Reminder: EDL & GEC ARE NOT VALID for International Travel

[TylerRose]

We have just returned from a family reunion cruise aboard Liberty that was nearly destroyed by an embarkation fiasco.

2 cruisers left passports behind, and 2 were sure their Enhanced Driver's Licence (EDL) & Global Entry Cards (GEC) would be sufficient identification.

Please do not judge... but read this posting as a reminder and advice to not make our mistakes.

 

You MUST have a passport or a birth certificate and government-issued photo ID for embarkation on any cruise ship that will leave the United States. This includes closed-loop cruises beginning & ending in the same port.

EDL & GEC ARE NOT VALID for International Travel.

 

We were separated from our "carded" family & seated off to the left side of the ships terminal… (I shall call it from here on: “the wall of shame”)

We then participated in a time sensitive attempt to obtain a copy of birth certificates to be emailed to the person in charge.

A photo sent of a passport or passport cards are not acceptable- their photos can be altered?

 

Next, the emailed documents must print out. The print out must read clearly- only then can the copy of the birth certificate be considered for acceptance or denial.

 

We were fortunate to have a family member able to get to our home, obtain birth certificates, & get them sent off.

Another in our group hired a lawyer to obtain his documents. (I have no idea what he could have done had it been on the weekend or a holiday.)

 

We were attempting to board a Carnival Liberty sailing out of Orlando where their Internet was very poor. Limited internet access added to the stress of emails…

2 more hours passed before the files were repeatedly printed & finally accepted.

 

We sat on “the wall of shame" from 10:45- 3:58!

My husband pacing frantically- making phone calls… sending email after email… checking for updates at the securities desk.

We were the very last to board.

We carried all our own luggage on board…& on to lifeboat drill currently in progress.

 

Thankfully... it was smoother sailing from there...

[dubyadarlin]

Ahhh! I normally have this nightmare a few times before I leave for a cruise!!

 

So glad that everything worked out for you and that you had a great cruise!

[momonthego17]

I have had my DH stop the car at a rest stop so I can double-check I.Ds , boarding passes etc. and physically touch them so I know we are good to go. Thanks for the heads up on EDL and GEC not being valid for International Travel.

I’m happy to hear that the rest of your cruise was great!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[riffatsea]

The 2 who have Global Entry should have known better!!

Glad it worked out for you guys.

[coevan]

I have had my DH stop the car at a rest stop so I can double-check I.Ds , boarding passes etc. and physically touch them so I know we are good to go. Thanks for the heads up on EDL and GEC not being valid for International Travel.

I’m happy to hear that the rest of your cruise was great!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

 

We do this before we leave the house. Leaving passports at home at is inexcusable and irresponsible. sorry, flame me, and yes we NEVER forgot our passports

[chengkp75]

For the third thread on this topic, an EDL is a valid ID for a closed loop cruise. As the OP stated in another thread, the passengers were from Florida, and Florida does not issue EDL's. Florida issues "Real ID" compliant licenses, which are not valid ID for a cruise without a Birth Certificate.

[Arzeena]

We have just returned from a family reunion cruise aboard Liberty that was nearly destroyed by an embarkation fiasco.

2 cruisers left passports behind, and 2 were sure their Enhanced Driver's Licence (EDL) & Global Entry Cards (GEC) would be sufficient identification.

Please do not judge... but read this posting as a reminder and advice to not make our mistakes.

 

You MUST have a passport or a birth certificate and government-issued photo ID for embarkation on any cruise ship that will leave the United States. This includes closed-loop cruises beginning & ending in the same port.

EDL & GEC ARE NOT VALID for International Travel.

 

We were separated from our "carded" family & seated off to the left side of the ships terminal… (I shall call it from here on: “the wall of shame”)

We then participated in a time sensitive attempt to obtain a copy of birth certificates to be emailed to the person in charge.

A photo sent of a passport or passport cards are not acceptable- their photos can be altered?

 

Next, the emailed documents must print out. The print out must read clearly- only then can the copy of the birth certificate be considered for acceptance or denial.

 

We were fortunate to have a family member able to get to our home, obtain birth certificates, & get them sent off.

Another in our group hired a lawyer to obtain his documents. (I have no idea what he could have done had it been on the weekend or a holiday.)

 

We were attempting to board a Carnival Liberty sailing out of Orlando where their Internet was very poor. Limited internet access added to the stress of emails…

2 more hours passed before the files were repeatedly printed & finally accepted.

 

We sat on “the wall of shame" from 10:45- 3:58!

