Passport Clarification Needed..

[cruzin4our10th]

I agree that this closed loop cruise will not require a passport (unless they change the laws once again). What I am extremely concerned about is the repeated posting of misinformation about the "Western Hemisphere". The reason I am concerned is that if you believe that, you might also believe that you can go to the following countries without a passport (all within the Western Hemisphere):

 

• Algeria
  
• American Samoa (United States)
  
• Burkina Faso
  
• Cape Verde
  
• Cook Islands (New Zealand)
  
• Faeroe Islands (Denmark)
  
• Fiji
  
• France
  (but some territories and possessions of France, namely, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Clipperton Island, and Saint Pierre and Miquelon lie entirely within the Americas)
  
• French Polynesia (France)
  
• Gambia
  
• Ghana
  
• Guinea
  
• Guinea-Bissau
  
• Iceland
  
• Ireland
  
• Ivory Coast
  
• Kiribati
  
• Liberia
  
• Mali
  
• Mauritania
  
• Morocco
  
• Niue (New Zealand)
  
• Pitcairn Island (United Kingdom)
  
• Portugal
  
• Samoa
  
• Senegal
  
• Sierra Leone
  
• Spain
  
• Togo
  
• Tokelau (New Zealand)
  
• Tonga
  
• Tuvalu
  
• United Kingdom
  
• Wallis and Futuna (France)
  
• Western Sahara
  

Unless you want to risk refused entry into a a country, please check with your TA, the cruise line you are sailing on and at least one other source prior to assuming it is okay to have a birth certificate and drivers' license (unless you have a passport. . . . and, in many cases, a visa)

 

Not entirely sure where you got the idea I was even considering these countries . . . or if you had read my entire post you would see that I do have a passport and was inquiring for my sisters for this specific cruise and listed the specific ports two of which are US territories. Post like this are what continue to make me a lurker on the board . . . they just don't help.

To everyone else Thanks really . . . I waited two days to ask the question scared of all the responses since I know how many are slammed for not just getting their passports.

[Travelcat2]

Not entirely sure where you got the idea I was even considering these countries . . . or if you had read my entire post you would see that I do have a passport and was inquiring for my sisters for this specific cruise and listed the specific ports two of which are US territories. Post like this are what continue to make me a lurker on the board . . . they just don't help.

To everyone else Thanks really . . . I waited two days to ask the question scared of all the responses since I know how many are slammed for not just getting their passports.

 

Kindly read the first paragraph of my post. I said that there is no problem with your itinerary as far as I can see. Then, I went on to explain why so many people are confused. The countries I listed are in the Western Hemisphere. . . . but are not all included in the "closed loop" guidelines. The following is more information:

 

Copied and pasted from Homeland Security website.

 

Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative

 

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) requires all citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda to have a passport or other accepted document that establishes the bearer’s identity and nationality to enter or depart the United States from within the Western Hemisphere.

Just in case this isn't confusing enough, read the following:

 

 

 

Copied and pasted from travel.state.gov website

 

Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Passport Requirements

 

Returning to the U.S. From

 

Type of Travel

 

Document Required

 

Any International Location

 

 

Air

Commercial airplane, private airplane, etc.

U.S. Passport Book

Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or the

Caribbean Region

 

 

Land

Car, bus, train, by foot, etc.

U.S. Passport Book or Card

Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or the

Caribbean Region

 

 

Sea

Commercial cruise line, private boat, etc

U.S. Passport Book or Card

A U.S. Territory

 

Air, Land or Sea

Valid Photo ID

 

 

I clicked on "Caribbean Region" and came up with the following:

 

Caribbean Region

 

· · Anguilla

 

· Antigua and Barbuda

· Aruba

· Bahamas

· Bermuda

· British Virgin Islands (includes Anegada, Jost Van Dyke, and Virgin Gorda)

· Cayman Islands

· Dominica

· Dominican Republic

· Grenada

· Jamaica (except for business travel)

· Montserrat

· Netherlands Antilles (includes Bonaire, Curacao, St. Eustatius (“Statia”), Saba, and St. Maarten)

· St. Kitts and Nevis

· St. Lucia

· St. Vincent and the Grenadines

· Turks and Caicos

 

 

 

 

 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will allow certain groups of travelers to re-enter the United States without a U.S. passport, like members of the military and certain supervised groups of children. WHTI travel requirements for these groups and the general public can be found at www.GetYouHome.gov.

