Questions - Cruising without a Passport

[theantireality]

My husband & I have a closed-loop cruise booked on the Breakaway out of NYC to Bermuda. It is my understanding that we need a valid drivers license and a state-issued birth certificate to board without a passport. We are both US-born citizens.

 

Here are my questions:

 

My birth certificate is in my maiden name. My drivers license is in my married name. Do I need to also bring my marriage license to show the connection?

 

Do we have any need to bring social security cards?

 

Does anyone know what exactly would happen if someone needed to take a flight to the US due to a medical emergency and didn't have a passport? (Just curious.)

 

Can we leave our birth certificates locked up and just take our drivers licenses & room cards to get on/off the boat in Bermuda?

 

Thank you!!!

[garycarla]

1 - You are fine.

 

2 - Before we got passports, we always carried Marriage Lic just in case.

 

3 - Flying back? some issues, but no idea exactly what. That in itself would not be a reason to get a passport. Very, very rare.

 

4 - SS Card? Never, ever carried that. It is not needed.

 

5 - The only time you will need the Birth Cert is when you originally board. Then you can put it away.

 

 

Many folks will come along shortly saying you should just go get a passport. We have them, but we travel alot. Unless you think you will go intl in the next few years - don't bother.

[SeaShark]

You really only need car insurance if you're in an accident. Other than that, it is just an expensive waste of money....money that could be used for other things. Regardless, we choose to have insurance because we don't want to deal with what MIGHT happen.

 

The same principal applies to a passport. Yes, you can cruise without one, but why would you want to? Just to save a few bucks? Emergencies happen all the time...those with a passport can proceed to take care of things. Those without a passport are left scrambling.

 

Not to mention that passports are easier to carry than official, state issued, birth certificates, marriage licenses, etc.

 

The troubling travel scenarios one hears about typically involve people without passports (whether they never had one or lost/forgot the one they had)...while people with passports have a lot less travel issues.

 

Get the passport...it is the smart thing to do.

 

 

 

Could you cruise without a passport? Sure.

 

Should you cruise without a passport? No.

[sparks1093]

My husband & I have a closed-loop cruise booked on the Breakaway out of NYC to Bermuda. It is my understanding that we need a valid drivers license and a state-issued birth certificate to board without a passport. We are both US-born citizens.

 

Here are my questions:

 

My birth certificate is in my maiden name. My drivers license is in my married name. Do I need to also bring my marriage license to show the connection?

 

Do we have any need to bring social security cards?

 

Does anyone know what exactly would happen if someone needed to take a flight to the US due to a medical emergency and didn't have a passport? (Just curious.)

 

Can we leave our birth certificates locked up and just take our drivers licenses & room cards to get on/off the boat in Bermuda?

 

Thank you!!!

 

If one needed to return to the US for any emergency then they would need to contact the Consulate and wait for an emergency travel document to be issued. How long that would take is dependent on the individual facts and circumstances. I do recall reading one post from someone whose friend fell in the port and broke her hip. It took 2 and a half days for the paperwork to be processed to return the patient and traveling companion to the states. Since the report was second hand there were a lot of unanswered questions (how long did it take them to finally contact the Consulate, how much of that time was spent in the hospital being stabilized, etc.) but it is an example. As garycarla points out it is a rare occurrence (and of course if you don't want to face minimal delays in the event of an emergency it might be wise to get the passport).

[hawkeyetlse]

Does anyone know what exactly would happen if someone needed to take a flight to the US due to a medical emergency and didn't have a passport? (Just curious.)

You would need to contact the US Embassy in Bermuda and arrange an emergency passport. "Emergency" being an extremely relative term… If it's a matter of life and death, OK, they won't let you die because you don't have 2 passport photos to complete your application. But in other cases, you may be stranded for several days.

[theantireality]

1 - You are fine.

 

2 - Before we got passports, we always carried Marriage Lic just in case.

 

3 - Flying back? some issues, but no idea exactly what. That in itself would not be a reason to get a passport. Very, very rare.

 

4 - SS Card? Never, ever carried that. It is not needed.

 

5 - The only time you will need the Birth Cert is when you originally board. Then you can put it away.

 

 

Many folks will come along shortly saying you should just go get a passport. We have them, but we travel alot. Unless you think you will go intl in the next few years - don't bother.

 

Thank you for the information - this is exactly what I was looking for!

 

I really don't need the pros/cons of going with/without a passport, as we've already thought about it and made that decision.

