After doing my research I determined that it wasn't worth spending that kind of money given the small risks involved and since we had the documentation that we needed. (And I am not suggesting that my decision is the right one, each traveler must make the decision for themselves based on their own risk factors and their own comfort level with that risk.)

Edited December 10, 2014 by sparks1093

[rferr]

Forgot to add it's not $11 a year, it's payable in full up front. When my family went on our first cruise I would have had to shell out in the neighborhood of $900 for the 7 of us for a 4 day cruise (which actually would have been more than the cruise). After doing my research I determined that it wasn't worth spending that kind of money given the small risks involved and since we had the documentation that we needed. (And I am not suggesting that my decision is the right one, each traveler must make the decision for themselves based on their own risk factors and their own comfort level with that risk.)

 

I agree to an extent. I just shelled out 350 bucks for passports for the three of us. And it was a pain in the butt as we had to wait at the post office for two hours to execute the one for my daughter and pay the post office a 25 dollar fee as well. The other two were renewals at least. I did not bother to get the cards though seemed like extra money for not a lot to me. The only reason I got passports was in the unlikely event we had to come back to the Country early. All of us could have used birth certificates as we have done many times.

[loxley]

My reason -- my dad is 87 and only cruised twice. I really do not see him going out of the country other then on a cruise.

Why buy something if it really is not needed

 

Thing is he doesn't have to wait for a passport, he has to wait for the Consulate to issue an emergency travel document as they have the authority under the regulations to waive the passport requirement for an emergency or for humanitarian reasons. Yes, it will take a little time but not as long as it would take to issue a passport.

 

My mom is 88 and the very reason she now has a passport.

 

In the event something happens to her, there will be no wait for someone to kick it in gear and get what she needs.

[pamrose228]

Personally, I would never walk on foreign land without my passport. When I cruise we take our passports along our sign and sail card with us when in port.

 

I travel to Canada by rail and you need a passport to go there also. It's always in my purse when I am out and about. I have heard too many horror stories about people w/o passports stuck in foreign places.

[SadieN]

Only a few cruises do I feel comfortable traveling with a passport card. A BC/DL isn't valid for going across by car or foot anymore.

 

-Alaska round trip from Seattle or San Francisco.

 

-Any of the California cruises that only stop in Ensenada.

 

-Maybe the east coast Canadian cruises.

Edited December 10, 2014 by SadieN

[travler27]

I suppose, to each his own. I just see a lot of folks on here stressing over passport vs something else. With a passport you eliminate all the stress in every situation. $110 seems a small price to pay to do without that stress for the next 10 years.

 

Many things can happen after leaving the US and a passport can go a long way to make things a lot easier. Of course there are ways to return to the US without a passport but none are as easy and efficient as already having a passport in your pocket.

 

If you are going to travel outside the country, the cost of a passport is just an additional expense of travel in my opinion. Like cab fare to the port or a motel in the departure city.

Edited December 10, 2014 by travler27

[sparks1093]

I suppose, to each his own.

 

Sums it up right there:). If someone is stressing over it then maybe they would be better off with a passport. I have done my due diligence, am aware of the risks, and am comfortable with those risks so there is no stress on my part at all. Everyone's travel needs are different and they should use the form of documentation that works best for them. Passport is King, of that there is no doubt, but sometimes a Jack will do just as well.

[drafterdw]

If you happen to live in a state that has official enhanced driver's licenses you can use that in place of a passport. The only states that have them are Michigan, Vermont, New York, Minnesota and Washington.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

DE has the new driver's license but you only get it when you are up for renewal. I have one but would never cruise without my passport.....even it was a closed loop!

[sparks1093]

DE has the new driver's license but you only get it when you are up for renewal. I have one but would never cruise without my passport.....even it was a closed loop!

 

To the best of my knowledge, Delaware has REAL ID compliant drivers licenses, which are not EDL's. EDL's are only issued by the 5 states listed in the previous post.

[RD3PO]

To the best of my knowledge, Delaware has REAL ID compliant drivers licenses, which are not EDL's. EDL's are only issued by the 5 states listed in the previous post.

 

This is correct. Delaware licenses are not enhanced.

 

People easily confuse the Enhanced Drivers Licenses with States complying with the REAL ID Act.

[SadieN]

Thing is he doesn't have to wait for a passport, he has to wait for the Consulate to issue an emergency travel document as they have the authority under the regulations to waive the passport requirement for an emergency or for humanitarian reasons. Yes, it will take a little time but not as long as it would take to issue a passport.

 

 

But he still has to get to the consulate. Those are few and far between, not necessarily near the ports of call.

[sparks1093]

But he still has to get to the consulate. Those are few and far between, not necessarily near the ports of call.

 

A fact that should be taken into consideration when planning a trip.

[irishnyc]

It is an open loop cruise. You will need a passport or passport card, per the US Dept of State, unless you are under 16.

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/information/do-i-need.html

Traveling by Sea?

 

All adult U.S. citizens arriving by sea from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean must have a passport.*

 

• Either a passport book or passport card may be used.
  
• All U.S. citizens may apply for a passport card.
  
