Passport Confusion

[Desert Cruizers]

thinfool your probably correct, my main concern for everyone regardless where they are traveling is merely if an emergency happens resulting in a flight home and to re enter the US your airlines and the customs at home will ask for the Pass Port. I am not wanted to convince every one here they should have one but to point out my experience in hopes nobody ever has to experience such an emergency and what was needed to get us both home. I will be forever great full the daughter flew in from Colorado to be with me those 9 days in ST Johns and assist in getting her father back home. I knew as I was going down to the Tender and my husband that he would not be returning home with me. Those on CC and who will follow this Thread will need to make their own decisions on the documents they will take. I wanted to share my experience. 

[sparks1093]

3 hours ago, waterbug123 said:

 

1.  Again, travel insurance doesn't logistically help you get home.  It's simply a way to get reimbursed, so it's a completely different issue from the "passport or no passport" discussion.

 

2.  Your last statement is correct in the reverse as well...YOUR decision has no impact on me or anyone else, yet you seem very adamant that others shoudn't worry about getting a passport. 

Actually I am adamant that people make up their own mind on the matter without using fear in the equation if possible, I personally don't care what choice they make. And every travel insurance policy I've purchased has an ombudsman that is there to assist travelers with problems, so they very well could help logistically. In any event there are procedures in place to get passengers home and that is what I would have relied on.

Edited December 14, 2018 by sparks1093

[CentralFloridaFamily]

A few of us in our party leaving next weekend have passports expiring within six months, so we are doing the birth certificate and DL path. But we will take our valid passports as well in case we have problems and have to fly back, and to use them to get back in at Port Everglades. This six month requirement by foreign countries is pretty ridiculous. I bought a ten year passport, not a 9-1/2 year passport.

[Clarea]

3 minutes ago, CentralFloridaFamily said:

A few of us in our party leaving next weekend have passports expiring within six months, so we are doing the birth certificate and DL path. But we will take our valid passports as well in case we have problems and have to fly back, and to use them to get back in at Port Everglades. This six month requirement by foreign countries is pretty ridiculous. I bought a ten year passport, not a 9-1/2 year passport.

 

Since you will be taking both passports and BC/DL, why don't you do an experiment and let us know the result?  Do your online check-in with your passport and present only your passport at check-in.  If they say it's not sufficient, then you can fall back on the BC/DL.  I suspect you won't hear a peep about a 6 month rule.

[sparks1093]

11 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Since you will be taking both passports and BC/DL, why don't you do an experiment and let us know the result?  Do your online check-in with your passport and present only your passport at check-in.  If they say it's not sufficient, then you can fall back on the BC/DL.  I suspect you won't hear a peep about a 6 month rule.

Exactly. This wouldn't be as much of an issue if the US added unused time onto the renewed passports as is done in other countries. 

[mugtech]

L

1 hour ago, sparks1093 said:

Exactly. This wouldn't be as much of an issue if the US added unused time onto the renewed passports as is done in other countries. 

Yes, if it costs $110 to renew your passport for 10 years, then the cost is $11/year.  But if the way you use it means the $110 is only good for 9.5 years, then the cost sky rockets to $11.58/year.  Doesn't mean much in the long run.

[sparks1093]

3 minutes ago, mugtech said:

L

Yes, if it costs $110 to renew your passport for 10 years, then the cost is $11/year.  But if the way you use it means the $110 is only good for 9.5 years, then the cost sky rockets to $11.58/year.  Doesn't mean much in the long run.

No, but I'm the one that uses a vice grip to get the last bit of toothpaste out of the tube.

[CentralFloridaFamily]

19 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Since you will be taking both passports and BC/DL, why don't you do an experiment and let us know the result?  Do your online check-in with your passport and present only your passport at check-in.  If they say it's not sufficient, then you can fall back on the BC/DL.  I suspect you won't hear a peep about a 6 month rule.

 

I already did the check in so I don’t want to try again. I figure that they ask for expiration date for this very reason. Fortunately (at least for this case) my wife kept her maiden name 34 years ago so name on her her BC matches her DL.  Our passports expire in February. 