The point(s) I am making is that the websites do not necessarily state accurate or current information. For instance, you cannot enter Canada without a passport -- no matter what method of transportation you use (this is not what is stated above on the Homeland Security website) We live 22 miles from Canada and you will not gain entry into Canada without a passport.

My intent is certainly not to imply that I know everything about this. It is simply a good idea to be aware that you can not believe everything you read. The last thing that anyone wants to happen is to be ready to embark on a wonderful cruise only to learn that you do not have the proper documents (and, once again, cruzin4our10th, I am not necessarily referring to you.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 29, 2010 by Travelcat2

[njhorseman]

Kindly read the first paragraph of my post. I said that there is no problem with your itinerary as far as I can see. Then, I went on to explain why so many people are confused. The countries I listed are in the Western Hemisphere. . . . but are not all included in the "closed loop" guidelines. The following is more information:

 

Copied and pasted from Homeland Security website.

 

Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative

 

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) requires all citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda to have a passport or other accepted document that establishes the bearer’s identity and nationality to enter or depart the United States from within the Western Hemisphere.

 

Just in case this isn't confusing enough, read the following:

 

 

 

 

 

Copied and pasted from travel.state.gov website

 

 

Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Passport Requirements

 

 

Type of Travel

 

Document Required

 

Any International Location

 

 

Returning to the U.S. From

 

 

Air

Commercial airplane, private airplane, etc.

 

U.S. Passport Book

 

 

Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or the

Caribbean Region

 

 

Land

Car, bus, train, by foot, etc.

 

U.S. Passport Book or Card

 

 

Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or the

Caribbean Region

 

 

Sea

Commercial cruise line, private boat, etc

 

U.S. Passport Book or Card

 

A U.S. Territory

 

 

Air, Land or Sea

 

Valid Photo ID

 

 

 

 

I clicked on "Caribbean Region" and came up with the following:

 

Caribbean Region

 

· · Anguilla

 

· Antigua and Barbuda

· Aruba

· Bahamas

· Bermuda

· British Virgin Islands (includes Anegada, Jost Van Dyke, and Virgin Gorda)

· Cayman Islands

· Dominica

· Dominican Republic

· Grenada

· Jamaica (except for business travel)

· Montserrat

· Netherlands Antilles (includes Bonaire, Curacao, St. Eustatius (“Statia”), Saba, and St. Maarten)

· St. Kitts and Nevis

· St. Lucia

· St. Vincent and the Grenadines

· Turks and Caicos

 

 

 

 

 

 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will allow certain groups of travelers to re-enter the United States without a U.S. passport, like members of the military and certain supervised groups of children. WHTI travel requirements for these groups and the general public can be found at www.GetYouHome.gov.

 

The point(s) I am making is that the websites do not necessarily state accurate or current information. For instance, you cannot enter Canada without a passport -- no matter what method of transportation you use (this is not what is stated above on the Homeland Security website) We live 22 miles from Canada and you will not gain entry into Canada without a passport.

 

My intent is certainly not to imply that I know everything about this. It is simply a good idea to be aware that you can not believe everything you read. The last thing that anyone wants to happen is to be ready to embark on a wonderful cruise only to learn that you do not have the proper documents (and, once again, cruzin4our10th, I am not necessarily referring to you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I stated previously, those countries are NOT in the Western Hemisphere under the most commonly used definition of that term.

 

That's not correct. You can also enter Canada by land or sea with a passport card or NEXUS card.

 

As far as cruising is concerned you've omitted mention of the closed loop cruise exception, which is on the same "get you home" Web pages as the irrelevant (to a discussion of cruising) exceptions for special groups such as military and groups of children...and by the way individual children under 16 also don't need a passport...just a birth certificate...for a closed loop cruise.

