Newbie Questions

[Suzieqinga]

Hi All,

 

I have recently booked my family's first Carnival cruise for January on the Paradise. I've been reading CC and have learned so much. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences!

 

I do have a few remaining questions that I hope someone can help me out with.

 

Our sons (21 and 22) do not have passports. I read on the carnival website that a birth certificate was acceptable, but I have seen that some people advise to only use a passport. Why is this? Have any of you traveled with just a birth certificate, and if so, did you have any issues?

 

Do you take your passport/birth certificate with you on excursions or leave them in the safe on the ship?

 

We are thinking of going to Royal Palms in Grand Cayman. What do you typically do with your belongings (wallet/money/travel documents) while swimming at such a place?

 

The scheduled arrival time in Grand Cayman is 7AM. What would be a good time to try to get the tender off the ship if we are not in a rush, don't want to wait in long lines, and want to miss the mass exodus (but still have time to visit the island)?

 

Thank you in advance for your suggestions.

[cruiser fanatic]

Hi All,

 

I have recently booked my family's first Carnival cruise for January on the Paradise. I've been reading CC and have learned so much. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences!

 

I do have a few remaining questions that I hope someone can help me out with.

 

Our sons (21 and 22) do not have passports. I read on the carnival website that a birth certificate was acceptable, but I have seen that some people advise to only use a passport. Why is this? Have any of you traveled with just a birth certificate, and if so, did you have any issues?

 

Do you take your passport/birth certificate with you on excursions or leave them in the safe on the ship?

 

We are thinking of going to Royal Palms in Grand Cayman. What do you typically do with your belongings (wallet/money/travel documents) while swimming at such a place?

 

The scheduled arrival time in Grand Cayman is 7AM. What would be a good time to try to get the tender off the ship if we are not in a rush, don't want to wait in long lines, and want to miss the mass exodus (but still have time to visit the island)?

 

Thank you in advance for your suggestions.

 

Hi,

Birth certificates are acceptable. However, if you miss the ship or need to fly home for emergency reasons you have to have a passport.

 

I personally do not take my passport/birth certificate off the ship but I know that some people do.

 

I have never been to Royal Palms but what I do is either get a locker or sometimes you can tip a security guard and he will watch you stuff. I have even asked other guests next to me if they wouldn't mind watching my belongings is they will be at their chair. I will do the same for them. I have never had a problem with anything being stolen.

 

I would get on a tender after 10:00 if you are not in a rush. Between 7 and 10 there will be a long wait.

[coevan]

I would not travel out of the country without a passport. If something happens and you need to get out of a foreign country, you are in big trouble.

 

We always leave our passports in our safe. We go ashore with a small travel bag. We carry one credit card a small amount of cash, S&S card, and a driver's license for ID for the credit card, however, no one ever asks for ID.

 

Most places have lockers, but if we are taking a dip, we might ask the folks next to us to watch our stuff. We are trusting people.

 

Never rush off the ship, chill, have a leisurely breakfast. We are rarely off the ship before 9

 

Enjoy

[timhoke]

The reason behind using your passport as opposed to your BC is that heaven forbid something happens (like missing the boat) you will be able to board a plane to the next stop or home. We traveled for years using just a BC so there is no problem using them. Leave your passport/bc on the ship you will need a picture ID & your sail & sign card to get off & back on the ship. Most of the resort will have lockers for rent (not sure about the Royal Palms) we usually don't care very much money off the ship we use plastic & just take a bit of cash that way we can always have them in a pocket while swimming & money always dries out.

Unless there quite a number of excursions starting at 7 you really shouldn't too much of wait regardless of the time you debark the ship.

[birdy]

I can help with some. Your son's do not need a passport. They can use a birth certificate (make sure it is the one from your county with the raised seal, not the one from the hospital). Using a passport is easier getting through the airport/ship. If you were to miss the ship (while off the ship) you really should have a passport. That means keeping them on you when you go ashore. I always keep my families with me in a string bag. I also keep them in a plastic bag inside the bag. We usually have a group of 6 of us, so someone is always on the beach.

[jbjb9300]

You can sail with just a birth certificate. However, having a passport in case of an emergency situation where you need to fly back home from one of the ports which requires a passport is a must.

 

Best thing to do with your belongings while swimming is to put them in a waterproof bag inside another waterproof bag inside another waterproof bag and keep them with you at all times in a pocket on your swim trunks.

