Passport vs Drivers License

[broberts]

3 minutes ago, mz-s said:

The entire point of headings is they identify what the following text pertains to. Not confusing or ambiguous at all. 

 

So you are saying it is clear that US citizens using a passport on a closed loop cruise must have a passport that expires no earlier than 6 months beyond end of cruise? 

[mz-s]

1 hour ago, broberts said:

 

So you are saying it is clear that US citizens using a passport on a closed loop cruise must have a passport that expires no earlier than 6 months beyond end of cruise? 

 

 

What is unclear about this that the discussion needs to go on for pages and pages? I really don't understand. I guess hooked on phonics really did work for me.

 

U.S. Passport Book

U.S. citizens may present a valid, unexpired U.S. passport book when traveling via air, land, or sea. The passport book must be valid for at least six months beyond the completion of travel.  

 

[Illbcruzn4life]

On 10/6/2024 at 9:16 AM, mjkacmom said:

I should’ve added certified. When our kids were little we made several photocopies of their birth certificates for sports, they wouldn’t be valid for cruising.

We just used a copy in June albeit on MSC to the Bahamas but that shouldn’t have any bearing on the outcome since all cruiseline have to go by the same rules

[sparks1093]

13 minutes ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

We just used a copy in June albeit on MSC to the Bahamas but that shouldn’t have any bearing on the outcome since all cruiseline have to go by the same rules

They may be stricter than what the regulations call for. Many upscale lines require a passport for all itineraries. 

[broberts]

3 hours ago, mz-s said:

 

 

What is unclear about this that the discussion needs to go on for pages and pages? I really don't understand. I guess hooked on phonics really did work for me.

 

U.S. Passport Book

U.S. citizens may present a valid, unexpired U.S. passport book when traveling via air, land, or sea. The passport book must be valid for at least six months beyond the completion of travel.  

 

 

I guess what some of us find confusing is the fact that governments do not have a 6 month requirement for closed loop cruises in the WHTI area. The wording in the next section (US Domestic Cruises) reflects the WHTI requirements.

[pppiglet]

I'm cruising end of November to Mexico. My passport expires beginning of April.  I assume that I won't be able to use my passport the way the rules are written.  But you all got me thinking about those closed loop cruises now. We start in Long Beach and end in Long Beach. It does seem silly that I could use a birth certificate and drivers license, but not a passport that is valid until April. 😕

[mz-s]

14 hours ago, broberts said:

 

I guess what some of us find confusing is the fact that governments do not have a 6 month requirement for closed loop cruises in the WHTI area. The wording in the next section (US Domestic Cruises) reflects the WHTI requirements.

 

see below

 

13 hours ago, pppiglet said:

I'm cruising end of November to Mexico. My passport expires beginning of April.  I assume that I won't be able to use my passport the way the rules are written.  But you all got me thinking about those closed loop cruises now. We start in Long Beach and end in Long Beach. It does seem silly that I could use a birth certificate and drivers license, but not a passport that is valid until April. 😕

 

trip+6 months is pretty standard for any kind of travel 🤷

[broberts]

15 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

see below

 

 

trip+6 months is pretty standard for any kind of travel 🤷

 

I'm not sure what you were trying to say. I repeat, in the WHTI area no government requires passports to be valid for 6 months beyond the end of a closed loop cruise.

[sparks1093]

13 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

see below

 

 

trip+6 months is pretty standard for any kind of travel 🤷

Certainly it's recommended but it is actually required in only a few instances (required by the government, either US or the country being visited). Carnival's FAQ certainly does make it sound like it's required for a closed loop cruise, but it isn't required by a government. The way I read the FAQ, neither does Carnival. Removing any language not pertaining to a closed loop cruise from the FAQ we get:

 

U.S. Domestic Cruises

For cruises that begin and end in the same U.S port, the following WHTI-compliant documents are acceptable for cruise travel. 

 

• U.S. Passport Book
• U.S. Passport Card
• State Enhanced Driver's License
• Certificate of U.S. Naturalization
• Native American Indian Card
• US-born citizens may also use a birth certificate (issued by a government agency) and accompanied by government-issued photo ID; a Mobile/Digital version of a photo ID is not an acceptable form of identification.

[mz-s]

1 minute ago, sparks1093 said:

Certainly it's recommended but it is actually required in only a few instances (required by the government, either US or the country being visited). Carnival's FAQ certainly does make it sound like it's required for a closed loop cruise, but it isn't required by a government. The way I read the FAQ, neither does Carnival. Removing any language not pertaining to a closed loop cruise from the FAQ we get:

 

U.S. Domestic Cruises

For cruises that begin and end in the same U.S port, the following WHTI-compliant documents are acceptable for cruise travel. 

 

• U.S. Passport Book
• U.S. Passport Card
• State Enhanced Driver's License
• Certificate of U.S. Naturalization
• Native American Indian Card
• US-born citizens may also use a birth certificate (issued by a government agency) and accompanied by government-issued photo ID; a Mobile/Digital version of a photo ID is not an acceptable form of identification.

 

3 minutes ago, broberts said:

 

I'm not sure what you were trying to say. I repeat, in the WHTI area no government requires passports to be valid for 6 months beyond the end of a closed loop cruise.

 

It's not legally required that Carnival look inside my 12-packs of Coke Zero either, but they do. It's incumbent upon me to understand their rules and agree to them, or go somewhere else.