 

Here's the relevant information, for cruisers, from DHS:

 

http://www.getyouhome.gov/html/lang_eng/eng_sa.html

 

"Closed Loop" Cruises: U.S. citizens who board a cruise ship at a port within the United States, travel only within the Western Hemisphere, and return to the same U.S. port on the same ship may present a government issued photo identification, along with proof of citizenship (an original or copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular report of Birth Abroad, or a Certificate of Naturalization). Please be aware that you may still be required to present a passport to enter the foreign countries your cruise ship is visiting. Check with your cruise line to ensure you have the appropriate documents.

Edited July 29, 2010 by njhorseman

[Travelcat2]

We will have to agree to disagree on this one. The definition of "Western Hemisphere" is the definition -- no matter who wants to skew it differently (since when in Canada not in the same hemisphere as we are?). I purposely did not include closed loop cruises because these need more specificity. IMO, each and every closed loop cruise needs to be looked at separately.

 

Of course you are right about Canada. Did not think it was necessary to mention a Passport Card as I thought it was obvious with the word "Passport" in the name. Many people are not aware of Nexus. Also, if you really want to make things more complicated, in many states (including the one I live in), there is an Enhanced Drivers' License that allows entry into Canada by automobile.

 

My only purpose for challenging the wording is to make sure someone does not take the term "Western Hemisphere" literally. People are coming to this board for help. Let's try to make it as simple as possible. . . . with the included recommendation to double check all information.

Edited July 29, 2010 by Travelcat2

[njhorseman]

We will have to agree to disagree on this one. The definition of "Western Hemisphere" is the definition -- no matter who wants to skew it differently (since when in Canada not in the same hemisphere as we are?). I purposely did not include closed loop cruises because these need more specificity. IMO, each and every closed loop cruise needs to be looked at separately.

 

Of course you are right about Canada. Did not think it was necessary to mention a Passport Card as I thought it was obvious with the word "Passport" in the name. Many people are not aware of Nexus. Also, if you really want to make things more complicated, in many states (including the one I live in), there is an Enhanced Drivers' License that allows entry into Canada by automobile.

 

My only purpose for challenging the wording is to make sure someone does not take the term "Western Hemisphere" literally. People are coming to this board for help. Let's try to make it as simple as possible. . . . with the included recommendation to double check all information.

 

Please reread the definition I quoted...which was from the same Wikipedia article you pulled the list of countries from. It is the common definition of Westen Hemisphere, and clearly includes Canada.

 

As far as leaving out the DHS's closed loop cruise definition when the whole purpose of this discussion is to define documention requirements for closed loop cruises...well I can only shake my head in disbelief.

Edited July 29, 2010 by njhorseman

[aryqa]

A bit off topic from the recent activity, but...

 

I have a US passport. I am going on a closed loop cruise to the bahamas, which does not require a US passport. I agree that it would be best to have my passport anyway, but I have lost 100+ lbs since it was issued and do not look much like the picture.

 

Should I try to get them to reissue a new passport with an updated photo?

[smeyer418]

A bit off topic from the recent activity, but...

 

I have a US passport. I am going on a closed loop cruise to the bahamas, which does not require a US passport. I agree that it would be best to have my passport anyway, but I have lost 100+ lbs since it was issued and do not look much like the picture.

 

Should I try to get them to reissue a new passport with an updated photo?

 

sure, they don't reissue. They will happily issue you a new passport as an early renewal for a full fee.

[Travelcat2]

To repeat what I posted a couple of pages ago, my only intent by posting on this board is to help new cruisers (or repeat cruisers with passport questions). This discussion reared it's head again and we seem to have differences of opinion. Hopefully I can clarify my position by using links to U.S. Government sites. While not an expert on travel, we have traveled internationally for 25 years -- we have Nexus cards (with iris scan recognition at Canadian airports and fingerprint recognition at U.S. airport to speed up customs). These items are part of the U.S. Trusted Traveler Program and are available to U.S. Citizens (possibly Residents?)

