Passport Card vs Passport Book?

My fiance and I are looking to take a cruise from San Juan to the Southern Caribbean in September. His passport is expired, I've never had one. One travel agent told us to just get the passport card since we never leave the US (well I guess besides this cruise) the other travel agent told us we definitely need the passport book.

Can anyone tell me what it is I actually need? As well as opinions on what to do.

Thank you

My fiance and I are looking to take a cruise from San Juan to the Southern Caribbean in September. His passport is expired, I've never had one. One travel agent told us to just get the passport card since we never leave the US (well I guess besides this cruise) the other travel agent told us we definitely need the passport book.

 

Can anyone tell me what it is I actually need? As well as opinions on what to do.

 

Thank you

If the cruise comes back to San Juan than all you need (unless your cruise line requires more) is a birth certificate and government issued photo ID. The passport card can be used on both open jaw and closed loop cruises within the Western hemisphere, but it cannot be used for international air travel so if you had to leave the ship mid-cruise you would face a delay until the Consulate could issue you documents to travel with. How long that would take would depend greatly on the circumstances. So basically you could use the passport cards as long as you are comfortable with the small risk that you might have to leave the ship early. The passport card does have the added benefit of having all of your information already in the State Department system so if you needed their assitance this would speed things up (in theory). Millions of people travel on cruises each year without passports and without problems- you have to decide what your comfort level is and what your future travel plans are.

Well, as I see it, as this is a closed loop cruise, leaving and returning to the same US port, all you'll need is the passport card. Actually all you'll really need is a certified copy of your birth certificate and an official photo ID. With that in mind, if there is a medical emergency and one or both of you need to fly back to the mainland US, you'll need a passport book. You can't fly with the card.

Thank you for that information. I will have to talk to my fiance and see if he feels comfortable with that slight risk. He said he has trouble spending so much on passports when we never go anywhere that requires them. Especially with a young child.

Thank you for that information. I will have to talk to my fiance and see if he feels comfortable with that slight risk. He said he has trouble spending so much on passports when we never go anywhere that requires them. Especially with a young child.

It's the same conversation that DW and I had many years ago. We decided to wait until we actually needed the passports before getting them, which didn't happen until this year. If you are traveling without your child then you have to consider what you would do if something happened to him/her while you were gone- would you be okay with 1) finishing the cruise or 2) waiting for the Consulate to help if something happened. That's a judgment call only you can make.

Get the Passport Books.

They are good for 10 years.

And who knows where you may travel in the future.

if you like to travel a little now

you'll want to travel more later

GET THE BOOK

problem many folks have is coupling the passport cost to a vacation cost and it does not have to be that way. I renew our passports when they should/need to be renewed .... regardless of an upcoming trip or not. They are always ready . . .

It seems that your question is not should you get one, but which one to get. Since you are wisely getting one, go ahead and get a passport, The process is the same, and if I recall correctly the price difference is only about $40.

It seems that your question is not should you get one, but which one to get. Since you are wisely getting one, go ahead and get a passport, The process is the same, and if I recall correctly the price difference is only about $40.

The difference is $80 for new passports...$135 vs $55, and also $80 for renewals...$110 vs $30.

Here is the best description for the difference between a passport book and a passport card:Passport book vs. card

A passport card is primarily intened for people who routinely drive across the Canadian or Mexican borders. If one had to fly home, or if one missed the ship and had to fly to the next port, a passport card won't be accepted on an international flight.

You might consider starting to phase them in so you won't have to buy three - or have three expire - at the same time. Your fiance might renew his before it reaches the point where he will have to again apply in person. You could get one next year and so on.

Having a passport opens a world of possibilities. If you see a great travel deal the thing stopping you won't be the lack of a passport.

The other thing to remember is that you should mentally amortize the cost of the passport over the 10 year life span.

Three Starbucks' lattes in the course of the year would cover that cost. Or whatever your current vice may be.

I'm going to be brutally frank here....if the cost of the passport is the difference between taking a trip and not taking it, or if it is of serious financial concern, you are TOO much on the financial edge to even be TAKING a trip in the first place. Get your financial house in order first, THEN spend money you actually have.

Delayed gratification actually has its benefits. As does debt reduction and prudent financial management.

Let the flames begin!!

 

I'm going to be brutally frank here....if the cost of the passport is the difference between taking a trip and not taking it, or if it is of serious financial concern, you are TOO much on the financial edge to even be TAKING a trip in the first place. Get your financial house in order first, THEN spend money you actually have.

 

!

Sound advice - get the passports, then just have a sail-away drink and a last night drink on your cruise and you will probably hae saved the total cost of passports.

...

 

Three Starbucks' lattes in the course of the year would cover that cost. Or whatever your current vice may be. ...

 

Let the flames begin!!

Ha, Ha! I have that much in one week! :D. No flames tho from this peanut gallery.

The other thing to remember is that you should mentally amortize the cost of the passport over the 10 year life span.

 

Three Starbucks' lattes in the course of the year would cover that cost. Or whatever your current vice may be.

 

I'm going to be brutally frank here....if the cost of the passport is the difference between taking a trip and not taking it, or if it is of serious financial concern, you are TOO much on the financial edge to even be TAKING a trip in the first place. Get your financial house in order first, THEN spend money you actually have.

 

Delayed gratification actually has its benefits. As does debt reduction and prudent financial management.

 

Let the flames begin!!

When we first started cruising the cost of passports would have been in the neighborhood of $900, which was as much as the cruise cost. Now, had passports been required we obviously would have either obtained them or chosen a different form of vacation. Since they weren't required then we decided we could face the small risk of something happening in 4 days that might require us to fly home. That being said, how people chose to spend their money has no impact on me and if they were to use cost as the only deciding factor (which I don't feel is necessarily prudent) then that means nothing to me. To me it's more important to have good travel insurance to cover life's contingencies but there are many that forego that for a variety of reasons.

