Passports for minors-

[vontriplets]

We are traveling on harmony of the sea from Fort Lauderdale to Puerto Rico, Haiti, and Saint Maarten. From what I've read it appears my minor children ( age 11) do not require a passport, their birth certificate will suffice.

Can someone confirm or deny this.

We are first-time cruisers and appreciate any information.

Thank you,

Angela

[Clarea]

If the cruise starts and ends at the same US port, and the children are natural born US citizens, then a certified copy of the birth certificate will suffice.

[thinfool]

Neither children nor adults (US citizens) are required to have passports for the trip you describe.

[lbjen]

They don't require a passport for the cruise, but if you needed to leave the cruise early, you would not be able to fly home from another country without a passport, even in an emergency. You would need to get yourself to the consulate or embassy in that country (not always even on the same island) and then wait for them to prepare or obtain a passport for you.

 

Many people weigh up the cost/benefits and decide to risk it. That is entirely your choice to make.

[catspaws65]

Best to have a passport, what if you get stuck on the island or something else happens needing you to leave the ship via airport from one of the islands. Just an extra precaustion

[NurseDave]

**Insert 4 pages of the usual back-and-forth argument about need vs good idea to have a passport**

[bouhunter]

**Insert 4 pages of the usual back-and-forth argument about need vs good idea to have a passport**

 

More than likely you are correct.

[Cuizer2]

**Insert 4 pages of the usual back-and-forth argument about need vs good idea to have a passport**

 

Only four pages? I glad to see that things have calmed down a bit.

[jamesr3939]

I was just reading the CBP www site on this and the answer is "you don't need them to leave or re-enter" the US on a closed loop cruise. There might be foreign ports that require a passport to disembark (none of your's do).

 

If you had to fly home for some reason CBP might take a little longer so they can verify your citizenship, but they aren't going to keep you from coming back to the US.

[Clarea]

I was just reading the CBP www site on this and the answer is "you don't need them to leave or re-enter" the US on a closed loop cruise. There might be foreign ports that require a passport to disembark (none of your's do).

 

If you had to fly home for some reason CBP might take a little longer so they can verify your citizenship, but they aren't going to keep you from coming back to the US.

You're correct, however if someone needed to fly home, say on a Friday night and didn't have a passport, they might have to wait until the US consulate opens on Monday to get an emergency passport.

[matj2000]

Because half the ships passengers fly back home from a port stop....

[jamesr3939]

You're correct, however if someone needed to fly home, say on a Friday night and didn't have a passport, they might have to wait until the US consulate opens on Monday to get an emergency passport.

 

I am not sure you need a passport to leave a country. I know the US doesn't require one, but not sure about other countries.

 

Even to fly out of the US you don't need a passport. That's the big misconception about the courts making people surrender their US or foreign passport supposedly to keep them from fleeing the US. They can still leave they just have to show some form of citizenship when they land.

 

There is still a child molester traveling around Europe I arrested more than 25 years ago who surrendered his US and German PP to the court. He still got on a plane at SFO and flew to Germany.

 

There he just had family bring his German birth certificate to the airport and they let him in. After that he's been traveling around mostly staying in places that don't have extradition to the US. FBI has come close to grabbing him a couple of time. Hopefully, he's dead by now.

 

Still better to have one, but that's just my opinion and we all know what they say about opinions.

[lbjen]

I'm going to guess that this took place during different times.

 

You'd struggle to even get past the check in desk without a government issued photo ID of some kind these days. Check how much your state charges for state IDs for minors, it's probably not much.

[abbflex]

We have a passport even for our 2 mnd year old. Probably not required for your trip, but because of the upscaled border controls around the world, also within europe (EU/ECC) we feel its the best kind of documentation.

[Clarea]

I am not sure you need a passport to leave a country. I know the US doesn't require one, but not sure about other countries.

You need a passport booklet to fly to the US from a foreign country.

[Docker123]

Because half the ships passengers fly back home from a port stop....

 

Same argument holds for why travel insurance is a waste of money.

[Cuizer2]

Because half the ships passengers fly back home from a port stop....