As a new cruiser, one may look up the definition of "closed loop" cruise or wonder which countries are in the Western Hemisphere. As a previous poster has pointed out, there is more than one definition of Western Hemisphere. This link should take you to the U.S. Dept. of State's definition (remember, this is only a definition and does not mean you can travel there on a closed loop cruise without a passport):

http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2006/c20799.htm

This page indicates the requirements for entry into some of these countries:

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html

From the previous page, I clicked on the "Caribbean" link and found the listing of countries you may enter on a closed loop itinerary without a passport.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_3256.html

 

While browsing the countries, there were two countries that are part of "closed loop" itineraries that are not on the list (there could be more -- just using these as examples). The countries are Honduras and Belize. I went back to the State Department website and found specific information on Hondurus (the same could be done for other countries)

Honduras Specific U.S. Dept of State Information

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1135.html

 

Complicated? I think so! You could probably go to another website and find conflicting information. I used links on this post so you can see exactly where my information is coming from. Please do not blindly believe me or anyone else posting on this thread. While everyone may mean well, you could easily pick up information that would prevent you from entering a country. As I said previously, double and triple check the information. Once you have your documents in order you can just sit back and enjoy a wonderful cruise:)

[smeyer418]

To repeat what I posted a couple of pages ago, my only intent by posting on this board is to help new cruisers (or repeat cruisers with passport questions). This discussion reared it's head again and we seem to have differences of opinion. Hopefully I can clarify my position by using links to U.S. Government sites. While not an expert on travel, we have traveled internationally for 25 years -- we have Nexus cards (with iris scan recognition at Canadian airports and fingerprint recognition at U.S. airport to speed up customs). These items are part of the U.S. Trusted Traveler Program and are available to U.S. Citizens (possibly Residents?)

 

As a new cruiser, one may look up the definition of "closed loop" cruise or wonder which countries are in the Western Hemisphere. As a previous poster has pointed out, there is more than one definition of Western Hemisphere. This link should take you to the U.S. Dept. of State's definition (remember, this is only a definition and does not mean you can travel there on a closed loop cruise without a passport):

 

http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2006/c20799.htm

 

This page indicates the requirements for entry into some of these countries:

 

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html

 

From the previous page, I clicked on the "Caribbean" link and found the listing of countries you may enter on a closed loop itinerary without a passport.

 

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_3256.html

 

While browsing the countries, there were two countries that are part of "closed loop" itineraries that are not on the list (there could be more -- just using these as examples). The countries are Honduras and Belize. I went back to the State Department website and found specific information on Hondurus (the same could be done for other countries)

 

Honduras Specific U.S. Dept of State Information

 

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1135.html

 

Complicated? I think so! You could probably go to another website and find conflicting information. I used links on this post so you can see exactly where my information is coming from. Please do not blindly believe me or anyone else posting on this thread. While everyone may mean well, you could easily pick up information that would prevent you from entering a country. As I said previously, double and triple check the information. Once you have your documents in order you can just sit back and enjoy a wonderful cruise:)

 

with all due respect, most of the US State department information just doesn't apply to cruise passengers stopping by. An example is Egypt. It says you need a visa for Egypt, yet cruise passengers know that a "in transit" visa WITHOUT cost is issued. The State department has little to do with getting back into the US. People have posted the DHS website that has that official information. Yes the state department can sometime be helpful but for cruise passengers its mostly wrong.

[Travelcat2]

How perfectly predictable. Once again this shows that new cruisers cannot depend upon information obtained on government sites. BTW, I also went to a Honduras website and it said the same thing. Cruisers not only need to be concerned about getting back into the United States, they may be refused entry into a country because they do not have a passport. It seems like the cruiseline is the best source of information as they sail to these ports on a regular basis.

 

Just checked the DHS website -- really helpful (not) Following is cut and pasted from the website. Note that a traveler may not be able to enter a country without a passport. . . kind of what I thought.

 

"Closed Loop" Cruises: U.S. citizens who board a cruise ship at a port within the United States, travel only within the Western Hemisphere, and return to the same U.S. port on the same ship may present a government issued photo identification, along with proof of citizenship (an original or copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular report of Birth Abroad, or a Certificate of Naturalization). Please be aware that you may still be required to present a passport to enter the foreign countries your cruise ship is visiting. Check with your cruise line to ensure you have the appropriate documents.