 

In grand Cayman if you have booked an excursion through carnival you will have priority getting off the boat and on the tender. How early you want to get to land is up to you. We would normally get breakfast on the lido deck then head to the tender. That will allow all those in a hurry to get to shore allowing you to get right on the tender for the short ride to land. Be prepared to be back to the return tender with plenty of time to wait in line to get on the tender and back onboard in plenty of time.

[Singer4Him]

We always leave our passports in our safe. We go ashore with a small travel bag. We carry one credit card a small amount of cash, S&S card, and a driver's license for ID for the credit card, however, no one ever asks for ID.

 

This had always been our experience, too, until we were reboarding in San Juan. I was about to panic because all I had was my sail & sign...that's all I had ever needed until then. Fortunately, DH had taken his wallet ashore and had his driver's license and she could see that we had the same surname on our sail & sign cards.

 

I guess there's always a first time for everything. ;)

[kona_wahine]

Check out Amazon for waterproof swim packs. The one I have is a case that is worn like a necklace. They have belly bag type ones also. Mine holds credit card, s&s card, drivers license along with cash very nicely. I would never trust a stranger, including a security guard, to watch my stuff.

Edited October 26, 2015 by kona_wahine

[cb at sea]

BC's are fine for "closed loop" cruises, if you're American going to the Caribbean. No worries.

 

I don't take much on beach visits...and on Caribbean beaches, you are never far from your stuff...I leave it and watch it while getting wet. No one wants your clothes or book, etc....

 

For men, a velcroed pocket on swim trunks will suffice. Your ship's key, credit card and even , cash, can get wet!

Edited October 26, 2015 by cb at sea

[EastTex]

If getting off the ship quickly in a tendering port is important to you, you might want to check out the FTTF program which, besides priority boarding also includes priority tendering. The cost is low.

[Who Cares?]

Hi All,

 

I have recently booked my family's first Carnival cruise for January on the Paradise. I've been reading CC and have learned so much. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences!

 

I do have a few remaining questions that I hope someone can help me out with.

 

Our sons (21 and 22) do not have passports. I read on the carnival website that a birth certificate was acceptable, but I have seen that some people advise to only use a passport. Why is this? Have any of you traveled with just a birth certificate, and if so, did you have any issues?

 

Do you take your passport/birth certificate with you on excursions or leave them in the safe on the ship?

 

We are thinking of going to Royal Palms in Grand Cayman. What do you typically do with your belongings (wallet/money/travel documents) while swimming at such a place?

 

The scheduled arrival time in Grand Cayman is 7AM. What would be a good time to try to get the tender off the ship if we are not in a rush, don't want to wait in long lines, and want to miss the mass exodus (but still have time to visit the island)?

 

Thank you in advance for your suggestions.

 

It is best to take a passport to simplify getting home if you get stranded (ship malfunction) or if you miss the boat at a port.

 

I leave all non-required documents in my safe. If you miss the ship, ship security will remove those documents and leave them at the pier for you to retrieve to get home.

 

I usually bring a second wallet with just 1 CC, S&S card, DL, and a few dollars cash so if it does get stolen I haven't lost everything in one fell swoop.

 

9am. Have a nice leisurely breakfast and by 9, most of the hoopla should be over. Hope you enjoy your cruise.

[loubetti]

I've said it once, twice, thrice, and I'll say it again, GET THEM A PASSPORT!

 

Yes, it costs $$, but it is good for ten years. I would never think of leaving the USA, even on a cruise without a passport.

 

BTW, I am 57, and got my first when I was 7. I still have them all!

[coevan]

BC's are fine for "closed loop" cruises, if you're American going to the Caribbean. No worries.

 

I don't take much on beach visits...and on Caribbean beaches, you are never far from your stuff...I leave it and watch it while getting wet. No one wants your clothes or book, etc....

 

For men, a velcroed pocket on swim trunks will suffice. Your ship's key, credit card and even , cash, can get wet!

 

 

I completely agree with loubetti, do not travel out of the U.S without a passport.

[dettlja]

FWIW, every single cruise I have been on they have made us take our sail and sign and a photo ID when we get off in port.

