Help with question. Somewhat urgent

[coevan]

Google is your friend again:   CBP entry requirements, NO B.C

 

Land or Sea Travel: U.S. citizens entering the United States by land or sea are required to present a valid WHTI-compliant document, which include:

- U.S. Passports

- U.S. Passport Cards

- Enhanced Driver's Licenses

- Enhanced Tribal Card (ETC)

- Trusted Traveler Cards (Global Entry*, NEXUS, SENTRI, or FAST

- Military Identification Cards (for members of the U.S. armed official maritime business)

* The Global Entry (GE) card is only an ENTRY document and may not be used to enter Canada, Mexico or Adjacent Island.

Military personnel traveling under orders may present photo ID and orders. Family members must present a passport (with the exception of children 15 and younger arriving by land or sea.)

 

Children require a B.C

 

 

[Cruiser_1977]

7 minutes ago, coevan said:

Google is your friend again:   CBP entry requirements, NO B.C

 

Land or Sea Travel: U.S. citizens entering the United States by land or sea are required to present a valid WHTI-compliant document, which include:

- U.S. Passports

- U.S. Passport Cards

- Enhanced Driver's Licenses

- Enhanced Tribal Card (ETC)

- Trusted Traveler Cards (Global Entry*, NEXUS, SENTRI, or FAST

- Military Identification Cards (for members of the U.S. armed official maritime business)

* The Global Entry (GE) card is only an ENTRY document and may not be used to enter Canada, Mexico or Adjacent Island.

Military personnel traveling under orders may present photo ID and orders. Family members must present a passport (with the exception of children 15 and younger arriving by land or sea.)

 

Children require a B.C

 

 

Google may be your friend but read the whole site:  https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/western-hemisphere-travel-initiative

 

"What types of documents are accepted for entry into the United States via land and sea?

• U.S. citizens can present a valid: U.S. Passport; Passport Card; Enhanced Driver’s License; Trusted Traveler Program card (NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST); U.S. Military identification card when traveling on official orders; U.S. Merchant Mariner document when traveling in conjunction with official maritime business; or Form I-872 American Indian Card, or (when available) Enhanced Tribal Card.
• U.S. and Canadian citizen children under the age of 16 (or under 19, if traveling with a school, religious group, or other youth group) need only present a birth certificate or other proof of citizenship. The birth certificate can be original, photocopy, or certified copy.
• WHTI does not affect U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents, who are still required to present their permanent resident card (Form I-551) or other valid evidence of permanent residence status.
• Canadian citizens can present a valid passport, Enhanced Driver’s License, or Trusted Traveler Program card (NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST).
• Bermudian citizens are required to present a valid passport.
• Mexican citizens, including children, are required to present a passport with visa, or a Border Crossing Card.
• U.S. citizens on closed-loop cruises (cruises that begin and end at the same U.S. port) are able to enter the United States with a birth certificate and government-issued photo ID. Please be aware that you may still be required to present a passport to enter the countries your cruise ship is visiting. Check with your cruise line to ensure you have the appropriate documents."

Edited January 24, 2019 by JennyB1977

[h_blond2]

I have always had to show my proof of citizenship when returning to the states. I would advise her to go to Guest Services ASAP and maybe you could call Carnival on her behalf to see what can be done.

[Coltsgal87]

2 hours ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

 

Protocol says they need to ensure that you are entering the country legally - CBP cannot know that you didn't somehow sneak onto the ship at one of the ports.  CBP usually doesn't scan your ID when you arrive back in the US (never have for me, at least), so there is no electronic correlation to your docs used at embarkation.  A (non-enhanced) DL does not establish citizenship, so you need a (US) BC to prove that.

 

Yeah, it is probably a close-to-zero percent chance that you are trying to sneak into the US illegally using a valid DL that you somehow acquired, but I can imagine scenarios where it is possible. 

OH YEAH!  I can see anyone trying anything these days!  

[Coltsgal87]

1 hour ago, coevan said:

customs does not care about a BC is does not have a picture and is not accepted as valid ID. Carnival accepts BC in addition to photo ID upon embarkation.

Customs was who asks for our BC. Not carnival. 

[bingomamma19]

1 hour ago, mandadfarmer said:

I know this from experience.  My 80year old Grandma didn't bring her birth certificate or passport to our last cruise.  It was a very long embarkation day with lots of calls and we learned a lot so I know way more than I should about cruise documentation.

 

You HAVE to have it to get off the ship.  In fact, you really don't need them legally to get on the ship.  Carnival makes you show them when you get on so they know you have them to get off.  You have to show them to get into the country, not out.

 

Someone needs to get a copy of her birth certificate or passport and email it to carnival.  She should go to guest services and they will give her an email address.  They will print it and get it to her.  If noone has a copy, she can call from the boat and try to get one faxed or emailed, but this needs to be done during the week.  They are close don the weekends (when we needed one :)).  Or someone can go and get a physical copy from the state she was born if that is an option.

 

By law, she has to have either a passport or BC to get through customs.

And would they have just "kept" your grandma after the cruise if she didn't have those?    Since I have only shown my DL to get off and nothing for my DD who is a minor (except me saying she is my daughter, and never had a problem in 10 cruises.

 

I don't see what they would have done with grandma after the cruise if they actually required that.   

 

I have never seen a "holding" cage for these stranded passengers after a cruise :)

 

 

[Athankfulheart]

We have always been asked for govt photo and BC/Passport . We started cruising with BCs and switched out family over to passports a few at a time. We now get in the passport line at CBP but used to have to get in the BC line when we had a mix of both. Why would the lines be labeled BC/PP if only photo ID was required ? 

 

OP- I would see if she could get a copy of her docs emailed to her. It may be a long morning, but CBP cannot deny entry to a US citizen. Tell them no need to panic. If they don't find it, do report it lost/stolen for future reasons.

Edited January 24, 2019 by Athankfulheart

[sandyzag]

Wondering if the OP will ever come back and tell us what happened seeing they got off this morning.

[Crazy4Camping]

I found all of this interesting as my husband and I have our passorts/passport cards/EDLs etc. and are about to go on our first cruise(so of course wanted to cover all our bases just in case).  The couple we are going with have done a bunch of cruises and only have EDLs and have not mentioned that they plan to bring birth certificates(or they did say that and I didn't hear them).  I'm hoping they won't have any issues?  We're doing southern caribbean.

[Saint Greg]

5 minutes ago, Crazy4Camping said:

I found all of this interesting as my husband and I have our passorts/passport cards/EDLs etc. and are about to go on our first cruise(so of course wanted to cover all our bases just in case).  The couple we are going with have done a bunch of cruises and only have EDLs and have not mentioned that they plan to bring birth certificates(or they did say that and I didn't hear them).  I'm hoping they won't have any issues?  We're doing southern caribbean.

 

If you have all of that, you're good. You only need one of them.

[mandadfarmer]

And would they have just "kept" your grandma after the cruise if she didn't have those?    Since I have only shown my DL to get off and nothing for my DD who is a minor (except me saying she is my daughter, and never had a problem in 10 cruises.

 

I don't see what they would have done with grandma after the cruise if they actually required that.   

 

I have never seen a "holding" cage for these stranded passengers after a cruise 🙂

 

 

If you go back and read my post you can see that she brought neither with her to get on the boat, so we were very much in a holding room while trying to get on to the boat.  We spent 4 hours dealing with Carnival and ultimately were able to speak with an executive level person who actually allowed her to board but she made it very clear that if my aunt did not send in the BC as we had to swear she would that she could lose her job and she would be detained while trying to leave the boat.  She is the one who explained that you don't legally have to have them to board, just to return.  I am not sure what they would have done by "detaining" her, as my aunt came through and a copy of her BC was in her room mailbox by Tuesday AM.  It was quite an exciting way to start our 8 day vacation 🙂

Edited January 24, 2019 by mandadfarmer

[coevan]

1 hour ago, Saint Greg said:

 

If you have all of that, you're good. You only need one of them.

 

 

I don't think you can board with only an EDL. The only single document without a B.C. would be a passport. 

[Saint Greg]

9 minutes ago, coevan said:

 

 

I don't think you can board with only an EDL. The only single document without a B.C. would be a passport. 

 

sounds good to me.

 

The Passport Card

The passport card cannot be used to travel by air outside the United States nor travel to Cuba.
U.S. citizens may present a limited-use, wallet-size passport card. The passport card will only be valid for land and sea travel between the United States and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean region and Bermuda.

 

State Enhanced Driver's License (EDL)

The State Enhanced Driver's License cannot be used to travel by air outside the United States.
Several states are working with the Department of Homeland Security to develop an EDL for U.S. citizens residing in their states. This document will denote both citizenship and identity and will facilitate the entry process at land and sea ports of entry. The words ‘Enhanced Driver's License’ as well as the American flag will appear on the license. The following states issue this type of WHTI-compliant document: Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Washington.

 

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3409#State_Enhanced_Driver's_License

 

 

[coevan]

The most common use of passport cards are for people who might work part or full time out of the country. My son Captained tour boats in St .Thomas. He took guests to BVI 5 times a week. A passport would not be practical and would fill up with stamps in a few months. Same for people who might work in Canada. They are pretty much useless for international travel.

[Saint Greg]

3 minutes ago, coevan said:

The most common use of passport cards are for people who might work part or full time out of the country. My son Captained tour boats in St .Thomas. He took guests to BVI 5 times a week. A passport would not be practical and would fill up with stamps in a few months. Same for people who might work in Canada. They are pretty much useless for international travel.

 

Not useless for cruising.

[coevan]

real international travel 

[Saint Greg]

1 minute ago, coevan said:

real international travel 

 

Great. That's not what we're talking about here. We're talking about a southern caribbean cruise. 

[Djptcp]

47 cruises and we always have our passports, or birth certificates before we had passports, looked at by Immigration agent upon debarkation. Will be interesting to see how this shakes out.,,,hope the OP lets us know.

[bethshebas]

Whether Customs is interested in your BC/passport...could it have something to do with the port you are using?  I come and go out of Galveston, they put us in different lines depending on which form of ID we are using and the agent always asks to see it.

[ray98]

There is some certainly some poor information in this thread.  Customs certainly does care about your citizenship status when entering the country.  That is normally accomplished by producing a passport or passport card.  If you are on a closed loop cruise there is an exception to allow a BC to fulfill the requirement.  I have produced a BC and photo ID many times in the past.

 

The documents are not required to let you board the ship, Carnival and the other lines just make it a policy so they know you will be allowed entry when you return.

 

Customs certainly is not just waving all the passengers into this country, they most certainly verify citizenship status.

[Mommawo]

OP please tell us what happens!

[lissajeff24]

I read all these comments and have this to say:

 

1.)  I've used my Texas DL & BC at Customs, in Galveston, AFTER my cruise was over, because Customs asked to see it.  No problem, I was through in a flash.

2.)  I can't believe I read ALL THE COMMENTS and I *still* don't know what has happened with the OP's peeps.

 

OP - PLEASE COME BACK

[Tisane]

I'll add our experience: 

One person in our group was allowed to board with her dead husband's birth certificate (that she took by accident). On the way home the mistake was realized and she disappeared with immigration for a short while. They searched her in the system and after confirming her identity she was released to go. She said she was told the process was faster because she held a passport previously. 

[Kermarkim]

I have had a passport for over 30 years and that's all I have had to show getting on and off the ship.  However, my travel mates who didn't have a passport had to show a gov't photo ID such as a driver's license along with a birth certificate without fail for over 30 years now.  You must prove your citizenship by birth certificate.  When I traveled with my kids who didn't have a passport, they accepted their birth certificate without a photo ID, but they definitely needed a birth certificate.  I travel with someone who had a driver's license and a birth certificate from the 1940's and she was denied boarding because her birth certificate was not completed properly as current certificates are.  We were denied boarding for over two hours until her daughter was able to fax Carnival several other items proving her citizenship.  I don't recall what those items were but she did not have a passport and birth certificate was insufficient.  Finally after they were faxed what they needed, they let her onboard, but they would not let her on until she proved citizenship.   Getting off was much easier.  When we returned to Port Canaveral, she presented the original birth certificate and driver's license and the Custom's Agent accepted it.  I guess he didn't notice whatever the Carnival agent noticed.  All this to say, be prepared to fax a copy of her birth certificate if you have it available.  Perhaps you can fax it to guest services now.

 

[Crazy4Camping]

Do we need our passports every time we get on/off the ship in ports or just for initial boarding/disembarking?