My husband pacing frantically- making phone calls… sending email after email… checking for updates at the securities desk.

We were the very last to board.

We carried all our own luggage on board…& on to lifeboat drill currently in progress.

 

Thankfully... it was smoother sailing from there...

 

Thank you for posting this alert. It seems to be implied that EDC is good for a passport alternative, but I think not. Thanks again for alerting us.

[chengkp75]

Thank you for posting this alert. It seems to be implied that EDC is good for a passport alternative, but I think not. Thanks again for alerting us.

 

An EDL is a valid passport alternative for a closed loop cruise, or a land border crossing only, but not for open jaw cruises or air travel. The people in the OP's party did not have EDL's.

[LuckyStar]

We do this before we leave the house. Leaving passports at home at is inexcusable and irresponsible. sorry, flame me, and yes we NEVER forgot our passports

 

My husband has come to expect that I will check for passports four to five times before we leave, after we leave and while wating in line. I haven't forgotten them either.

[TylerRose]

I took time to write this post on CC to warn others- based on OUR experience. There were many seated beside us with similar issues holding up their boarding- and if my posting helps even one person... it served its purpose.

But I wish I had not bothered and could remove my posts! It is not worth the condemnation. :mad:

[Jobeth66]

We always have our passport cards in our wallets (it's acceptable id for every single situation, no reason not to have it) and take our passport books as well.

[Rsebdb]

I took time to write this post on CC to warn others- based on OUR experience. There were many seated beside us with similar issues holding up their boarding- and if my posting helps even one person... it served its purpose.

 

But I wish I had not bothered and could remove my posts! It is not worth the condemnation. :mad:

 

 

 

Thank you for posting this warning/practical tip. In the chaos of getting ready to go on a cruise, or any vacation, it’s a challenge to make sure you have everything you need. I’m the “keeper of all important documents” in my family and I can’t tell you how many times in the course of traveling to the port I’ve felt the need to lay hands or eyes on the documents. I’m sure this reminder will help more than one cruiser!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[sparks1093]

I took time to write this post on CC to warn others- based on OUR experience. There were many seated beside us with similar issues holding up their boarding- and if my posting helps even one person... it served its purpose.

But I wish I had not bothered and could remove my posts! It is not worth the condemnation. :mad:

 

There is no condemnation, only a correction in some very critical terms. As pointed out an EDL is a different animal then a REAL ID compliant license and I have absolutely used mine to board a cruise. I have also used it for crossing into Canada several times. People need to know the difference between the two licenses so your posts are not a waste of time.

[carnivaladdix120]

I took time to write this post on CC to warn others- based on OUR experience. There were many seated beside us with similar issues holding up their boarding- and if my posting helps even one person... it served its purpose.

But I wish I had not bothered and could remove my posts! It is not worth the condemnation. :mad:

 

Please don't let people make you feel bad for posting this. I am positive that this post will definitely help someone, especially new cruisers so THANK YOU for posting your experience and I'm so happy you all made it aboard safely and have a great cruise :D

[michiganredrose]

There are only a few states that have actual Enhanced Drivers License’s. I live in Michigan which does, I have used it for 3 cruises with absolutely no problem.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[pascalburns]

thanks for the information.

[coevan]

" it’s a challenge to make sure you have everything you need."

 

 

no it's not

[KatieCharlotte]

" it’s a challenge to make sure you have everything you need."

 

 

no it's not

 

For some people, the challenge seems to be kindness and humility.

 

I am always afraid that I will forget, lose, or not realize that I need important documents, because I know that I am not perfect. I appreciate all info and reminders, as well as stories about how people managed to get what they needed and salvaged their trips.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

For some people, the challenge seems to be kindness and humility.

 

I am always afraid that I will forget, lose, or not realize that I need important documents, because I know that I am not perfect. I appreciate all info and reminders, as well as stories about how people managed to get what they needed and salvaged their trips.

 

(y)(y)(y)(y)(y)(y)

 

Bill

[Keith1010]

Thanks for sharing this.

Keith

[dawyv]

I took time to write this post on CC to warn others- based on OUR experience. There were many seated beside us with similar issues holding up their boarding- and if my posting helps even one person... it served its purpose.