 

All of the passengers fly back from a port if the ship cannot continue for some reason. It has happened in the past for both mechanical reasons and financial reasons.

[Cuizer2]

I'm going to guess that this took place during different times.

 

What "this" are you referring to?

[lbjen]

I'm referring to the incident where someone was allowed inside the secured area of an international airport and then allowed to board an international flight without a passport.

 

As for whether you need passports - it's one of those situations where you very likely will never need it. But when you do need it, you'll be glad you had it. And if you need it and you don't have it, well you can guess how that goes. It's a matter of deciding whether you are willing to take the very small risk that could have very real consequences.

[Cuizer2]

Same argument holds for why travel insurance is a waste of money.

 

As for whether you need passports - it's one of those situations where you very likely will never need it. But when you do need it, you'll be glad you had it. And if you need it and you don't have it, well you can guess how that goes. It's a matter of deciding whether you are willing to take the very small risk that could have very real consequences.

 

The same argument applies to insurance ...

 

As for whether you need insurance - it's one of those situations where you very likely will never need it. But when you do need it, you'll be glad you had it. And if you need it and you don't have it, well you can guess how that goes. It's a matter of deciding whether you are willing to take the very small risk that could have very real consequences.

[ewenix]

I am not sure you need a passport to leave a country. I know the US doesn't require one, but not sure about other countries.

 

Even to fly out of the US you don't need a passport. That's the big misconception about the courts making people surrender their US or foreign passport supposedly to keep them from fleeing the US. They can still leave they just have to show some form of citizenship when they land. .

 

While the US may not have a regulation requiring it, the airline will have an issue letting you board the aircraft without one.

 

We flew from Chicago to Munich 3 months ago on IcelandAir. The airline verified every passenger had a passport when boarding the plane. Upon landing in Reykjavik (both coming and going) we were put through a passport check. (I expected it on the way there since we were entering the Schengen area, but was a little surprised that we had to go through it again when leaving.)

[MrsPete]

You're correct, however if someone needed to fly home, say on a Friday night and didn't have a passport, they might have to wait until the US consulate opens on Monday to get an emergency passport.

This assumes, of course, that the ship is in port on Friday night ... and that the person is able to book a last-minute flight home ... and is able/willing to pay the premium price for a last-minute ticket.

 

 

In reality, it's pretty hard to deviate from your cruise plan. You're in port only a few hours per island, and you're highly unlikely to fly home.

 

 

But in answer to the OP's original question, age makes no difference in terms of passports. American citizens leaving from an American port and returning to an American port can cruise with a certified birth certificate and a state-issued ID (driver's license for most of us). If you have unusual circumstances (for example, if you and your children don't have the same last name, or if both biological parents aren't traveling), you'd be safer with a passport. Also, if you're going to do other traveling within the next five years, you might need the passport anyway ... but learn the rules and make a decision based upon your realistic needs.

[Cuizer2]

But in answer to the OP's original question, age makes no difference in terms of passports. American citizens leaving from an American port and returning to an American port can cruise with a certified birth certificate and a state-issued ID (driver's license for most of us). If you have unusual circumstances (for example, if you and your children don't have the same last name, or if both biological parents aren't traveling), you'd be safer with a passport. Also, if you're going to do other traveling within the next five years, you might need the passport anyway ... but learn the rules and make a decision based upon your realistic needs.

 

Your answer is correct for a closed loop cruise. However, I'm not sure it is correct if the departure port and arrival port are different ports. I believe that you do need a passport for open jaw cruises, however, I have done an open jaw cruise with a passport card (though I did have my passport with me).

[buckeye44667]

I would get the passports. We have ones for our 1 & 4 year old, you never know.

 

 

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[jamesr3939]

I'm referring to the incident where someone was allowed inside the secured area of an international airport and then allowed to board an international flight without a passport.

 

Never said you didn't have to have government photo ID, just don't need a passport to leave the country.

 

I flew to Canada two years ago and had forgot my passport. I did get the 3rd degree at the ticket counter and was warned when I got there they might not let me in. I also got the 3rd degree in Canada, but since we were only passing through to board a ship they cut me some slack.