Needing to travel home without a passport.

[phillyguy31]

We are taking our DD and DGK's to Bermuda next summer, the kids are 10,12 and 17. I would like to encourage my DD to get passports for the 2 younger ones. Both of us, DD and the17 yo will have one. I know the reasons why someone should have one, but it would help if someone out there has actual experience on what they went through to fly home under these circumstances.

[garycarla]

I am confused.

 

Are you on a cruise, but will be flying back?

[phillyguy31]

No just in case of an emergency that creates the need to fly home. I know you can't fly without a passport.

[Lacaena]

I have had something similar happen to someone I was with. I will tell you what happened. Granted this was a while ago so perhaps things have changed. So here's what happened:

 

I flew to the UK with my at the time boyfriend. He was born in England and held both a US and British passport. He was a US citizen at the time. So we get to England, visit family near Manchester for a few weeks and go to fly home. We fly from Manchester to London where someone pulls us aside and says that there is an issue with our documents. Well, bf had flown to the UK on his British passport and had left his US passport at home in the US. Because he had no return ticket, and no US passport we couldn't enter the US. I say we, but I could have it was just him. Anyway, we end up stuck in London, it was a Saturday morning. Wait all weekend and show up at the embassy on Monday morning where we tell them what's going on. They issued an emergency passport and we flew home that day.

 

It was VERY stressful, it was the end of our vaca and a weekend in London was NOT a part of the budget. If we had needed to get home that day due to an emergency idk what we would have done! Overall, it sucked but we made it home and it was okay at the end of the day. Definitely not an experience I would recommend to anyone!

[njhorseman]

Here's a very recent thread started by someone who was able to fly home from Mexico without a valid passport. BUT...they did have valid passport cards and I suspect it would not have been as easy to do if all they had was birth certificates:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2544751

[ray98]

I only know of one instance where an acquaintance had to disembark in Mexico one morning to fly home due to a death in the family. They had travel letters by late afternoon.

[www3traveler]

I saw a news story the other day that said changes were coming for passports. Did not read far enough to see what changes or when as I have just gotten my passport renewed. Given travels restrictions being proposed, i would look into getting passports as soon as possible. My travel agent recommended that I get a passport rather than a passport card.

[garycarla]

I only know of one instance where an acquaintance had to disembark in Mexico one morning to fly home due to a death in the family. They had travel letters by late afternoon.

 

This comment is NOT directed to the above poster at all.

 

I often wonder what we would do if someone passed while on a cruise. I know the usual response is to abort the cruise immediately and fly home. I get that. But the logic part of me often wonders why?

 

I get it when you need to be there to comfort other family members. Like if your adult child lost their spouse or child. But, how about a single aunt, grandparent, etc. Say it was an older person living alone and no funeral was planned. Would waiting a week make a difference?

 

Yes, this sounds a bit cold, but sometimes that is the way it is. Sometimes when a relative passes, nobody comes back for days or a week or more. Just a thought. Not saying any of it makes sense.

[momoftwinteens]

May I suggest you read this for an answer?

 

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/stuck-in-mexico-with-a-seriously-ill-son-one-ohio-121107028462.html

[babynurse06]

In your particular situation, I would definitely recommend getting them before you go. It’s harder to get an emergency passport issued if it’s a first time application than if it’s a renewal or a lost passport. It would be MUCH harder to get first time passports issued for minor children while out of the country. It requires parental consent from both parents (even if applying here in the US) and it sounds like only Mom will be on the trip.

[casofilia]

Never travel to a foreign country without a passport.