Passport ... Hot Topic

No one is forcing anyone to read this thread. If someone doesn't like what they are reading, all they have to do is take the initiative to not read it any longer. Problem solved. Unless you are being held prisoner and being forced to read these posts against your will, complaining that you don't like the content of some posts is pretty ridiculous. JUST STOP READING THEM!

 

You may wondering: "Why are you reading this thread?" I have had a passport for more than 50 years now. Since I prefer to be prepared rather than thrifty, I find it very entertaining how defensive some people get when making their excuses for why they don't have a passport. :p

 

And from my observation, it appears that the person complaining the most about this topic is YOU! :rolleyes:

I agree with that poster 100% (and have a passport), there are very good reasons why folks choose not to cruise with passports, but people like yourself come off condescending and rude. Wasn’t that a question, why not have passports? That PP gave a valid reason. Why spend $1000 for one trip that doesn’t even require a passport? It’s pretty simple.

So, you would really be relaxed and enjoying your cruise, knowing you house had burned down? REALLY??

 

OK.

 

MOST people would want to get home. You are right, it really doesn't make that much difference, but they would still want to get there.

The HYPOtHETICals are so easy. the real life event s maybe not quit e as easy.

Well, because this thread is going the same way as the other threads. Person asks if they can cruise without a passport and gets berated with accusations that they are cheap, going to stiff the cruise staff, going to buy 1 beverage package and share among 4 people. And told that in fact, they can’t afford to cruise so they should cancel and stay home to save money. then they are told that there’s a 50/50 chance that they will have an emergency mid cruise, need to fly home, and will be stuck in a horrible place for an indefinite amount of time due to not having passports.

 

Overall these threads get very personal and insulting when all the person is doing is making a choice that the US government and cruise line allows them to make.

 

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Silly me, I forgot this is Cruise Critic...... around here asking "What's 1 + 1?" can turn into a "Hot Topic":D

I agree with that poster 100% (and have a passport), there are very good reasons why folks choose not to cruise with passports, but people like yourself come off condescending and rude. Wasn’t that a question, why not have passports? That PP gave a valid reason. Why spend $1000 for one trip that doesn’t even require a passport? It’s pretty simple.

To paraphrase a line from the movie Apocalypse Now, "I love the smell of lecturing in the morning." :rolleyes: ;p

Thanks for justifying my comment "I find it very entertaining how defensive some people get ......". You just proved my point perfectly! Hilarious! :')

The person I quoted used the $1,000 figure, no mention was made it it was for 1 or 5 or 10 family members. So, not being an American and not familiar with the costs of U.S. passports I asked a simple question. I'm happy for you that it's not $1,000 each. If you can cruise without passports, good for you. That brings me to another simple question, for people who travel without passports and are happy to do so, why would they care one lick what any other people thought of their choice? I.E. Why is this a "Hot Topic?"

I don't care one lick what any other people thought of my choice but I have done a lot of research on the topic and want to share what I know with others so they can make an informed decision.

To paraphrase a line from the movie Apocalypse Now, "I love the smell of lecturing in the morning." :rolleyes: ;p

 

Thanks for justifying my comment "I find it very entertaining how defensive some people get ......". You just proved my point perfectly! Hilarious! :')

Why does she need to be defensive, she has a passport.

No one is forcing anyone to read this thread. If someone doesn't like what they are reading, all they have to do is take the initiative to not read it any longer. Problem solved. Unless you are being held prisoner and being forced to read these posts against your will, complaining that you don't like the content of some posts is pretty ridiculous. JUST STOP READING THEM!

 

You may wondering: "Why are you reading this thread?" I have had a passport for more than 50 years now. Since I prefer to be prepared rather than thrifty, I find it very entertaining how defensive some people get when making their excuses for why they don't have a passport. :p

 

And from my observation, it appears that the person complaining the most about this topic is YOU! :rolleyes:

I’m not sure why you replied this to me. Someone asked a question and I answered. Not complaining. I find a lot of people who respond to this topic very condescending but it really doesn’t affect me. I do have a passport and am very well traveled, but I know many people that don’t and aren’t. They aren’t bad people, cheap people, poor people, or the many other ridiculous insults being thrown at them.

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Why does she need to be defensive, she has a passport.

You clearly didn't understand the context of my comment. Perhaps you are being a bit defensive as well?

You do seem to be pretty defensive about supporting any and all reasons for not getting a passport, almost as if it's an obsession, which it certainly seems to be. You posted 25 times on this thread alone! And many, many posts on past threads, all defending reasons for not getting a passport. We get what you think already. No need to beat your dead horse.

Besides, yours isn't the only opinion worth considering.

To paraphrase a line from the movie Apocalypse Now, "I love the smell of lecturing in the morning." :rolleyes: ;p

 

Thanks for justifying my comment "I find it very entertaining how defensive some people get ......". You just proved my point perfectly! Hilarious! :')

The OP’s question:

Yes. I am curious, specifically, the opposition people have with passports. Is it a big brother is watching/tracking me thing? Is it a 3rd reich "let me see your papers!" thing? I am wondering.

Not planning on traveling internationally any time soon, and preferring not to spend money on something not needed, is a pretty valid reason not to get passports. Even though my family has passports, that doesn’t cause me to be so closed minded as to realize that everyone’s circumstances are different.

I’m not sure why you replied this to me........

Because you were commenting about all the negative things that people write on these boards. I was trying to save you some stress in your life. I am only trying to prevent you from a heart attack from getting worked up over comments you don't like. You know, like a public service announcement. :halo:

It is the "self reliance, personal responsibility" personalities vs the "someone else will save me" personalities clash.

