Legent to Isla Roatan passport question?

[TahoeBob]

Hear is the scoop I am to sail on the Legend this November. The State dept web page says you don't need one to sail to the Caribbean. They also say the passport card is good to sail to a list of islands, but Isla Roatan is not listed? just wondering if anyone has sailed there with the new passport cards. On my first 3 cruises they were all to Mexico all we used was the Drivers license and a BC. Just want to get some input as I have lots of time to do the correct thing.

[tnsail]

It doesn't matter Bob, they are not going to check your passport card at Rotan any more than they are at any Caribbean ports.... If you have to fly back from there there will be a hassle but, it won't been any different than any other port since the Passcard is just good for land and sea crossing....

[yst347]

As far as closed loop cruising from the USA goes the passport card acts in an identical manner as a birth certificate and a driver's license. A passport card is not a passport. You cannot use it to fly home from a foreign country in an emergency and it will not get you into a country where a passport is required.

 

What a passport card will do that a drivers license and birth certificate will not after Jun 1st is allow you to cross the US-Mexico and US-Canada border by land. While it is unclear whether the passport card will be honored in Roatan after June 1, a DL and BC will.

 

Unless you need a passport card for other reasons it is a waste of money for cruises. Spend the extra and get a real passport or just use a BC/DL and stick to closed loop cruises.

[zqvol]

As far as closed loop cruising from the USA goes the passport card acts in an identical manner as a birth certificate and a driver's license. A passport card is not a passport. You cannot use it to fly home from a foreign country in an emergency and it will not get you into a country where a passport is required.

 

What a passport card will do that a drivers license and birth certificate will not after Jun 1st is allow you to cross the US-Mexico and US-Canada border by land. While it is unclear whether the passport card will be honored in Roatan after June 1, a DL and BC will.

 

Unless you need a passport card for other reasons it is a waste of money for cruises. Spend the extra and get a real passport or just use a BC/DL and stick to closed loop cruises.

 

I agree completely. Passport cards are used to enter the US ONLY, they are not good for anything else, including entering any other country (except Canada and Mexico), Don't waste your time or money wiht one unless you cross the border on a regular basis.

[dreamfinder222]

Many countries - including Honduras - have "agreements" with the US specifically regarding cruise ship travelers. Although a passport would be necessary if you were traveling directly from the US to Honduras, since you are a cruise ship passenger, there is an exception made.

 

I worried about this very same thing, and after asking several people and thoroughly reading the state dept website and a couple of Honduran websites, I'm convinced that the nice folks in Roatan will be more than happy to take my money :D

[lizardhowson]

Many countries - including Honduras - have "agreements" with the US specifically regarding cruise ship travelers. Although a passport would be necessary if you were traveling directly from the US to Honduras, since you are a cruise ship passenger, there is an exception made.

 

I worried about this very same thing, and after asking several people and thoroughly reading the state dept website and a couple of Honduran websites, I'm convinced that the nice folks in Roatan will be more than happy to take my money :D

 

Excellent answer...

 

And the earlier poster is correct, whomever suggested a passport card for a cruise, is mistaken. Designed only for re-entry into US from Canada or Mexico as he stated.

 

It seems no matter how many threads about passports are started and answered each day, they just continue to show up, day after day... always the same exact question.

 

Just on a whim, I searched "passport" and got about 40 or 50 pages of threads, after reading about 5, I concluded the same question and answer is in every one.