Enhanced Driver’s license to board closed loop cruise?

[sn2792]

7 hours 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. 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.

We talked today. She is going to get new certified copies of her marriage licenses. She has her birth certificate and her divorce papers. She sent for her new passport in May and it took around 6 weeks before they cashed the check. If you try calling the passport office to expedite, you get a recording to look online and they hang up on you. Her passport is in process, but I don’t think it will get here.

 

[sn2792]

5 hours 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!

Ours was expiring October this year, so we sent in our renewals last September and got the new ones in December. I’m glad I did this lady year.

[Rogueperson]

6 hours 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!

You haven't gotten it back yet?

 

I sent mine regular mail on May 7th.  It wasn't until June 22nd that my status changed from unavailable to In Process.  Last week, it changed to approved, and I received my renewal yesterday.  This too was DC area.

[long4acruise]

5 hours ago, Rogueperson said:

You haven't gotten it back yet?

 

I sent mine regular mail on May 7th.  It wasn't until June 22nd that my status changed from unavailable to In Process.  Last week, it changed to approved, and I received my renewal yesterday.  This too was DC area.

Congratulations!

Hopefully it's en route to us. I'm away for a few weeks now and haven't checked status in a few weeks.

Don't need it til our late Sep trip but a good feeling to have it in our hands real soon!

[Illbcruzn4life]

22 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.

my wife and I renewed our passports a month or so ago and had them back in about 5 weeks even though they said 10-12 weeks.

[sparks1093]

15 hours 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.

There are provisions for waiving the passport requirement for emergencies and for humanitarian reasons. While the normal rule is passport for international air exceptions can be made by the proper authority. Before COVID millions of people cruised on closed loop cruises with something other than a passport without any issues. 

[misguy]

There were also cases of people that were stuck in foreign countries waiting to get a passport before they could return home.  You can get a passport from any embassy, but in general it takes days of delay before you get one. 

[sparks1093]

23 minutes ago, misguy said:

There were also cases of people that were stuck in foreign countries waiting to get a passport before they could return home.  You can get a passport from any embassy, but in general it takes days of delay before you get one. 

The only cases that I've read of (that involved a passenger on a closed loop cruise) had other issues going on, typically a hospitalization for which the passenger didn't have the money to cover (since many hospitals in ports require payment up front). I can also provide a link to a thread written first hand by someone who did have to obtain a passport from an embassy and they walked out with the passport the next day (but the passport was needed to catch up with the ship that had the passenger's family on it, the passenger didn't need to get home). I am also not talking about getting a passport from an embassy, I am talking about the passport requirement being waived (the passenger is allowed to fly back to the US and is send to secondary inspection upon arrival). There will be a delay in getting home if one doesn't have a passport, yes, but it typically isn't as long as many fear.

[misguy]

I have researched this subject and there are cases where a patient couldn't return with ship because of a medical issue and had to wait to get a passport, passengers that missed the ship and had to wait to get a passport, it doesn't happen often, and you may never experience it.  But if you do experience it, you will wish you had spent the extra dollars to get the passport.

 

[SRF]

I always just pay the extra to expedite my passport renewal and also for expedited shipping back.

 

I renewed this spring, and it was about 6 weeks or so to get the new passport.

Strange thing was, they mailed the old passport back separately.  Not sure why did not put in the same envelope as the new one.

 

If you has documents and it gets close, you can go to passport offices and get a VERY fast one (I know the DC office does same day) if you are traveling within 72 hours.

[sparks1093]

17 minutes ago, SRF said:

I always just pay the extra to expedite my passport renewal and also for expedited shipping back.

 

I renewed this spring, and it was about 6 weeks or so to get the new passport.

Strange thing was, they mailed the old passport back separately.  Not sure why did not put in the same envelope as the new one.

 

If you has documents and it gets close, you can go to passport offices and get a VERY fast one (I know the DC office does same day) if you are traveling within 72 hours.

AFAIK they always mail your proof of citizenship back in a separate envelop. I guess that way if one gets lost in the mail you still have the other.

[SRF]

53 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

AFAIK they always mail your proof of citizenship back in a separate envelop. I guess that way if one gets lost in the mail you still have the other.

 

OK, it has been a long time since I renewed by mail.

