Passports?

[jostvandyke]

My husband and I will be taking our girls on their first cruise in February. They will be 5 and 8 when the cruise sets sail. What documents do we need for them to cruise? Passports or just id? We will be on the Carnival Glory 2/21/09 to the Western Caribbean. Thanks!

[eringirl79]

We are taking DS on his first cruise in January. He will be 13 months and he has a passport.

 

Our TA recommended it as if something were to happen during the cruise and you had to get off the ship at one of the ports to come home you would have a TERRIBLE time getting back into the US without the passport.

[TanyaH321]

Although passports are recommended cause it would make it easier if something were to happen. BUT, it is not required yet. Birth certificates are all that is required at this time. That is what we are taking on our next month on the Inspiration.

[TanyaH321]

Sorry, double post.

[mcfam5]

. . . for closed circuit cruise travel (leaving and returning to the same U.S. port) passports are not required. I have heard the rumor that they will be the permenant ruling. With that being said, the problem comes in if something happens while in a foreign port ~ if (God forbid!) it was neccessary to leave you in port for medical reasons (or by accident) you would need a passport for air travel home.

 

Hope this helps!:)

[jostvandyke]

Thanks for the info. I was leaning towards passports anyway since they're good for 10 years and we hope to do a lot more traveling with the kids in the future. If something did happen in a foreign port (God forbid) and we didn't have passports for them....who knows what would happen. Thanks again for the input.:)

[crusinmama06]

Thanks for the info. I was leaning towards passports anyway since they're good for 10 years and we hope to do a lot more traveling with the kids in the future. If something did happen in a foreign port (God forbid) and we didn't have passports for them....who knows what would happen. Thanks again for the input.:)

 

I think that is a very wise decision. Both of my kids have them. Yes, before we would just travel with a birth certificate...but now we use passports.

[ncmomof2]

I was leaning towards passports anyway since they're good for 10 years and we hope to do a lot more traveling with the kids in the future.

 

I believe that passports for children are only good for 5 years -- unless something has changed very recently.

[crusinmama06]

I believe that passports for children are only good for 5 years -- unless something has changed very recently.

 

Yep, you are 100% correct. :)

 

Passports for 15 and under are good for 5 years.

 

16 and older - 10 years

[Terpnut]

... Passports or just id?

A passport is the only universally-accepted form of ID. What else is there?

[jostvandyke]

A passport is the only universally-accepted form of ID. What else is there?

 

Well, my kids have military id's so I was first thinking of using them along with a birth certificate (not that they're universally accepted). But now I'm definitely going to get passports. Thanks for the info about them only being good for 5 years for kids. I didn't know that.

[AgVball]

Now they have a Passport "card" in addition to the standard Passport "book"...but it is for land/see travel and you would be stuck if you had to fly back for an emergency. The card is a lot cheaper than the book - looks like a drivers license. I think we are going to fork out the money for the "books" just to be safe. The card was intended for those who live near the border of another country.

[Wilda]

It's $35 for a minor, as opposed to $85 for a minor Passport.

 

THE U.S. PASSPORT CARD IS NOW IN PRODUCTION!

We began production of the U.S. Passport Card on July 14. To date, we have received and adjudicated well over 350,000 applications for the U.S. Passport Card. Customers who submitted an application for the U.S. Passport Card prior to production, will receive their Passport Card between now and early September.

The passport card facilitates entry and expedites document processing at U.S. land and sea ports-of-entry when arriving from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. The card may not be used to travel by air. Otherwise, it carries the rights and privileges of the U.S. passport book and is adjudicated to the exact same standards.

[Onessa]

Our DD, now 13 is on her third passport. We travel abroad quite a bit -- it is handy to know you have one, we've done a number of "hey this is really a good deal" trips where if we did not all have passports, it would have been impossible! Even pre-9/11 it really helped getting in and out of Canada. We've also used it as "proof of age" for sports programs, work permits and the like.