Passports or enhanced drivers license?

[bdeluca03]

On 3/30/2024 at 11:11 AM, tigger54 said:

My family is taking a cruise on the Venezia out of NY. We will be cruising into Canada. My husband and I have passports but not sure about my other family members. Will they need a passport for this cruise or will a enhanced license work?
Thank you

I used my enhanced license on Carnival to/from Mexico (Canada would be the same) and they should only need the enhanced drivers license as they'd be entering by sea.

Personally, on the way out thru customs in Long Beach, CA - I had both my passport and EDL in Long Beach, CA in January 2024 and saved over an hour leaving with the EDL as I must have walked by 1000 people and no one was in the EDL line.

[sparks1093]

3 hours ago, mz-s said:

Maybe one day people will actually look at Carnival's website which has extensive information about the documents needed to cruise.

Like or not people find what's posted on the website to confusing so they come here to receive clarification. 

[mz-s]

2 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

Like or not people find what's posted on the website to confusing so they come here to receive clarification. 

 

You give them too much credit. They never even bother to look on Carnival's site first.

[sparks1093]

16 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

You give them too much credit. They never even bother to look on Carnival's site first.

Some don't but why does that matter? 

[mz-s]

Just now, sparks1093 said:

Some don't but why does that matter? 

 

Because they come here and people just trying to be helpful share wrong information. It happens all the time in every one of these threads. And they don't bother to do their own research so I am sure at least some of them go to the pier unprepared because someone on Cruise Critic or social media or wherever told them the wrong information - when the correct information was freely available.

 

I guess I just have a disdain for sloth.

[Ferry_Watcher]

5 hours ago, aborgman said:

Yep... I know more than one person who lives in Detroit, works in Windsor (thus crosses the border everyday) - and have never flown on an airplane in their entire life.

 

Perfect person to have a NEXUS card.

 

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/nexus

Edited April 1 by Ferry_Watcher

[sparks1093]

1 hour ago, mz-s said:

 

Because they come here and people just trying to be helpful share wrong information. It happens all the time in every one of these threads. And they don't bother to do their own research so I am sure at least some of them go to the pier unprepared because someone on Cruise Critic or social media or wherever told them the wrong information - when the correct information was freely available.

 

I guess I just have a disdain for sloth.

And if they take the bad advice then the ramifications fall solely on them. 

[jimbo5544]

28 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

And if they take the bad advice then the ramifications fall solely on them. 

It matters not where someone asks or who answers.  The point was is that the different types of combinations for travel, both domestic and international make it confusing to casual travelers.  Of course people can ask here.  People ask tons of things and get tons of answers.  all of the types of ID's and how they can/should be used and implementation schedules and delays of deadline make it worse.  Backlogs for renewals make it worse.  

 

Pick a direction, keep it simple, an implementation, a deadline, a PLAN and stick to it.  How could people not be confused.

[jimbo5544]

49 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

 

Perfect person to have a NEXUS card.

 

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/nexus

and yet another program

[Ferry_Watcher]

5 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

and yet another program

 

Yes, but each program helps people with different travel needs.

There are enough options available, that most folks have the ability to have the proof of citizenship documents needed to take a closed loop cruise.  Whether it is asking your parents to pull out your gov't issued birth certificate from the metal box on their closet shelf, to getting a passport - and everything in-between.   It's all doable.

[mz-s]

14 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

and yet another program

 

and for the purposes of this website, a red herring that confuses the matter and makes these things seem more complicated than they are.

[nwcruiselover]

1 hour ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

 

Perfect person to have a NEXUS card.

 

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/nexus

And the Nexus card comes with TSA pre-check, which is a great perk!

[bdeluca03]

1 hour ago, nwcruiselover said:

And the Nexus card comes with TSA pre-check, which is a great perk!

Plus Global Entry & Sentri - sucks to go in person for the interview but because the Canadian Govt subsidizes its only $50 for 5 years

 

Crossed Peach Arch Crossing Seattle/Vancouver in 2 minutes Saturday vs 40 minutes for regular crossing lines 

[DukeASUGirl]

10 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

Applications need to be filled out, most appointments are during working hours. 

During working hours, which also happen to be school hours. Both parents have to take off from work, and sometimes it might necessitate two different appointments in order to get the entire family handled, if you don't want them to miss important classes. For example, my husband and I will both be going to the post office twice next Friday in order to get my kids their passports - the first appointment will be during the younger child's lunch period, then we take him back to the school and sign out the older child during her lunch period. 

 

And the older one is still a year away from being eligible for the 10-yr passport, which means hers will only be valid for 5 years. 

 

Inconvenient, but it is what it is. But that's why we haven't gotten passports for the kids previously, when the only international travel we've done with them could be done with a birth certificate. Wasn't worth the hassle. Now that we'll be flying to Canada later this summer, we do need a passport. Didn't make sense to get passports 6 years ago for the one 3-day cruise they took in 2018, because we would have had to get another for their 2023 cruise - it would have been a one-and-done.

[Ferry_Watcher]

24 minutes ago, bdeluca03 said:

Plus Global Entry

 

FYI, Global Entry is not accepted as a qualifying document to get on a cruise ship.  The reason behind this is that travelers from many countries can have a Global Entry Card.

 

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry/eligibility

[TheLargeFamily]

FYI, if they do the EDL have them also bring a birth certificate. For whatever reason, the gal at the Galveston terminal wanted both for my husband on our March cruise. 

