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What identification do I need if not using a passport?


Samantha471
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This will be my first time on a cruise and I don't have a passport. I will be bringing my DL and my birth certificate. However, my birth certificate is my maiden name of course. My DL and my travel documents are in my married name. I was married once before so even if I bring my marriage license it will say my old last name (to my first husband) that old last name is not on the birth certificate. So am I really going to have to bring 

My birth certificate with maiden name (Smith) 

My 1st marriage licence (Smith to Evans) 

My divorce documents 

My 2nd marriage license? (Evans to Miller) 

 

That sounds like a whole lot of papers. And extremely frustrating. Any help on this would be great thank you! 

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You don't mention which cruise line or itinerary you are planning to cruise on.  Some cruise lines and itineraries require a Passport - certainly as a US citizen any that depart from non-US ports.  If you haven't already, check with your cruise line to confirm the necessary ID.

 

In general, however, closed loop US based itineraries don't require a passport and you would be OK with the ID you indicate, given your situation.  Sorry you find the necessary ID and paperwork as frustrating, but you are leaving the US and will be traveling to foreign countries, which make this a requirement.  The complexity of your particular situation is what makes it more complicated.

 

But agree with zgvol that if a Passport is feasible it would be recommended.  Makes things a lot simpler.

Edited by leaveitallbehind
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You've been advised to get a passport and that is entirely your call but I do want to note that if you do apply for a passport you won't have to submit all of that documentation with your application, just your birth certificate and DL. Also while you should bring the other documents the chances are good that you won't need them because your name changes are reflected in the DMV database and DHS has access to that, so they will (in most cases) see the paper trail. Your decision to get a passport or not should be based on your travel plans and needs. 

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1 hour ago, Grandma Dazzles said:

Everyone has given you excellent advice. Please think about getting a passport!  Your cruise line may require a passport.

 

Also, should you have any kind of emergency, personal or family, and need to get home you cannot fly home without a passport. 

It might require some more steps but you can fly home without a passport especially if you happen to be in a port without a state department presence. Read about a family recently who had to fly home from Cozumel and they did so without a passport (likely had to spend some time in secondary inspenction when they landed).

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Thank you everyone for your recommendations! I don't have time to get all 4 of us passports. Even if I expedite the process. I do have time however, to get us passport cards. We are going on Royal Caribbean 7 days to the Eastern Caribbean. I think they take passport cards. Would anyone know for sure? 

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23 minutes ago, Samantha471 said:

Thank you everyone for your recommendations! I don't have time to get all 4 of us passports. Even if I expedite the process. I do have time however, to get us passport cards. We are going on Royal Caribbean 7 days to the Eastern Caribbean. I think they take passport cards. Would anyone know for sure? 

 

If you are US citizens, as this is a closed loop US based itinerary, RCI only requires a BC and valid picture ID for boarding.  You will be fine with the ID to which you refer for you, but to be safe, I would suggest taking it all with you.  Better to have it and not need it than to need it an not have it.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

Edited by leaveitallbehind
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3 hours ago, Samantha471 said:

Thank you everyone for your recommendations! I don't have time to get all 4 of us passports. Even if I expedite the process. I do have time however, to get us passport cards. We are going on Royal Caribbean 7 days to the Eastern Caribbean. I think they take passport cards. Would anyone know for sure? 

 

Didn’t think that there was much of a time difference for issuance between passport and passport cards.  A lot of people don’t like passport cards as they are not good for air travel which pretty much limits their use.  

 

Just remember if if you decide to go with b/c that RC accepts original raised seal or certified B/c not a photo copy or hospital record type copy. 

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6 hours ago, Samantha471 said:

Thank you everyone for your recommendations! I don't have time to get all 4 of us passports. Even if I expedite the process. I do have time however, to get us passport cards. We are going on Royal Caribbean 7 days to the Eastern Caribbean. I think they take passport cards. Would anyone know for sure? 

 

If you have time to get passport cards you have time to get passports. The time is just about the same and often the passport arrives prior to the card. BTW the cards will also work just fine.

 

Just an FYI, right now passports are taking less than a month to turn around, if you do all the paperwork correctly.

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8 hours ago, Samantha471 said:

Thank you everyone for your recommendations! I don't have time to get all 4 of us passports. Even if I expedite the process. I do have time however, to get us passport cards. We are going on Royal Caribbean 7 days to the Eastern Caribbean. I think they take passport cards. Would anyone know for sure? 

The passport card would be accepted but then so would the documentation that you already have. As others have mentioned the time for getting a passport and a passport card are identical, same application, same process. 

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Better to carry all those documents and not need them versus not having them and standing watching the ship sail away.

 

Passport can be gotten in a few weeks.  Many reporting less than 2 weeks lately.

 

There is a thread on current passport times in the First Timers section.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/1757948-for-those-curious-about-current-passport-turnaround-times/

 

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22 hours ago, Samantha471 said:

Thank you everyone for your recommendations! I don't have time to get all 4 of us passports. Even if I expedite the process. I do have time however, to get us passport cards. We are going on Royal Caribbean 7 days to the Eastern Caribbean. I think they take passport cards. Would anyone know for sure? 

 

Who told you that passport cards take less time to get than passports?

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The cards are used by people who cross the boarders to Mexico and Canada on a regular basis, example, people who live on one side and work on the other. They are not useful for casual travelers. Get a regular passport, or take your chances with the documentation you have. (I'd never do that, but it's you taking the chance, not me.)

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1 hour ago, Texas Tillie said:

The cards are used by people who cross the boarders to Mexico and Canada on a regular basis, example, people who live on one side and work on the other. They are not useful for casual travelers. Get a regular passport, or take your chances with the documentation you have. (I'd never do that, but it's you taking the chance, not me.)

 

They may also be used for cruises within the WHTI, both closed loop and open jaw. Should the family later decide to get passports they would be able to use the renewal process by mail if they had passport cards. I'd personally go with what I had, but it's a decision only the OP can make. 

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10 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

And, at last, we get to the rub.

 

Amortize your passport costs and it's less than a pair of umbrella drinks on your cruise.

Amortize the cost all you want, it's still due and payable in advance. For something that isn't needed for the trip it is a steep expense. 

Edited by sparks1093
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5 hours ago, Samantha471 said:

Not so much that they take less time but they are cheaper than 4 passports. 

And carrrying the documents you have is cheaper than the passport card. Unless your primary vacation travel is Caribbean cruising or you live within driving distance of a border, I think the passport port cards are too limited to be worth getting. They add nothing to what you already have; just offer it in a more convenient way if carryingg it. I’d save the money from the cards and invest in a book for ur next trip. Can use that to travel anywhere and by air.

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