Edited July 29, 2010 by Travelcat2

[njhorseman]

How perfectly predictable. Once again this shows that new cruisers cannot depend upon information obtained on government sites. BTW, I also went to a Honduras website and it said the same thing. Cruisers not only need to be concerned about getting back into the United States, they may be refused entry into a country because they do not have a passport. It seems like the cruiseline is the best source of information as they sail to these ports on a regular basis.

 

Just checked the DHS website -- really helpful (not) Following is cut and pasted from the website. Note that a traveler may not be able to enter a country without a passport. . . kind of what I thought.

 

"Closed Loop" Cruises: U.S. citizens who board a cruise ship at a port within the United States, travel only within the Western Hemisphere, and return to the same U.S. port on the same ship may present a government issued photo identification, along with proof of citizenship (an original or copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular report of Birth Abroad, or a Certificate of Naturalization). Please be aware that you may still be required to present a passport to enter the foreign countries your cruise ship is visiting. Check with your cruise line to ensure you have the appropriate documents.

 

Unbelievable...now you're using the quote from DHS I provided to you earlier as if you just discovered it yourself. This is the one you said you intentionally didn't use even though it was the only one directly citing the closed loop cruise exception to the passport requirement. I'm still shaking my head. :rolleyes:

 

Sorry to say this, but your posts on this thread are doing a great disservice to those coming here looking for answers to their passport questions. You pull quotes from Wikipedia, the State Department, DHS, etc. all obviously without your ever having done the research or having the personal experience to know what is true and what isn't.

Edited July 29, 2010 by njhorseman

[Travelcat2]

Unbelievable...now you're using the quote from DHS I provided to you earlier as if you just discovered it yourself. This is the one you said you intentionally didn't use even though it was the only one directly citing the closed loop cruise exception to the passport requirement. I'm still shaking my head. :rolleyes:

 

Sorry to say this, but your posts on this thread are doing a great disservice to those coming here looking for answers to their passport questions. You pull quotes from Wikipedia, the State Department, DHS, etc. all obviously without your ever having done the research or having the personal experience to know what is true and what isn't.

 

You are simply not understanding my point. I am coming at this as a "new cruiser" which is what many of the readers of this thread are. I only read the first sentence of your repeated post. The moment I saw "Western Hemisphere", I knew that people reading that could be in trouble. The first question that would come to mind is "what countries are in the Western Hemisphere?" Then, the person who wants to know may do a search. . . . . I showed what they could come up with. I also showed conflicting information. Last, I reread your repeated post and was flabbergasted to think that people could follow these instructions and end up being denied entry into a port.

 

My point is strong and clear. . . . do not take the word of anyone on this thread, including me. Do not even trust your travel agent. I highly recommend checking with the cruise line and at least one other source. An easy way out on this is simply to say that you must get a passport. This is not what some people want to do. So if they choose to use alternate legal forms of identification, do the work necessary to insure that this will work for your and your family.

 

Please, this isn't a debate that I want to win. Have the last word if you wish -- no problem. I have given my opinion and hopefully provided adequate back-up to support it. Now it is up to the people reading this to decide how they want to proceed.

[Terpnut]

 

My point is strong and clear. . . . do not take the word of anyone on this thread, including me. Do not even trust your travel agent. I highly recommend checking with the cruise line and at least one other source. An easy way out on this is simply to say that you must get a passport. This is not what some people want to do. So if they choose to use alternate legal forms of identification, do the work necessary to insure that this will work for your and your family.

 

I agree that the entire discussion probably only gets more confusing for new people reading this thread. And in keeping with much of your point, I have also been reticent in saying that the whole effort to understand when and under what circumstances a passport is required is fuzzy at best so I have recommended that everyone get and carry their passport whenever they travel anywhere outside our nation's borders.

 

I make this recommendation not because I can't or don't want to understand the current regulations and exemptions but rather because nobody, not even the cruise lines, Dept of State, and Dept of Homeland Security (DHS), can clearly define and communicate the current requirements. In addition, as everyone knows, these regulations constantly change.

 

I usually support threads that inform and discuss, but in this case, I think this thread will confuse and cause more harm to more people than it helps. For someone just joining this thread, this is an awfully long thread with lots of old information, few useful new facts, and so many differing opinions. So, when in doubt (and this thread will certainly cause most people some doubt), get your passport! :)

Edited August 2, 2010 by Terpnut

[canpass]

I agree that the entire discussion probably only gets more confusing for new people reading this thread. And in keeping with much of your point, I have also been reticent in saying that the whole effort to understand when and under what circumstances a passport is required is fuzzy at best so I have recommended that everyone get and carry their passport whenever they travel anywhere outside our nation's borders.

 

I make this recommendation not because I can't or don't want to understand the current regulations and exemptions but rather because nobody, not even the cruise lines, Dept of State, and Dept of Homeland Security (DHS), can clearly define and communicate the current requirements. In addition, as everyone knows, these regulations constantly change.

 

I usually support threads that inform and discuss, but in this case, I think this thread will confuse and cause more harm to more people than it helps. For someone just joining this thread, this is an awfully long thread with lots of old information, few useful new facts, and so many differing opinions. So, when in doubt (and this thread will certainly cause most people some doubt), get your passport! :)

 

You can't go wrong when you travel with a passport, it makes life easy. I know so many people having problems with all the new travel rules, get a passport it will always save you grief.

[vjmatty]

You can't go wrong when you travel with a passport, it makes life easy. I know so many people having problems with all the new travel rules, get a passport it will always save you grief.

 

While a passport is the best form of travel ID, it is still helpful to know which cruises do not require one. For example, one of my staff just booked her honeymoon and because her fiance can not get a passport she needed to know what cruises they were limited to taking.

 

So, when people come here and ask "do I need a passport for xyz itinerary" I no longer pontificate about why they should get a passport.

[smeyer418]

While a passport is the best form of travel ID, it is still helpful to know which cruises do not require one. For example, one of my staff just booked her honeymoon and because her fiance can not get a passport she needed to know what cruises they were limited to taking.

 

So, when people come here and ask "do I need a passport for xyz itinerary" I no longer pontificate about why they should get a passport.

 

 

you should know that every manifest is sent to the DHS and if there is a hold on the person sometimes the cruise line is told to remove them(or having the police do so). There are two main reasons for not being able to get a passport. one is being wanted and the second not paying child support. There are others. Not paying child support will also eventually get you arrested.

 

I do think people should get passports but should have the information to decide themselves without people telling them what to do....

[vjmatty]

you should know that every manifest is sent to the DHS and if there is a hold on the person sometimes the cruise line is told to remove them(or having the police do so). There are two main reasons for not being able to get a passport. one is being wanted and the second not paying child support. There are others. Not paying child support will also eventually get you arrested.

 

I do think people should get passports but should have the information to decide themselves without people telling them what to do....

 

I don't ask the details of his legal matters, but I do know he isn't wanted as this is a small town and he'd be easy to find. Since he is with the mother of his children CS is not an issue.

[muthaofsteel]

Okay has anyone cruised on Carnival to Belize and Roatan lately? I am getting conflicting information from Carnival, my travel agent, different websites and friends so I am wondering if a passport is needed for either of these on a closed loop cruise. The info on the websites is very misleading and confusing. I called the Belize Embassy to get an answer and they put me on hold and never came back. All other embassy numbers I was given have been disconnected. Problem is we cruise in 27 days and as usual put off getting the passport. I don't want to pay the rush fees if I don't have to, but we are travelling with a group of friends and I don't want to have to stay home. Any help would be greatly appreciated, but would like to hear from someone who has been there recently as I have looked at every website listed on here and more....PLEASE HELP!!

[muthaofsteel]

Did you have any issues getting into Honduras with a birth certificate and DL? We are leaving on the Carnival Valor on 9/19 and I am getting such conflicting info from every website and person I talk to.

[njhorseman]

Okay has anyone cruised on Carnival to Belize and Roatan lately? I am getting conflicting information from Carnival, my travel agent, different websites and friends so I am wondering if a passport is needed for either of these on a closed loop cruise. The info on the websites is very misleading and confusing. I called the Belize Embassy to get an answer and they put me on hold and never came back. All other embassy numbers I was given have been disconnected. Problem is we cruise in 27 days and as usual put off getting the passport. I don't want to pay the rush fees if I don't have to, but we are travelling with a group of friends and I don't want to have to stay home. Any help would be greatly appreciated, but would like to hear from someone who has been there recently as I have looked at every website listed on here and more....PLEASE HELP!!