[SRF]

If you can cruise with DL and photo ID, you can cruise on a passport that expires the day after you return home.

 

The requirement for 6 months validity is SOME other countries.  Mainly ones were visas are not required.  So that your passport does not expire while you are in their country.

 

But if the country is not requiring a passport to enter their county (cruise) then why would they worry about how long your passport is valid for??????????

[Clarea]

2 hours ago, SRF said:

 ... But if the country is not requiring a passport to enter their county (cruise) then why would they worry about how long your passport is valid for??????????

 

Exactly.

[apratt]

After reading all of the helpful comments and reading in the news about a fellow Arkansan stuck in Cancun after suffering from acute appendicitis and being denied treatment at a local hospital....I think I'm going to spend the extra $$$ and get passports for the whole family. I do have another question that stemmed from a comment.....where do you get travel insurance and do I need that for a cruise? We have vacation insurance offered through RC, but I don't remember being offered travel insurance. Thanks for the help.

[sparks1093]

4 minutes ago, apratt said:

After reading all of the helpful comments and reading in the news about a fellow Arkansan stuck in Cancun after suffering from acute appendicitis and being denied treatment at a local hospital....I think I'm going to spend the extra $$$ and get passports for the whole family. I do have another question that stemmed from a comment.....where do you get travel insurance and do I need that for a cruise? We have vacation insurance offered through RC, but I don't remember being offered travel insurance. Thanks for the help.

Vacation insurance and travel insurance are the same thing I think. You can probably get more robust insurance from a site like www.insuremytrip.com than what the cruise line offers. You might be able to opt out of what Royal offers if you give them a call. 

[Desert Cruizers]

I would also check with your regular Insurance company to see what they offer. An example was when my husband had a heart attack near the end of our TA Sept 2017. Our own Insurance through my husbands Federal Plan with United Health Care brought him home ( So Calif ) from ST Johns Newfoundland where he had been in the Hosp 9 days. Under his Plan I incurred no Co Pay or out of pocket expense. 

[Crusin6]

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! 

Their passports also cost less

 

fyi your husband will need to physically be present to get the kids passports due to their ages you can’t do it alone 

[Crusin6]

On 12/23/2018 at 7:26 AM, sparks1093 said:

No, but I'm the one that uses a vice grip to get the last bit of toothpaste out of the tube.

And just think of all the extra stress that last bit cost you 

[sparks1093]

 

22 minutes ago, Crusin6 said:

And just think of all the extra stress that last bit cost you 

No extra stress at all, the vast majority of my travel in my life occurred without a passport in the first place, including to Europe. My travel plans will dictate when I renew my passport, not the expiration date.

[apratt]

44 minutes ago, Crusin6 said:

Their passports also cost less

 

fyi your husband will need to physically be present to get the kids passports due to their ages you can’t do it alone 

Oh yes....I have been behind a parent at the post office that didn't know that...it was quite unpleasant!!!

[Crusin6]

1 hour ago, sparks1093 said:

 

No extra stress at all, the vast majority of my travel in my life occurred without a passport in the first place, including to Europe. My travel plans will dictate when I renew my passport, not the expiration date.

Ok well I was just joking but whatever

 

 

however I’d like to know how you travelled to Europe without a passport? If you area EU member then please clarify that

 

if you aren’t then please clarify how you traveled to Europe without a passport?

 

im guessing there is a way but I not know of any so I’m curious

 

 

 

 

 

[sparks1093]

10 hours ago, Crusin6 said:

Ok well I was just joking but whatever

 

 

however I’d like to know how you travelled to Europe without a passport? If you area EU member then please clarify that

 

if you aren’t then please clarify how you traveled to Europe without a passport?

 

im guessing there is a way but I not know of any so I’m curious

 

If you were just joking it was hard to tell since there was no indication of it but in any event of course there was a way since I am a US citizen born and bred. My signature gives the reason but of course everyone doesn't see that- I served in the Navy and as they say "join the Navy and see the world" (without mentioning of course that 75% of the world is water🤣). I also live 8 miles from the border and used to cross it every now and then back when documentation wasn't needed. And when we started cruising we were doing closed loop cruises that didn't require passports. All of which is why I am comfortable not having a passport unless I actually need it for the travel I am doing.

