Using a birth certificate or do we have to have a passport

[beshears]

I ask this question in another area, and received several responses, some joking about it, which I didn't think was very funny, but I thought there might be some people that would see this question, and would like to respond.

 

My friend was told that if she renewed her drivers license before she left on the cruise in March, going to Jamaica, and other ports, she would be able to cruise with just her new driver's license and birth certificate.  If you know for SURE this is true, I would like to know.  I told her she "might" be able to get by with it, but if something happened while she was in Jamaica, etc., and had to fly back home before the cruise was over, she might have problems.  Just wondering how I can find out the REAL facts on this issue?

[TNcruising02]

The best way to find out the real facts is to go to the cruise line's website and look at their requirements.

https://www.carnival.com/help/3409

 

Edited October 24, 2019 by TNcruising02

[buckeyefrank]

If it's a closed loop cruise and not going to Martinique, a DL and BC are just fine.  In the remote chance that something would  happen while out of the country, they could be delayed in being allowed to fly.  Don't let the  doom and gloom peeps scare you.  We have been on 9 cruises and most of the time someone in our group has DL / BC.  Never an issue.

[MisterOJ2]

Yes. This is true. I've been on 12 cruises and never had a passport, the most recent being just earlier this month.

[sparks1093]

Yes, a government issued ID and a birth certificate may be used by a US citizen on a closed loop cruise. The only risk involved is IF something happens and she needs to fly home there would be a delay in those arrangements being made and the amount of delay would depend on the circumstances. 

[beshears]

Thank you "everyone" for your input on this.  Since we are going to Jamaica as one of the ports, I have been stressing that she should get a passport.

[sanger727]

10 minutes ago, beshears said:

Thank you "everyone" for your input on this.  Since we are going to Jamaica as one of the ports, I have been stressing that she should get a passport.

 

Just curious why Jamaica specifically is causing you to stress that she should get a passport?

[bamelin]

And just in case it's not clear:

 

A cruise that originates and terminates in the same U.S. city is referred to as a closed-loop cruise.

 

https://www.cruiseexperts.com/news/2017/05/18/closed-loop-cruise-defined/

 

And while it's true you don't need a passport on a closed loop cruise it is ALWAYS recommended to have one.  If anything were to go wrong while outside the US (you have to go to hospital for example and miss the ship) you are screwed if you don't have a passport.  Screwed in the sense of big delays, problems getting flight home, etc.

 

Passports are super important.  In fact (personally) I consider my passport as my MOST important personal government documentation.  Not just for travel but in general.  Due to the fact that they are recognized at home in every State AND abroad.  They are a pain to get but really important to have IMHO.

Edited October 24, 2019 by bamelin

[2wheelin]

Make sure her name is the same on all documents or bring bridging documents.

[lobster1313]

27 minutes ago, 2wheelin said:

Make sure her name is the same on all documents or bring bridging documents.

This is a correct but as in other posts we will have a few try to say that that is not a requirement or that they have cruised without a bridging document. 

[BallFour4]

1 hour ago, bamelin said:

And while it's true you don't need a passport on a closed loop cruise it is ALWAYS recommended to have one. (True!)

If anything were to go wrong while outside the US (you have to go to hospital for example and miss the ship) you are screwed if you don't have a passport.  Screwed in the sense of big delays, problems getting flight home, etc. (Not true!)

 

We have been lucky enough to have cruised from here in Galveston thirty-six times on two cruise lines. As recently as the past five years we've witnessed two couples that experienced a death in their families at home and had to leave the ship in Cozumel.
 Both were ready to go when we docked, luggage, birth certificates and Texas Drivers Licenses in hand. They were met by the ships agent and steered through a brief verification process of why they needed to leave and who they were. Both were airborne and headed back to Houston on the next available flight.
 Using terms like "screwed" is sensationalism. With as many ships at sea the sheer numbers of people that travel without passports remains large. Here in Galveston two sets of lines are at US Customs when you return. One for passport holders, one for those without. Both are busy.
 We scan our passports, birth certificates and drivers licenses, store them in Google Docs and email them to ourselves. I agree it makes perfect sense, but here's why some might see otherwise.
Take a young family of four, no international travel history with no plans to do so. Their first cruise is approaching with total expenditure less than two grand. They have no plans to cruise but once or twice in the next ten years. Their passport costs would be a significant dent in their funds remaining to spend onboard.
 Again, I wouldn't do it, but consider the scenario. It plays out bunches here in Galveston.
 