• To learn more about the passport card, including how to apply and the differences between the passport book and passport card, please visit our U.S. Passport Card page.
  

*"Closed-Loop" Cruises: If you are a U.S. citizen, and you board a cruise ship at a U.S. port, travel only within the Western Hemisphere, and return to the same U.S. port on the same ship, you may present government-issued photo identification, along with proof of citizenship (an original or certified copy of your birth certificate, a Consular report of Birth Abroad, or a Certificate of Naturalization). Please be aware that you may still be required to present a passport to enter the foreign countries your cruise ship is visiting. Check with your cruise line to ensure you have the appropriate documents.

U.S. citizen children under age 16 arriving by sea from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean may present an original or certified copy of his or her birth certificate, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or Certificate of Citizenship.

 

 

 

As for the importance of having a passport: DH and I have passports because we fly internationally. DD(5) only has a passport card because she has only cruised and we have a road trip to Canada planned. We don't foresee any international flights before her passport card expires when she's 8, but if we should decide to, we will obviously upgrade her. If passports for minors lasted 10 years, we would have just gone ahead and gotten her a passport book instead of the card when we applied, because we know we will fly internationally in that time period. Having her cruise without a passport book was a risk we chose to take, knowing emergency documents could be obtained for her if needed.

Edited December 11, 2014 by irishnyc

[richfret]

You don't need a Passport and you don't need life insurance but you may want to consider both. If you get sick and are hospitalized or if your non Carnival excursion is late returning to the ship and you need to catch up with the ship, it's best to have the Passport. It's always fun to be on a strange island trying to get a Passport at 2 am so you can make the 7 o'clock flight to catch up to the ship. Or you can take the chance, do nothing and save a few bucks. I think both sides have presented their case in the prior posts.

[cruisetraveler44]

For stress free travel get a passport. In an emergency you will be able to fly home from a foreign port. Why take the risk?

[firemanbobswife]

Thing is he doesn't have to wait for a passport, he has to wait for the Consulate to issue an emergency travel document as they have the authority under the regulations to waive the passport requirement for an emergency or for humanitarian reasons. Yes, it will take a little time but not as long as it would take to issue a passport.

 

Is there a charge for that? Not trying to argue about the benefits of a Passport, just curious as to what the fees may be and if it would be more than the cost of getting one in the first place. Also would be good to know for those that travel without to budget some "just in case" money.

[SadieN]

Is there a charge for that? Not trying to argue about the benefits of a Passport, just curious as to what the fees may be and if it would be more than the cost of getting one in the first place. Also would be good to know for those that travel without to budget some "just in case" money.

 

Passport fees are the same at home (US) and abroad, including expedited fees.

DD had to pay to get extra pages added into her passport. For whatever reason the agent took a bit of pity on her, added the pages then and there, for the regular, non-expedited fee. She couldn't just walk in, had to make an appointment. Only a few appointments are available each day.

 

Another thing, US embassies are very strict about what comes in and out. The regs clearly state no bags or cellphones. She was able to bring a small purse inside and they would have held her turned off phone for her if she didn't leave it at home. This was in Rome a few months ago.

 

To obtain a passport abroad you need to prove up citizenship.

Edited December 11, 2014 by SadieN

[firemanbobswife]

Passport fees are the same at home (US) and abroad, including expedited fees.

DD had to pay to get extra pages added into her passport. For whatever reason the agent took a bit of pity on her, added the pages then and there, for the regular, non-expedited fee. She couldn't just walk in, had to make an appointment. Only a few appointments are available each day.

 

Another thing, US embassies are very strict about what comes in and out. The regs clearly state no bags or cellphones. She was able to bring a small purse inside and they would have held her turned off phone for her if she didn't leave it at home. This was in Rome a few months ago.

 

To obtain a passport abroad you need to prove up citizenship.

 

This is good information to know for those that don't have a Passport. I was always curious about how the process and fees worked in case of emergency as I hear so many times people nonchalantly say they will "just go to the Consulate and get the necessary papers at that time". We don't cruise without one, so thankfully I won't have to worry about it. Just another level of stress I could do without in case of an emergency. Thanks!

[sparks1093]

Is there a charge for that? Not trying to argue about the benefits of a Passport, just curious as to what the fees may be and if it would be more than the cost of getting one in the first place. Also would be good to know for those that travel without to budget some "just in case" money.

 

I have never seen any type of charge listed for an emergency travel document from the Consulate. If one did not qualify for such a document and actually had to apply to get a passport the same fees would apply as would be charged stateside. I always purchase travel insurance for the "just in case" since obviously I cannot control everything:).

[sparks1093]

It is an open loop cruise. You will need a passport or passport card, per the US Dept of State, unless you are under 16.

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/information/do-i-need.html

 

 

 

As for the importance of having a passport: DH and I have passports because we fly internationally. DD(5) only has a passport card because she has only cruised and we have a road trip to Canada planned. We don't foresee any international flights before her passport card expires when she's 8, but if we should decide to, we will obviously upgrade her. If passports for minors lasted 10 years, we would have just gone ahead and gotten her a passport book instead of the card when we applied, because we know we will fly internationally in that time period. Having her cruise without a passport book was a risk we chose to take, knowing emergency documents could be obtained for her if needed.

