Do we have to have a passport or not?

[crazycruzer68]

We are planning our next cruise for fall of '07, we have passports. My question is for our friends, they are a family of 6 and if the passport isn't a must they want to pass on because of the expense. Are there any definate answers on this?

[Keke1031]

We are a family of 5 crusing in Oct 07 and was told by Carnival that we must have one. I have heard different stories of this now. It is a big expense, like 100.00 per person. But I guess it is better then carrying on birth cert and such. Last time I cruised was in Sept of 02 and hated carrying all my paperwork. It was just awful. So it will be easier. Hope the final details come in soon. I plan on getting ours in Feb or so....

[Guest rfrenchbaxter]

From what i have been told, if you are cruising you don't need one until 2008, but depending on where you board if it is out of the US then you will need one!

Rebecca

[TX Cruiser]

There was just an article in our newspaper this weekend about passports and travel. While it's true that the US doesn't require you to have a passport for sea travel or land border crossings until 2008, at least one cruise line (it wasn't Carnival but I can't remember which) requires passengers to have a passport after 1/8/2007. Their reasoning was that if something happened and you needed to fly back while on the cruise you wouldn't be able to get back into the country without a passport.

 

I've had a passport for a long time and just feel more comfortable travelling with one. It's an "extra" expense right now but you'll need one in another year or so for any trips out of the country. That works out to an extra expense of $10 for this year. They're good for 10 years for adults (5 for kids) and make going through customs much easier. No need to worry about birth certificates, marriage licenses or other IDs. Just present your passport and breeze right through.

[DarkJedi]

Bush signed an extension for cruising & driving until 2008, Jan 2007 for all other travel I believe.

We were told that Carnival is requiring passports for our cruise in Sept 2007 as a company policy, although that may be something misinterpreted by our TA.

We had our passports for this last trip, and it made life MUCH easier than carrying all the assorted stuff with us.

[yogimax]

With a question of this importance, why not just call Carnival and ask?

[Scoutcat]

While it is true that the deadline for requiring passports for people traveling to and from the Carribbean by cruise ship has been extended a year, it ISN"T true if you are traveling by air. That probably explains the confusion.

 

Here is the link to the U.S. government webpage that explains the whole deal: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html

 

Hope that helps!

 

"Scout" aka Carol

Dayton, OH

 

Carnival Valor~December 2005

[Jenna1983]

This is what I got when I asked my PVP about the rules because one person does not have a PP.

 

An original birth certificate or a valid passport and a picture ID (Driver's License is O.K.) is all that is needed now. The passport requirement date has been changed to June 1, 2009.

[truecruiser]

This is off of Carnival's website:

 

What are the new passport requirements?AIR TRAVEL

Effective January 8, 2007, passports will be required for air travel to or from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Bermuda.

This is an important new requirement for our cruise guests traveling by air to embark or debark in Vancouver for our Alaska or Hawaii cruises. In addition, this new requirement will also impact our Canadian guests that travel by air to or from any of our U.S. embarkation ports.

CRUISE TRAVEL

The U.S. Government will require all of our guests (including U.S. citizens) to be in possession of a valid passport when traveling on any Carnival cruise. Foreign nationals should contact their respective governments to obtain further details.

This requirement will become effective no later than June 1, 2009. Please be aware that this effective date may be moved to an earlier date pending the U.S. Government's implementation of new identification cards (PASScards) that will provide a less expensive alternative form of documentation.

For more information or to get a passport application, visit www.travel.state.gov. Or, contact Passport Services at www.passportservices.com/carnival for step-by-step instructions and application assistance.

[deeolasingh]

Spoke to a Carnival rep today and he said that a passport is not needed to board the vessel but it is needed if you need to fly to the port of departure if that port is not in the continuous states... So if boarding is in Hawaii, Alaska or San Juan you will need a valid passport.... but if it in FL, NY or any other port in the continuous states it will not be required till 2008 or 2009... I say get a passport just to be on the safe side

[serene56]

See what happens when we call Carnival with the same question--

Here is a link to the CruiseNews on Cruise Critic.-- Carnival & Princess are keeping the January 8th, 2007 deadline as the date that needs passports to avoid confusion

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=1827

 

We're not the only ones confused. So too are the cruise lines, which are reporting a range of versions of what is required. Holland America has noted the June 1, 2009 extension; Carnival and Princess are sticking with January 8, 2007.

[Rena921]

See what happens when we call Carnival with the same question--

Here is a link to the CruiseNews on Cruise Critic.-- Carnival & Princess are keeping the January 8th, 2007 deadline as the date that needs passports to avoid confusion

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=1827

 

We're not the only ones confused. So too are the cruise lines, which are reporting a range of versions of what is required. Holland America has noted the June 1, 2009 extension; Carnival and Princess are sticking with January 8, 2007.