 See you at sea.

.

Edited October 24, 2019 by BallFour4

[lobster1313]

The 2nd part is true there is a delay and there's no way they got on a flight without a passport. 

[bamelin]

14 minutes ago, BallFour4 said:

We have been lucky enough to have cruised from here in Galveston thirty-six times on two cruise lines. As recently as the past five years we've witnessed two couples that experienced a death in their families at home and had to leave the ship in Cozumel.
 Both were ready to go when we docked, luggage, birth certificates and Texas Drivers Licenses in hand. They were met by the ships agent and steered through a brief verification process of why they needed to leave and who they were. Both were airborne and headed back to Houston on the next available flight.
 Using terms like "screwed" is sensationalism. With as many ships at sea the sheer numbers of people that travel without passports remains large. Here in Galveston two sets of lines are at US Customs when you return. One for passport holders, one for those without. Both are busy.
 We scan our passports, birth certificates and drivers licenses, store them in Google Docs and email them to ourselves. I agree it makes perfect sense, but here's why some might see otherwise.
Take a young family of four, no international travel history with no plans to do so. Their first cruise is approaching with total expenditure less than two grand. They have no plans to cruise but once or twice in the next ten years. Their passport costs would be a significant dent in their funds remaining to spend onboard.
 Again, I wouldn't do it, but consider the scenario. It plays out bunches here in Galveston.
 
 See you at sea.

.

 

The two couples you mention may have been lucky but I have seen other individuals who had to fly home without a passport, indeed get "screwed".   I mean it wasn't a disaster but there was several days delay to get the passports rushed.

 

In the end it's up to individuals what their risk tolerance is.  Personally it's not a chance I would take but based on our anecdotal stories YMMV.  I'm sure what you are saying is true too.  

 

What is most definitely true is that you are at the mercy of customs or the officials of the country you are in, if you don't have your passport.  I'm sure sometimes, maybe even most of the time, everything goes smoothly.  Just like for those who travel without health travel insurance.   It only takes that one time though where things do not go well or smoothly.

 

 

Edited October 24, 2019 by bamelin

[sparks1093]

16 minutes ago, bamelin said:

 

The two couples you mention may have been lucky but I have seen other individuals who had to fly home without a passport, indeed get "screwed".   I mean it wasn't a disaster but there was several days delay to get the passports rushed.

 

In the end it's up to individuals what their risk tolerance is.  Personally it's not a chance I would take but based on our anecdotal stories YMMV.  I'm sure what you are saying is true too.  

 

What is most definitely true is that you are at the mercy of customs or the officials of the country you are in, if you don't have your passport.  I'm sure sometimes, maybe even most of the time, everything goes smoothly.  Just like for those who travel without health travel insurance.   It only takes that one time though where things do not go well or smoothly.

 

 

Luck has nothing to do with it- the regulations that give us the closed loop exception also gives the authorities the ability to waive the passport requirement for emergencies or for humanitarian reasons. I can look back for at least 6 years in my life and have had nothing happen that would have caused me to even think about cutting a cruise short, the odds of something happening for the few days on the cruise when I can actually do something is very low. We have passports now because our travel needs changed but when we started cruising we felt the risk was low enough. I prefer to make my decisions from research and not from fear.

