Passport Clarification Needed..

[njhorseman]

For various reasons people don't want to get a passport. Its none of my business why and you didn't post a question to get preached at. Also I didnt see many ask "should I get one". (Yes I have had one for years.) So I thought I would give some a CLEAR answer.

 

I have taken multiple cruises this year with groups of people who didn't have passports. We have been to Grand Cayman, Belize, Honduras, and Mexico without problems. As of March 2010 I can say you DO NOT need a passport for those ports. That is from personal first hand experience.

 

 

 

That is true provided you are taking a closed loop cruise. If your cruise departs from one US port and ends at another, you definitely will need a passport.

[cherylandtk]

For those of you still delaying because you need an appointment, or you have to take time off work or just need a little extra push, this Saturday is Passport Day. Take your documents and show up, no appointment needed.

 

To locate a site near you, go here

[KKB]

When boarding our Navigator 1-25-10 cruise, there were 55 people denied boarding because they did not have proper documentation. Most of them were women who had their birth certificates and DL, but the names did not match. They did not have a copy of their marriage certificate or divorce papers. A couple of them were able to get the proper documentation faxed to the port authority and were allowed to board. The others were not allowed to board, and I am assuming would not be given a refund. It is your responsiblility to have proper documentation, and the passport is the best one!

 

Of course our names on our DL don't match our BC's! I've been on 6 cruises w/ those documents (with different names) and never even been delayed boarding! You would think it has never happened before....

[njhorseman]

Of course our names on our DL don't match our BC's! I've been on 6 cruises w/ those documents (with different names) and never even been delayed boarding! You would think it has never happened before....

 

 

I see from your list of prior cruises that you have not cruised since the tougher government requirements were introduced on June 1, 2009. Prior to that date the enforcement of proof of citizenship and identity was lax at best. Since 6/1/09 the cruise lines have been required to enforce very specific rules about what is acceptable ID and proof of citizenship.

 

It's not "nuts", it's federal law and regulations.

Edited March 25, 2010 by njhorseman

[wam3k]

I just glossed over this thread so may have been mentioned but once you pay for those passports and have them in hand, if you see any last minute deals you are good to go. Its not just the comfort and security of having them for your current cruise, you have the freedom to do other trips.

 

We mostly travel last minute to get the deals and there are trips we could not have taken had we not had them.

 

We bought them one year for xmas presents to our family and we have 5 people so it was pretty steep for us at the time but has been well worth it. I also hemmed and hawed about getting one for my minor child since the expiry is shorter duration.

[PuddinMan]

RE: BC and DL travelers on closed loop cruises.

 

We just sailed the Voyager of the Seas for Spring Break. MIL was traveling with BC/DL and was denied boarding until she could fax her Marriage License. Luckily she was able to have it faxed it, but others were not so lucky and were sent home crying.

 

My question is this. If my MIL were to go apply for a passport, she would not be required to submit a ML. [NOTE: MLs ARE required when renewing a PP after a name change, but not for FIRST TIME PPs even when names don't match.] So if the supreme citizen documentation does not require it, why is the cruise line burdening people with the worry at the terminal?

 

Dis no make sense, sir!

[pms4104]

RE: BC and DL travelers on closed loop cruises.

 

We just sailed the Voyager of the Seas for Spring Break. MIL was traveling with BC/DL and was denied boarding until she could fax her Marriage License. Luckily she was able to have it faxed it, but others were not so lucky and were sent home crying.

 

My question is this. If my MIL were to go apply for a passport, she would not be required to submit a ML. [NOTE: MLs ARE required when renewing a PP after a name change, but not for FIRST TIME PPs even when names don't match.] So if the supreme citizen documentation does not require it, why is the cruise line burdening people with the worry at the terminal?

 

Dis no make sense, sir!

Guessiing the State Department may not be in sync with the Department of Homeland Security.

[runnergirl1]

I ran into the same situation on our cruise during spring break last week. I have been married for 15 years, but have not cruised for 13. We booked our cruise last minute, and were told the turnaround time for a passport could be up to 2 months. We were advised by our TA that we could use our BC and DL as we were on a closed loop. Upon embarkation I was advised that they could not allow me to board because my BC had my maiden name and my DL had my married name. Luckily, I pointed out that my children's BC listed my maiden name, which linked my DL to my BC and I was allowed to board.

