How much easier is a passport, really?

[BottledRed]

If you're too worried about the time, if you get expedited service you will receive your passport in less than 2 weeks. I got mine expedited earlier this year and got it in 8 days.

[alexkrn46]

Our last cruise, 3 of us has passports, my daughter's passport was sent to the Austrialian consulate for a Visa, so she had a copy of her passport and her long version birth certificate. The 3 of us went quick, they scan your passport, the officer took much longer to examine her birth certificate, and we gave a copy of her passport, which he typed in the number and we were processed.

I tried to look at the computer screen but it has a filter so we could only see jet black.

[madforcruising]

Sorry for getting into this here.

I´m not from the US and it always makes me smile when reading about the passports.

I would never even think about leaving the country without a passport. And throughout the world I belive there is no else legal document for travel and identification than a passport. I think the US citizens are lucky to be able to travel around the caribbean and their neighbour countries without a passport, but throughout the world passport is a must.

We have a form of official ID next to the passport over here too that enables us to travel throughout most of the European countries. This is also a mandatory identification for everybody. But for travelling throughout the world a passport is the way to go.

Again sorry for stepping in here and don´t want to ofend anybody with this.

[vermontvoyager]

What happens if you happen to lose your passport before you get to the ship ? Or if you lose it while you are on your cruise ? I know you could have the other forms of ID

(Birth Certificate,Drivers License) but, what if you lost your passport and did not have any other proper form of ID ? I would assume that you cannot obtain another copy in nearly enough time to really help out getting on the ship. Does anyone know what you could do in this instance ?

[madforcruising]

You should inform the police and contact the embassy / consulate of your country. They should be able to get you some sort of documentation or let you know what to do. Of course when on a cruise the pursers desk should be informed about it too.

[cruizeblues]

We will be cruising with our kids (8 & 10) next summer. Do we need some form of photo ID for them? As a previous poster stated, at 5'2", my daughter looks much older than her 10 yrs:) I'd hate to cough up $85 each for a passport since we usually don't bring them out of the country for vacations.

 

As far as having a passport v. BC & license, we've done it both ways, and it seemed easier w/the passport. Besides...you feel more like a "professional traveler" whipping out a passport rather than an old, dog-eared birth cert!:D

[madelinerose]

As easy as it gets! Simplify your life. ;)

[tmartin1]

If you are married and a woman, your birth certificate will list your maiden name while your drivers license may list your married name. Then, you should also carry your marriage certificate to prove that your birth certificate and drivers license are for the same person. When we travelled to Mexico last year with friends, customs required my friend to show all three documents since she didn't have a passport. I don't think this happens all the time, but we just happened to be travelling during a red-alert time and security was tighter than usual.

 

Another thought - we could go to 'red-alert' status at any time. If you happen to be out of the country when this happens, it may less hassle to have a passport.

[GucciGal]

My boyfriend and I recently cruised on the NOS. I had my passport,he had his license and BC. There was no difference,we both entered and exited the ship at the same time. It is easier than having to carry BC around,and I do alot of overseas travel,so my passport is a must.

[barbarajoy]

I totally agree with Merion Mom. We applied for passports for our kids last year at a suburban Chicago post office and had them in 2-3 weeks. Oddly, they arrived about five days apart.

 

For kids, it is great. Our twins are just four and I still have my maiden name, so it seems that even when flying within the US or to visit family in Canada the passports make it easier.

 

Like some other posters said, heaven forbid you need medical care while on a cruise, or need to leave the ship for some other reason. Or like those people who got stranded and had to catch up with their cruise in Mexico or Belize or somewhere. A US passport carries a lot of weight in some of these countries. Maybe in some places it doesn't matter so much, but it's well worth the cost IMHO. Even for kids that have to get new ones every five years.

 

Have a wonderful trip! I'm sure you will have no trouble with your passports arriving in time if you go right to the office in Philadelphia!

 

Barbara

[bubbadog]

if it were me id strongly suggest a passport,its faster,less paperwork,and carries best clout,just flash the passport,no questions asked:)))))))))

[abridalmaven]

We have had passports long enough to have had to renew them, When we went to vancouver with my sis and Dhon our way to the Radiance we had them, they did not. The border guard gave then a lecture saying now that our country is at war, getting out will be easier than getting back in, so get one. You basically just flash them or scan them, while other forms are looked at more closely.

[Boomer TG]

Both the cruise terminals in Long Beach and Los Angeles have separate lines for US Citizens with passports. Also, some ships that call there have experimented with having those individuals disembarking first.

 

I, too, would recommend getting a passport because with more and more states not requirring a legal immigration status when issueing drivers licenses it going to force the Federal Government to take some action along the lines of a "travel card" or something like that for short trips to Mexico, Canada, the islands, etc.

 

If you spread the cost of the passport over it's lifetime - it's worth every penny.

