Passport Confusion

[sparks1093]

Just now, Iamcruzin said:

Rip off yes because they shouldn’t cost so much but kids change a lot during those year so that’s why they need to be renewed sooner. It’s not as expensive to renew once you have one. My kids renewed their own when they expired. 

A child's passport cannot be renewed by mail, it has to be done at a passport acceptance facility so they cost as much as a first time passport.

[Iamcruzin]

My kids were over 18 when they renewed by mail. I know under 16 is a pain because both parents need to be present or sign a consent. 

[apratt]

14 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

My kids were over 18 when they renewed by mail. I know under 16 is a pain because both parents need to be present or sign a consent. 

Yep, we will have to pull them out of school/daycare and both take off work. I have seen people get real mad at the post office when they wouldn't keep their passport appointment because one parent was late! They don't play around about that.

[sparks1093]

13 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

My kids were over 18 when they renewed by mail. I know under 16 is a pain because both parents need to be present or sign a consent. 

If their passport was issued when they were under 16 then they had to apply in person, at least that is what State's website says.

 

You can renew by mail using Form DS-82 if your most recent passport meets all five of these requirements:

1. Is submitted with your application
2. Is undamaged (other than normal "wear and tear")
3. Was issued when you were age 16 or older
4. Was issued within the last 15 years
5. Was issued in your current name (or you can document your name change with an original or certified copy of your marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order)

[apratt]

26 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

Rip off yes because they shouldn’t cost so much but kids change a lot during those year so that’s why they need to be renewed sooner. It’s not as expensive to renew once you have one. My kids renewed their own when they expired. 

I am going to renew mine and it is still $110 plus other fees 😞

[sparks1093]

6 minutes ago, apratt said:

I am going to renew mine and it is still $110 plus other fees 😞

If you can renew by mail you save the $35 acceptance fee that is paid to the acceptance facility. The other fees would apply if you choose to use them (such as trackable mailing for your passport).

[Homosassa]

Also, don't forget the requirements for documentation and taxes of the country from which one is trying to depart.

 

Many Central American countries have stringent laws and procedures in place for minors entering and leaving the country to prevent child trafficking.

 

There are also departure fees and taxes. For Belize (one of the stops on the OP's cruise) there is a $55 exit tax (for everyone), a $0.75 security fee, and a border crossing fee that must be paid in cash (US dollars only)  before leaving the country by airplane.

 

If everything goes well as it usually does on the majority of cruises, the minimal documentation (birth certificate and ID)  is fine.

 

It is when things don't go well that a passport is the less expensive option in the long run.

[SRF]

For Carib island ports, realize that for many of them, the neatest US Embassy or Consulate is on a different island, which is a different country.  And you need a passport to go to the other island, but you can't get a passport until you get to the other island.

 

Do you REALLY want any more stress or hassles when you are in the middle of some emergency that has you off the ship?

 

To me, it is peace of mind, and WELL worth the cost.

[Desert Cruizers]

Another point regarding Pass Ports, US will ask for them when re entering from a foreign port although Canada isn't cosidered one, the medical flight couldn't bring my husband back into the US without his since our stop was due to a medical emergency they took our PP at the pier when we were tendered over until we left. I had to go out to the St Johns INTL Airport to retrieve them upon our leaving. 

[SargassoPirate]

I would weigh the cost of the passports as part of the cost of the cruise versus the potential cost of not having passports in case of an emergency situation.  What percentage of your total trip cost will the cost of the passports be?  Probably a small percentage and a small price to pay for peace of mind.

[sparks1093]

33 minutes ago, SargassoPirate said:

I would weigh the cost of the passports as part of the cost of the cruise versus the potential cost of not having passports in case of an emergency situation.  What percentage of your total trip cost will the cost of the passports be?  Probably a small percentage and a small price to pay for peace of mind.

It depends. When we started cruising it would have cost $850 for the family for a 4 day cruise that cost around $1200. After looking at the risks we decided to wait to get passports until we needed them for the travel we were doing.

