Kids Identification

When kids are boarding on a cruise do they need a picture ID and their birth certificate or will just the birth certificate all that is needed? What about when they get off the ship in Cozumel, will they need picture ID there to get off or back on?

The cruise line will issue each person a card which is your room key/ charge key and also used as for embarking and disembarking. Just need that card while the adults will need picture Id's. I did keep our passports with me ( just incase)

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Children do not need a picture ID if they are under 16 yo.

At ports, just the cruise card is needed for them

Children will need nothing but their ship's key to get off and on the ship. Adults will need the ship's key and ID....your DL is the easiest as it's the same size as your cabin key.

Just make sure the Birth Certificate you bring is government issued official B/C; not from the hospital.

You might consider a non-driver ID card from the state anyway. In Texas, the cost is only $16 and it is good for 6 years according to http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/DriverLicense/fees.htm

We started getting the non-driver ID cards for our kids when they were 9 or 10, just because it saved a lot of hassle at times. It is a heck of a lot cheaper than a passport, and at the time, they didn't have need of a passport.

You will still need their correct government issued long form birth certificate if you don't get them passports for the cruise, but the ID may still come in handy.

Before her second cruise, I got my daughter her first passport. It was nice having an official photo ID for her. Besides cruises, I've been also able to use it to register her for a new school. The next time she gets hers renewed, she can get an adult one.

I second the recommendation for non-driver ID for kids. We have 8 children and they all have them ( well older ones have permits and D/L). The kids who have passports use them for ID coming back from ports. The youngest one who got a N/D ID was our 8yo when he was 3 months. We flew to Cancun and didn't need passports at the time. Now, THAT was fun and the folks at the license office still have a (lined out) copy of his ID hanging up in the back :). We got his because we felt better about getting back into the states given the baby trafficking issues.

They don't seem to be required, but we prefer to have them.