birth certificate vs passport and missed ship

[cruisin07family]

Currently as I understand it, we only need a bc to cruise which is good because we didn't book soon enough to even consider getting passports. However, I thought I read somewhere that you need a passport to fly into the US from a foreign land. What happens, God forbid, if we were to miss the ship in Tortola? How could we get back to the US? It seems odd that they would change the flight rules at a different time than the cruise rules. Am I misreading this?

[nothomeonacruise]

My mother and I were just discussing this the other day. That's why we're all applying for passports. (She travels with us.) What happens if there is an emergency? Would you be able to fly home without a passport? It's something to take into consideration. I'd like to know what others think about it, too!

[BND]

Currently as I understand it, we only need a bc to cruise which is good because we didn't book soon enough to even consider getting passports. However, I thought I read somewhere that you need a passport to fly into the US from a foreign land. What happens, God forbid, if we were to miss the ship in Tortola? How could we get back to the US? It seems odd that they would change the flight rules at a different time than the cruise rules. Am I misreading this?

 

They tried to change them at the same time, but there are a lot of whiners out there about the cost, etc. The rules for cruising are supposed to change next year. Although I have a passport and have for years becasue I find it easier to deal with, if you find yourself stranded in a foreign country, you have to go to the american embassy or consul and they can work the issue for you. It may take a day or two, especially since you don't currently have a passport, but it can be done. If you currently have one and lose it, it's much easier to replace it, but I'd suggest not missing the ship. Those that miss the ship do so because they go off on their own excursions and something happens like the bus or taxi breaks down, or they just flat out don't pay attention to the ship vs port time when they go ashore. A lot of people cruise without passports, but I personally think it's worth the minimal cost to get one. Since you're too late now, just go prepared to know when the ship is leaving and get back with time to spare. We usually get on board at least an hour before the ship sails, which is also about 1/2 hour before the time you're supposed to be onboard. Very few people miss the ships, but there are stories of getting too drunk to get back, private tour getting back late, misreading the clock, not paying attention to when the ship is sailing, etc. It's really about personal responsibility. Sorry for the long post, but my feeling is, just don't miss the ship and have a passport. I know someone who has lost his passport a couple of times overseas and the embassy just works it for him.

[#1parrothead]

No need to worry. Because passports are not required at this time for cruise travel, if there is an emergency, arrangements can still be made. All agencies realize that you did not need one to cruise at this time. Passports of course do give you a better sense of security, so you might want to go ahead and consider getting one soon for any future travel even if they are not required at that time. I hear turn around times have been increasing with the new deadlines.

[caribbean dreams]

if you find yourself stranded in a foreign country, you have to go to the american embassy or consul and they can work the issue for you. It may take a day or two, especially since you don't currently have a passport, but it can be done. .

 

To add to this.......Yes, you will be able to fly back to the states without a PassPort but it will take some time.

On the other hand, if for some reason your plane arrives late and the ship has already left home port, you will not be able to fly to the first port and meet the ship.

So if you are cruising without a Passport, it is a good idea to arrive the day before the cruise leaves.

[mueller74us]

On the other hand, if for some reason your plane arrives late and the ship has already left home port, you will not be able to fly to the first port and meet the ship.

 

 

Allow me to add/clarify that if you miss the ship you will not be able to fly to next port unless it is a US port....

 

I hope that I don't even have to concern myself with this but DH and I are going on the Destiny for 1st cruise....weren't knowledgable enough to know to go a day early and TA didn't even mention it ....anyway I digress..

 

My point is that if you are on a ship such as the Destiny you WOULD be able to fly to the next port w/out a passport because in this case it would be to St. Thomas....

[qprrules]

Simple..........don't do anything that would make you miss the ship.....problem solved;)

[skuttduck]

Stop worrying about it, and just have fun. If you are worrying about this kind of thing, then you would probably worry enough to bring the capers with you that has the important numbers to call in case of an emergency.

 

Oh if you need an excuse to get a passport, book a cruise to Europe when you get a chance, that will force you to get them. :)

[cruisin07family]

Thanks for the replies. I'm only mildly concerned because of the short time in Tortola (2pm departure). We'll probably just pick a Carnival excursion so it won't be an issue.

 

We do plan to get passports but my bc has a typo that I'm having a terrible time getting fixed so I couldn't get my passport currently anyway. We also want to wait til oldest son turns 18 in August before we apply as it'll be better for him.

[marie366]

Currently as I understand it, we only need a bc to cruise which is good because we didn't book soon enough to even consider getting passports. However, I thought I read somewhere that you need a passport to fly into the US from a foreign land. What happens, God forbid, if we were to miss the ship in Tortola? How could we get back to the US? It seems odd that they would change the flight rules at a different time than the cruise rules. Am I misreading this?

i do believe that you need a passport to fly back into the U.S.

[cruisin fever]

Not to dampen anyones fun but when we asked about not having a passport and using out bc, I was told that everything would be fine as long as no one broke their leg, arm, etc. and had to fly back quickly for surgery. We were told that the only way to get back was to finish the cruise. We got passports. I could not imagine trying to finish out the cruise with something broken.:rolleyes:

[ICF]

Not to dampen anyones fun but when we asked about not having a passport and using out bc, I was told that everything would be fine as long as no one broke their leg, arm, etc. and had to fly back quickly for surgery. We were told that the only way to get back was to finish the cruise. We got passports. I could not imagine trying to finish out the cruise with something broken.:rolleyes:

 

someone gave you bad info.....you can get back into the country w/o a passport in case of emergency. It might be a bit of a hassle, but you will NOT have to finish the cruise to get back into the states.

[CruisingAgain]

We all have passports (including DS8 since he was 1 year old). BUT - we don't take them off the ship in the ports. We always use our drivers licenses as our photo id. I wouldn't want to leave my passport sitting on the beach while we are swimming. We use one of those waterproof (sometimes) lanyards to keep our photo ids, room keys and credit card. If someone takes the rest of our stuff it won't ruin our vacation.

[oflynn]

:confused: Why wouldn't anyone who travels now days not get a passport? If you can afford to travel, you should have all the necessary protection given to you...we just got home last wk from Alaskan cruise on the Island Princess...we couldn't have done it without a passport...:D Linda

[cruisin07family]

I so love the really practical advise.....thanks so much.

 

For those who didn't read either of my two posts above, I did explain that we decided to take this cruise too late to order passports and my birth certificate has a typo. I don't want my passport to have my name misspelled. Actually, I probably couldn't even get it currently since my bc has one spelling and all of my other documents have the correct spelling. What a pain.

 

We usually vacation in the Outer Banks or Disney World so have never needed a passport.

[mamaskittles]

An American citizen will not be kept out of the country during an emergency. If you become ill or injured and need to be flown home in an emergency the documents you brought with you will be enough. If you miss the ship because of negligence on your part. Yes, even going on an excursion with private operators, you will still be able to return to the U.S. but it will take a while for the embassy to arrange it and that may become expensive as you will have to pay for lodging and meals and of course the cost of the transportation. I am not positive about those who are in the U.S. on a visa or green card but I ASSume there are contingencies in place for them also.