 

We were then advised by the Celebrity rep that currently passport turnaround time is only a couple weeks, so we could have easily gotten our passports in time.:mad:

 

So, it all worked out; however, my kids were in a panic for a few minutes at the thought that I would be left behind on their first cruise. Lesson learned - all 4 of us are applying for our passports this weekend so that we will be able to travel at a moment's notice without worry:)

[vagrl07]

We traveled to the Bahamas last year and had our passports with us and they checked them on the way TO the ship and not when we returned from the Bahamas. I would not risk it and just go ahead and get one. I know that Carnival says you wouldn't need your passport if you bring a valid DL or some form of gov't issued ID AND your birth certificate. There is NO WAY i'm bringing my birth certificate with me let alone in a foreign territory. My husband had to get an expedited passport last August and it cost us $200. To me it's worth having it since it doesn't expire for 10 yrs plus i travel in and out of the country every 4 yrs or so. :)

[Traveller20074]

That is true provided you are taking a closed loop cruise. If your cruise departs from one US port and ends at another, you definitely will need a passport.

 

Another thread here says I DON'T need a passport. I'm on the May 9 Alaska cruise which will stop in Victoria Canada....do I, or do I not need a passport. I'm so confused :confused::o:eek: It starts and ends in Seattle.

Edited April 26, 2010 by Traveller20074

[cherylandtk]

Traveller, the passport rules are about where you start and end. Your cruise is RT from Seattle, with a stop in Canada and several US (Alaska) cities. Your cruise meets the exception rule, you can travel on a US certified birth certificate and Government issued ID. Norseman's quote says if you leave from one US port and end at ANOTHER port, not the one you left from, then you need a passport. Your cruise does not do this.

[RCMarr]

Another thread here says I DON'T need a passport. I'm on the May 9 Alaska cruise which will stop in Victoria Canada....do I, or do I not need a passport. I'm so confused :confused::o:eek: It starts and ends in Seattle.

 

 

We did that cruise last year on Celebrity and we were told we had to have a passport to board. We ordered the Passports through the post office and had them in about three weeks. Cutting it too close for your cruise. Perhaps you best call the cruise line directly and ask. Dont stop with the first person, ask for a supervisor to make sure someone knows what they are talking about.

 

good luck!!

[njhorseman]

We did that cruise last year on Celebrity and we were told we had to have a passport to board. We ordered the Passports through the post office and had them in about three weeks. Cutting it too close for your cruise. Perhaps you best call the cruise line directly and ask. Dont stop with the first person, ask for a supervisor to make sure someone knows what they are talking about.

 

good luck!!

 

Yiu were on an Alaskan cruise that started and ended in Seattle and you were told you needed a passport? By whom?

[Traveller20074]

Yiu were on an Alaskan cruise that started and ended in Seattle and you were told you needed a passport? By whom?

 

NCL's website states:

 

 

Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Alaska, Mexican Riviera, Or Canada & New England Cruises

 

For closed-loop sailings (cruises that depart from and return to the same U.S. port), you need a valid passport OR proof of citizenship and a valid government-issued photo I.D. (driver's license with a photo) OR any other WHTI compliant document. Proof of Citizenship examples include: an original or state certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate, certificate of U.S. naturalization, original certificate of U.S. citizenship, or a U.S. Consular report of your birth abroad.

 

 

 

I mean, I guess you could just bring a birth certificate, but why not just get a passport? If you fly home....you wouldn't be able to get back in by air without one, right? :confused:

Edited April 28, 2010 by Traveller20074

[njhorseman]

NCL's website states:

 

 

Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Alaska, Mexican Riviera, Or Canada & New England Cruises

 

For closed-loop sailings (cruises that depart from and return to the same U.S. port), you need a valid passport OR proof of citizenship and a valid government-issued photo I.D. (driver's license with a photo) OR any other WHTI compliant document. Proof of Citizenship examples include: an original or state certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate, certificate of U.S. naturalization, original certificate of U.S. citizenship, or a U.S. Consular report of your birth abroad.

 

 

 

I mean, I guess you could just bring a birth certificate, but why not just get a passport? If you fly home....you wouldn't be able to get back in by air without one, right? :confused:

 

Yes, but that has nothing to do with what I was responding to. I didn't say that there was anything wrong with having a passport, nor did I deny that a passport is the better document. The poster said they were told they "had to have a passport", and that is clearly not true, as even you agree.

