Real id vs passport

[Oceansaway17]

5 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

And when you consider the cost, remember it is good for 10 years.

yes and like I have said on other threads on Carnival, I have gotten flamed for being pro passport.

 

To me just take the suggestion of the cruise line and get it.  I only wish when visiting countries that they would actually stamp the passport.  I cherish the one from 80's with Yugoslavia in my passport book as they are no longer a country.

[Oceansaway17]

2 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

Some might have the money to cruise but don't want to spend money on something that they don't need. It's their decision and as long as they are comfortable with it that is all that matters. You might think that it is worth spending $850 for a 4 day cruise for a document that might never be used, but I reached a different conclusion.

oh yes you were on of the ones challenging me before. 

 

Sorry I will not agree with you on this issue and those folks from the NCL Escape getting ground in Caribbean did not have an easy time getting home without a passport.  It took some work and if they just had it, things would have gone better and they would have not been stressed out.

 

I mean you do have house insurance and car insurance just in case something happens.  

[ontheweb]

3 minutes ago, Oceansaway17 said:

yes and like I have said on other threads on Carnival, I have gotten flamed for being pro passport.

 

To me just take the suggestion of the cruise line and get it.  I only wish when visiting countries that they would actually stamp the passport.  I cherish the one from 80's with Yugoslavia in my passport book as they are no longer a country.

And I like we were able to get a stamp in our passports that was not an actual country---Machu Picchu.

[sparks1093]

5 minutes ago, Oceansaway17 said:

oh yes you were on of the ones challenging me before. 

 

Sorry I will not agree with you on this issue and those folks from the NCL Escape getting ground in Caribbean did not have an easy time getting home without a passport.  It took some work and if they just had it, things would have gone better and they would have not been stressed out.

 

I mean you do have house insurance and car insurance just in case something happens.  

I have house and car insurance because the bank requires me to have it, as does the state. If I owned my car outright I would have to decide if it was worth having comprehensive insurance versus just having liability, which would all depend on the value of the car and a few other factors. I don't post in these threads to get anyone to agree with me, so it doesn't matter if you do or not. But people who are making the decision deserve to have the information necessary to look at all sides of the issue. Some will no doubt decide to get a passport. Some will decide to go with BC/DL. Some will decide to use a passport card or EDL. It doesn't matter to me one way or the other what they choose. (And I'm sure that CBP issued a letter to the Escape passengers allowing them to return to the US in the same way they have done in the past, since the regulations do allow them to waive the passport requirement for an emergency or for humanitarian reasons.)

Edited March 28, 2022 by sparks1093

[Oceansaway17]

4 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

And I like we were able to get a stamp in our passports that was not an actual country---Machu Picchu.

oh never heard of that - interesting.

[Oceansaway17]

1 minute ago, sparks1093 said:

I have house and car insurance because the bank requires me to have it, as does the state. If I owned my car outright I would have to decide if it was worth having comprehensive insurance versus just having liability, which would all depend on the value of the car and a few other factors. I don't post in these threads to get anyone to agree with me, so it doesn't matter if you do or not. But people who are making the decision deserve to have the information necessary to look at all sides of the issue. Some will no doubt decide to get a passport. Some will decide to go with BC/DL. Some will decide to use a passport card or EDL. It doesn't matter to me one way or the other what they choose. (And I'm sure that CBP issued a letter to the Escape passengers allowing them to return to the US in the same way they have done in the past, since the regulations do allow them to waive the passport requirement for an emergency or for humanitarian reason.

you do like acronyms I see instead of typing out the word.  shortcut????

 

Well I hope one day the cruise lines make it mandatory for a passport and you will have to pony up the money.   Those Escape passengers I have heard endured a longer wait time to get off and I bet it made some of them think twice now for a passport to avoid this stress.   Do what the cruise line advises always.  

[sparks1093]

1 minute ago, Oceansaway17 said:

you do like acronyms I see instead of typing out the word.  shortcut????

 

Well I hope one day the cruise lines make it mandatory for a passport and you will have to pony up the money.   Those Escape passengers I have heard endured a longer wait time to get off and I bet it made some of them think twice now for a passport to avoid this stress.   Do what the cruise line advises always.  

