Passports/ Birth Cirtif.

[du4mch]

I'm taking my family on our first cruise. Golden \ Southern Carib in June. My question is, do we need passports or are birth cirtificates acceptable? Do we only need them for boarding the ship in San Juan or do we need them to leave the ship at the ports were visiting? Any advice would be great.

[RILawman]

You do not need passports. You need two forms of ID, a driver's license and a birth certificate will be fine. Your wife will need a driver's license, birth certificate and a copy of your marriage certificate. The reason why she would need a copy of the marriage certificate is because she would need two forms of id with the same last name. A passport and a driver's license would also be fine for your wife.

[KAJOKG]

If you have passports, bring them. I think that's the best way to go. Then you just have to show the passport when you embark, and from then on you will need some form of ID such as a driver's license to get on and off the ship. We always leave our passport in the safe during the cruise. If you don't have a passport, the birth certificate will do. It's just easier with the passport....much.

KB

NCL NORWAY - 2000
GOLDEN PRINCESS - 2001
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HAL NOORDAM - 2002
HAL VOLENDAM - 2003
ISLAND PRINCESS - NOV. 2003
HAL VOLENDAM - JAN. 2004
CORAL PRINCESS - OCT. 2004

[CruiseFever]

You don't needthem but it's recommended. A passport is simply the best form of ID there is.

If you're just sure that this is the only cruise you'll ever take (not likely) or that you'll never go out of the country then you and do without.

Otherwise I would really suggest getting passports as they are great forms of ID and can speed up your processing through immigration and customs.

Here's more:

http://www.lifeiscruising.com/documents_you_need

Happy Cruising

Chris

www.LifeIsCruising.com (http://www.LifeIsCruising.com)
Cruising- Like A Dream But You Are Awake

Next up:
Caribbean Princess 06/26/04
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Carnival Victory 12/19/04
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[mii]

I agree with cruisinigforlife. Three years ago we used birth certificates. Then we got passports. You cannot believe how fast you go through immigration and customs when you have the passport. It is amazing. They just look at your passport with your picture and wave you on by. With birth certificates they have to compare pictures with drivers license and that could take up valuable time. I highly recommend passports.


Marilyn

[karen2cruz]

This topic was highly debated for months on Royal Cribbean postings. Passports are the way to go, if you plan to travel any in the next ten yesrs. They speed up customs, and embarkation and debarkation. They're great for the airports too. In this post 9-11 world, it is highly recommended.

Sea Princess 2/02
DisneyWonder 6/03
Mariner of the Seas 4/04
Golden Princess 1/23/05

[Pam in CA]

I agree with the others. If it's at all possible, get everyone passports. Even though you think you won't be going out of the country again in the next 10 years, once you've cruised, chances are that you will again. http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

As the others have said, going through immigration and customs upon debarkation is MUCH faster with passports. If you have other documents, they check and double-check each document for each person, which takes a lot of time.

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[Grego]

The simple answer is get a passport. It's simple to do, the best ID you can have and there is no more fuss about taking birth certificates, voter's registration cards, marriage licenses, and the like.

Make a photo copy of the passport, laminate it and carry that with you off the ship if necessary. Leave the original in the safe.

For more great travel ideas see our buddy Chris's site at:
http://www.lifeiscruising.com/documents_you_need

Greg

Foo-Foo Chowder and Marching Society Sails again on the Sun Princess
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[sandij]

we got passports a few years ago because the old birth certificates were starting to disinegrate and it has been a lot easier to get around. I never had to carry my marriage license before though, never thought about the names not matching. Guess after 35 years you don't remember you had another name. But the cruise bug will bite you and you will do another and another so get the passports now.

[Mrs_R]

Our family has been on two post 911 cruises, a one way from San Francisco to Vancouver and an Eastern Carribean round trip out of Fort Lauderdale on the Golden. We went through customs at the piers and U.S./ Canadian border plus we had air travel along with our cruises. My husband has a passport but the kids and I use our birth certificates and ID. We've never been delayed by the lack of passports, and it has never taken longer to check the birth certificates and IDs than the passport. I brought a copy of our marriage certificate but no one ever asked for it or even mentioned that I have a different last name on my birth certificate and ID. If you're traveling with kids who don't have a driver's license yet bring their school picture ID cards. My two Middle School daughters are automatically issued theirs each year, and I was able to purchase one for my son from his High School office.

There is always a small chance that there will be a problem with our lack of passports but there's also an equally small chance that there will be a problem with passports. Having said all that, I agree with the posters who said that it's always good to have a passport. That chance to travel to exciting foriegn ports may suddenly come your way, so be prepared! I keep meaning to get mine, I just haven't gotten that far on my to do list yet. But my sister and I are doing the San Francisco to Vancouver again in less than a month and our birth certificates and driver's licenses will work just fine.

-Donna

QEII 1973
QEII 1974
NCCL Southward 1982
Sun Princess 2002
Golden Princess 2003


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[K32682]

It is mystifying that otherwise competent adults don't have a current passport ALL the time. I've had one since my teens and renew it whether I travel plans or not.

I always carry mine on me while in foreign countries including the USA. It is the internationally recognized identification. On two very memorable occasions in foreign countries having my passport with me was very, very helpful.

Get a passport. Keep it current. Keep it on you when you travel.

[crazy4themouse]

Try getting a passport as a single parent. Competent adult or not, it's pretty impossible. Birth certificates for us, until they make it a more sane process!