[mugtech]

12 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

 

No extra stress at all, the vast majority of my travel in my life occurred without a passport in the first place, including to Europe. My travel plans will dictate when I renew my passport, not the expiration date.

I thought he was talking about the stress of using a vice grip to get the most out of your tooth paste.  Do you take that vice grip on cruises?

[Crusin6]

25 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

If you were just joking it was hard to tell since there was no indication of it but in any event of course there was a way since I am a US citizen born and bred. My signature gives the reason but of course everyone doesn't see that- I served in the Navy and as they say "join the Navy and see the world" (without mentioning of course that 75% of the world is water🤣). I also live 8 miles from the border and used to cross it every now and then back when documentation wasn't needed. And when we started cruising we were doing closed loop cruises that didn't require passports. All of which is why I am comfortable not having a passport unless I actually need it for the travel I am doing.

Ok so that clears it up. You were part of a very small percentage of people who could get away without a passport.  Why didn’t you post that initially. And no I don’t read signatures but I am one that posts enough info to be clear and concise.  

 

also you said you crossed the borders when passports weren't needed. I’m guessing you are talking about Mexico and canada but please enlighten if I’m incorrect 

 

you also mentioned you did closed loop cruises

 

 

not everyone is military and note everyone does closed loop cruises

 

regardless. Passports are the absolute best form of ID a regular person can have and from what I’m reading they may well be required to fly within the USA in short order

 

 

 

 

[Iamcruzin]

13 minutes ago, Crusin6 said:

 

regardless. Passports are the absolute best form of ID a regular person can have and from what I’m reading they may well be required to fly within the USA in short order

 

 

 

 

I think at some point perhaps after the airline requirement for real ID is rolled out completely that passports will be required even for a close loop cruise. 

[sparks1093]

25 minutes ago, Crusin6 said:

Ok so that clears it up. You were part of a very small percentage of people who could get away without a passport.  Why didn’t you post that initially. And no I don’t read signatures but I am one that posts enough info to be clear and concise.  

 

also you said you crossed the borders when passports weren't needed. I’m guessing you are talking about Mexico and canada but please enlighten if I’m incorrect 

 

you also mentioned you did closed loop cruises

 

 

not everyone is military and note everyone does closed loop cruises

 

regardless. Passports are the absolute best form of ID a regular person can have and from what I’m reading they may well be required to fly within the USA in short order

 

Yes, passports are the best form of ID but not everyone needs one for the type of travel they do. (And FWIW it's the Canadian border and I know many people in my community whose only travel is across that border and they use an alternative form of documentation that is allowed by the regulations.) Since the latest numbers from the State Department indicate that only 44% of US citizens hold passports that the percentage of people who can get away without a passport if not a small one (and industry reports that I have read indicate that on any particular closed loop sailing 50% to 70% of the passengers are using something other than a passport).  

[sparks1093]

12 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

I think at some point perhaps after the airline requirement for real ID is rolled out completely that passports will be required even for a close loop cruise. 

I don't know why you would think that. When DHS wrote the regulations they determined that a US citizen on a closed loop cruise presented a low risk to the national security, keeping in mind 1) that the cruise lines do an excellent job of passenger control when passengers are re-boarding the ship in foreign ports and 2) that CBP has the time during the cruise to fully vet each passenger through a multitude of government databases. 

[Iamcruzin]

1 minute ago, sparks1093 said:

I don't know why you would think that. When DHS wrote the regulations they determined that a US citizen on a closed loop cruise presented a low risk to the national security, keeping in mind 1) that the cruise lines do an excellent job of passenger control when passengers are re-boarding the ship in foreign ports and 2) that CBP has the time during the cruise to fully vet each passenger through a multitude of government databases. 

It just seems like that is where the world is headed. More people fly than cruise and those who fly to port will already have to have the correct documentation either Real ID or passport which will no doubt decrease the odds of a security issue on a cruise ship. Only time will tell.