Passport Card

[coevan]

why would you have to go through customs, we keep our passports in the safe. We have never brought them ashore.

[kmdreamcatcher]

I am going to be taking my beloved boys ages 11 and 14 on a cruise in 2020. I am wondering if a passport card is good for cruising. I have always used my birth certificate and DL, but I am worried that I will misplace my birth certificate. It has always worried me. I looked into getting passports for all of us, but it seems a bit pricey for me. The passport cards are $40 each for the boys and $55 each for me and my husband. I was curious to see if anyone else has just the card and not a full passport. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!!

 

 

 

You have 2 years (2018 & 2019) and however far into 2020 before you cruise. Why not get 2 each year...one at a time. For the boys I would put the put the now 11 year old in 3rd because no matter what his will be good for 5 years. The now 14 year old hopefully when you put in for his he is 16.

 

I would rather put out the 150.00 ( rounded figure) per person for the peace of mind. Because remember if god forbid something happens to one one the boys and need to be airlifted for a medical emergency you and hubby will not be able to be airlifted off with him.

 

I say this because on my cruise this past November they had to airlift someone off. We were closer to the Bahamas and was going to airlift the person off to there but the other party could not be airlifted with the person because of no passport. The captain was understanding to this and went full speed ahead and diverted so they could be airlifted in US waters to Port Canaveral.

 

So in the end better safe then sorry.

 

 

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[micruz]

Just remember cards are only good for land and sea crossings - not air!

 

We took an Alaskan cruise last summer in/out of Vancouver flying into Seattle for a week, driving to Vancouver to board and then flying home from Vancouver. Thought why bother to bring whole passport if we just need for Canada crossing - so just brought our passport card. No issue until we checked in for cruise and the agent reminded us that we wouldn’t be able to use the passport card to fly home from Canada. We spent part of our cruise making costly calls/shipping expenses to get someone into our home to retrieve passports and then sent next day to have when we departed ship.

 

Also made us think that ports sometimes change and you never know where travel alterations might take you. I will never spend money on a passport card again. Safer to just have the passport that works in all modes of travel.

 

 

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[NSnJW]

Originally posted by NSnJW When I took my granddaughter on a Panama Canal cruise this past December, we got the pleasure of sitting in a customs office room for 20 minutes because the granddaughter had a passport card. They said it couldn't be used to travel from one US port to a different US port if we visited foreign countries in between. They also said they were going to fine NCL for allowing it to happen.

Did they provide an explanation of the logic behind this?

 

 

I'm not sure logic has any place in dealing with the government. I just know we sat in a bare office for 20 minutes with no other people nor any information provided until they came and said we could go and it was going to cost NCL $5000. Whatever their reasoning, you have to admit that they are serious. I generally go out of my way to avoid dealing with government employees who hold my life in their hands, if at all possible.

[crzndeb]

Originally posted by NSnJW When I took my granddaughter on a Panama Canal cruise this past December, we got the pleasure of sitting in a customs office room for 20 minutes because the granddaughter had a passport card. They said it couldn't be used to travel from one US port to a different US port if we visited foreign countries in between. They also said they were going to fine NCL for allowing it to happen.

Did they provide an explanation of the logic behind this?

 

 

I'm not sure logic has any place in dealing with the government. I just know we sat in a bare office for 20 minutes with no other people nor any information provided until they came and said we could go and it was going to cost NCL $5000. Whatever their reasoning, you have to admit that they are serious. I generally go out of my way to avoid dealing with government employees who hold my life in their hands, if at all possible.

 

I know I was told when I cruised the canal in 2010, I needed a passport. I already had one, so no biggie.

 

This is directly from the US Customs and Border Patrol website

 

If, on the other hand, you - say - board a cruise ship in San Diego, California, sail through the Panama Canal (stopping at a foreign port during the cruise), and end the cruise in Miami, Florida, you have not taken a closed loop cruise. As of June 1, 2009 the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) requires you to travel with a valid passport (including infants).

[broberts]

Originally posted by NSnJW When I took my granddaughter on a Panama Canal cruise this past December, we got the pleasure of sitting in a customs office room for 20 minutes because the granddaughter had a passport card. They said it couldn't be used to travel from one US port to a different US port if we visited foreign countries in between. They also said they were going to fine NCL for allowing it to happen.

Did they provide an explanation of the logic behind this?

 

 

I'm not sure logic has any place in dealing with the government. I just know we sat in a bare office for 20 minutes with no other people nor any information provided until they came and said we could go and it was going to cost NCL $5000. Whatever their reasoning, you have to admit that they are serious. I generally go out of my way to avoid dealing with government employees who hold my life in their hands, if at all possible.

 

Sound reasoning on interactions with officials.

 

I know I was told when I cruised the canal in 2010, I needed a passport. I already had one, so no biggie.

 

This is directly from the US Customs and Border Patrol website

 

If, on the other hand, you - say - board a cruise ship in San Diego, California, sail through the Panama Canal (stopping at a foreign port during the cruise), and end the cruise in Miami, Florida, you have not taken a closed loop cruise. As of June 1, 2009 the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) requires you to travel with a valid passport (including infants).

 

It's too bad then that State says passport cards can be used for:

 

"Entering the United States at land border crossings and sea ports-of-entry from:

• Canada
  
• Mexico
  
• The Caribbean
  
• Bermuda
  

..."

 

 

Rather than "Entering the United States at land border crossings and closed loop cruises..." which seems to more accurately reflect CBP rules.

[Bllybb758]

This may be dumb but let you and your partner spend the 100 bucks more to have the book since you’re over the first age bracket for renewal.

[cruziJenn]

why would you have to go through customs, we keep our passports in the safe. We have never brought them ashore.

 

This was true for us as well on at least our last 3 or 4 cruises, our S&S cards were all that we needed to get past the checkpoint and back on the ship....for every Caribbean and Mexico port that we visited, from Cozumel, Honduras, Curacao, St. Kitts and everywhere in between all of those ports. We have always taken our cards at port just in case but have not needed to show them for years.

 

I don't even have a passport book, card only.