 

By the way, if they had to fly home from Alaska, the primary destination of their cruise, they would not need a passport. Alaska is, after all, one of the 50 states.:cool:

Edited April 28, 2010 by njhorseman

[cherylandtk]

NCL's website might be clearer if they did it like this:

Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Alaska, Mexican Riviera, Or Canada & New England Cruises

 

For closed-loop sailings (cruises that depart from and return to the same U.S. port), you need:

-a valid passport OR

-proof of citizenship and a valid government-issued photo I.D. (driver's license with a photo) OR

-any other WHTI compliant document

 

They have the right list, but it is awkward and hard to know if the AND goes with all requirements or just the prior phrase. But it follows exactly the relevant government regulations.

[hag65]

Specifics for me:

 

Passport that expires in September.

Cruise on June 6th.

Closed loop cruise: Baltimore->Grand Turk->Half Moon Cay->Freeport->Baltimore

 

 

Carnival recommends PP valid for 6 months after end of cruise.

 

Dilemma: Do I send in for renewal and risk it not coming back in time OR is this an unnecessary requirement/guideline and I should just hang on to my currently valid PP. (All the rest of the family got their PP last year and they are fine)

 

I also have my BC with raised seal so I can bring that with me as well.

 

I'm not worried about getting back into the country, just wondering if I need to worry about the Bahamas or Turks and Caicos not allowing me in...

 

Do we typically bring that documentation with us at the ports anyway?

 

6 months rule is news to me but I guess that is how we learn these things...

 

Thanks for any clarification/help anyone can give.

 

Mark

Edited May 1, 2010 by hag65

[njhorseman]

Specifics for me:

 

Passport that expires in September.

Cruise on June 6th.

Closed loop cruise: Baltimore->Grand Turk->Half Moon Cay->Freeport->Baltimore

 

 

Carnival recommends PP valid for 6 months after end of cruise.

 

Dilemma: Do I send in for renewal and risk it not coming back in time OR is this an unnecessary requirement/guideline and I should just hang on to my currently valid PP. (All the rest of the family got their PP last year and they are fine)

 

I also have my BC with raised seal so I can bring that with me as well.

 

I'm not worried about getting back into the country, just wondering if I need to worry about the Bahamas or Turks and Caicos not allowing me in...

 

Do we typically bring that documentation with us at the ports anyway?

 

6 months rule is news to me but I guess that is how we learn these things...

 

Thanks for any clarification/help anyone can give.

 

Mark

 

Your current passport is fine. For starters relatively few countries actually have a six month requirement. The Bahams and Turks and Caicos are not among them.

 

Second, any time you're on a closed loop cruise where you don't even need a passport...an original or certified copy of a birth certificate and a government-issued photo ID being sufficient...you don't have to worry about your passport expiring in less than six months. In other words, if you don't need a passport at all, you don't have to worry about when after the cruise it expires. If it will increase your comfort level you can also bring your birth certificate to the pier, but you won't need it.

 

There will be those who disagree, but the majority of experienced travellers leave their passports (or birth certificates) in their stateroom safe when going ashore...except in a few countries that require you to carry your passport...not something you have to worry about on your itinerary. A photo ID such as your drivers license, along with your ship's room key card, will suffice. Some people carry a photocopy of their passport when going ashore, which is perfectly OK.

Edited May 1, 2010 by njhorseman

[fud2468]

This is an old and long thread and I did not look at every post in it to see if this has been updated since 2007.

I've been told to keep our passports locked in the safe when going ashore in foreign ports, and carry photocopies instead. Is this what we should do?

We'll be taking a Panama Canal cruise this week with stops at Aruba, Cartagena, Fuerte Amador, Putarenas, Huatulco and Acapulco. We'll definitely be staying on the ship in Acapulco, and hope the other ports are safer than Barcelona, as it was described on this thread a couple of years ago!

Ray Mac

[njhorseman]

This is an old and long thread and I did not look at every post in it to see if this has been updated since 2007.

I've been told to keep our passports locked in the safe when going ashore in foreign ports, and carry photocopies instead. Is this what we should do?

We'll be taking a Panama Canal cruise this week with stops at Aruba, Cartagena, Fuerte Amador, Putarenas, Huatulco and Acapulco. We'll definitely be staying on the ship in Acapulco, and hope the other ports are safer than Barcelona, as it was described on this thread a couple of years ago!