[Rick&Jeannie]

I did a bit or searching...

https://cibtvisas.com/blog/us-passport-validity-guide

 

This is obviously not an absolute definitive source...but it *does* reference official government sites via link.

[broberts]

5 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

 

It's not legally required that Carnival look inside my 12-packs of Coke Zero either, but they do. It's incumbent upon me to understand their rules and agree to them, or go somewhere else.

 

I have never argued that Carnival may have rules that do not reflect actual government requirements, quite the opposite. I'm not sure why you continue to ignore what I have been saying. Further discussion is obviously pointless.

[mz-s]

1 hour ago, broberts said:

 

I have never argued that Carnival may have rules that do not reflect actual government requirements, quite the opposite. I'm not sure why you continue to ignore what I have been saying. Further discussion is obviously pointless.

 

Nowhere on Carnival's FAQ page does it say that your passport can be less than 6 months, so I really don't know what you're talking about.

[sparks1093]

4 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

Nowhere on Carnival's FAQ page does it say that your passport can be less than 6 months, so I really don't know what you're talking about.

Just goes to show that the FAQ isn't the end all and be all that you think it is. Carnival does not require 6 months on a passport for a closed loop cruise, regardless of the wording on the FAQ. If someone has less than 6 months remaining and they are worried about it they can renew their passport or even just bring a copy of their birth certificate just in case, since that can be used for a closed loop cruise. 

[mz-s]

8 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

Just goes to show that the FAQ isn't the end all and be all that you think it is. Carnival does not require 6 months on a passport for a closed loop cruise, regardless of the wording on the FAQ. If someone has less than 6 months remaining and they are worried about it they can renew their passport or even just bring a copy of their birth certificate just in case, since that can be used for a closed loop cruise. 

 

What evidence makes you say that?

[Rick&Jeannie]

[sparks1093]

30 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

What evidence makes you say that?

The FAQ that I quoted above, the regulations themselves, simple logic (they would deny boarding to someone carrying a valid passport while letting someone with a birth certificate sail?), and the postings of many members that have boarded with passports with less than 6 months remaining. Again, people are free to not listen to any of this and make sure that their passport has 6 months remaining, they have to do what they feel comfortable doing since it's their trip. Their FAQ is poorly written.

[n6uqqq]

1 hour ago, mz-s said:

 

Nowhere on Carnival's FAQ page does it say that your passport can be less than 6 months, so I really don't know what you're talking about.

So your contention is that someone can get on with a driver license that expires in a month and a copy of a birth certificate but someone with a passport that expires in 5 months will be denied boarding for a closed loop cruise from the US that is going anywhere but Greenland and Columbia? Yes or no answer please. 

Edited October 8 by n6uqqq

[mz-s]

1 hour ago, sparks1093 said:

The FAQ that I quoted above, the regulations themselves, simple logic (they would deny boarding to someone carrying a valid passport while letting someone with a birth certificate sail?), and the postings of many members that have boarded with passports with less than 6 months remaining. Again, people are free to not listen to any of this and make sure that their passport has 6 months remaining, they have to do what they feel comfortable doing since it's their trip. Their FAQ is poorly written.

 

The FAQ says passports must have 6 months left. Whether or not the port authorities follow that is up to them. They let a gun on the ship the other week, so we can't assume that just because someone got away with it then it's gospel can we?

 

57 minutes ago, n6uqqq said:

So your contention is that someone can get on with a driver license that expires in a month and a copy of a birth certificate but someone with a passport that expires in 5 months will be denied boarding for a closed loop cruise from the US that is going anywhere but Greenland and Columbia? Yes or no answer please. 

 

That's the way Carnival's FAQ is written, yes. If your passport expires less than 6 months before your trip, you need an alternate form of identity. Whether or not that actually happens, I can't say becaue I don't let my passports get that low.

[mjkacmom]

12 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

The FAQ says passports must have 6 months left. Whether or not the port authorities follow that is up to them. They let a gun on the ship the other week, so we can't assume that just because someone got away with it then it's gospel can we?

 

 

That's the way Carnival's FAQ is written, yes. If your passport expires less than 6 months before your trip, you need an alternate form of identity. Whether or not that actually happens, I can't say becaue I don't let my passports get that low.

I’m guessing if that was the case it would show up here, I’m sure many cruise on carnival with their unexpired passports with fewer that 6 months left.

[mz-s]

10 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

I’m guessing if that was the case it would show up here, I’m sure many cruise on carnival with their unexpired passports with fewer that 6 months left.

 

I'm not going to keep arguing about it. I can only go by what Carnival's FAQs say. If you want to cruise with a short dated passport in disobedience to Carnival's stated regulations, that's your business. I couldn't care less and this will be my last reply on the subject. For pete's sake.

[jsglow]

I guess I'd like to hear from someone who was actually denied boarding because of a short Passport. Guessing that hasn't happened. 

[sparks1093]

45 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

I'm not going to keep arguing about it. I can only go by what Carnival's FAQs say. If you want to cruise with a short dated passport in disobedience to Carnival's stated regulations, that's your business. I couldn't care less and this will be my last reply on the subject. For pete's sake.

It's an FAQ, far from a regulation and certainly not Gospel.

[john91498]

lol, you guys will fight over anything 🤣😂😅😆

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

6 minutes ago, john91498 said:

lol, you guys will fight over anything 🤣😂😅😆

This is completely not true!  I'll fight you for saying something like this! 😇