Passport Clarification Needed..

[Real_Face]

Come guys US Citizens are not the most popular around the world theses days but many of you are risking leaving the country without proper ID. What is with you people outside the country the only thing concidered proper ID IS A PASSPORT!! I am sorry if you feel I have stepped on your toes but it absolutly iludes me why people take suchs risks - those US passports are your "key" to any US Embassy in the world and by the way the caribbean IS NOT THE USA even if these Island are on your doorstep and you do not have the same rights there as you do back home.

 

Please understand that Passports are not just another cost factor but they are a form of "insurance". If you get thrown into jail (innocent or not) anywhere outdside the US - your passport will get you the help of the Embassy - a birth certificate will not or only with a very segnificant delay.... and I don't think any of you would like to see some of these jails from the inside in most carib. states much less spend more time there than absolutly necessary.

 

Then there is the medical factor if you need to get home in a hurry from any Island it becames far more difficult without a passport (and remember things are already going wrong - want something else to worry about?) Immigrations might let the actual patient back into the country without a passport for Humane reasons but the family might be required to return via the planned way - in this case ending the cruise as originally planned...

 

Totally agree with Moeve. Your passport is your security should you get in some kind of trouble. When on any cruise I always keep my passport on my person at when off board.

[sparks1093]

Totally agree with Moeve. Your passport is your security should you get in some kind of trouble. When on any cruise I always keep my passport on my person at when off board.

 

Your US citizenship is your protection and the US Embassy will provide the same level of assistance to you whether you have a passport or not (and if you are in legal trouble there's not a lot they can do in any case). Again, it comes down to one's travel needs and where one can travel. Traveling in the Caribbean is much different that traveling in the Middle East.

[olaydt]

OK --- we are in our 80s.  Our passports have expired.  We would like to take one last cruise.  Will a passport card be accepted to cruise?  We will not be flying but driving.  If a passport card is ok it would save us a lot of money which would certainly be nice since we are not wealthy.

[Virgincruiser510]

I used a passport card in 2016 and had no trouble at all. 

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[sparks1093]

4 hours ago, olaydt said:

OK --- we are in our 80s.  Our passports have expired.  We would like to take one last cruise.  Will a passport card be accepted to cruise?  We will not be flying but driving.  If a passport card is ok it would save us a lot of money which would certainly be nice since we are not wealthy.

A lot depends on your itinerary and your cruise line. If you are sailing with one of the mainstream lines (such as Royal, CCL or NCL) and you are sailing in the Caribbean (and not Cuba) then the passport card will work, but then so would birth certificates and government issued ID (although the passport card does put you into the State Department system, which might be helpful in an emergency). I would suggest that you have a good travel insurance policy for the trip to cover anything unexpected.

[MicCanberra]

Agreed, so much easier.

[Bernie by the sea]

From the travel.state.gov website.  The passport card is used for:

 

Entering the United States at land border crossings and sea ports-of-entry from:

• Canada
• Mexico
• The Caribbean
• Bermuda

The passport card cannot be used for international air travel.  

 

The passport card is Real IDcompliant and can be used for domestic air travel. 

 

so,  if you have to fly, you will still need to go to the embassy and wait for clearance.  Yes, a passport may seem expensive, but over a 10 year period, it’s only about 15 dollars a year (11 for renewal)...  the cost of some drivers licenses or even a movie ticket.  

[MauiLvrs]

IF there is a medical emergency or any other reason you have to get home ....

you CANNOT fly home with a passport card!

[pacruise804]

13 hours ago, MauiLvrs said:

IF there is a medical emergency or any other reason you have to get home ....

you CANNOT fly home with a passport card!

 

An exception would be if you were flying home from Puerto Rico (and possibly other US territories).  

[rettstrunk]

Saling 8/25 to 9/1/19. My 15 year old sons passport expires in December ‘19.   He turns 16 in January.  I don’t want to renew a child passport and would want to wait till he turns 16 to get an adult one.   We are on Rccl going to St Martin, St Thomas and Coco cay.  I think we should be ok with the 3 month till expiration passport.   Am I correct?