Sorry, that is an offensive comment. Nothing to do with personality. If you travel outside the US you should have a passport.

Because you were commenting about all the negative things that people write on these boards. I was trying to save you some stress in your life. I am only trying to prevent you from a heart attack from getting worked up over comments you don't like. You know, like a public service announcement. :halo:

No need. Not stressed. Not worked up. Just answering a question and pointing out that your viewpoint isn’t the only valid one. Do see that that’s going in one ear and out the other though.

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You clearly didn't understand the context of my comment. Perhaps you are being a bit defensive as well?

 

You do seem to be pretty defensive about supporting any and all reasons for not getting a passport, almost as if it's an obsession, which it certainly seems to be. You posted 25 times on this thread alone! And many, many posts on past threads, all defending reasons for not getting a passport. We get what you think already. No need to beat your dead horse.

 

Besides, yours isn't the only opinion worth considering.

I have never said that my opinion is the only one worth considering. The only way anyone making the decision is going to get all the information is if the question is fully and fairly debated. I present one side, other people present another. Sorry my frequent posts on the topic upset you. If other people can beat their dead horse I can certainly beat mine. If someone quotes me and challenges something I wrote I will respond and of course it will be a defense of what I write, same as with anyone else defending their opinion.

In the UK a passport has become the best accepted method of ID for opening bank accounts etc.. It is now also linked to your driving licence photo (the other main form of accepted ID). We do not have national identity cards.

 

Would this also be the same in the US? Do you have a national identity card (I believe not)?

 

Just curious.

I'm not sure what you mean by National ID card. But the majority of the US population have drivers licenses and those that don't drive, usually get a picture ID. It looks (or at least it used to) a driver's license but it's used only for ID. But still ... I am sure it's NOT everyone in the US, I am NOT saying it is. :D

In the UK a passport has become the best accepted method of ID for opening bank accounts etc.. It is now also linked to your driving licence photo (the other main form of accepted ID). We do not have national identity cards.

 

Would this also be the same in the US? Do you have a national identity card (I believe not)?

 

Just curious.

State issued drivers licenses/ID cards are the recognized and commonly used picture ID. Even those that have passports usually don’t carry them around day to day.

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I'm not sure what you mean by National ID card. But the majority of the US population have drivers licenses and those that don't drive, usually get a picture ID. It looks (or at least it used to) a driver's license but it's used only for ID. But still ... I am sure it's NOT everyone in the US, I am NOT saying it is. :D

Many European countries have a national identity card. They tried to introduce one in the UK but there was public resistance and the government IT project was the usual expensive cluster**** so it never happened.

Yes. I am curious, specifically, the opposition people have with passports. Is it a big brother is watching/tracking me thing? Is it a 3rd reich "let me see your papers!" thing? I am wondering.

Believe it or not, passports are for everyones domestic protection on various fronts.

Sorry, that is an offensive comment. Nothing to do with personality. If you travel outside the US you should have a passport.

#triggered

I don't believe that paranoia over 'big brother' or having other issues about losing privacy by having a passport is the reason that most people don't have one.

I think it is usually one or more of the issues listed below, with the above coming in a very distant last.

1. People who rarely if ever travel outside of the country. You'd be surprised how many this encompasses. I even know people who have never been out of our state.

2. Ignorance about how a passport is used, when it is needed and reasons to get one. Also pure laziness or fallure to get it done on time.

3. Money issue: If you are buying them for a lot of people, this adds up. For those who rarely travel or especially cruise in areas a passport is not needed, yes, the money does count. This was our situation when traveling with 7 grandkids. I actually think this may be the largest issue.

We do have passports and have for many years.

On this board alone a search will turn up at least two incidents of entire ship manifests having to return to the US by means other than the ship on which they departed. In none of those thousands of cases were people required to seek a consulate and wait to obtain a passport.

 

Further investigation will turn up numerous reports of individuals forced to return due to an emergency of one sort or another who did so without a passport. Again, many of these people did not need to travel to a US consulate to seek a passport.

 

The logic regarding the vacation cost percentage having to be calculated over ten future years reminds me of politicians who budget based on anticipated economic growth. I suspect that anticipated vacation costs are similarly prone to overly optimistic predictions.

 

 

 

Yes.

 

I guess there are those who refuse to accept that not everyone is an avid cruiser or international traveller.

 

 

If one only needs to use a passport once, it doesn't matter if the passport is good for an additional 10 years.

In all of the cases where ships returned due to an emergency to a different port, Customs Agents were brought onto the ships the day before as the ships limped home. I haven't seen one verfied story where Customs regulations where lift for an individual traveler/family due to a personal emergency. When a whole ship is involved, the cruiseline foots the bill to expediate return of passengers.

In all of the cases where ships returned due to an emergency to a different port, Customs Agents were brought onto the ships the day before as the ships limped home. I haven't seen one verfied story where Customs regulations where lift for an individual traveler/family due to a personal emergency. When a whole ship is involved, the cruiseline foots the bill to expediate return of passengers.

There are provisions in the regulations to waive the requirements in the event of an emergency or for humanitarian reasons. There was a recent thread where someone posted about returning from a cruise to Mexico by air without a passport and while it might not meet your definition of "verified" it is a credible first person account. It is not the point of the regulations to allow people to travel without a passport under certain circumstances only to allow them to be stranded if something goes wrong.

In all of the cases where ships returned due to an emergency to a different port, Customs Agents were brought onto the ships the day before as the ships limped home. I haven't seen one verfied story where Customs regulations where lift for an individual traveler/family due to a personal emergency. When a whole ship is involved, the cruiseline foots the bill to expediate return of passengers.

Gem.