 

Did you have any issues getting into Honduras with a birth certificate and DL? We are leaving on the Carnival Valor on 9/19 and I am getting such conflicting info from every website and person I talk to.

 

Carnival's Web site clearly explains the BC/DL combination is acceptable for US citizens cruising to Belize and Roatan, so no passport is required:

 

http://www.carnival.com/CMS/Static_Templates/EMB_travel_document.aspx

Recent guidance received from the Department of Homeland Security indicates the documentary requirements under WHTI for “closed loop” cruises are not limited to cruises that travel only to contiguous territories or adjacent islands. This means U.S. citizens calling on ports in Honduras, Panama, Costa Rica and Belize will also be exempt from the passport requirement.

U.S. citizens taking “closed-loop” cruises are not required to have a passport, but will need proof of citizenship such as an original or certified copy of a birth certificate, a certificate of naturalization, a passport card, an enhanced driver’s license (EDL) as well as a government-issued photo ID

Edited August 24, 2010 by njhorseman

[PrincessE]

There are two main reasons for not being able to get a passport. one is being wanted and the second not paying child support. There are others. Not paying child support will also eventually get you arrested.

 

I beg to differ. Being a convicted felon will prevent you from getting a passport and owing back child support will prevent you from getting a passport.

 

Please don't make blanket statements such as "being wanted" and "not paying child support". Some people DO pay their child support, but may owe back support and they're trying to pay it off and/or they might be a felon and they're prevented from obtaining a passport.

 

Not everything is as cut and dry as some may think.

[Terpnut]

I beg to differ. Being a convicted felon will prevent you from getting a passport and owing back child support will prevent you from getting a passport.

 

Please don't make blanket statements such as "being wanted" and "not paying child support". Some people DO pay their child support, but may owe back support and they're trying to pay it off and/or they might be a felon and they're prevented from obtaining a passport.

 

Not everything is as cut and dry as some may think.

While Stephanie's post might have been worded a little bit better, I really don't think your admonishment or attempt at clarification made things meaningfully clearer. :rolleyes: Edited August 25, 2010 by Terpnut

[smeyer418]

I beg to differ. Being a convicted felon will prevent you from getting a passport and owing back child support will prevent you from getting a passport.

 

Please don't make blanket statements such as "being wanted" and "not paying child support". Some people DO pay their child support, but may owe back support and they're trying to pay it off and/or they might be a felon and they're prevented from obtaining a passport.

 

Not everything is as cut and dry as some may think.

 

actually being a convicted felon will not prevent you from getting a passport. Many felons who have completed their sentences are fully able to get a passport. Being wanted will, if it has been reported to the FBI's data bank. So will eventually not paying child support. It too gets reported but of course only if its actually reported. There is a specific federal law about withholding passports for child support violators. Of course paying child support or even working out arrears is not necessarily a reason for a passport to be withheld. So I'll say it again the two main reasons for people not being able to get a passport is being on list of wanted people or people in arrears on child support.

here is the proof

http://travel.state.gov/passport/ppi/family/family_863.html

 

http://travel.state.gov/passport/ppi/info/info_870.html

Edited August 25, 2010 by smeyer418

[fayruz]

I am italian and have an italian passport.

Cruising with Costa, each time you got on/off the ship, you had to show your passport to prove your identity when going back on the ship.

This increases the risk of having it stolen while on land.

Now I'm going around Hawaii with HAL, the question is :

is the new identity pass with photo ok for getting on/off the ship or do I still have to carry around my passport because the port officials want to see it too??

[smeyer418]

NY state stats note the following(2009 stats)

 

 

Collections from passport denial: $2,063,863.00

 

Top collection from US Passport Denial: $158,473.90

 

 

Ways to enforce support: 10—US passport denial, license suspension, lottery prize intercept…

 

note the first listed is US passport denial....

 

 

https://newyorkchildsupport.com/stats_aug10.html

Edited August 25, 2010 by smeyer418