Passport book vs. passport card for Canadian port stop?

[ChiefMateJRK]

AK cruise round trip from Seattle.  Is passport card sufficient for Victoria shorex?  Or, will I need the book (or neither)?  Thx. 

[d9704011]

If you’re traveling on a closed-loop cruise to Alaska that starts and ends in the same U.S. port, you can travel with a passport card or a state-issued ID (such as a driver’s license) and an original birth certificate.

[RocketMan275]

Either works:  Passport Cards: The U.S. Passport Card can be used to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda at land border crossings or sea ports-of-entry and is more convenient and less expensive than a passport book. The passport card cannot be used for international travel by air.

[phillygwm]

5 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

Either works:  Passport Cards: The U.S. Passport Card can be used to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda at land border crossings or sea ports-of-entry and is more convenient and less expensive than a passport book. The passport card cannot be used for international travel by air.

99.99% of the time, the card is fine.  But there's always that slim but non-zero chance that you miss the ship at one of the ports, or have a medical emergency, etc.  You'd probably need to fly back then and you can't do that with a card.  Plus, a book is good for 10 years.  Who's to say that you won't want to travel farther afield during that time?  Then you'd need to buy the passport book anyway.  

[hallux]

36 minutes ago, phillygwm said:

Plus, a book is good for 10 years.  Who's to say that you won't want to travel farther afield during that time?  Then you'd need to buy the passport book anyway.

Yup.  And in my case - I'm the 'emergency traveler' for my aging parents, if they're on a trip and end up with some medical emergency that requires 'rescuing' I need a book anyway.  They have a Mediterranean cruise booked later this year, my passport was due to expire this time next year so I felt it was best to send it out NOW so I have the fresh document in time for their trip just in case. 

 

I'm in one of the lucky states bordering Canada that does the enhanced DL, which is nearly identical to a passport card in terms of what it allows you to do, and I could do a closed-loop cruise from the US with just that document if I wanted to.

[ChiefMateJRK]

Holy thread creep Batman!  I already have both book and card.  I just need to know if the card in my wallet is sufficient for a four hour NCL excursion in Victoria so I don’t need to carry the book.  Thanks to those who confirmed “yes.”  

[d9704011]

7 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Holy thread creep Batman!  I already have both book and card.  I just need to know if the card in my wallet is sufficient for a four hour NCL excursion in Victoria so I don’t need to carry the book.  Thanks to those who confirmed “yes.”  

You should also bring some Canadian money for tips in Victoria.

[hallux]

11 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

just need to know if the card in my wallet is sufficient for a four hour NCL excursion in Victoria so I don’t need to carry the book

Technically you don't need either just to do the excursion.  I went ashore in Victoria just carrying my DL, and even that wasn't asked for.

[phillygwm]

21 hours ago, hallux said:

I'm in one of the lucky states bordering Canada that does the enhanced DL, which is nearly identical to a passport card in terms of what it allows you to do, and I could do a closed-loop cruise from the US with just that document if I wanted to.

Yep, I have an enhanced DL as well.  And a Global Entry card (another "star" ID) and my passport.  I'm just a belt and suspenders guy 🙂

[BirdTravels]

On 5/21/2022 at 10:45 PM, ChiefMateJRK said:

Holy thread creep Batman!  I already have both book and card.  I just need to know if the card in my wallet is sufficient for a four hour NCL excursion in Victoria so I don’t need to carry the book.  Thanks to those who confirmed “yes.”  

You don't need either to get off the ship. It's like arriving at Nassau, you walk off the ship and jump on your tour bus.

 

You have to submit your ArriveCAN before you are allowed to board the ship on embarkation day. 

 

The only time you need a passport/card is when you arrive at a US port and cross into Canada (which they are not doing at the moment).