[sparks1093]

1 hour ago, SRF said:

For Carib island ports, realize that for many of them, the neatest US Embassy or Consulate is on a different island, which is a different country.  And you need a passport to go to the other island, but you can't get a passport until you get to the other island.

 

Do you REALLY want any more stress or hassles when you are in the middle of some emergency that has you off the ship?

 

To me, it is peace of mind, and WELL worth the cost.

Following that logic it means that you are stuck where you are since you can't leave the island and since we aren't reading a lot of accounts about US citizens being stuck on islands in the Caribbean I would say it doesn't happen the way you think that it does. The first hand accounts that I've read indicate a different story- the passenger involved was directed by the port agent to go to the airport and they were allowed to board a flight directly back to the US, where they were sent to secondary inspection before being cleared. It didn't sound very time consuming or arduous. Of course they could only go back to the US, if they missed the ship then they couldn't board a plane to catch up. It's up to each passenger to decide how much risk they are comfortable with and the risk for most passengers is very small.

[Iamcruzin]

5 hours ago, apratt said:

I am going to renew mine and it is still $110 plus other fees 😞

It cost me over a hundred dollars and 8 hours of my life that I won’t get back to renew my drivers license which  is only good for 8 years. I would rather mail in a passport renewal.

[Desert Cruizers]

Sparks for us and my husband having a hear attack 3 days out from Halifax, our next to final port,  I am glad we had our pass ports. They were picked up immediately upon getting to the pier in Newfoundland and ambulance. All I had on me during the 9 days was my DL. It cost me 1 way ( 12 min) to the airport from the hospital $40 each trip to get husbands PP. I had to go back to the airport to get mine when I left 2 days later. The medical expense on board went on my WF CC over riding that. Our insurance sent me a check to cover that. I pray nobody else ever has to endure the tragedy of having your loved one suffer an emergency on a cruise or anywhere outside the US as I did.  All I can say, the feeling that it will never happen to you or I will wait is a bigger risk then spending the money for pass ports.  

[bearette]

For the "what if", it is undeniable it is good to have them, but with 20+ cruises and many land vacations, only once did I ever miss a flight (boat or other tranport) and it was domestic ( no passport required, it was a weather delay and I missed my connection).  The safest bet is a passport ,but in your situation I wouldn't bother.

Edited December 12, 2018 by bearette

[S.A.M.J.R.]

22 hours ago, swoopy2110 said:

Poor choice of words saying it's "very unlikely you'll need it"

But accurate.  Of course anything can happen.  But the odds are greatly against it (if you take care). 

[SRF]

20 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

Following that logic it means that you are stuck where you are since you can't leave the island and since we aren't reading a lot of accounts about US citizens being stuck on islands in the Caribbean I would say it doesn't happen the way you think that it does. The first hand accounts that I've read indicate a different story- the passenger involved was directed by the port agent to go to the airport and they were allowed to board a flight directly back to the US, where they were sent to secondary inspection before being cleared. It didn't sound very time consuming or arduous. Of course they could only go back to the US, if they missed the ship then they couldn't board a plane to catch up. It's up to each passenger to decide how much risk they are comfortable with and the risk for most passengers is very small.

 

You can work through it.  But it will add extra steps and hassles.

 

The port agency cannot give you anything to let you board a flight.  The airlines won't let you board, as if you do not have a passport/visa for your destination, THEY are required to fly you back where you came from.  And if you don't have a passport, you can't enter their either.

 

The US Embassy or Consulate can give you documentation to board.

 

I have seen the reports where people were able to board.  And I have seen reports where the person spent a couple of days getting an emergency passport.   

 

Again, up to you to decide.  But if you are counting on just getting off the ship and boarding a flight without a passport, you could find yourself with a LOT of headaches and issues to deal with.

 

 

[sparks1093]

Desert Cruisers, I hope that your husband healed well. Yes, things can happen on a cruise and for that reason having good travel insurance is a good idea. A passport will of course reduce delays and of course if something happens one would be glad to have it, but the odds are that nothing will happen for the vast majority of cruisers. It all comes down to making the decision that is comfortable for you.