 

Not true....I just spoke to Carnival and was told June 1, 2009. I called 3 times (because we all know how many different stories we get) and got the same info each time.

[serene56]

Not true....I just spoke to Carnival and was told June 1, 2009. I called 3 times (because we all know how many different stories we get) and got the same info each time.

 

no wonder people are confused. We have a cruise booked for February-- and even as of today the agent is stating that everyone needs passports by Janaury 8th. Everyone is getting conflicting information

[westernmom]

Having a passport is simplier but it is my understanding that the government is trying to come up with the pass cards that are cheaper and easier to obtain and so a large family might just want to wait. That is what I am suggesting to my cost-conscious kids!

 

Our passports had expired and so we just used our bc and driver's license and it was not a bother at all.

[crazycruzer68]

We used our BC last year and no problem at all, this year we used our passports and it didn't go any faster. I say if you don't need them don't bother, if you are raising a family there are plently of ways to spend your money.

[Jenna1983]

I'm sailing the 7th of January and what I posted above is what my PVP told me about PP.

[truecruiser]

Carnival & Princess are keeping the January 8th, 2007 deadline as the date that needs passports to avoid confusion

 

my earlier post was a literal "cut and paste" from the carnival website today. '07 for flying is clear. But i see what you mean about cruising. For cruising, they say "deadline will be in effect no later than '09...but may be earlier.":confused:

[deeolasingh]

I called the airline that I will be flying with in Feb 07 and they told me that I will be needing a passport in order to fly to Puerto Rico... Now if I lived in PR I wouldnt need a passport to board the ship... So I guess it all depends where youre cruising from....

[PlanoDebbie]

We are planning our next cruise for fall of '07, we have passports. My question is for our friends, they are a family of 6 and if the passport isn't a must they want to pass on because of the expense. Are there any definate answers on this?

 

I've also been reading that although the deadline for passports on cruises may have been extended, the deadline for needing passports to fly out of the country has not.

 

I know it's a huge expense to get passports for a large family. I have three kids who we got passports for last year. If they have a passport office close and convenient to them, they might consider just ordering one passport each month until everyone has one.

[GeekyMom]

I'm glad I read this thead. It's been stated before, but I finally get it.

 

I was ready to bite the bullet and go ahead and get Passports for the whole family. Agreed, this money could be better spent somewhere else if I can.

 

Since we are driving to FL and cruising to Nassau, the kids will not need Passports in January. My hubby and I will not need them for our cruise out of San Juan because we are traveling next month, Nov. 2006 and can use our birth certificates. If we were flying in after Jan. 7th, we would since the deadline would be in effect.

 

I plan to get passports for everyone, maybe one or two a month until we have the 6 we will later need. When I booked the cruise last month I did not think I would need them, so the extra cost, if can be deferred will be.

[Moeve]

Ok go ahead I am wearing my flameproof Knickers.....

 

But leaving your country these days without proper documentation or ID (Please remember only Passports are concidered proper ID outside the borders of your own country) is being downright irresponsible but then again I guess some people just have to learn the hard way!!!

 

Bear in mind if you miss the ship or have a medical emergency and need to fly home -you can only do THAT with a passport... oh you don't have one - well then you will have to enjoy the Islands until you have one... and now try getting the US Officials on the Island to issue you a passport these days with out you being able to ID yourself - GOOOD LUCK!!!! Getting passports now will save you a lot of hassle and upsets when things are probably already all going wrong

[MMW37]

I learned a few lessons when I took my first cruise 10 years ago. I didn't book my airfare through the cruiseline, and my flight got delayed 8 hours. The boat, of course, left without us and we had to spend a night in Miami and fly into Nassau the next morning. 1 person out of the 6 of us booked through the cruiseline, 5 of us had to miss the first night. It didn't matter in 1997, but obviously now it makes a difference. I wouldn't want to miss my whole cruise because I was too cheap to get a passport (or to book cruiseline airfare, or to buy travel insurance...I was young and broke them).DH and I are cruising Dec 18 this year, and we are going to go ahead and get new passports. It won't be the last time we leave the country in the next 10 years, I hope, so they'll get used again.

[MMW37]

sorry double post

[truecruiser]

Bear in mind if you miss the ship or have a medical emergency and need to fly home -you can only do THAT with a passport...

Wow. Great point to make! I didn't even think about that.

[GeekyMom]

Moeve, you and others here are right by proceeding on the side of caution. While there are others who will roll the dice and take their chances when a passport is not required, but recommended. :)

 

I'm not going to flame you, I'm just hoping your words won't come back to haunt me. :eek: