Will my passport card plan (plan B) work?

[dijid]

One of my children may not be able to have their passport with them on our NCL Sun cruise (Vancouver to Seward) as they need to hand it over to apply for a visa.

 

So I'm working on Plan B and want to make sure it would work. I apply for a passport card ASAP (cruise is 7 weeks away). Flights for child and I get changed so we fly to Seattle instead of Vancouver. We then take the train across the border to meet up with the rest of the family. Cruise with the passport card. Use passport card when driving Yukon highway. Flights back flies nonstop Anchorage to Atlanta, so no issues there.

 

Am I missing something that would cause this not to work? Any other options? Thanks.

[mapleleaves]

A travel forum is the last place you want to go for this type of vital information. You have no idea if the advice you receive here is correct or not. What will you say at the border " well, cruise critic people said it was ok."

Seriously, for something this important you need to go directly to the source. Otherwise you might be left behind at the airport or at the pier.

 

For border crossings you need to look at the Canada and US requirements. The child's age is a critical factor.

 

Beyond that if you have concerns, you need to talk to the various vendors NCL, train, etc) about THEIR requirements which may or may not be more strict than the govt.

 

Canada

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/ivc-rnc-eng.html

 

US

http://www.cbp.gov/travel

 

But please do not rely on information from this forum. I can't speak for other cruiselines, but I know that for EVERY HAL sailing out of Seattle, someone is left behind because they don't have proper documentation (or arrived late). Don't risk it.

[shadowmeboy]

Mapleleaves is correct here.

 

But based on your post, dijid, you should be able to do it. Just make sure you get that passport card or other WHTI compliant document.

[cruisinfanatic]

One of my children may not be able to have their passport with them on our NCL Sun cruise (Vancouver to Seward) as they need to hand it over to apply for a visa.

 

So I'm working on Plan B and want to make sure it would work. I apply for a passport card ASAP (cruise is 7 weeks away). Flights for child and I get changed so we fly to Seattle instead of Vancouver. We then take the train across the border to meet up with the rest of the family. Cruise with the passport card. Use passport card when driving Yukon highway. Flights back flies nonstop Anchorage to Atlanta, so no issues there.

 

Am I missing something that would cause this not to work? Any other options? Thanks.

why do you need a visa?

[agabbymama]

Is there a passport office close to you? I'd be heading to it in person to get a passport.

[dijid]

A travel forum is the last place you want to go for this type of vital information. You have no idea if the advice you receive here is correct or not. What will you say at the border " well, cruise critic people said it was ok."

Seriously, for something this important you need to go directly to the source. Otherwise you might be left behind at the airport or at the pier.

 

For border crossings you need to look at the Canada and US requirements. The child's age is a critical factor.

 

Beyond that if you have concerns, you need to talk to the various vendors NCL, train, etc) about THEIR requirements which may or may not be more strict than the govt.

 

Canada

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/ivc-rnc-eng.html

 

US

http://www.cbp.gov/travel

 

But please do not rely on information from this forum. I can't speak for other cruiselines, but I know that for EVERY HAL sailing out of Seattle, someone is left behind because they don't have proper documentation (or arrived late). Don't risk it.

 

I've researched it as best I could online, and was hoping that someone who posts here would be able to say that they used a passport card in similar situations. Calling NCL is worthless. I could call three different times and get three different answers. They are notorious for handing out wrong information. Everything I've read says that land crossings and cruises work with a passport card. I'm just looking for a person who has had that experience.

[dijid]

why do you need a visa?

 

It's not for this trip. She was awarded a scholarship for a study abroad opportunity and needs to hand over her passport as part of the visa application. We aren't sure of the timing of the application and whether she will have it for our family vacation. While it's likely she'll have her passport for our family vacation, it's not a guarantee, so I need a backup plan.

[cruisinfanatic]

It's not for this trip. She was awarded a scholarship for a study abroad opportunity and needs to hand over her passport as part of the visa application. We aren't sure of the timing of the application and whether she will have it for our family vacation. While it's likely she'll have her passport for our family vacation, it's not a guarantee, so I need a backup plan.

I see. You can't use a passport card for a cruise from an international port.

She'll need her passport

[Potstech]

Take the advise of others and contact the Immgration offices of both the US and Canada. Have them email you any information they give you over the phone. If you are using a Travel Agent have them chck also. Any information you get on here will be exactly that - informatin only and worth less than a cup f cruise lne coffee. Go to the source so you do not have last minute problems.

[peety3]

I played a similar game last summer: I had to turn in my passport for a visa to India for a trip planned for mid/late-October, but had a 7-day Alaska cruise (round-trip Seattle) in mid-August and a one-night Seattle-Vancouver cruise in mid-September. However, I'm "lucky" in that I live in a border state (Washington), so we have Enhanced Drivers Licenses. My battle plan was:

 

1: Apply for EDL (or in my case ECDL). Had to take passport to DL site, answer questions, surrender my DL, and receive a paper DL valid for driving but not border crossing.

2: Do the 7-day cruise with passport (and paper DL as unlikely backup). My thought was if I had to be flown home from Skagway for medical reasons, full passport was best.

3: As soon as EDL arrived, submitted passport for visa application, on the premise that I'd do the one-nighter using just my EDL (valid for land/sea border crossings).

4: As it turns out, the visa process went quicker than expected, and I had my passport back in time for the one-nighter. However, I'd told Princess that my document would be the EDL, so I made sure to use that end-to-end for that trip.

 

Can "you" (or whomever) get an EDL or EID? Alternatively, the passport card should be fine for land/sea border crossings.

