Yet another birth certificate question...

Booked a last minute get away last week and now getting nervous about being able to board. We are sailing in 18 days and I realized my passport is expired. I also couldn't find my original birth certificate so I ordered an official copy from VitalChek. Received it today and it doesn't look like any I've had before. It is a "computer generated" copy but is printed on watermarked paper and is official.

Will this suffice? I will attach a photo of a sample.

Is there somewhere I can go prior to departure date to check that the port will accept it?

Thanks for all replies!

Booked a last minute get away last week and now getting nervous about being able to board. We are sailing in 18 days and I realized my passport is expired. I also couldn't find my original birth certificate so I ordered an official copy from VitalChek. Received it today and it doesn't look like any I've had before. It is a "computer generated" copy but is printed on watermarked paper and is official.

 

Will this suffice? I will attach a photo of a sample.

 

Is there somewhere I can go prior to departure date to check that the port will accept it?

 

Thanks for all replies!

It isn't the port that is the concern - it's the cruise line requirements relevant to the subsequent manifest that needs to be submitted to - and accepted by - the US Customs.

I would suggest calling the cruise line and discussing it with them directly.

VitalChek is an official agent for issuing birth certificates in most states, so there's no doubt about the authenticity or acceptability of the birth certificate you just received.

However, without knowing your itinerary and cruise line, no one can tell you whether the BC and a photo ID is acceptable documentation for boarding your cruise. Generally the BC and ID combination is acceptable for a US citizen on a closed loop Western Hemisphere cruise...but there are a few cruise lines that require a passport even when the law doesn't.

You can get a passport within two weeks of date of travel at your local passport office.

If you got the BC from Vital Check, it's fine...no worries!

You can get a passport within two weeks of date of travel at your local passport office.

Assuming you live near one. For me that would be an 8 hour drive one way.

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We use VitalChek to order the official copies of birth certificates for our kids when we applied for their passports. The state seal on the certificate is embossed, but you really have to feel for it to notice it (we're in Florida).

Thank you all for the replies! I will add some info - it's a 5 day from tampa to Cozumel and Grand cayman. I would do the passport but it's 5 hours away. I feel mostly confident the certificate I got will work, but appreciate all of the replies. Other than calling the cruise line is there a way for me to go to the cruise line in person so they can see it? Maybe I'm a bit paranoid but I just want the boarding process to go as smooth as possible day of. I don't know where I would go to check?

Thanks again all.

Thank you all for the replies! I will add some info - it's a 5 day from tampa to Cozumel and Grand cayman. I would do the passport but it's 5 hours away. I feel mostly confident the certificate I got will work, but appreciate all of the replies. Other than calling the cruise line is there a way for me to go to the cruise line in person so they can see it? Maybe I'm a bit paranoid but I just want the boarding process to go as smooth as possible day of. I don't know where I would go to check?

 

Thanks again all.

Instead of calling the cruiseline (they don't always know). Go to your closest International Airport (Tampa?). We've gone to the CBP office at LAX when we've had a question. We've even called them.

Thank you, I will look into this. Exactly the type of answer I was looking for :)

Instead of calling the cruiseline (they don't always know). Go to your closest International Airport (Tampa?). We've gone to the CBP office at LAX when we've had a question. We've even called them.

? international air travel requires a passport. They really don't care about birth certificates unless you get the one of the agents who gets assigned occasionally to a cruise port.

? international air travel requires a passport. They really don't care about birth certificates unless you get the one of the agents who gets assigned occasionally to a cruise port.

They would know the validity of the BC in question. We've asked the CBP agents non-air travel related questions and they have been very helpful.

If you are sailing on Royal Caribbean and as stated earlier it is a closed end trip. Meaning you start in Tampa and finish in Tampa. The BC and photo ID is good. Just did that trip and a friend of mine used his BC and photo ID.