Enhanced Driver’s license to board closed loop cruise?

[sn2792]

My daughter is still waiting her new passport for a change to her married name. It might not get here before our September 4 cruise. It looks like according to the US Customs and Border Protection site that she can board a closed loop cruise using her enhanced driver’s license. 
 

Has anyone done this that you are aware of?

[neverbeenhere]

They are the big bosses, so they must be correct. 
 

throw in the birth certificate for an extra feeling of security. 

[smplybcause]

Assuming it's an enhanced driver's license and not a REAL driver's license then yes. Though the name on the ID needs to match the name on the manifest. 

[cruisinfanatic]

26 minutes ago, sn2792 said:

My daughter is still waiting her new passport for a change to her married name. It might not get here before our September 4 cruise. It looks like according to the US Customs and Border Protection site that she can board a closed loop cruise using her enhanced driver’s license. 
 

Has anyone done this that you are aware of?

No problem. Just make sure name is same on license as well as cruise reservation. Doesn't matter if it's married name or maiden name. Just needs to be the same

[sn2792]

41 minutes ago, neverbeenhere said:

They are the big bosses, so they must be correct. 
 

throw in the birth certificate for an extra feeling of security. 

The problem with birth certificate is that it is in her maiden name and she is on second marriage. So she would need first marriage license and second marriage license showing the name changes. We have the first one. Her current marriage license was sent off with the old passport and the new application. 

 

[sn2792]

32 minutes ago, cruisinfanatic said:

No problem. Just make sure name is same on license as well as cruise reservation. Doesn't matter if it's married name or maiden name. Just needs to be the same

Her license has her married name and our TA changed her name on the cruise reservation.

[smplybcause]

Does she live in a different state then you? Ohio is not one of the 7 that have EDL.

[sn2792]

1 hour ago, smplybcause said:

Does she live in a different state then you? Ohio is not one of the 7 that have EDL.

Ohio does have EDL. My husband and I just got ours. Yes, she lives in Ohio. Ohio introduced the EDL in October 2020.

Edited July 13, 2021 by sn2792

[lax19]

13 minutes ago, sn2792 said:

Ohio does have EDL. My husband and I just got ours. Yes, she lives in Ohio. Ohio introduced the EDL in October 2020.

Ohio has a Real ID compliant license, but not the enhanced drivers license. Real ID will get you on an airplane, but will not work for cruising unless accompanied by a birth certificate.

 

 

[smplybcause]

22 minutes ago, sn2792 said:

Ohio does have EDL. My husband and I just got ours. Yes, she lives in Ohio.

 

No. They don't. They have REAL ID which they confused people by saying it has enhanced features. I can not find anywhere that Says Ohio has an actual enhanced driver's license that acts the same as a Passport card. 

 

https://www.bmv.ohio.gov/driver-license.aspx Specifically only mentions REAL IDs which are NOT EDLs. 

 

If you click further into the licenses page https://www.bmv.ohio.gov/dl-real-id.aspx again you will see that it references a REAL ID compliant license but makes not mention of an EDL. 

 

Click on the FAQs. It explicitly says 

 

• A Compliant Card cannot be used for international travel. International travel, including Canada and Mexico, still requires a passport.

 

 

An Enhanced Driver's license would be able to be used for sea and land international travel to Canada and Mexico.

 

Here's an example on how to tell if your ID is a REAL ID or Enhanced ID. Basically does yours have a star or does it have an American flag in the bottom right? https://www.natlawreview.com/article/real-id-and-enhanced-driver-licenses-are-tsa-agents-confused-we-are

 

Here's an article with a photo of an Ohio REAL ID - which is not sufficient alone to cruise. It'll get you on a plane to the cruise ship...and then back on the plane when the cruise ship says you can't board. No mention of Enhanced ID as an option and it's from this year https://patch.com/ohio/cleveland/real-id-deadline-extended-again-ohio-rest-nation and from an Ohio source https://thevoiceofblackcincinnati.com/state-of-ohio-compliant-drivers-license/

 

You seem convinced - but I can find nothing that supports your notion that you have what is considered an Enhanced Driver's License that is able to let you board a cruise with nothing else. It will really suck for your daughter to be denied at the port.

Edited July 13, 2021 by smplybcause

[sn2792]

Our has the star. Bummer. I need to have her call and expedite her passport. She tried the other day and the wait was so long on the phone.

[sparks1093]

4 hours ago, sn2792 said:

Our has the star. Bummer. I need to have her call and expedite her passport. She tried the other day and the wait was so long on the phone.

I am glad that you figured it out, it could have been a costly mistake. From what I've been reading passports are being processed rather timely so she will probably be ok. I would suggest having all of the paperwork lined up just in case, but I would just have her bring her birth certificate and take pictures of the other documents in case they are needed (which they may not be, since she had to submit paperwork to change the name on her license).

[floatn]

Just a few things on this post. Passports are currently taking up to 18 weeks as there are significant backlogs at many offices. Those offices actually CLOSED for many months last year with no work moving at all until they reopened. Chances are her passport won't get back in time. She can board with a photo ID, a certified birth certificate and documents "bridging" the last names from birth certificate to current reservation name. She can obtain a copy of a marriage certificate (not license) and/or divorce papers from local state records if she doesn't have them. Bring them all to the terminal and assure they are all original, certified documents. PITA I know, but better safe than sorry.