[Papillon612]

11 minutes ago, rettstrunk said:

Saling 8/25 to 9/1/19. My 15 year old sons passport expires in December ‘19.   He turns 16 in January.  I don’t want to renew a child passport and would want to wait till he turns 16 to get an adult one.   We are on Rccl going to St Martin, St Thomas and Coco cay.  I think we should be ok with the 3 month till expiration passport.   Am I correct?

 

I've always been told that your passport's expiration must be at least 6 months from the date you return home.  Some countries are stickers, but you should address your questions to the US Passport office.  

[akcruz]

1 hour ago, rettstrunk said:

Saling 8/25 to 9/1/19. My 15 year old sons passport expires in December ‘19.   He turns 16 in January.  I don’t want to renew a child passport and would want to wait till he turns 16 to get an adult one.   We are on Rccl going to St Martin, St Thomas and Coco cay.  I think we should be ok with the 3 month till expiration passport.   Am I correct?

 

For a closed loop cruise departing from the US to the carribean you should be fine.  The only exception I am aware of is Cuba.  We just took a cruise to the Bahamas in January with passports that were due to expire in March.  Nobody batted an eye at all.  Since I had the same question we brought birth certifucates just in case we had issues but never ended up pulling them out.

[sparks1093]

1 hour ago, rettstrunk said:

Saling 8/25 to 9/1/19. My 15 year old sons passport expires in December ‘19.   He turns 16 in January.  I don’t want to renew a child passport and would want to wait till he turns 16 to get an adult one.   We are on Rccl going to St Martin, St Thomas and Coco cay.  I think we should be ok with the 3 month till expiration passport.   Am I correct?

Your sons passport is fine for this itinerary. The 6 month rule is only imposed by certain countries and the only country that I'm aware of that imposes it on cruise ship passengers in the Caribbean is Cuba. The cruise lines (and the State Department) recommend 6 months but it is only a recommendation.

[SRF]

13 hours ago, Papillon612 said:

 

I've always been told that your passport's expiration must be at least 6 months from the date you return home.  Some countries are stickers, but you should address your questions to the US Passport office.  

 

Incorrect.

 

Coming into your home country, your passport must be valid (not expired).  That is all.

 

Some countries require a certain validity left on your passport to ENTER their country.  Most times, it is in relation to not needing a visa.  So you enter a country that allows 90 days without a visa, they want to make sure your passport is valid when you are supposed to leave.

 

The proper place to get this information is the Embassy or Consulate of the country you plan in visiting.  The US Department of State has such information, but it may not be up to date.  The country's Embassy or Consulate will have the most current info.

[resjes]

I have a Passport Booklet and Passport Card. I would prefer to bring the Passport Card at port, and leave the Passport Booklet in my room, to minimize damage (e.g. getting wet). Will the cruise allow me back on with just a Passport Card? I'm told a Passport Card is like the smaller version of the Passport Booklet but I don't want to be the idiot dealing with staff because I left my Passport Booklet on the ship.

[GottaKnowWhen]

14 minutes ago, resjes said:

I have a Passport Booklet and Passport Card. I would prefer to bring the Passport Card at port, and leave the Passport Booklet in my room, to minimize damage (e.g. getting wet). Will the cruise allow me back on with just a Passport Card? I'm told a Passport Card is like the smaller version of the Passport Booklet but I don't want to be the idiot dealing with staff because I left my Passport Booklet on the ship.

The cruise lines totally do not care if you have any form of passport, except when you check in the first day. After that your room key is your access/egress from the ship. The Port security or other officials may want to see some form of photo I.d. I’ve heard of that but in about 80 or so different ports I have never been asked. Carry drivers license, passport card, whatever. You won’t need it, but carry some I.d.

[TheOldBear]

4 hours ago, resjes said:

I have a Passport Booklet and Passport Card. I would prefer to bring the Passport Card at port, and leave the Passport Booklet in my room, to minimize damage (e.g. getting wet). Will the cruise allow me back on with just a Passport Card? I'm told a Passport Card is like the smaller version of the Passport Booklet but I don't want to be the idiot dealing with staff because I left my Passport Booklet on the ship.