Most people have a pretty good idea of their future travel plans and their ability to just jet off with no notice and if they are in the position where they can do that and want to get a passport "just in case" more power to them. But many can't do that and obtaining a passport "just in case" is a waste of time and money to them. (And frankly if that great travel deal falls into their lap unexpectedly it doesn't take that long to obtain a passport and if the cost of the passport is prohibitive at that point...;)).

Passport is king of the travel documentation, no doubt about it, but sometimes a queen or jack will do the trick. Everyone's travel needs are different just as everyone's travel documentation needs are different. Whether any of us like it or not there are alternatives available and people should choose the documentation that meets their needs.

When we first started cruising the cost of passports would have been in the neighborhood of $900, which was as much as the cruise cost...

Which is way some chose not to get them, and a good case for phasing getting a passport. Then they won't all be up for expiration simultaneously.

An industry insider claims that the days of traveling closed loop cruises on just a BC may be coming to an end. Others claim it was the cruise industry that fought for this exemption. We'll see how it shakes out. The OP however now has pro and con arguments to make a decision based on her circumstances.

Which is way some chose not to get them, and a good case for phasing getting a passport. Then they won't all be up for expiration simultaneously.

 

An industry insider claims that the days of traveling closed loop cruises on just a BC may be coming to an end. Others claim it was the cruise industry that fought for this exemption. We'll see how it shakes out. The OP however now has pro and con arguments to make a decision based on her circumstances.

If one reads the regulations (and I have) the closed loop exception exists because a US citizen on a closed loop cruise represents a low risk to the naitonal security and ample time exists while the cruise is occurring to vet the passengers through the multitude of government databases that exist for that purpose. I don't see the closed loop exception changing any time soon (and it's not the only exception to the passport requirement, there are quite a few).

And your last sentence is exactly why I participate in these threads to begin with- to give people making the decision the information they need to make a reasoned one.

Which is way some chose not to get them, and a good case for phasing getting a passport. Then they won't all be up for expiration simultaneously.

 

An industry insider claims that the days of traveling closed loop cruises on just a BC may be coming to an end. Others claim it was the cruise industry that fought for this exemption. We'll see how it shakes out. The OP however now has pro and con arguments to make a decision based on her circumstances.

If the "industry insider" you're citing is who I think it is (a Cruise Critic poster) , he is absolutely clueless about the US regulatory process. If DHS wanted to change the rules it would take years to accomplish, just as it took years to put the current regulations in place. DHS has given no indication of any intent to change the regulations as they see no need from a national security perspective...not to mention that the cruise lines support the current rule as it gives them a competitive advantage over land vacation providers in Mexico and the Caribbean, whose guests must have a passport to reach their hotels.

There is absolutely no foundation for what he says, and what he says is often laced with xenophobic anti-American undertones.

The Passport Card is really for people who cross the US border frequently by land , such as those living close to the borders for work or visits.

Although using it for closed loop cruises is allowed , the fact that you can not fly , using it , back to the US in the case of desire or emergency ,(IMO) is a risk not worth the small savings over the traditional Passport .

The Passport Card is really for people who cross the US border frequently by land , such as those living close to the borders for work or visits.

Although using it for closed loop cruises is allowed , the fact that you can not fly , using it , back to the US in the case of desire or emergency ,(IMO) is a risk not worth the small savings over the traditional Passport .

It may also be used for open jaw sailings within the western hemisphere, so if someone only sails on cruises in the western hemisphere it could be the document they choose (one document to carry, durable, info already stored in the State Department website). Everyone's level of risk is different just as everyone's comfort level with that risk, so one person could legitimately decide to accept the risk whereas another could decide not to accept the risk just as legitimately.

The last time I renewed my passport I got both a passport and a passport card.

Works for me.

The last time I renewed my passport I got both a passport and a passport card.

 

Works for me.

Me too.

Get the Passport Books.

They are good for 10 years.

And who knows where you may travel in the future.

I agree. With the Passport Book you are not limited to the Caribbean Cruises. A few years ago, I stumbled across Plane Fares of $400 per person Round-Trip to London from Phoenix. This route normally runs about $900 per person RT at the best of times. Because we had the passport books, we were able to book the trip and had a ball exploring London for the first time.

Without the Passport Book, we would have been stuck in Arizona.

I agree. With the Passport Book you are not limited to the Caribbean Cruises. A few years ago, I stumbled across Plane Fares of $400 per person Round-Trip to London from Phoenix. This route normally runs about $900 per person RT at the best of times. Because we had the passport books, we were able to book the trip and had a ball exploring London for the first time.

 

Without the Passport Book, we would have been stuck in Arizona.

You could have booked the flights and then obtained your passports, could you not? I booked our flights to Germany without our passport info and it's not like it takes forever to get them.

The last time I renewed my passport I got both a passport and a passport card.

 

Works for me.

As did I. As I no longer drive, I got the PP Card as my photo ID. As a Federal ID it trumps everything, plus it lasts twice as long as a state ID.

You could have booked the flights and then obtained your passports, could you not? I booked our flights to Germany without our passport info and it's not like it takes forever to get them.

True. But if you already have passport in hand you can book a flight for tomorrow (or tonight).

Often those late discount prices are not very far out.

We once booked a cruise 4 days out. Yes, if we hadn't already had our passports, we could have expedited them. But, you may lose the benefits of last minute rates, if you have to pay extra for expediting.