[theantireality]

You would need to contact the US Embassy in Bermuda and arrange an emergency passport. "Emergency" being an extremely relative term… If it's a matter of life and death, OK, they won't let you die because you don't have 2 passport photos to complete your application. But in other cases, you may be stranded for several days.

 

Hmm.. interesting! Seems like it would just be an additional hassle, but nothing to be extremely worried about especially since we'll have trip insurance to cover related costs.

[zqvol]

1 - You are fine.

 

2 - Before we got passports, we always carried Marriage Lic just in case.

 

3 - Flying back? some issues, but no idea exactly what. That in itself would not be a reason to get a passport. Very, very rare.

 

4 - SS Card? Never, ever carried that. It is not needed.

 

5 - The only time you will need the Birth Cert is when you originally board. Then you can put it away.

 

 

Many folks will come along shortly saying you should just go get a passport. We have them, but we travel alot. Unless you think you will go intl in the next few years - don't bother.

 

One slight correction or addition. You will also need the BC at the time of clearing customs when you get back home.

[sparks1093]

You really only need car insurance if you're in an accident. Other than that, it is just an expensive waste of money....money that could be used for other things. Regardless, we choose to have insurance because we don't want to deal with what MIGHT happen.

 

The same principal applies to a passport. Yes, you can cruise without one, but why would you want to? Just to save a few bucks? Emergencies happen all the time...those with a passport can proceed to take care of things. Those without a passport are left scrambling.

 

Not to mention that passports are easier to carry than official, state issued, birth certificates, marriage licenses, etc.

 

The troubling travel scenarios one hears about typically involve people without passports (whether they never had one or lost/forgot the one they had)...while people with passports have a lot less travel issues.

 

Get the passport...it is the smart thing to do.

 

 

 

Could you cruise without a passport? Sure.

 

Should you cruise without a passport? No.

 

Actually I, and most others, have car insurance because it is required by law (or the bank), whereas traveling without a passport is not required by law for a closed loop cruise. Whether or not someone needs a passport is a personal decision based on their individual needs, risks, and risk tolerance. Fact remains that millions of US citizens travel on closed looped cruises without passports every year without issue. Should someone cruise without a passport? Totally up to them.

[sparks1093]

Hmm.. interesting! Seems like it would just be an additional hassle, but nothing to be extremely worried about especially since we'll have trip insurance to cover related costs.

 

Just make sure to read the small print of your policy- some policies exclude coverage if any part of the loss is the result of not having the proper travel documents.

[hawkeyetlse]

Just make sure to read the small print of your policy- some policies exclude coverage if any part of the loss is the result of not having the proper travel documents.

They do have the proper travel documents to go on the trip that they have insured…

[garycarla]

You really only need car insurance if you're in an accident. Other than that, it is just an expensive waste of money....money that could be used for other things. Regardless, we choose to have insurance because we don't want to deal with what MIGHT happen.

 

The same principal applies to a passport. Yes, you can cruise without one, but why would you want to? Just to save a few bucks? Emergencies happen all the time...those with a passport can proceed to take care of things. Those without a passport are left scrambling.

...

 

 

Come on. Not the same thing, or even close.

 

If you have a car accident without insurance, ***** hits the fan. Big time.

 

If you need to travel back to the states in an emergency without a passport, you will have issues, but nothing like having an accident without insurance. Just not the same.

 

And I would guess that having an accident is way more common than someone on a cruise needing to get back home ASAP.

[Turtles06]

My husband & I have a closed-loop cruise booked on the Breakaway out of NYC to Bermuda. It is my understanding that we need a valid drivers license and a state-issued birth certificate to board without a passport. We are both US-born citizens.

 

 

Here is NCL's FAQ page on required documentation. Note that if you are traveling without passports, you need state CERTIFIED birth certificates. (I believe this may mean a raised seal or embossed in some way, but probably a good idea to check with NCL.)

 

 

http://www.ncl.com/faq#documentation

[sparks1093]

hawkeyetlse said "They do have the proper travel documents to go on the trip that they have insured… "

 

For some reason my quote function isn't working:(. They have the proper documentation to go on a closed loop cruise, they do not have the proper documentation to fly back in the event of an emergency and some insurance policies will exclude coverage under those circumstances.

[cherylandtk]

I don't know of a single travel insurance policy that excludes coverage simply because the purchaser does not have a passport. That said, using the purchased coverage could be much more difficult without a passport, and the reason for needing to use the insurance must fall under one of the named perils in the first place. So the 'related costs' the OP is counting on must first fall under a covered reason.