 

I always point people to www.getyouhome.gov, which is put out by CBP because they are the agency that will be clearing you. The State Department website makes two errors- one it didn't mention EDL's as an option for open jaw sailings and two it refers to "orignal or certified copy" of a birth certificate. The DHS regulations only say an "original or copy" and say nothing about "certified".

[firemanbobswife]

I have never seen any type of charge listed for an emergency travel document from the Consulate. If one did not qualify for such a document and actually had to apply to get a passport the same fees would apply as would be charged stateside. I always purchase travel insurance for the "just in case" since obviously I cannot control everything:).

 

 

I hadn't either that's why I asked. I find it hard to believe that anything involving paperwork with the government would be free. And if it wasn't, I'm guessing the travel insurance would help to you secure said paperwork but might not cover the fees upfront or at all depending on the policy. You are after all in a foreign country without a passport which might not have been needed to go on the cruise, but would be needed to fly home. I don't know if they would deny the claim or not. Kind of like they won't reimburse you your trip costs if you show up at the pier without proper documentation. They may look at it differently, I honestly have no idea.

 

Again, I'm not here to argue the case for having a passport, I have never heard the actual process and the fees that may be involved. I think it could be beneficial to people to have all the facts for when they are either deciding whether to get a passport or not and if they decide not to, then to know what to do and how much it could potentially cost them in both time and money in a time of unimaginable stress.

 

Has anyone actually been through this and what was the process?

[sparks1093]

I hadn't either that's why I asked. I find it hard to believe that anything involving paperwork with the government would be free. And if it wasn't, I'm guessing the travel insurance would help to you secure said paperwork but might not cover the fees upfront or at all depending on the policy. You are after all in a foreign country without a passport which might not have been needed to go on the cruise, but would be needed to fly home. I don't know if they would deny the claim or not. Kind of like they won't reimburse you your trip costs if you show up at the pier without proper documentation. They may look at it differently, I honestly have no idea.

 

Again, I'm not here to argue the case for having a passport, I have never heard the actual process and the fees that may be involved. I think it could be beneficial to people to have all the facts for when they are either deciding whether to get a passport or not and if they decide not to, then to know what to do and how much it could potentially cost them in both time and money in a time of unimaginable stress.

 

Has anyone actually been through this and what was the process?

 

The Consulates exist in part to provide travel assistance to US citizens including doing what is necessary to re-patriate them. Travel insurance can be tricky because some policies do exclude re-imbursement of expenses if any part of the reason for the expense is related to not having the proper travel documentation, but since exclusions need to be clearly spelled out these policies are easy to identify. Of course this would only apply if the reason for missing the ship is a covered reason- overstaying at Senor Frogs likely wouldn't qualify (nor would it qualify as an emergency to the Consulate).

 

I agree that it would help to have all of the facts, but in all of my years here on Cruise Critic I haven't read of an individual case of someone without a passport missing a ship. I do know that when the CCL ship stayed in St Marteen because of mechanical issues the folks onboard that didn't have passports were given a letter from CBP allowing them to fly without a passport and none of them were delayed in returning to the states (any more than those holding passports were, in any case).

[firemanbobswife]

The Consulates exist in part to provide travel assistance to US citizens including doing what is necessary to re-patriate them. Travel insurance can be tricky because some policies do exclude re-imbursement of expenses if any part of the reason for the expense is related to not having the proper travel documentation, but since exclusions need to be clearly spelled out these policies are easy to identify. Of course this would only apply if the reason for missing the ship is a covered reason- overstaying at Senor Frogs likely wouldn't qualify (nor would it qualify as an emergency to the Consulate).

 

I agree that it would help to have all of the facts, but in all of my years here on Cruise Critic I haven't read of an individual case of someone without a passport missing a ship. I do know that when the CCL ship stayed in St Marteen because of mechanical issues the folks onboard that didn't have passports were given a letter from CBP allowing them to fly without a passport and none of them were delayed in returning to the states (any more than those holding passports were, in any case).

 

 

The entire ship being stranded in St Maarten is quite a different situation in that was an entire ship that was in the same boat so to speak and Carnival made the arrangements and covered the fees which I'm sure there were some.

 

What I want to know is in case of emergency, what are the processes and fees involved to be able to come back to the U.S.? I'm talking like medical emergency type things. You know the ones that people buy trip insurance for (or even ones that don't) yet don't think it necessary to have a Passport.

[sparks1093]

The entire ship being stranded in St Maarten is quite a different situation in that was an entire ship that was in the same boat so to speak and Carnival made the arrangements and covered the fees which I'm sure there were some.

 

What I want to know is in case of emergency, what are the processes and fees involved to be able to come back to the U.S.? I'm talking like medical emergency type things. You know the ones that people buy trip insurance for (or even ones that don't) yet don't think it necessary to have a Passport.

 

Maybe someday someone will post their experience so we'll have definitive answers.