Do we have to have a passport or not?

[mongo_11]

Better safe then sorry.....

Trust me I hate spending money on extra's.....but I just broke down and paid the expedite charges for my passport renewal (+two teenage kids) just to make sure. (I'll get them in two weeks crusing first week of Jan 07)

Every time I check the passport requirement dates keeps changing besides I've always found it a lot easier and quicker to get thru customs "with a passport" as opposed to a license/birth cert.

[Brneyznfl]

One reason I feel it's really important to have a passport even if the cruselines say you don't need one in January 2007 is if you get left in a foreign port and fly home or have to leave the ship in the middle of the cruise because of an emergency and you need to fly home, you will need a passport to get back into the U.S. Things unfortunately can happen, what about the death or serious accident or illness of a loved one and you need to get home? This is a time when it won't matter if you have trip insurance, it's not going to help you out in this situation. IMHO I just wouldn't chance it.