[bamelin]

2 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

Luck has nothing to do with it- the regulations that give us the closed loop exception also gives the authorities the ability to waive the passport requirement for emergencies or for humanitarian reasons. I can look back for at least 6 years in my life and have had nothing happen that would have caused me to even think about cutting a cruise short, the odds of something happening for the few days on the cruise when I can actually do something is very low. We have passports now because our travel needs changed but when we started cruising we felt the risk was low enough. I prefer to make my decisions from research and not from fear.

 

Again this may be YOUR experience and that's fine I am glad it all worked out for you.  But I can assure you that I have seen it not be others experience much to their dismay and despite my warnings prior to their cruises.  

 

So just because you've had good fortune doesn't mean everyone else will.  You are taking a risk when you don't have a passport if you need to fly home from a foreign country.  Albeit a small one, but a risk just the same.

[lobster1313]

The chance that something happens is extremely rare but they do happen an unless there's an immediate risk to life there will be delays. They do background checks for all passports including emergency passports and in most case they can be turned around quickly except if there's something in the file.

Edited October 24, 2019 by regoodwinjr

[stellarose]

it is always better to safe than sorry.  get a passport. 

[buckeyefrank]

5 minutes ago, bamelin said:

 

Again this may be YOUR experience and that's fine I am glad it all worked out for you.  But I can assure you that I have seen it not be others experience much to their dismay and despite my warnings prior to their cruises.  

 

So just because you've had good fortune doesn't mean everyone else will.  You are taking a risk when you don't have a passport if you need to fly home from a foreign country.  Albeit a small one, but a risk just the same.

So exactly what is the "risk" if you need to fly home from a foreign country?    If it's someone at home who's health is failing, most of the time you would have known that person was in bad health before leaving.  You would have made the decision to go / not go before hand.  If it's a medical emergency in that foreign country, you're going to be in the hospital attending to yourself or someone else for a couple days anyway... plenty of time to get cleared.

[buckeyefrank]

1 minute ago, stellarose said:

it is always better to safe than sorry.  get a passport. 

It is not ALWAYS better to be safe than sorry.  Each person should do their own risk / reward analysis and determine their OWN level of risk their willing to take.  A valid comparison would be how much risk are you willing to take with your car insurance?  Better safe than sorry would mean to me at a $0 deductible, but most of us run with $250 / $500 / $1000 deductibles because we are willing to take the risk of that financial loss.  Same thing here.

[bamelin]

7 minutes ago, buckeyefrank said:

So exactly what is the "risk" if you need to fly home from a foreign country?    If it's someone at home who's health is failing, most of the time you would have known that person was in bad health before leaving.  You would have made the decision to go / not go before hand.  If it's a medical emergency in that foreign country, you're going to be in the hospital attending to yourself or someone else for a couple days anyway... plenty of time to get cleared.

 

The risk is a delay getting home -- hopefully short but possibly long and complicated.  Closed circuit cruise rules do not apply to flights from a foreign country.  From a foreign country you need a passport.

 

So let's say you find out your child/parent/insert loved one has been in a terrible car accident back in the States -- they may even die and you have limited time to get to the hospital for their last moments. 

 

You cut your cruise short in <insert foreign country> and try to get a flight back immediately --- but oh oh, you don't have a passport.  Officials at the airport tell you that they cannot board you on the flight home.  So now you need to go to the American embassy to get one rushed to you it might take a few hours to a few days depending on the consular services available.

 

Even IF it's not a life or death situation … a delay of a couple days getting your passport might mean hotel costs in that country, food, etc -- a headache that nobody wants. 

 

So that's the risk.  And it's a foolish one to take IMHO.

[bamelin]

9 minutes ago, buckeyefrank said:

Do you really live your life this way?  We can't protect ourselves from every single risk in life.  You could be at work and get a call that your child / parent, etc passed away and you can't see them ever again.  Does that mean I need to spend every second with them to prevent that from happening?  I just wish people would realize that everyone has different risk tolerances, can make up their own minds and stop badgering people for the decisions they make.  By the way, I have a passport because I determined I wanted it, nobody else.

 

I avoid unnecessary risks yes, especially one's that are completely avoidable.  Like not having a passport when I need it.