Sorry, Birth Certificate/Drivers License. As I said earlier DW and I both bought passports in 2015 when we actually needed them to fly to Germany, but thanks. I doubt that the cruise lines will require more than the government does because a lot of closed loop cruises have 40 to 60% of passengers using something other than a passport. Millions of people travel on closed loop cruises every year with something other than a passport and have no issues at all (well, prior to COVID, but I suspect that passenger loads will steadily increase going forward).

[Oceansaway17]

8 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

Sorry, Birth Certificate/Drivers License. As I said earlier DW and I both bought passports in 2015 when we actually needed them to fly to Germany, but thanks. I doubt that the cruise lines will require more than the government does because a lot of closed loop cruises have 40 to 60% of passengers using something other than a passport. Millions of people travel on closed loop cruises every year with something other than a passport and have no issues at all (well, prior to COVID, but I suspect that passenger loads will steadily increase going forward).

okay and sorry for snapping about Acronyms. 

I am a nice person and I just do not question rules or suggestions as I like peace of mind.

 

I am not happy that Europe will require ESTA next year, but then again, no symphony from Europeans since we charge them.  I really do believe in the power of the passport. If I buy one, it should be good to go and these new ESTA are going to be a drag.   oh well

 

Travelling can be so many details at times I just want to get in the car and drive somewhere.  No TSA, no testing etc etc.

toodles.

[sparks1093]

1 minute ago, Oceansaway17 said:

okay and sorry for snapping about Acronyms. 

I am a nice person and I just do not question rules or suggestions as I like peace of mind.

 

I am not happy that Europe will require ESTA next year, but then again, no symphony from Europeans since we charge them.  I really do believe in the power of the passport. If I buy one, it should be good to go and these new ESTA are going to be a drag.   oh well

 

Travelling can be so many details at times I just want to get in the car and drive somewhere.  No TSA, no testing etc etc.

toodles.

No worries, I don't take any of this personally. I don't question rules, either, but when the rules give me a perfectly valid choice then I consider that choice and decide whether or not it is a good choice for me. I do consider recommendations as well but recommendations that are made for someone else's convenience and not my own carry less weight with me. The question on whether or not to get a passport is going to vary depending on each person's travel needs and patterns and it isn't a one sized fits all proposition.

[chengkp75]

41 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

And I like we were able to get a stamp in our passports that was not an actual country---Machu Picchu.

 

36 minutes ago, Oceansaway17 said:

oh never heard of that - interesting.

And, actually, getting these "tourist stamps" in your passport is illegal.

[Oceansaway17]

2 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

 

And, actually, getting these "tourist stamps" in your passport is illegal.

that is what I thought which is why I made the comment.

[2wheelin]

3 hours ago, Oceansaway17 said:

you do like acronyms I see instead of typing out the word.  shortcut????

 

Well I hope one day the cruise lines make it mandatory for a passport and you will have to pony up the money.   Those Escape passengers I have heard endured a longer wait time to get off and I bet it made some of them think twice now for a passport to avoid this stress.   Do what the cruise line advises always.  

Hadn’t been following it that closely. Do you know how much delay there was getting back for non passport holders vs passport? An hour, 1/2 a day, 2 days, ………

Probably not nearly as long as some of the cruisers expecting to fly home from MIA on 3/12. Weather issues delayed some 3 days. Not a passport issue but if they had only had the forethought to protect themselves and driven to the port. You make a choice based on your circumstances and no one else should feel they can judge you for it.

[sparks1093]

I just spent time reading through a lengthy thread on the NCL forum about Escapes issue and on page 5 found a report from someone who was flown home and they didn't have passports. A waiver was granted to them and others similarly situated. People were upset at the length of time it took for NCL to make arrangements (2 days) and from NCL's lack of communication (something they are known for anyway).

[ontheweb]

5 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

 

And, actually, getting these "tourist stamps" in your passport is illegal.

Please, please, don't report me.

[trbarton]

On 3/25/2022 at 6:19 AM, csoud68 said:

I have a passport and just ordered a real id...

 

Do I have to take both on a cruise? I am returning to Same port as I will be boarding.

I always have both as I don’t carry my passport when I leave the ship but if I’m anywhere I have my ID to show. if necessary.  I also keep copies on my phone & use them at Embarkation. 
 

Whatever you have make a Xerox copy of anything important to keep separate. I even copy the front & back of any Credit Cards with contact numbers written down incase I need the information. 
 

You’re leaving the US & you need the passport incase something happens & you need to prove your citizenship. 
 