But I wish I had not bothered and could remove my posts! It is not worth the condemnation. :mad:

 

I'm not replying to try to shame you or anything, just to point out that your experience differs dramatically from mine. I sailed on the Freedom out of Galveston on 6 January, returning on 13 January. At check-in, I presented my Enhanced Driver License issued by Washington State (and my son showed his Enhanced ID card, issued by the same state). They are distinguished from Washington State's "regular" cards by having a colored band across the top, the word "ENHANCED," and a US flag over one side of the picture with passport-style machine-readable data on the back. This is how Washington State describes an EDL or EID:

 

Get your EDL/EID

 

The enhanced driver license (EDL) or enhanced ID card (EID) confirms your identity and citizenship. It's an acceptable alternative to a passport for re-entry into the U.S. You can only use it when you cross borders by land or sea.

The Carnival agent noted the ID numbers on both cards and sent us on our way to the ship.

 

When we returned to Galveston and went through immigration, I gave my EDL to the border patrol officer. She looked at it, scanned it on the computer, and held it up to compare it to my face before I was admitted. This is the same process I've seen happen with my regular passport and my passport card when returning to the United States.

 

Where Carnival also err'd greatly was in refusing the Global Entry cards. GE cards can be used to enter the United States at sea ports, as documented by CBP's own rules:

 

Using Your Global Entry Card

We accept Global Entry cards for lawful U.S. entry at land and sea ports of entry.

 

You can't use a GE card at a GE kiosk, only when speaking directly with an officer, so most GE members don't bother carrying the card as a passport is primarily required. I suspect that the cause of the problem is that Carnival doesn't often see Global Entry cards because only one cruise port has Global Entry services on arrival (Fort Lauderdale, as I recall).

 

Since Carnival routinely sails to and from Canada and the Canadian Border Services Agency always has a setup for NEXUS, Carnival sees more NEXUS cards and has updated their procedures to account for them. (I noticed that Carnival accepted NEXUS card data when I checked in for that January cruise, though I chose not to use mine, figuring that Galveston immigration authorities might not have routinely seen them, either.)

Edited January 24, 2018 by dawyv

[jmcancruise]

Thank you for posting. Not an issue for me, however I am sure someone will need this information. Therefore ignore the flames and post away. When we all know everything or never make mistakes this board will become irrelevant.

[Computer Nerd]

A photo sent of a passport or passport cards are not acceptable- their photos can be altered?

 

Yes, photos can be altered. Photoshop is just one of many programs that can alter a photo. You can see examples of altered photos on FB on a daily basis.

[sparks1093]

Yes, photos can be altered. Photoshop is just one of many programs that can alter a photo. You can see examples of altered photos on FB on a daily basis.

 

The simplest explanation is that copies of birth certificates are explicitly allowed under the DHS regulations, while copies of other documents (to include naturalization certificates, consular reports of birth abroad) are not allowed under the regulations. Any document may be altered and copied to help hide the alteration after all.

[Keys2Heaven]

We have just returned from a family reunion cruise aboard Liberty that was nearly destroyed by an embarkation fiasco.

2 cruisers left passports behind, and 2 were sure their Enhanced Driver's Licence (EDL) & Global Entry Cards (GEC) would be sufficient identification.

Please do not judge... but read this posting as a reminder and advice to not make our mistakes.

 

You MUST have a passport or a birth certificate and government-issued photo ID for embarkation on any cruise ship that will leave the United States. This includes closed-loop cruises beginning & ending in the same port.

EDL & GEC ARE NOT VALID for International Travel.

 

We were separated from our "carded" family & seated off to the left side of the ships terminal… (I shall call it from here on: “the wall of shame”)

We then participated in a time sensitive attempt to obtain a copy of birth certificates to be emailed to the person in charge.

A photo sent of a passport or passport cards are not acceptable- their photos can be altered?

 

Next, the emailed documents must print out. The print out must read clearly- only then can the copy of the birth certificate be considered for acceptance or denial.

 

We were fortunate to have a family member able to get to our home, obtain birth certificates, & get them sent off.

Another in our group hired a lawyer to obtain his documents. (I have no idea what he could have done had it been on the weekend or a holiday.)

 

We were attempting to board a Carnival Liberty sailing out of Orlando where their Internet was very poor. Limited internet access added to the stress of emails…

2 more hours passed before the files were repeatedly printed & finally accepted.

 

We sat on “the wall of shame" from 10:45- 3:58!

My husband pacing frantically- making phone calls… sending email after email… checking for updates at the securities desk.

We were the very last to board.

We carried all our own luggage on board…& on to lifeboat drill currently in progress.

 

Thankfully... it was smoother sailing from there...

 

Glad it worked out o.k.

 

 

It is a good idea in a group cruise to designate someone(s) (preferably well-seasoned cruisers) to ensure that all of these very important items are taken care of, so there is no assuming of what will or should work.