 

Nobody is badgering anyone -- the OP asked a question and is getting answers.  You can cruise on closed circuit loops cruises without a passport but you are taking a significant risk of delays getting home if you need to cut the cruise short.  That is the simple answer to the question.

[Homosassa]

Two very important points for all those that insist only a birth certificate and government issued ID is needed to cruise on a closed loop cruise.

 

1. This provision is only good for USA citizens reentering the USA.  Other countries (whether signatories to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative or not) are free to impose whatever document requirement for travelers coming into their country. So, yes, there are cruise looped cruises from the US that will require a passport because of the ports visited and it is required by the country being visited.  If your cruise line says you need a passport for a certain cruise, you need a passport.

 

2. While others state if one will have no trouble flying home from a foreign country and re entering the US with only a birth certificate and government issue ID, they are overlooking the fact again that a foreign country is involved. Many countries do have strict requirements for anyone entering the country and wishing to leave it by means other than a cruise ship. It will depend on the country one needs to leave from.

 

While there are many who boast of their number of cruises with minimal documentation and no problems, it is only not a problem until the one time it is a problem.

[Joe817]

8 minutes ago, christyran1228 said:

That would be great!  I was wanting to ask if anyone knew the current wait times on passports but didn't want to start passport thread #3 on the first page.  Lol

We applied for our passport cards here in Arlington on May 1, 2019 and received them around June 7 or 8. We were sailing out of Galveston for a July 27 departure on the Dream. The lady at the passport office said it usually takes about 6 weeks from the time they receive it until its sent out. 

[sparks1093]

14 hours ago, bamelin said:

 

Again this may be YOUR experience and that's fine I am glad it all worked out for you.  But I can assure you that I have seen it not be others experience much to their dismay and despite my warnings prior to their cruises.  

 

So just because you've had good fortune doesn't mean everyone else will.  You are taking a risk when you don't have a passport if you need to fly home from a foreign country.  Albeit a small one, but a risk just the same.

It's not my experience, it's what the regulations say. Yes, there will be times when there will be delay longer than a few hours but those cases appear to be unique. It all comes down to what one's risk tolerance is. When we started cruising it would have cost $850 to get passports for my family for a 4 day cruise and I did not see that as a good investment by any stretch of the imagination. Millions of people travel on closed loop cruises using something other than a passport and they have no issues at all.

[sparks1093]

14 hours ago, bamelin said:

 

The risk is a delay getting home -- hopefully short but possibly long and complicated.  Closed circuit cruise rules do not apply to flights from a foreign country.  From a foreign country you need a passport.

 

So let's say you find out your child/parent/insert loved one has been in a terrible car accident back in the States -- they may even die and you have limited time to get to the hospital for their last moments. 

 

You cut your cruise short in <insert foreign country> and try to get a flight back immediately --- but oh oh, you don't have a passport.  Officials at the airport tell you that they cannot board you on the flight home.  So now you need to go to the American embassy to get one rushed to you it might take a few hours to a few days depending on the consular services available.

 

Even IF it's not a life or death situation … a delay of a couple days getting your passport might mean hotel costs in that country, food, etc -- a headache that nobody wants. 

 

So that's the risk.  And it's a foolish one to take IMHO.

When my dad passed away he went into the hospital in the morning and by evening he was gone. When my mom passed away she slipped into a coma and lingered for 8 days before she passed. There is no rhyme or reason to it at all and if I were that worried about being there for things like that I'd never leave the state. When I go on vacation I have someone responsible to be in charge of the house and I make sure that I tell all my loved ones that I love them. I read about one set of passengers who decided to leave the cruise in the middle because of something happening at home (they had passports) while their travel companions stayed on the ship. The travel companions made it home a couple of hours after they did because of the delays they experienced with flight schedules, so even having a passport is no guarantee that you will be able to travel timely at all. And finally the passport requirement may be waived in emergencies as outlined in the regulations.