 

I normally hand carry them.

[coldflame]

On 7/13/2021 at 2:28 PM, misguy said:

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.

 

I've had colleagues lose their passport in different parts of the world and no time to get to an embassy or consulate (business trips don't leave much margin for error). They were allowed to flight back and the only difference in the way back in was they were taken to an office for proof verification instead of the normal customs line. Took about 1/2 hour and both were let in w/o any further issue. 

[ahughes517]

I wanted to renew my passport before our August cruise, so I paid for the expedited service (via mail). Submitted my application in early May, got my passport back early July. Hope this helps someone who’s on the fence about expedited vs regular service via mail. 

[SRF]

Considering the cost of a cruise, why would anyone NOT pay for the expedited service and shipping?????

 

IIRC, my total for passport renewal, expedited processing and overnight shipping was $168.  Versus something like $110 for the passport renewal by itself.

[sn2792]

3 minutes ago, SRF said:

Considering the cost of a cruise, why would anyone NOT pay for the expedited service and shipping?????

 

IIRC, my total for passport renewal, expedited processing and overnight shipping was $168.  Versus something like $110 for the passport renewal by itself.

When my daughter sent in her renewal application in early May, she didn’t realize she should have expedited it. It didn’t seem unreasonable to expect she would have it back in time for a September cruise. Still waiting for it.

[SRF]

I guess you missed the number of reports last year of renewals taking 4 - 6 months.

[sn2792]

9 minutes ago, SRF said:

I guess you missed the number of reports last year of renewals taking 4 - 6 months.

Yes, I did.  We renewed ours in September and it took 12 weeks. I thought it would be faster now since the pandemic had slowed down with vaccinations. I had been bugging my daughter to get hers sent in, but she kept procrastinating. She also had to wait until she got her name changed on Social Security card, and driver’s license. She had other things to take care of first before she could send off for new passport. No worries. Backup is to sail with birth certificate, drivers license and marriage license if passport doesn’t show up.

[smplybcause]

Staffing may be back to normal but now a ton of people want to travel and that creates a long line of passport requests. 

[takeabreath3]

This may have been peat and repeated but,  I have never used a passport to get on the ship, since I didn't have one and never needed one.  I show up with my licenses and a certified copy of my birth certificate and have never had an issue.  Since I'm going to Europe next summer I have applied for my passport and doubt I will have it in time for my October cruise.  So as always I will show up with Birth Certificate (certified is the key here) and my Drivers Licenses as I have on my other 20 cruises.  

 

Have a wonderful cruise, and I hope to SEA ya all on the SEA.  judy

[HappyCruiserettu]

On 7/13/2021 at 1:20 PM, rbell said:

Fake news!

Not fake.  Actual.

 

[smplybcause]

22 minutes ago, takeabreath3 said:

This may have been peat and repeated but,  I have never used a passport to get on the ship, since I didn't have one and never needed one.  I show up with my licenses and a certified copy of my birth certificate and have never had an issue.  Since I'm going to Europe next summer I have applied for my passport and doubt I will have it in time for my October cruise.  So as always I will show up with Birth Certificate (certified is the key here) and my Drivers Licenses as I have on my other 20 cruises.  

 

Have a wonderful cruise, and I hope to SEA ya all on the SEA.  judy

 

Yes you can do it, but it gets complicated if you got married and change your name. I've heard instances of them not asking for it, but technically you need to have bridge documents. So someone married twice needs birth certificate, marriage certificate, and second marriage certificate. If you changed your name back to your maiden one between marriages you probably wouldn't need the first one. 

[ONECRUISER]

On 7/13/2021 at 2:01 AM, smplybcause said:

 

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.

Myself, have Michigan Enhanced DL which is also Real(Star) Used it for Open Circuit Cruises last 10yrs... Though have Passport and Passport Card. Some point they will stop excepting my Enhanced DL for travel, been coming for 15yrs but always extended. 

Edited July 20, 2021 by ONECRUISER

[rbell]

On 7/14/2021 at 7:13 AM, misguy said:

There were also cases of people that were stuck in foreign countries waiting to get a passport before they could return home.  You can get a passport from any embassy, but in general it takes days of delay before you get one. 

Wrong again!

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, rbell said:

Wrong again!

Which part?