Express Check in with birth certificates??

[paulli]

Apparently, in order to qualify for express check in, you need to submit your immigration information to Princess at least 45 days prior to sailing. I am cruising with family members who are going to have valid passports by sailing but not by the 45 day deadline. The immigrations form both online and on paper assumes you are traveling with a passport and as such have no place to indicate if you are traveling with a birth certificate. Can I assume then that you cannot pre register your immigration information if you wish to do so using a birth certificate and thereby not qualify to express check in?

 

It is unclear what express check in really means since I have never seen signs directing people to express check in. However, I was told that if you don’t have express check in, you have to do more paperwork when you check in.

 

Thanks, Paul

[jerwick]

My daughter is traveling with birth certificate. She filled out online form except for passport info. The site then showed that the form was complete. Don't know what happens at checkin.

[sue d. miller]

We do not have passports and have filled everything else out on line. Info was complete, and we received docs with express check in. At checkin check the line for your deck also. It may be shorter than express!! :)

[wdonnieb]

You don't have to give them the passport number on a domestic cruise. You fill in the rest of the information and complete the form and it will put you in cue for express check-in. You can then use the passport when you arrive at express or the birth certificate. The main reason for this 45 day rule is that the government wants to see who is sailing to make sure that none of the passengers is on a watch list. It is mostly for our safety.

Donnie

[prophotogirl]

The only thing that makes it an express check in is if you have your Credit Card entered into the Cruise Personalizer up to 45 days before your cruise. It doesn't matter if you have a birth certificate or passport for express.

[TinaLee]

The only thing that makes it an express check in is if you have your Credit Card entered into the Cruise Personalizer up to 45 days before your cruise. It doesn't matter if you have a birth certificate or passport for express.

Nope - I never enter my credit card info before we sail because I'm too paranoid about putting that info on a web site and we always get express check in!

 

TinaLee

[paulli]

Great, thanks for the information.

[Blackrobe]

IMHO "Express Check-In" is no big deal probably because Princess embarkation is so efficient. On two of my cruises "Express Check-In" was not even offered.

 

"Express Check-In" is simply a different line which is suppose to move quicker because the necessary information has been provided on-line. In reality, there are so many people in the "Express Check-In" line that it is no more express than a regular line. Each line, including the express line, only moves as rapidly as the people in line have their paperwork and information available. Inevitably, someone does not have their paperwork or ID ready which slows the whole process down.

[larainec]

We had birth certificates and drivers licenses, not passports. For the Emereld deck, the express check in had two in line, regular check in only had one. The check in was SPEEDY!

[calikak]

We had express check-in for the Diamond in May in Seattle, and it was of no help at all. We still had to wait in the same ridiculously long line as everyone else, but that was in part related to the problems with check-in that were going on at the start of the season in Seattle this year. Still, there was no special line set up for express check-in, and there was no line for any particular deck, just for Platinums and Suites.