-gina-

Grand Princess, here we come!! 3/12/05
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[PeabodyNVL]

The big question is: do any of the countries you are visiting require passports for land visitors. If the answer is "yes", then a passport is recommended. If something happens on the island or port (illness or injury or heaven forbid you just miss the ship) and you have to stay behind, not having a passport is going to be a big problem.

If the islands you are visiting do not require a passport for land visitors, then you should be safe with a birth certificate and Driver's license.

A passport is just easier all around and usually draws less attention from security than the other forms of ID.

Pea
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[Cactus]

We were on the Golden Princess last month - everyone - and I do mean everyone, had to go through U.S. Customs on the ship before disembarking in St. Thomas. The cruise line sends you note the night before telling what time to be in the Vista Lounge, or Princess Theater. They have two lines 0ne for passports and one for birth certificates and ID - guess which line got to leave first, and which line was the longest! The pass port line didn't even stop, you just kept walking as the agent verified you to your picture and a valid passport. The other line the agent had to check the birth certificate for the raised seal, check the name, verify it to the license, Check marrigae licences, name change documents, etc. etc. Passports are the way to go. They are good for 10 years. Figure it out they really are not that expensive. They are really not so important for getting into other countries as they are to get in to US territories or back into the USA if another significant event occurs that threatens US security.

Booked:
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Alaska
Grand Princess 03/19/05 Western Caribbean

Completed:
Golden Princess 03/20/04
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Mexican Riviera

[Bucky3]

Chris - Should we expect to have to show passports when visiting St. Thomas on June 26 sailing??

[sandij]

My son and daughter-in-law just got back from cruise that stopped in St Martin and then St Thomas and they had to clear customs coming into St Thomas. He said it took a while but they had military ID and moved right along.

[daWoods]

I find it hard to believe, that in this day and age, with all the s*** that's going on in the world, that people are still asking this question. People with proper id, that is passports and visas, are being deported to God knows where to be questioned, and in some cases, tortured, simply because their name triggered a red flag somewhere, or they looked Arab. Why wouldn't you have the most up to date, most acceptable, piece of identification you can?

Island Princess Feb. 2004
Grand Princess Feb. 2002
Norwegian Sky Feb. 2001

[jeniceglassman]

daWoods..I'm confused by your post. You say people utilizing it are subject to the incidents you cite..so why wouldn't we use birth certificates and drivers lics..if it was going to turn into the trip from h$%& how would an ID choice affect it?

Jenice

[lephysteria]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by CruisingIsLife:
Otherwise I would really suggest getting passports as they are great forms of ID and can speed up your processing through immigration and customs. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Can I get an AMEN?

When we came off of the teeny tiny 3 day cruise to Mexico, there was a line of 300 people! That was the "Birth Certificate Line". See, the Immigration people will simply slide your passport through the machine, and then voila! You're clear to get your luggage.

However ..... if you have a birth certificate, the immigration official has to type in your information and THEN you get to go on. So it takes about 10 times as long, and there was only one line to do this! I am SOOOO glad we had passports!

Happy Sails!
Jen

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[lephysteria]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bucky3:
Chris - Should we expect to have to show passports when visiting St. Thomas on June 26 sailing??<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hi Bucky and Chris,

I hope you don't mind me answering for you. When we went on our Carib cruises, we had to do what Cactus said in her earlier post.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>everyone - and I do mean everyone, had to go through U.S. Customs on the ship before disembarking in St. Thomas.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I believe this is due to the Jones act, and you will have to go through Immigration before getting off of the ship. It basically says that when you leave the US, you have to go to a foreign port before coming back to the US. Then when you come back, you have to go through immigration all over again! So if you leave the US and go to the caribbean and visit St. Thomas, you'll go through customs at least twice!

Due to Visa Issues, Naren and I were going to visit the USVI on our honeymoon because he can travel in the US without an issue! (but thats another soapbox)

Anyhow to finally answer your question, I don't believe you'll have to show it while in port, but you will have to show proof of citizenship when going through immigration, before going into St Thomas.

Hope this helps,
Jen

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[Lauire]

Passports . . . much of the above was ture for us just getting off the Golden on the 4/10 sailing.
Definitely St. Thomas you needed proper ID & having the passport speeded things up.
We also were able to use that small fast line (as lephsteria sited)to reach our luggage at disembarkment time also, the birth certificate line was at least a 20 - 30 minute wait.
All in all I beleive with check in at the airlport etc, we showed our passports 5 different times! So w/ 4 peps in our party x 5 times we probably saved several hours.
Laurie

[daWoods]

jeniceglassman...The point is that in today's world, bad things happen to people because of what they look like, or who someone thinks they look like, or because someone with the same name has been red flagged. With a passport you at least have a fighting chance of proving who you are. If you are trying to get into the U.S. in that situation with nothing but a driver's license or birth certificate, what do you think your chances are? Those two pieces of id may work in some areas for awhile, but why not be ahead of the curve? Unless things change internationally in the near future, I can see the day when passports will be mandatory.

Island Princess Feb. 2004
Grand Princess Feb. 2002
Norwegian Sky Feb. 2001

[K32682]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by daWoods:
With a passport you at least have a fighting chance of proving who you are.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Precisely. I note that daWoods is Canadian as am I. It is often easier to enter the US with a passport than a birth certificate or other less impressive documentation.

And keep your passports with you at all times in foreign lands. Two traveling companions and I spent some awkward moments on the wrong side of an assault rifle in Spain a few years ago when we were stopped at a road block after some terrorist outrage. Two of us showed passports but one (the American) had left his in his hotel room. The Guardia lost interest in us but closely questioned our companion about why he was traveling in their country without proper ID.

Don't leave home without it. Ever.