 

Also investigate using a third-party service to get the visa. In my case, my employer uses CIBT, and essentially they know the process very well so they make sure your forms are correct the first time. I can't tell for sure from my email records, but I think my passport was out of my hands for 6 days total. Essentially I handed it to a person at their local office; they overnighted it to their office in San Francisco, that office hand-carried it to the consulate for processing, fetched it 1-2 days later, and overnighted it back. Something about the personal touch, plus the consulate knowing that the agency vets everything before they take the passport from me.

[jeffbrig]

I played a similar game last summer: I had to turn in my passport for a visa to India for a trip planned for mid/late-October, but had a 7-day Alaska cruise (round-trip Seattle) in mid-August and a one-night Seattle-Vancouver cruise in mid-September. However, I'm "lucky" in that I live in a border state (Washington), so we have Enhanced Drivers Licenses. My battle plan was:

 

1: Apply for EDL (or in my case ECDL). Had to take passport to DL site, answer questions, surrender my DL, and receive a paper DL valid for driving but not border crossing.

2: Do the 7-day cruise with passport (and paper DL as unlikely backup). My thought was if I had to be flown home from Skagway for medical reasons, full passport was best.

3: As soon as EDL arrived, submitted passport for visa application, on the premise that I'd do the one-nighter using just my EDL (valid for land/sea border crossings).

4: As it turns out, the visa process went quicker than expected, and I had my passport back in time for the one-nighter. However, I'd told Princess that my document would be the EDL, so I made sure to use that end-to-end for that trip.

 

Can "you" (or whomever) get an EDL or EID? Alternatively, the passport card should be fine for land/sea border crossings.

 

Also investigate using a third-party service to get the visa. In my case, my employer uses CIBT, and essentially they know the process very well so they make sure your forms are correct the first time. I can't tell for sure from my email records, but I think my passport was out of my hands for 6 days total. Essentially I handed it to a person at their local office; they overnighted it to their office in San Francisco, that office hand-carried it to the consulate for processing, fetched it 1-2 days later, and overnighted it back. Something about the personal touch, plus the consulate knowing that the agency vets everything before they take the passport from me.

I second the CIBT recommendation. When I used it for a business trip, they turned around my passport for a China visa in a matter of days. There was an additional charge to expedite the visa process.

[mimmy52]

A couple I sat next to on the plane to Seattle was taking the same cruise from Vancouver that I was. We had different connections at the Seattle airport and it wasn't until I ran into them again on the ship that I heard their story.

 

They had passport cards, not passports, and the airline wouldn't allow them to board their connecting flight because of it. They were an older couple and had no idea what to do next. The airline person got snippy and told them to take a taxi to the train station. They said they didn't even know where to get a taxi. Fortunately, a nicer airline rep walked them to where they could catch the bus to Vancouver, so it all worked out. Also fortunately, they flew in a couple of days before embarkation.

[Jane2357]

It is possible to have two passports for this very type of thing. My husband was living in China for a period of time and is a U.S. citizen - he was allowed to have two passports so that if one was away for visas he still had one to travel with.

[dijid]

It is possible to have two passports for this very type of thing. My husband was living in China for a period of time and is a U.S. citizen - he was allowed to have two passports so that if one was away for visas he still had one to travel with.

 

Thank you for this information! I looked it up and it seems that as soon as she surrenders her passport for the visa, we can turn around and apply for the second passport. It won't be cheap (because at that point we will have to expedite the passport application) but less expensive than my original Plan B.

 

So now this is my new Plan B. Looks like this one will definitely work without any question.

[dijid]

I second the CIBT recommendation. When I used it for a business trip, they turned around my passport for a China visa in a matter of days. There was an additional charge to expedite the visa process.

 

Thanks for this - and to peety3 for sharing your experience. I looked at CIBT and it does not appear that they do student visas for the country she is traveling to. I will ask the organization that is taking care of the visas if it is possible for us to pay an expediting fee. It's tricky because we don't do anything for this program other than hand over the passport. They do the visa application, make the travel arrangements, etc. It's hard having the timing of everything be completely out of your control!

[cherylandtk]

I see. You can't use a passport card for a cruise from an international port.

She'll need her passport

While the OP has made other plans, it should be noted for others who may have the same question that a Passport Card does work for some international ports, specifically those that fall into the Contiguous Countries and Adjacent Islands list. Vancouver, Canada falls under the Contiguous Country land or sea entry.

[Budget Queen]

I've also only seen Passports accepted for transit on the Klondike Highway (likely what the op meant and not "Yukon" Highway).

[Potstech]

Only 5 states can issue EDL's, Washington is one of them, so they are not obtainable is the majority of states. The others are California, Michigan, New Yok and I forget the last one. Look it up ob Google.

[cherylandtk]

Only 5 states can issue EDL's, Washington is one of them, so they are not obtainable is the majority of states. The others are California, Michigan, New Yok and I forget the last one. Look it up ob Google.

Minnesota and Vermont. California does not yet issue EDL's, although they are considering it, along with Texas and Arizona.

[dijid]

I've also only seen Passports accepted for transit on the Klondike Highway (likely what the op meant and not "Yukon" Highway).

 

Passport card is acceptable for land crossings between US And Canada. (Also acceptable for sea crossings, but not relevant to Klondike Highway)

 

National Park Service Website about Chilkoot Trail says Passport Card is acceptable https://www.nps.gov/klgo/planyourvisit/bordercrossing.htm. So does the Milepost (I have a copy at home) several tour company and cruise line's descriptions of some of the excursions in Skagway.

[zqvol]

I've also only seen Passports accepted for transit on the Klondike Highway (likely what the op meant and not "Yukon" Highway).

 

Any document that works to get into Canada works on this excursion, including an EDL.