Jump to content

Passport / Birth Certificate


jmm881
 Share

Recommended Posts

We are traveling on January 11th to the Bahamas.

 

My folks were going to watch our kids. They may not be able to. I have called Carnival and there is room to add them to our cruise for extra $$ (of course).

 

But I'd either have to drive to a passport agency and rush a passport, or travel with just birth certificates. Anyone have any experience?!?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lots of people travel on closed loop cruises with just birth certificates.

It is not a problem.

 

Cruised many times with just BC. Finally got passports except for our youngest. We got her a passport card. Just as easy to cruise with PP or a BC. Of course I’m not a worry wart about these things, and we have the resources to get her back to the states if anything happens. YMMV.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are traveling on January 11th to the Bahamas.

 

My folks were going to watch our kids. They may not be able to. I have called Carnival and there is room to add them to our cruise for extra $$ (of course).

 

But I'd either have to drive to a passport agency and rush a passport, or travel with just birth certificates. Anyone have any experience?!?

 

We've traveled with just birth certificates for the kids (and ourselves with our government issued ID) and many do.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Many people travel with just their BCs. It won't impact your trip as far as Ports. The only issue you could run into is if there is an emergency and you need to travel home from a port rather than with the ship. It isn't quite as easy with a BC instead of a passport but not impossible to get home.

 

Depending on your children's ages I might go ahead and get them passports just because they are great to have. If it isn't in the budget or would cause undue stress I would simply use the BCs.

 

Husband and I travel on passports but our children still travel with their BCs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cruised many times with just BC. Finally got passports except for our youngest. We got her a passport card. Just as easy to cruise with PP or a BC. Of course I’m not a worry wart about these things, and we have the resources to get her back to the states if anything happens. YMMV.

 

Agree on the passport card. It might also be useful in airports going forward for id.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you have to "rush", just use the BC....if you send it in to get the passport, and the passports DON'T come in time, you'll be rushing to get another BC copy! There is NO issue doing closed-loop Caribbean/Bermuda trips with a BC.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agree on the passport card. It might also be useful in airports going forward for id.

 

We are definitely ordering passports for the kids; actually my 7 year old's expires right before we go (of course). But we never got them for the other two.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you have to "rush", just use the BC....if you send it in to get the passport, and the passports DON'T come in time, you'll be rushing to get another BC copy! There is NO issue doing closed-loop Caribbean/Bermuda trips with a BC.

 

Ya, w'ed have to go to the passport agency to get one in time. And spend a small fortune; which we will do if we have to.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are traveling on January 11th to the Bahamas.

 

My folks were going to watch our kids. They may not be able to. I have called Carnival and there is room to add them to our cruise for extra $$ (of course).

 

But I'd either have to drive to a passport agency and rush a passport, or travel with just birth certificates. Anyone have any experience?!?

 

 

 

We've only traveled with BC for our kids, passports for us. No problem, you can still get off in port. We even went to the passport only lines upon disembarking and had no issues.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agree on the passport card. It might also be useful in airports going forward for id.

 

 

This is not correct. A passport card is for entering Mexico, Canada, or the Caribbean by land or sea. Many Captains in St.Thomas who travel 5-6 days a week to BVI use passport cards. The are useless for flying

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is not correct. A passport card is for entering Mexico, Canada, or the Caribbean by land or sea. Many Captains in St.Thomas who travel 5-6 days a week to BVI use passport cards. The are useless for flying

They will work for domestic flights where certain state's DL won't meet the new requirements. That's exactly why I got a card along with my Passport renewal - so I don't have to worry about it when flying domestically. I believe that's what the poster was saying.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are traveling on January 11th to the Bahamas.

 

My folks were going to watch our kids. They may not be able to. I have called Carnival and there is room to add them to our cruise for extra $$ (of course).

 

But I'd either have to drive to a passport agency and rush a passport, or travel with just birth certificates. Anyone have any experience?!?