There was a cruise recently where everyone had to leave the ship in a foreign port & everyone didn’t travel with a passport. Not sure what happened to those people. 
 

Tom😀

[Lane Hog]

1 hour ago, trbarton said:

There was a cruise recently where everyone had to leave the ship in a foreign port & everyone didn’t travel with a passport. Not sure what happened to those people. 

They all got home just fine.  The cruise line got exceptions from the Dominican Republic and US authorities to let them leave POP and arrive at MCO via chartered aircraft, and presumably the COVID testing requirements for international travel were also waived.

I've worked with airlines for the past 35+ years and we've had to do similar with flights that wind up diverting due to a mechanical or onboard emergency into a second/third country apart from the planned itinerary (e.g. MCO-SJU dropping into POP or PUJ).  Based on past practice, I'd guess people who didn't have passports were never considered to actually "enter" or "exit" the DR and were considered as "in transit" from the pier to the airport in Puerto Plata.  People with passports could be handled either way.

Edited March 29, 2022 by Lane Hog

[ray98]

4 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Please, please, don't report me.

 

It has nothing to do with being 'reported', it has to do with them handing your passport back as invalid when you are trying to use it.

[ontheweb]

4 hours ago, ray98 said:

 

It has nothing to do with being 'reported', it has to do with them handing your passport back as invalid when you are trying to use it.

🤦‍♂️, oh no, and we still have years and years left on the passports. Because of Covid, we have not used them for international travel, but we did use them last summer for id for flying domestically. They were not flagged as invalid. Does that really occur except as a theoretical outcome?

[sparks1093]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

🤦‍♂️, oh no, and we still have years and years left on the passports. Because of Covid, we have not used them for international travel, but we did use them last summer for id for flying domestically. They were not flagged as invalid. Does that really occur except as a theoretical outcome?

Yes, there are some countries (that I've read about, not experienced) that will reject passports that contain souvenir stamps and refuse entry. I don't know which ones. 

[chengkp75]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

Does that really occur except as a theoretical outcome?

That really depends on how bored the immigration official is, and whether he looks just at the photo page, or flips through the whole book, or even recognizes the stamps on the pages.

[ontheweb]

3 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

That really depends on how bored the immigration official is, and whether he looks just at the photo page, or flips through the whole book, or even recognizes the stamps on the pages.

We were allowed to fly from Peru, and to enter the United States.

[ontheweb]

Question for @Ferrywatcher--if you have read this thread, would you deny us boarding with passports each with a stamp from Machu Picchu?

[Lane Hog]

On 3/29/2022 at 5:12 AM, ontheweb said:

They were not flagged as invalid. Does that really occur except as a theoretical outcome?

It's not theoretical.  The Checkpoint Charlie and Machu Pichu stamps have caused people to be denied entry into the UK and other countries, and the US could declare your passport as damaged requiring replacement (at your expense). 

It all comes down to how thoroughly the border control agents are thumbing thru the document. 

These days with facial recognition growing at the ports, it's unlikely you'd have an issue for this on a cruise, and if you've paid for Global Entry or can use a kiosk when entering by air, the chances go down  even more when re-entering the US.

Where you're likely to have an issue is in another country where they're more likely to thumb thru the booklet.

Since it's there, play dumb.  Don't make it worse by trying to remove the page or the stamp.  That's a mutilated passport, and you'll definitely draw attention.

Edited March 30, 2022 by Lane Hog

[Ferry_Watcher]

2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Question for @Ferrywatcher--if you have read this thread, would you deny us boarding with passports each with a stamp from Machu Picchu?

Check-in agents are looking at US passports to make sure that they are valid/current, and that the person presenting the passport is the actual holder of the passport.   As well as that the passport name matches the name on the booking  We do not look at any stamps.

 

Regarding Alaska cruises & foreign passports - with certain foreign passports we look at the VWP (visa waiver) date.  With other foreign passports we look at the US issued visa page, as we actually enter the type of visa, and finally, for some countries, we need to make sure the passenger has the required Canadian visa (and if they don't, it is a full-stop denied boarding).

 

The only folks who could question passports with those commentative type stamps would be the Customs and Border Control Officers - it's not the check-in agents.

 

One time a passenger tried to present a "World Passport".  He wasted about 15 minutes of our supervisor's time arguing, but finally pulled out his birth certificate.