 

Also, the birth certificate line on the way out had a quarter the amount of people! Just saying!

 

That said, we are renewing passports now that we have a booking in January. 😜

[Ferry_Watcher]

12 minutes ago, TheLargeFamily said:

FYI, if they do the EDL have them also bring a birth certificate

 

Is your husband's DL from Texas?

Edited April 2 by Ferry_Watcher

[Ferry_Watcher]

12 minutes ago, TheLargeFamily said:

For whatever reason, the gal at the Galveston terminal wanted both for my husband on our March cruise. 

 

 

I ask because Texas doesn't offer an Enhanced Driver's License.

[TheLargeFamily]

7 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

 

I ask because Texas doesn't offer an Enhanced Driver's License.

Yes it's Texas. 

 

I have a sinking feeling right now. Back when I was planning, I googled and found this (attached) which I thought was adequate at the time.  Glad I packed those birth certificates. Wow. 

 

Glad to learn from u rather than at the terminal. 

[Ferry_Watcher]

@TheLargeFamily, thanks for sharing.  Hopefully someone will learn from this.  Very happy that it all worked out for you.

[Illbcruzn4life]

1 hour ago, TheLargeFamily said:

Yes it's Texas. 

 

I have a sinking feeling right now. Back when I was planning, I googled and found this (attached) which I thought was adequate at the time.  Glad I packed those birth certificates. Wow. 

 

Glad to learn from u rather than at the terminal. 

Well this proves Jimbo's point.

[Illbcruzn4life]

2 hours ago, DukeASUGirl said:

During working hours, which also happen to be school hours. Both parents have to take off from work, and sometimes it might necessitate two different appointments in order to get the entire family handled, if you don't want them to miss important classes. For example, my husband and I will both be going to the post office twice next Friday in order to get my kids their passports - the first appointment will be during the younger child's lunch period, then we take him back to the school and sign out the older child during her lunch period. 

 

And the older one is still a year away from being eligible for the 10-yr passport, which means hers will only be valid for 5 years. 

 

Inconvenient, but it is what it is. But that's why we haven't gotten passports for the kids previously, when the only international travel we've done with them could be done with a birth certificate. Wasn't worth the hassle. Now that we'll be flying to Canada later this summer, we do need a passport. Didn't make sense to get passports 6 years ago for the one 3-day cruise they took in 2018, because we would have had to get another for their 2023 cruise - it would have been a one-and-done.

Your case is what @sparks1093 always says which I agree with him 100%. You did what was best for you and your family under the circumstances. A lot of people think one size fits all.

[bdeluca03]

1 hour ago, TheLargeFamily said:

Yes it's Texas. 

 

I have a sinking feeling right now. Back when I was planning, I googled and found this (attached) which I thought was adequate at the time.  Glad I packed those birth certificates. Wow. 

 

Glad to learn from u rather than at the terminal. 

Enhanced Licenses (not Real ID) are only offered in a few states:

 

Michigan

Minnesota

New York

Washington

Vermont

 

https://www.dhs.gov/enhanced-drivers-licenses-what-are-they#:~:text=Enhanced Drivers Licenses (EDLs) are,technology that makes travel easier.

[sparks1093]

9 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

It matters not where someone asks or who answers.  The point was is that the different types of combinations for travel, both domestic and international make it confusing to casual travelers.  Of course people can ask here.  People ask tons of things and get tons of answers.  all of the types of ID's and how they can/should be used and implementation schedules and delays of deadline make it worse.  Backlogs for renewals make it worse.  

 

Pick a direction, keep it simple, an implementation, a deadline, a PLAN and stick to it.  How could people not be confused.

 

6 hours ago, TheLargeFamily said:

Yes it's Texas. 

 

I have a sinking feeling right now. Back when I was planning, I googled and found this (attached) which I thought was adequate at the time.  Glad I packed those birth certificates. Wow. 

 

Glad to learn from u rather than at the terminal. 

What is confusing is things like this- people using inexact language for things that have a specific definition. A lot of folks refer to REAL ID as "enhanced" because of the extra steps involved, including providing a birth certificate. They think "well, I had to provide my birth certificate so I'm good to go", not realizing that an actual EDL comes with a background check and the license has a machine readable chip just like a passport card.

 

There are so many different options simply because everyone's travel needs indeed are different. Yes, our government could have taken the draconian step of requiring a passport book for the simplest of foreign travel (land border crossing), but they realized the severe economic impact that would have on communities, the travel industry, and individuals. So they actually analyzed each travel situation, including the actual risk to the national security (the paramount reason for the regulations to begin with) and provided alternatives where they could.

 

They determined that a US citizen traveling on a closed loop cruise (as defined) presents a low risk to the national security and made an exception to the passport requirement accordingly. While the cruise is ongoing every passenger onboard is vetted through a multitude of government databases so processing time on returning to port. For border crossings checks need to take place in that moment so having such travelers already vetted by them having a passport, passport card, EDL or other approved ID speeds the process of clearing them (although school aged kids on a school field trip are allowed to cross with birth certificate. Again, because they are low risk travelers.) 

 

I know all of this simply because when we started cruising I read as much as I could from as many sources as possible but my main research was the published regulations themselves (including the proposed regulations). 

[TheLargeFamily]

I wonder how often people are turned away at the terminal when they bring the wrong travel documents or the wrong state ID... As we did. 

 

I'm so grateful for the nudge to bring my husband's birth certificates.