Please confirm necessary documentation for me!

We're leaving on Freedom on Sunday. We all have passports. Do we need our birth certificates for anything if we have passports?

We're leaving on Freedom on Sunday. We all have passports. Do we need our birth certificates for anything if we have passports?

Passports are all you need. No reason for birth certificates or anything else. Always a good idea to have anorher form of picture ID to use in ports, but all you actually need is passport.

Nope.

No other paperwork is needed. Just your cruise docs. Enjoy...

Photo ID (drivers license), I believe. If you have had a name change (recent marriage, adoption, etc .) and new name doesn't match with the passport you need something (copy of court Order, etc.) that proves the name change and why it doesn't match. I think that's it but hopefully someone else will chime in. Have a great trip !!!

Great. Thanks for all of the replies.

It depends. If all travelers are 18 or over, no. If a parent is traveling with his/her minor child and the last names are different, then you should carry the birth certificate of the minor and additional documentation (if necessary) to show that the adult is the parent. It's in the Guest Vacation Document.

Yup, passports and just the first page of your set sail pass.

Enjoy your cruise! :)

I take 2 copies of the first page of our passports. I leave one at home with some one who has a fax. The other I put in a separate place from my real one. For example the passports in my purse, a copy in my DH's carry on.

I do this because once in the shuffle inside of the cruise terminal; show it to the person at the door, show it to the person who tells you where to line up, show it to the person who gives you your cabin card, show it as you board. I thought I lost it. I had it up until the very last step. They were going to let me get on the ship because they knew they saw it three times already and I had a drivers license, but I would not be allowed off the ship at the ports. If they did not find it in the terminal I would have problems when I returned.

I found it once I was on the ship, it had fallen into a weird little pocket where the handle of my suitcase attached to the bag. But if I did not have it at the point you get your cruise card I doubt they would have allowed me to board.

I take 2 copies of the first page of our passports. I leave one at home with some one who has a fax. The other I put in a separate place from my real one. For example the passports in my purse, a copy in my DH's carry on.

 

I do this because once in the shuffle inside of the cruise terminal; show it to the person at the door, show it to the person who tells you where to line up, show it to the person who gives you your cabin card, show it as you board. I thought I lost it. I had it up until the very last step. They were going to let me get on the ship because they knew they saw it three times already and I had a drivers license, but I would not be allowed off the ship at the ports. If they did not find it in the terminal I would have problems when I returned.

 

I found it once I was on the ship, it had fallen into a weird little pocket where the handle of my suitcase attached to the bag. But if I did not have it at the point you get your cruise card I doubt they would have allowed me to board.

Wow, I have only had to show our passports upon entering the terminal, and

at check in counter, along with that first copy of the set sail pass.

It depends. If all travelers are 18 or over, no. If a parent is traveling with his/her minor child and the last names are different, then you should carry the birth certificate of the minor and additional documentation (if necessary) to show that the adult is the parent. It's in the Guest Vacation Document.

2 minor children, same last names and traveling with both parents, so I guess we're good with their passports.

We're leaving on Freedom on Sunday. We all have passports. Do we need our birth certificates for anything if we have passports?

Might I suggest a picture ID as well as your passport.. Documents for recent name changes if necessary.. Seapass and those items, you should be good to go..

Passport. Credit card. That is all you need. Might be a "slight bit" quicker if you have your set sail pass. But if you have passport & credit card, you're all set!

So just to clarify...if you have a valid passport you don't need your drivers license to board?

I've been meaning to get my address updated on my DL to match what is on our registration (we recently moved) but haven't got around to it and it isn't a state requirement.

So just to clarify...if you have a valid passport you don't need your drivers license to board?... .

Correct.

So just to clarify...if you have a valid passport you don't need your drivers license to board?

 

I've been meaning to get my address updated on my DL to match what is on our registration (we recently moved) but haven't got around to it and it isn't a state requirement.

Correct.