[mdeane]

Why on eath not????? Especiallly if you travel.

[glgolfer]

Just make sure you copy the id pages of your passport. We always have 2 or 3 copies with us that clearly show all the info on the pages and our pictures. We leave the passport in the safe and take a copy with us. Also helps in replacing the passport if lost or stolen.

 

we renewed ours last year as we found having them makes traveling easier.

[D4]

Vermont Voyager: You asked how someone can board the ship if they lose their passport en route to their cruise.

 

I try to have backup plans for everything. I carry our family's 4 passports in my beltbag. My DH carries all our birth certificates and our photo ids in his carryon. That way if my beltbag is lost/stolen, my DH will still have our other ids so we can board the ship.

[mapsmith]

Get the passport.

 

Example 1: Honeymoon in Dominican Republic. I had passport, Bride did not. She used the ORIGINAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE and DL for ID. Dominican Republic Passport Control required additional cost and STAMPED THE ENTRY ON THE BACK OF THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE. Fortunately it was on the back. If they had decided to do it on the front, it may have invalidated the BC.

 

Example 2: We were able to get a cheap flight to London and did not have to worry about what ID we needed.

 

(Potential Example 3): You are scheduled for a Southern Caribbean Cruise. Your Flight is delayed and you miss the ship. You fly to the next port--BARBADOS, which requires a passport. So you would be SOL.

 

Get the passport. They are good for 10 years that is only $8.50 per year. Cheaper than your Internet Subscription or just two Starbucks Vente.

 

:)

[PSCruiser]

As soon as our kids got out of college, we bugged them (and paid for) their getting passports. Easy to do when there's no rush, and a big hassle to get at the last minute- like when that last minute chance at a big foreign trip comes up! I think they are cheap insurance for 10 years of peace of mind. So, irregardless of the upcoming cruise, get them - some day you'll be glad you did!

[MrsPete]

VermontVoyager -- To avoid a problem with lost documents, you should plan ahead. I always make several copies of everything and put the copies into different suitcases; if they're lost, I'll have at least one copy somewhere. I also give a copy to my mom to keep at home. If somehow we ended up away from the ship and stranded, she could fax copies to us.

 

We've never needed any of this, but we do it anyway.

[vermontvoyager]

D4 and Mrs.Pete thank you for the advise. I planned on bringing birth certificates and and picture ID's as well as our passports. I was not aware that you could get by with copies of your passports. I will be sure to make copies for everyone in our home that will be traveling on the cruise.

[Gypsea]

My sister accompanied me on my last cruise (her first) and forgot to renew her passport. The day before leaving we scrambled to find the BC plus she had to travel to another town to get a picture ID. In VT, where she lives, not all DL's have pictures. It was so needless to deal with all that anxiety when we were busy with other packing issues too. Had she renewed she would have been ready to roll.

[NiniB]

whats MGOBLUE referring to,,, he is definitely incorrect...... never encountered what he stated on ANY of my cruises,,,, and i always travel with BC'S...... :confused: what the other postee stated is CORRECT....

[Alix]

I had my purse stolen and in order to get a new photo ID (driver's license) I needed a photo ID. Since I don't normally carry my passport, it hadn't been stolen so I used that. If no photo ID, I would have needed the last 3 years of income tax returns and SS card. I have no idea where my SS card is and would have needed a photo ID to get a new copy.

 

Passport makes life so much easier.

[TheWog]

We will be cruising with our kids (8 & 10) next summer. Do we need some form of photo ID for them? As a previous poster stated, at 5'2", my daughter looks much older than her 10 yrs:) I'd hate to cough up $85 each for a passport since we usually don't bring them out of the country for vacations.

 

As far as having a passport v. BC & license, we've done it both ways, and it seemed easier w/the passport. Besides...you feel more like a "professional traveler" whipping out a passport rather than an old, dog-eared birth cert!:D

Under age 16 the cost is only $70.00 and no they don't need a photo id with the birth certificate. My son does like to show his passport to all the places he needs to be though, even though they don't require his id such as airports. :D

[dcookies]

Very interesting thread - I just wanted to add my 2 cents (for what it's worth!):

 

Yes, definitely get a passport. They're good for 10 years, and you never know when you might need it.

 

Re: customs lines at debarkation - I've encountered separate lines for US (and sometimes Canadian) citizens, and non-citizens. How quickly you go through them depends upon how much the people in line ahead of you are declaring. If they need to have their purchases verified and write a check for amounts of the allowed, it takes time. Otherwise, the difference between passport and BC/photo ID is about 10 seconds per person.

 

As for passports in maiden name - we went to Europe on our honeymoon. I brought a certified copy of my marriage license, and had no problem in any of the countries we visited. When we got back, I brought the passport and license to the PO, they sent it out somewhere, and a week later it came back with my maiden name crossed off and married name added.