[ArthurUSCG]

Often you can get additional copies of the marriage certificate from the county offices. I purposefully got 3 copes of my marriage certificate, I think it cost $15 for the first and $2 for the 2nd and 3rd.

[ipeeinthepool]

Nice job from the CC community.

[long4acruise]

1 hour ago, floatn said:

Just a few things on this post. Passports are currently taking up to 18 weeks as there are significant backlogs at many offices. Those offices actually CLOSED for many months last year with no work moving at all until they reopened. Chances are her passport won't get back in time

My husband's passport was due to expire in Sep 2022.  I looked at our 

 planned cruises from Sept 2021 thru Apr 2022 to see when we had the longest gap to renew it.

 

I submitted his passport renewal via certified return recept mail at a main USPS office in the DC area on Apr 29 and it was delivered on May 2.  Eight weeks later, I checked the status via an online link the State Dept Passport office provided and it shows "In Process" status.  More importantly their explanation of this status says that although the renewal was submitted much earlier, it takes at least 6 weeks for actual receipt and scan ( their official receipt date) and please allow another 8-10 weeks for review and to receipy of the new passport and passport card!

 

Wow, who would've thought it would take this long for a simple renewal!  We just need it back by Sep 29th when we depart for Barcelona - 5 months after my submission. And he's giving up over a year of usage by submitting it early. Too bad the Passport doesn't use the same expiration date and extend it 10 years, like Global Entry does (but that's linked to one's birthday and renewable every 5 yrs).

 

It's a good thing he was planning to be on pause from cruising these few months as we always travel with our passports when leaving the US, even for the Bahamas or the Caribbean. I'm solo on B2B Adventure Bahamas sailings now!

[Pratique]

1 hour ago, long4acruise said:

My husband's passport was due to expire in Sep 2022.  I looked at our 

 planned cruises from Sept 2021 thru Apr 2022 to see when we had the longest gap to renew it.

 

I submitted his passport renewal via certified return recept mail at a main USPS office in the DC area on Apr 29 and it was delivered on May 2.  Eight weeks later, I checked the status via an online link the State Dept Passport office provided and it shows "In Process" status.  More importantly their explanation of this status says that although the renewal was submitted much earlier, it takes at least 6 weeks for actual receipt and scan ( their official receipt date) and please allow another 8-10 weeks for review and to receipy of the new passport and passport card!

 

Wow, who would've thought it would take this long for a simple renewal!  We just need it back by Sep 29th when we depart for Barcelona - 5 months after my submission. And he's giving up over a year of usage by submitting it early. Too bad the Passport doesn't use the same expiration date and extend it 10 years, like Global Entry does (but that's linked to one's birthday and renewable every 5 yrs).

 

It's a good thing he was planning to be on pause from cruising these few months as we always travel with our passports when leaving the US, even for the Bahamas or the Caribbean. I'm solo on B2B Adventure Bahamas sailings now!

I mailed my renewal in late March 2021 (regular processing) and had my new passport book and card in hand four weeks later. Not sure how that happened but it seems unpredictable.

[sparks1093]

17 minutes ago, Pratique said:

I mailed my renewal in late March 2021 (regular processing) and had my new passport book and card in hand four weeks later. Not sure how that happened but it seems unpredictable.

I guess I've been reading too many posts like this and not enough about the delays.

[P_and_L]

Try contacting your congressperson - I've had luck with them getting passports taken care of asap. You'll usually have to give them your application number and fill out a privacy waiver. 

 

https://www.house.gov/htbin/findrep?ZIP=00000

[corky441]

15 hours ago, sn2792 said:

My daughter is still waiting her new passport for a change to her married name. It might not get here before our September 4 cruise. It looks like according to the US Customs and Border Protection site that she can board a closed loop cruise using her enhanced driver’s license. 
 

Has anyone done this that you are aware of?

Don’t forget original birth certificate too. All last names must match. If her driver’s license has her married name, she’ll also need her marriage certificate 

[misguy]

If you get onboard with a drivers license and something happens that you cannot return on the ship, medical emergency, or family emergency, you can not fly back to the US from any foreign airport with a passport card or with a drivers license.  I would never put myself in that position.

[rbell]

18 minutes ago, misguy said:

If you get onboard with a drivers license and something happens that you cannot return on the ship, medical emergency, or family emergency, you can not fly back to the US from any foreign airport with a passport card or with a drivers license.  I would never put myself in that position.

Fake news!

[misguy]

1 minute ago, rbell said:

Fake news!

Not fake news, if you check the state department website, it says that very clearly.  

[misguy]

This is quote from State Department website:

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/passports/how-a-passport-can-help-you-fly-domestically.html

• The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) accepts the passport card as ID for domestic flights.
• Use the passport card when entering the United States at land-border crossings and sea ports-of-entry from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. Do not use it for international air travel.
• The passport card only costs $30 for adults if you already have a passport book, and only $65 for first-time adult applicants.    
• The passport card has the same validity as the passport book: If you’re over 16, your passport card is valid for 10 years. If you’re under 16, your passport card is valid for 5 years.

[smplybcause]

If you don't have a passport there's ways to get an emergency passport if needed. It just takes longer and you jump through more hoops. And if you're on an island that doesn't have an Embassy on it it's even more of a pain.