 

In the case of a covered trip delay, most insurance limits coverage to about $200-$250 per day, with a total policy limit of about five days' worth. Barely enough for a hotel and food if shared by two.

 

Trip interruption, which is limited to the same covered reasons as pre-trip cancellation, has higher limits but still may or may not include the cost of passports. Such coverage usually does cover expenses for hotels and food and air costs to return to the trip or home.

 

To answer the OP's question; the speed of issuing the travel document (which may be a letter but far more often is a passport) depends on the urgency of need. In cases of medically removed persons, the passport usually takes a day or two to issue. I have only heard of travel letters issued when it is true life or death emergency back home and hours matter. Finally, missing the ship for an accidental reason (because your watch was set on the wrong time or you drank too much or got a flat a tire on the way back) is not considered an urgent need.

[sparks1093]

I don't know of a single travel insurance policy that excludes coverage simply because the purchaser does not have a passport. That said, using the purchased coverage could be much more difficult without a passport, and the reason for needing to use the insurance must fall under one of the named perils in the first place. So the 'related costs' the OP is counting on must first fall under a covered reason.

 

In the case of a covered trip delay, most insurance limits coverage to about $200-$250 per day, with a total policy limit of about five days' worth. Barely enough for a hotel and food if shared by two.

 

Trip interruption, which is limited to the same covered reasons as pre-trip cancellation, has higher limits but still may or may not include the cost of passports. Such coverage usually does cover expenses for hotels and food and air costs to return to the trip or home.

 

To answer the OP's question; the speed of issuing the travel document (which may be a letter but far more often is a passport) depends on the urgency of need. In cases of medically removed persons, the passport usually takes a day or two to issue. I have only heard of travel letters issued when it is true life or death emergency back home and hours matter. Finally, missing the ship for an accidental reason (because your watch was set on the wrong time or you drank too much or got a flat a tire on the way back) is not considered an urgent need.

 

Excellent points as always. I recall only seeing one policy that excluded coverage if any part of the reason for the delay or interruption was caused by lack of proper travel documents and it seemed to my layman's eyes to exclude all coverage, not just the extra expenses caused by not having a passport. Of course it may not have really meant that, but I certainly wasn't going to take a chance on it:).

[garycarla]

I am guessing that some folks have run into the "required travel documents" clause and learned the hard way what that means.

 

Consider the person that shows up for a closed loop cruise, but did not bring the required birth cert, or passport. They are not allowed to board. They want to invoke the travel insurance. At that point, the insurance company can point the blame back on the traveler for being stupid.

 

Sorry Charlie!

[waxing witch]

hi from a fellow new yorker!

 

you can definitely cruise on a closed loop with a certified birth certificate and your drivers license. certified means different things depending on where/when you were born - it generally means it has a raised seal, but you can check your state's website for specifics. you *will* need your marriage license - i have always taken it with me and have always needed it to board.

 

if you're thinking of cruising more often, consider getting an enhanced drivers license. it can be used for land crossings between US, Canada, and Mexico and is perfect for closed loop cruises. it is not valid for air travel. dh and i will be cruising for the first time with one this coming fall.

[sparks1093]

I am guessing that some folks have run into the "required travel documents" clause and learned the hard way what that means.

 

Consider the person that shows up for a closed loop cruise, but did not bring the required birth cert, or passport. They are not allowed to board. They want to invoke the travel insurance. At that point, the insurance company can point the blame back on the traveler for being stupid.

 

Sorry Charlie!

 

In that event not having the proper documentation is not a covered reason so of course there would be no coverage (and even with a cancel for any reason policy it is my understanding that most, if not all, such policies require cancellation 48 hours before departure).

[hawkeyetlse]

Consider the person that shows up for a closed loop cruise, but did not bring the required birth cert, or passport. They are not allowed to board. They want to invoke the travel insurance. At that point, the insurance company can point the blame back on the traveler for being stupid.

That difference is that those documents were required for the planned trip. In the OP's hypothetical situation, the additional documents are required for unforeseen travel. The point of insurance is to cover unforeseen events.

 

That said, I haven't read all the fine print on all travel insurance policies, so it could be that some refuse coverage in such cases. All of the policies that I have ever bought would cover the cost of obtaining travel documents that only become necessary due to unforeseen circumstances during the originally planned trip (a more obvious example would be loss/theft of a passport), and of course the medical treatment/evacuation.