[SRF]

6 hours ago, bearette said:

For the "what if", it is undeniable it is good to have them, but with 20+ cruises and many land vacations, only once did I ever miss a flight (boat or other tranport) and it was domestic ( no passport required, it was a weather delay and I missed my connection).  The safest bet is a passport ,but in your situation I wouldn't bother.

 

OTOH, on our FIRST cruise, my Mother was send from the ship to the hospital in Halifax and my Dad and I had to leave the ship.  Him to be with her, me to look after him (they were 87 at the time).

 

VERY happy we all 3 had passports.

 

You could have 500 cruises without a problem.  But the next one might be the one where you need a passport.

 

But even if nothing happens to you, what about ALL your family?  Someone back home is seriously ill or injured and you want to get back to be with them and your family.  Do you want to possibly spend 2 - 3 days getting things straightened out?

[SRF]

6 hours ago, bearette said:

For the "what if", it is undeniable it is good to have them, but with 20+ cruises and many land vacations, only once did I ever miss a flight (boat or other tranport) and it was domestic ( no passport required, it was a weather delay and I missed my connection).  The safest bet is a passport ,but in your situation I wouldn't bother.

 

Dupe post

 

Edited December 12, 2018 by SRF

[sparks1093]

1 minute ago, SRF said:

 

You can work through it.  But it will add extra steps and hassles.

 

The port agency cannot give you anything to let you board a flight.  The airlines won't let you board, as if you do not have a passport/visa for your destination, THEY are required to fly you back where you came from.  And if you don't have a passport, you can't enter their either.

 

The US Embassy or Consulate can give you documentation to board.

 

I have seen the reports where people were able to board.  And I have seen reports where the person spent a couple of days getting an emergency passport.   

 

Again, up to you to decide.  But if you are counting on just getting off the ship and boarding a flight without a passport, you could find yourself with a LOT of headaches and issues to deal with.

 

 

And if anyone is uncomfortable with anything you say then of course they should get a passport. The one case you saw of a couple of days to get a passport involved someone that missed the ship waiting for his family. The reason it took a couple of days was because of the flights to catch up with the ship, he had his passport the following day after spending an hour and a half at the Embassy. There have to be emergency provisions in place for those instances where someone has to leave the ship and in a port where there is no State Department presence the easiest and quickest way to deal with it is to have the passenger go to the airport and board a plane to the US where they will be cleared at secondary inspection. As for the liability of the airline having to get you back to the point of departure if for some reason you aren't allowed into the US they no doubt have a form for you to sign promising to pay those fees. Again, it all comes down to doing what one is comfortable doing. If someone does decide to travel without a passport it is a decision that impacts no one else.

[sparks1093]

3 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

OTOH, on our FIRST cruise, my Mother was send from the ship to the hospital in Halifax and my Dad and I had to leave the ship.  Him to be with her, me to look after him (they were 87 at the time).

 

VERY happy we all 3 had passports.

 

You could have 500 cruises without a problem.  But the next one might be the one where you need a passport.

 

But even if nothing happens to you, what about ALL your family?  Someone back home is seriously ill or injured and you want to get back to be with them and your family.  Do you want to possibly spend 2 - 3 days getting things straightened out?

I would say that with your parents being that old that it heightens the risk level enough that passports would be prudent and under the circumstances I would have had them. As for leaving the ship for something back home every person sees this differently. For us it would need to be something serious that we could actually do something about and even then where we are on the cruise would dictate our response. I recall reading about a family that was notified of something happening back home with 3 days left in the cruise and they decided to go home (they did have passports). They made it home a few hours before their friends did who stayed on the ship. Getting back from some of the ports isn't always as easy as boarding a plane immediately. If someone is taking multiple cruises per year (which is what would be required for 500 cruises) then this also means a higher level of risk enough to warrant having passports. But one cruise a year or every other year, and it's the only foreign travel that they will do? The risk level for most is low enough to forego the passport.