Ray Mac

 

Some will disagree, but most really experienced travelers do exactly what you are planning...keep the passport in the room safe, and carry a photo copy (except if you are in one of the few countries that requires you to carry your passport on your person) .

 

By the way, the US Department of State also recommends not carrying your passport unless it is required.

 

On some cruises, the cruise line holds your passport. You wouldn't be able to carry it ashore even if you wanted to.

[fud2468]

njhorseman, thank you very much!

Ray Mac.

[fud2468]

Thanks, njhorseman. I see that if I had read the post you made just prior to your response to me, I would have had the answer without asking!

I appreciate that you didn't chastise me for my lack of attention to recent posts.

Ray Mac.

[PrincessE]

In response to those who have BC with their maiden name and DL's with their married name. Here is what I've done and do.

 

I legally changed my name so that my middle name is now my maiden name. I do have a passport, however my husband isn't able to have one. We travel quite a bit to the Caribbean and Mexico (via cruise ship) and so many times they have looked at my BC and my DL and said, "Ohh, I see your maiden name here".

 

(And to answer any questions about why I would show my BC and DL over my passport - sometimes I show the passport, sometimes I don't. I think I like testing the waters. LOL)

 

I also take a copy of my marriage certificate, just to be on the safe side (I like safe over going home). I have also ordered two (2) certified copies of my husbands BC. In one leather bound large wallet I carry all our paperwork and in another wallet I carry his second copy of BC, copies of my passport, etc.

 

I also leave copies of my passport, my husbands BC and my BC with my sister at home. In case she needs to fax something - anything - to the cruise line.

 

When we go ashore I never bring my passport (unless required - like when I was in Egypt). I leave a copy of my passport in my wallet while I'm cruising. I also keep the little wallet size card the passport office sends you with their toll free number on it. The card also has a spot where you can write in your passport number. I always have that in my wallet.

 

We don't take my husbands BC ashore with us. We both just carry our DL's.

 

If you can, I recommend changing your name legally to include your maiden name. I'm never questioned because they can see clearly my maiden and married name.

 

That's just my two cents worth. :)

Edited May 5, 2010 by PrincessE

[Terpnut]

This is an old and long thread and I did not look at every post in it to see if this has been updated since 2007.

I've been told to keep our passports locked in the safe when going ashore in foreign ports, and carry photocopies instead. Is this what we should do?

We'll be taking a Panama Canal cruise this week with stops at Aruba, Cartagena, Fuerte Amador, Putarenas, Huatulco and Acapulco. We'll definitely be staying on the ship in Acapulco, and hope the other ports are safer than Barcelona, as it was described on this thread a couple of years ago!

Ray Mac

I'd personally carry that passport with you. You can read my various posts (or my blog entry) for specifics as to why it's important.

 

By the way, the US Department of State also recommends not carrying your passport unless it is required.

Where does the State department take a position on this? I am not aware of any such recommendation. Besides, what is "required"? If you believe (as I do) that one should always be able to produce an official and internationally-recognized form of identification and citizenship if requested by a local authority overseas, then your passport is the ONLY thing that fits the bill. By this standard, your passport is always required whenever you step foot out of your country. Edited May 5, 2010 by Terpnut

[njhorseman]

I'd personally carry that passport with you. You can read my various posts (or my blog entry) for specifics as to why it's important.

 

Where does the State department take a position on this? I am not aware of any such recommendation. Besides, what is "required"? If you believe (as I do) that one should always be able to produce an official and internationally-recognized form of identification and citizenship if requested by a local authority overseas, then your passport is the ONLY thing that fits the bill. By this standard, your passport is always required whenever you step foot out of your country.

 

On this State Department Web page:

 

http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/safety/safety_1747.html , there is the following recommendation, among many others:

 

 

"Carry the minimum number of valuables, and plan places to conceal them. Your passport, cash and credit cards are most secure when locked in a hotel safe."

 

FYI, in most countries you are not required by law to carry your passport on your person. On some cruise itineraries, the ship holds your passport, because they are required to have them available for inspection by local authorities upon the ship's arrival. You won't be able to carry them ashore even if you want to. I don't "believe as you do", because there is no foundation for your belief that you must have absolute proof of your citizenship on your person at all times in most countries.