Absolutely correct. (as an answer to your question)

But I will also answer a question that you didn't ask.

In some ports (not all, and *which ones* can change/vary), when you return to the ship to re-board, local officers will want to see your SeaPass card AND a form of photo government-issued ID. I prefer to use my driver's license for those ports; I leave my passport locked in the safe on the ship.

:)

You only NEED passports, but take your DL's...they are easier to carry ashore. You should ALWAYS have ID on you!

So just to clarify...if you have a valid passport you don't need your drivers license to board?

 

I've been meaning to get my address updated on my DL to match what is on our registration (we recently moved) but haven't got around to it and it isn't a state requirement.

It's always a good idea to bring a picture ID, besides your passport. Leave the passport in your safe and carry your ID on and off the ship. If you lose your passport when you are off the ship and have no other form of identification you may be stuck.

No other paperwork is needed. Just your cruise docs. Enjoy...

What do you need cruise docs for? I've never needed them for anything. Perhaps you meant set sail pass?

The DH and I take our passports AND our passport cards. We like using the passport

cards as photo ID when we go ashore into port versus the DL along with the sea pass

card. Slips easily together into a pocket. :)

Passport. Credit card. That is all you need. Might be a "slight bit" quicker if you have your set sail pass. But if you have passport & credit card, you're all set!

Just holds up the line just that much more. Yippee! :eek:

I would never consider not taking my set sail pass, it is only one page to

print ahead of time. Anything that can make the boarding just that much

easier works for me. There is a reason the Port Authority screams out

"Have your Set Sail pass AND Passport out PLEASE!!".

Just holds up the line just that much more. Yippee! :eek:

 

I would never consider not taking my set sail pass, it is only one page to

print ahead of time. Anything that can make the boarding just that much

easier works for me. There is a reason the Port Authority screams out

"Have your Set Sail pass AND Passport out PLEASE!!".

I don't think it was in any way a suggestion to not take your set sail pass. It's just a fact that you don't have to have that with you in order to get on-board the ship. So, if it gets lost somehow, it's not something to panic about. They'll take care of it at check-in.

So, yes, have it and your passport out and ready to speed things along, but don't panic or even stress a little bit, if you find out you're missing the Set Sail Pass. :cool:

I don't think it was in any way a suggestion to not take your set sail pass. It's just a fact that you don't have to have that with you in order to get on-board the ship. So, if it gets lost somehow, it's not something to panic about. They'll take care of it at check-in.

 

So, yes, have it and your passport out and ready to speed things along, but don't panic or even stress a little bit, if you find out you're missing the Set Sail Pass. :cool:

Thanks! :) Totally agree. If you forget or lose your set sail pass, you can still

board the ship as long as you have your passport. But that would be just in that

situation, and not the norm as you pointed out.

I was just trying to point out to the OP, who is obviously new to cruising, that

they should indeed have it with them as is requested.

Just holds up the line just that much more. Yippee! :eek:

 

I would never consider not taking my set sail pass, it is only one page to

print ahead of time. Anything that can make the boarding just that much

easier works for me. There is a reason the Port Authority screams out

"Have your Set Sail pass AND Passport out PLEASE!!".

I was leaving on Allure two years ago and managed to leave my set sail pass in the rental car. It took me no longer to check in than my travel mates who had their's as they checked in next to me.

I suspect we will see them disappear completely in the next few years. Just a big waste of paper anyhow. I can fly all over the world, check in and out of hotels, rent cars, buy meals and services, and never need to deal with paper. The cruise lines will catch up soon.

I was leaving on Allure two years ago and managed to leave my set sail pass in the rental car. It took me no longer to check in than my travel mates who had their's as they checked in next to me.

 

I suspect we will see them disappear completely in the next few years. Just a big waste of paper anyhow. I can fly all over the world, check in and out of hotels, rent cars, buy meals and services, and never need to deal with paper. The cruise lines will catch up soon.

You are absolutely right, and I agree. But until then...... ;)