I use one of the waterproof necklace type packs a previous poster mentioned. They even sell them on the ship. Put my ID, cash, sail and sign in there and under my shirt it goes. Towels and sunscreen are left unattended on the beach. If someone wants to steal those they must need them more than I do lol

 

Oh and I vote for passport.

[kay1864]

Missing the ship can and does happen, but it's less than 1% of passengers.

 

Personally I would never risk taking my passport on an excursion or off the ship. If it floats away in my waterproof pouch, it will cost $100+ to replace (plus I will have extreme difficulty getting through Customs in the US). And if it gets too water-damaged, it will be rejected by Customs and/or TSA.

 

In port, I take my S&S card with me, and if the port requires it, a driver's license as ID. My passport/birth certificate stay in the ship's safe until debarkation, where I'll need it for US Customs.

 

For you, my advice is:

 

- Don't bother with a passport unless (1) you think the odds are good your sons will miss the boat (stay in port too long) or (2) the odds are good your sons will be flying internationally in the next several years.

 

- If on the other hand you think you'll be doing mostly closed-loop cruises (begin/return to same US port), IMHO no need to spend $270 for passports.

 

Even in the unlikely event that you have to fly home from a port (medical emergency etc), you can get a passport through the consulate in the port (i.e., it's not like you have no options at all).

[stargate fan]

Hi All,

 

I have recently booked my family's first Carnival cruise for January on the Paradise. I've been reading CC and have learned so much. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences!

 

I do have a few remaining questions that I hope someone can help me out with.

 

Our sons (21 and 22) do not have passports. I read on the carnival website that a birth certificate was acceptable, but I have seen that some people advise to only use a passport. Why is this? Have any of you traveled with just a birth certificate, and if so, did you have any issues?

 

Do you take your passport/birth certificate with you on excursions or leave them in the safe on the ship?

 

We are thinking of going to Royal Palms in Grand Cayman. What do you typically do with your belongings (wallet/money/travel documents) while swimming at such a place?

 

The scheduled arrival time in Grand Cayman is 7AM. What would be a good time to try to get the tender off the ship if we are not in a rush, don't want to wait in long lines, and want to miss the mass exodus (but still have time to visit the island)?

 

Thank you in advance for your suggestions.

 

You've already received a lot of advice on passports so I won't add to that subject.

 

I will tell you about Royal Palms, though. It's beautiful! We were there in April 2014. We joined friends who had booked a cabana through RP. (It was more of a desert tent where the white fabric sides could be tied open or closed. It provided very nice shade.) We had a table and four chairs inside as well as four deck chairs in our own roped-in area. We put our beach bag, in which we put our S&S cards, credit card, passports, and camera, on one of the chairs in the cabana. The beach was not crowded at all and we did not fear for our belongings. There was also an adult-only pool that was wonderful. We loved it so much that we booked our own cabana for February 2016.

 

Regarding the tender, it is a 10 minute ride. I don't know what time is good for you to beat the rush because we're the types who want the most of our ports so we get off the ship the minute we can. :D

[michelle1836]

I would get them passports but the BC is acceptable ONLY with another form of ID otherwise they will not sail!!

[Itasca]

Since your sons are older that 16 they will need a government issued photo ID,

drivers license or state id. And the birth certificate must be government issued.

Nothing as bad as getting to the port and not having the papers the cruise line

likes. Passports are a sure thing.

[KCpumkin]

No one needs a passport until "crap hits the fan"! Everyone feels nice and safe under "Carnival's Eye": be in a foreign airport without a passport and see how safe you feel cutting through all the "red tape"... To each their own!

[Suzieqinga]

Thank you all so much for your input!

[tango55]

we make a good copy of of our passport ,then bring that with us when we go ashore.also last nov. we tendered from a different spot on grand cayman .more sheltered.also good to know the paradise does not have fridges in the room,except for suites I believe

[Bostonjetset]

Congrats on your first cruise! It's all downhill from here...you will be addicted!! haha.

 

We booked a cabana at Royal Palms in March 2014 and it was wonderful. There is not much shade on the beach [almost none at all] so if you don't like roasting in the sun, a cabana is the way to go. It was quite reasonable as well; I believe it was $100 or so for the day and there are four chairs inside. Also, you have a dedicated waiter to bring you drinks/food [at a cost of course].

 

About the passports, you should really get them for your boys. Since they last 10 years, the price per year is negligible...besides, having one will open up so many travel doors for them. :D