You dont need a passport.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just make sure the BCs are the official state original copies.

 

I lost my PP a couple of days before a cruise once and was able to use my DL and BC just fine. I left my BC in the cabin and brought my DL with me in ports.

 

Have a great cruise!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Passports are not needed for close looped cruises embarking and ending at a same us port.... No air travel is involved folks...so lets not confuse the posters any further. He asked a question and we provided a answer. As for the Enhanced License requirement (for air travel ID)....I think every state has a waiver until the end of this year (who haven't yet fully complied)...meaning regular drivers licenses are accepted for ID for flights out of a state which has enacted the enhanced License

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Word to the wise... make sure the BC is government issued and not hospital issued. I recently had to respond to a health insurance audit and prove that our daughter is our daughter to the insurance company (don't get me started, but at least I was not alone.)

 

The only BC we ever had for her was given at birth by the hospital, and it was unacceptable for insurance... had to get certified copy. Not sure if cruise lines accept a hospital BC or not, but I would make sure the BC you're going to use is government issued.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If I was in your shoes I would not go crazy and have the added expense of trying to get the kids passports for such a close travel date.

 

We are a family of 10 and have gotten passports 1 or 2 at a time over the past 9 years as the need arose. We just got the last ones done a couple of weeks ago. Now our entire family has them and they dont all expire during the same year, which is very helpful.

 

We have taken lots of cruises during the time that we didnt all have passports and have not had any problems with the ones who used birth certificates. Like I said, if I were you, I wouldnt rush passports, but if it isnt much trouble for you then go for it.

 

Wishing you a fun vacation even though it isnt how you originally planned.

 

Sent from my SM-N920V using Forums mobile app

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Word to the wise... make sure the BC is government issued and not hospital issued. ........ Not sure if cruise lines accept a hospital BC or not, but I would make sure the BC you're going to use is government issued.

 

Carnival Cruise line DOES NOT accept hospital issued birth certificates. these are also know as souvenir birth certificates It is made very clear on their website.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Real ID Act requires states to collect certain information to prove who you are to issue a driver's license. Some large blue states have been exempted for a decade now, but that ship is docking soon. For travel with kids a government issued birth certificate is generally enough, so the original poster has no worries.

 

For air travel (a possibility for cruise passengers) a Real ID will soon be the ONLY acceptable proof of identify. Many state driver's licenses comply. The gold standard is a passport, followed by a passport card (which have little use outside a few countries), then a Global Entry card. Since most kids don't have a driver's license, a passport is the simplest way to travel. It will give peace of mind if an unexpected event arises and you need alternative transportation.

 

Have fun on your cruise!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Passports are not needed for close looped cruises embarking and ending at a same us port.... No air travel is involved folks...so lets not confuse the posters any further. He asked a question and we provided a answer. As for the Enhanced License requirement (for air travel ID)....I think every state has a waiver until the end of this year (who haven't yet fully complied)...meaning regular drivers licenses are accepted for ID for flights out of a state which has enacted the enhanced License

 

And let's not confuse the issue even further by using inexact terms like "Enhanced License". What you are talking about are licenses that are compliant with the REAL ID act. An Enhanced Drivers License is a different animal completely that acts as a stand alone document to prove citizenship and ID, similar to a passport card, and is only issued by 5 states. A drivers license that is REAL ID compliant does not do this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just talked to Carnival about this and they said if you are married and your name is different make sure to bring you marriage certificate as well. We are planning on travel just with our birth certificates.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My family just had an emergency debarkation in Nassau last week. We all had passports, so it was no issue. Carnival handled everything immigration related for us. While we were waiting for the port agent to pick us up, we talked a bit with guest services about what would have happened had we not had passports. Turns out, not much. There is a US Embassy in Nassau. We would have had to apply for emergency passports which would have been issued immediately. The delays occur when there is no embassy, or it is closed for holiday, etc.

 

I would be comfortable traveling to the Bahamas with just a BC.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...