 

The passport card would serve for a government / photo ID that some ports require to admit you to the port area [they can't scan your ships card to fetch a picture like the do on the ship]

 

If the cruise is one where non-passport alternate id is sufficient, the ship's id + the government photo id would suffice for all routine uses.

 

There are some cases where you need to bring a passport book with you. Fox example, at LeHavre France I needed to have my passport stamped leaving and returning to the ship on a one day port visit. Needless to say, that was not a cruise where driver's license + birth certificate provided sufficient id to board the ship in Brooklyn.

[MauiLvrs]

On 3/8/2019 at 6:46 AM, GottaKnowWhen said:

The cruise lines totally do not care if you have any form of passport, except when you check in the first day. After that your room key is your access/egress from the ship. The Port security or other officials may want to see some form of photo I.d. I’ve heard of that but in about 80 or so different ports I have never been asked. Carry drivers license, passport card, whatever. You won’t need it, but carry some I.d.

Just keep in mind that they are not identical ... they each have their own number ... and if you out your book number in you personalizer, you can’t use your card at check in. The number on you ID has to match the one in your personalizer...

[SRF]

On 3/9/2019 at 12:01 PM, MauiLvrs said:

Just keep in mind that they are not identical ... they each have their own number ... and if you out your book number in you personalizer, you can’t use your card at check in. The number on you ID has to match the one in your personalizer...

 

Huh?

 

I check in with my passport many times, and then may use my Driver's License for port access.  The only common information is my name. and birth date

[MauiLvrs]

On 3/12/2019 at 10:11 AM, SRF said:

  

Huh?

 

 I check in with my passport many times, and then may use my Driver's License for port access.  The only common information is my name. and birth date

That's fine.... 

You can't put your passport number in your cruise personalizer and then check in with your passport card.

You have to check in with the same document that you put in your personalizer.

Edited March 14, 2019 by MauiLvrs

[sparks1093]

46 minutes ago, MauiLvrs said:

That's fine.... 

You can't put your passport number in your cruise personalizer and then check in with your passport card.

You have to check in with the same document that you put in your personalizer.

This data is used to facilitate check-in but the people checking you in have the ability to change this (so if you lost your passport on the way to the cruise you could still check in and sail with the passport card as long as it's a cruise that allows that to be used).

[youwash]

On 3/8/2019 at 8:46 AM, GottaKnowWhen said:

The cruise lines totally do not care if you have any form of passport, except when you check in the first day. After that your room key is your access/egress from the ship. The Port security or other officials may want to see some form of photo I.d. I’ve heard of that but in about 80 or so different ports I have never been asked. Carry drivers license, passport card, whatever. You won’t need it, but carry some I.d.

In late January when we sailed on the Summit Southern Caribbean  itiniary when re boarding the ship on one of the islands we had to show our photo ID and cruise card. I'm trying to remember which one but can't at the moment.  My husband probably will I'll have to ask and report back. 

We always take our Drivers License when going ashore but we're suprised that we actually had to show it. 

[Mcdonaldbam]

On 3/18/2019 at 11:20 PM, youwash said:

In late January when we sailed on the Summit Southern Caribbean  itiniary when re boarding the ship on one of the islands we had to show our photo ID and cruise card. I'm trying to remember which one but can't at the moment.  My husband probably will I'll have to ask and report back. 

We always take our Drivers License when going ashore but we're suprised that we actually had to show it. 

Did the Summit stop at St Kitts? I had to show photo ID  and cruise card both times I went ashore there.  

[SRF]

Nassau and Bermuda have required photo ID and ship card to enter port area.

 

 

[youwash]

On 3/20/2019 at 4:46 PM, Mcdonaldbam said:

Did the Summit stop at St Kitts? I had to show photo ID  and cruise card both times I went ashore there.  

Yes we did stop in St Kitts so that must have been it. Thanks