Do you cruise with a Passport or with a certified birth certificate?

The reason why I ask, is that we always travel with our passports, but my 3 children's passports just expired 2 months ago. Mine and my husband's are valid still to travel. I did not renew them because we have a closed looped cruise from NYC on the BA 11/8. This cruise I figured I would just use the kids birth certificates to travel with and renew them later....Now as it gets closer I'm just fearful for some reason we will run into an issue with checking in.. I looked at NCL and I saw that it's still acceptable to use them. Just making sure!!! I know the whole issue if we got stranded in a port we would need them to fly home. We know better not to let that happen. Just curious who travels with which documents? Thanks

We always travel with our passports. Anything can happen at anytime that we may not have control over. But that's just us. :)

Passports. This is the answer to your question ;)

Passports. Always passports.

I agree,but cruising is definitely still ok to travel with certified birth certificates right? That's my biggest concern. We will renew them before our next cruise for our children, other then cruising from U.S. Ports we never take them to other countries. It's either Disney or cruising [emoji4]

Passport

Take the worst case scenario; the ship breaks down in international waters and you are picked up by a ship going to a foreign port. Birth certificates will carry no sway, carry your passports at all times you are off the ship.

Mike

Pom by Birth; Retired Coin Collecting Kiwi by Choice.

I totally see the point but we will be sailing NY /Florida & Bahamas .

I totally see the point but we will be sailing NY /Florida & Bahamas .

Miss the boat in the Bahamas; oooops; that is a foreign port. Passport.

Mike

Pom by Birth; Retired Coin Collecting Kiwi by Choice.

I totally see the point but we will be sailing NY /Florida & Bahamas .

I personally play it on the safe side. Then again I've had a passport for the last 40 years. For those of you concerned about the price, its very cheap insurance

Miss the boat in the Bahamas; oooops; that is a foreign port. Passport.

 

 

 

Mike

 

Pom by Birth; Retired Coin Collecting Kiwi by Choice.

We probably won't even get off the boat in Nassau, if we do get off we'll be back on long before it departs.

Yes, technically you can still travel with just a birth certificate, but it's Ill advised.

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We probably won't even get off the boat in Nassau, if we do get off we'll be back on long before it departs.

It sounds as though you have already decided what you are going to do...making this thread pretty much pointless.

The reason why I ask, is that we always travel with our passports, but my 3 children's passports just expired 2 months ago. Mine and my husband's are valid still to travel. I did not renew them because we have a closed looped cruise from NYC on the BA 11/8. This cruise I figured I would just use the kids birth certificates to travel with and renew them later....Now as it gets closer I'm just fearful for some reason we will run into an issue with checking in.. I looked at NCL and I saw that it's still acceptable to use them. Just making sure!!! I know the whole issue if we got stranded in a port we would need them to fly home. We know better not to let that happen. Just curious who travels with which documents? Thanks

Personally, since so many changes have taken place and the possibility of getting stuck in port or having to disembark somewher I would never cruise without a passport. That is just a personal opinion; many do and take their chances.

I personally play it on the safe side. Then again I've had a passport for the last 40 years. For those of you concerned about the price, its very cheap insurance

It wasn't the price it was an oversight on my husband 's part he had them in the safe and just realized they expired 2 months ago as I asked that he'd take them out in preparation.....Now I'm worried about the time issue of being 27 days or so away to renew them. So I figured we'd just use their birth certificates this 1x.. I just wanted reassuring that it is still ok to use them.

It sounds as though you have already decided what you are going to do...making this thread pretty much pointless.

I was hoping that someone used a birth certificate recently had no issues with boarding.. I don't understand why threads have to turn into sarcasm ?

Yes, technically you can still travel with just a birth certificate, but it's Ill advised.

 

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Thank you

We probably won't even get off the boat in Nassau, if we do get off we'll be back on long before it departs.

OK, obviously you have answered your own question. Everyone has said the same thing, travel with passport, if appears you have made up your mind to travel with just the kids birth certificates.

Hello Again

I see your point about not getting off the boat in Nassau negating the need for a passport. However at a number of ports on our cruises there has been a medevac.

If one of you has to be taken to hospital and the boat leaves then you need the passport!!

Mike

Pom by Birth; Retired Coin Collecting Kiwi by Choice.

I was hoping that someone used a birth certificate recently had no issues with boarding.. I don't understand why threads have to turn into sarcasm ?

It's not really sarcasm. He's right.

Chances are you will probably just fine and dandy with the birth certificates. People do it every cruise.

I would not travel without a passport. Why not try and renew and pay for the rush service?

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It's not really sarcasm. He's right.

 

Chances are you will probably just fine and dandy with the birth certificates. People do it every cruise.

Since we've never done it without a passport, and this was an oversight in less then a few weeks away. I was just reconfirming that birth certificates were still allowed and that maybe recently someone used one for cruising. So that I didn't have a panic attack that my kids would be denied boarding... I understand unforeseen circumstances can happen and we would deal with that if it happens. I guess I should have worded my title " do you use a birth certificate to cruise?"

I think that everyone agrees that you would board without any problem so there is no need for any "panic attack" over that but think of the "panic attack" you would have if there was a problem when you were on board without their passports.

Mike

The reason why I ask, is that we always travel with our passports, but my 3 children's passports just expired 2 months ago. Mine and my husband's are valid still to travel. I did not renew them because we have a closed looped cruise from NYC on the BA 11/8. This cruise I figured I would just use the kids birth certificates to travel with and renew them later....Now as it gets closer I'm just fearful for some reason we will run into an issue with checking in.. I looked at NCL and I saw that it's still acceptable to use them. Just making sure!!! I know the whole issue if we got stranded in a port we would need them to fly home. We know better not to let that happen. Just curious who travels with which documents? Thanks

We've cruised 3 times with birth certificates/government issued ID with no problems. For our last cruise we obtained Enhanced Drivers Licenses because I was nervous about carrying DW's naturalization certificate around, but the kids still used their birth certs/IDs. Millions of people cruise on closed loop cruises every year using something other than a passport with no issues at all. As long as you are comfortable assuming the very small risk (for most) involved there is nothing wrong with it.

My main concern is getting on the ship, if I run into a situation on board the last panic attack I'd be worried about is whether their traveling with a BC vs a passport.. We are traveling with other family members and friends if it came to that. I just needed to make sure we can get on, NCL changes things on daily basis making sure this wasn't something that was changed and I'm not aware.