[SRF]

On 12/12/2018 at 8:21 AM, sparks1093 said:

I would say that with your parents being that old that it heightens the risk level enough that passports would be prudent and under the circumstances I would have had them. As for leaving the ship for something back home every person sees this differently. For us it would need to be something serious that we could actually do something about and even then where we are on the cruise would dictate our response. I recall reading about a family that was notified of something happening back home with 3 days left in the cruise and they decided to go home (they did have passports). They made it home a few hours before their friends did who stayed on the ship. Getting back from some of the ports isn't always as easy as boarding a plane immediately. If someone is taking multiple cruises per year (which is what would be required for 500 cruises) then this also means a higher level of risk enough to warrant having passports. But one cruise a year or every other year, and it's the only foreign travel that they will do? The risk level for most is low enough to forego the passport.

 

Both of you have valid points.  Just more info for those trying to make up their minds.

 

And I agree, getting off late in the cruise may not make any sense at all.  But an emergency can happen right after sail away, and then the equation is different.

 

But, as I have stated before, if you have to deal with an emergency, back home or with someone you are on the ship with, do you really want to add to the stress by having to get passports for all involved?

[sparks1093]

3 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

Both of you have valid points.  Just more info for those trying to make up their minds.

 

And I agree, getting off late in the cruise may not make any sense at all.  But an emergency can happen right after sail away, and then the equation is different.

 

But, as I have stated before, if you have to deal with an emergency, back home or with someone you are on the ship with, do you really want to add to the stress by having to get passports for all involved?

When it comes down to spending money that otherwise doesn't have to be spent I'm totally good with it since I handle stress quite well. I can look back over the past few years and see absolutely no events in my immediate family that would have caused me to cut a vacation short, much less one out of the country. I had a nephew who was driving on I-95 around Daytona a few years ago when a 30 pound piece of metal was thrown through his windshield, which put him in the ICU for a few days. Had that happened to one of my sons then I would at least look into the possibility of cutting the cruise short depending upon a lot of factors. I was reading a thread not too long ago where a passenger had to disembark in Cozumel because of an emergency back home. They didn't have a passport but arrangements were made for them to board a flight back home. The authorities aren't heartless stooges, even if that is the way they are often depicted.

 

(And itinerary is also important, on our upcoming cruise our first stop is in Florida after a day sea, so if something happened at the beginning of the cruise we could disembark there with no need for passports. Other stops are Coco Cay and Nassau, so in a 7 day cruise there is only one port where flying home would problematic.)

[waterbug123]

On 12/11/2018 at 8:28 AM, apratt said:

That is what I am worried about! If one of my kids needed medical care I would feel so bad if we were held up because of that. I know they have some kind of med bay on the ship, but I don't know how good it is. I didn't know until I posted this that kids under 16s passports are only good for 5 years...what a rip off! 

 

It's not a rip off, it's common sense.  2 year olds do not look even remotely the same at age 12.

 

On 12/12/2018 at 8:04 AM, sparks1093 said:

Desert Cruisers, I hope that your husband healed well. Yes, things can happen on a cruise and for that reason having good travel insurance is a good idea. A passport will of course reduce delays and of course if something happens one would be glad to have it, but the odds are that nothing will happen for the vast majority of cruisers. It all comes down to making the decision that is comfortable for you.

 

True, the odds of something happening for the average cruiser are slim.  Also true- it only needs to happen once.  I'm walking proof that even the healthiest person can end up hospitalized without notice...at age 39 when otherwise the picture of good health, I ended up in the ER, and subsequently being admitted, due to a hemorrhaging kidney tumor that I previously had no idea even existed.  Fortunately I was not on a cruise at the time, but it's a prime example of how things can happen that are completely unexpected.  Off the top of my head I can think of 3 instances I know of in which someone I know personally (never mind all the stories of strangers on the internet!) had to take an unexpected flight mid-cruise.  One was a lady we met on the cruise, who missed the ship in port one day and had to fly to the next port 2 days later after an intervening sea day.  Another was my brother in law, who had to fly home mid cruise due to a death in his family.  Another was my uncle, who unexpectedly ended up in a hospital in Mexico mid-cruise and had to be flown to a hospital in Florida for specialized cardiac care.  So is it rare that things happen?  Of course it is, but things DO happen, and that rare event takes on a whole new level of concern if/when it happens to happen to you.