Kids and Id's and Birth Certificates and Passports

This is the first time we are taking the kids on a cruise. My mom is coming as well. My mom and husband and I have passports. We are going to the bahamas. All of this is confusing to me. I read that all you need for the kids are birth certificates. My 19yr old has a drivers license. The 16 old I am going to take to get an ID before we go. As for the 14 and 10 yr old should I get a gov id ( apparently they offer this at the dmv) . I really dont want to purchase passports for this cruise. Maybe in the future if we do more with them then I will invest the money to get them. But do you think the id's and the birth certificates are good? And if the DMV doesnt offer id's to the younger two kids, will the birth certificate be enough?

thanks!

Though having a passport is really better, birth certificate is acceptable for closed loop cruise.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We just returned from taking two grand kids ages 8 and 10 . They had copies of birth certificates issued by county of birth place. Nothing else. No picture I.d. needed for them.

I took my daughter when she was younger and only needed her birth certificate. Once they turn 16 they need some kind of picture ID. The younger ones will be fine.

Candi

The only problem not having passport is should an emergency arise (illness etc) you won't be able to fly from a port back home without the passport.

We have been sailing with our kids for 11 years and the only ones who have passports are the ones who have flown to foreign countries. We do buy non-driver IDs for all of ours, even when they were babies. We just felt better having a photo ID linking them to their birth certificates. With that said, now we only have 4 of 8 kids still at home and only 3 are ages that don't qual for a 10yr passport, so we decided to go ahead and get passports for the last 4.

Id recommend at least taking photo ID with your birth certs, although they arent required until kids turn 16.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Forums mobile app

The only problem not having passport is should an emergency arise (illness etc) you won't be able to fly from a port back home without the passport.

This is not true -- Many have flown back without a passport, including myself when mine was stolen. It takes a bit of time but the time is hours not days or weeks like those "in the know" like to say here. It is more of a hassle to get a passport at times than to deal with the situation if you have to fly home when there is an emergency.

I believe everyone should have a passport but no judgments or false statements to those that don't feel the same way I do.

This is not true -- Many have flown back without a passport, including myself when mine was stolen. It takes a bit of time but the time is hours not days or weeks like those "in the know" like to say here. It is more of a hassle to get a passport at times than to deal with the situation if you have to fly home when there is an emergency.

 

I believe everyone should have a passport but no judgments or false statements to those that don't feel the same way I do.

It can take days. There is a difference between replacing a stolen passport and acquiring a new passport. You also need the US Consulate to be open and you need to be able to get there. Everything depends on where and when.

While they may not be needed, having the government (DVM) issued photo IDs for the younger children is a good idea.

If something should happen on an island, the ability to link the children to you as a parent through the ID and birth certificate might come in handy.

This is not true -- Many have flown back without a passport, including myself when mine was stolen. It takes a bit of time but the time is hours not days or weeks like those "in the know" like to say here. It is more of a hassle to get a passport at times than to deal with the situation if you have to fly home when there is an emergency.

 

I believe everyone should have a passport but no judgments or false statements to those that don't feel the same way I do.

What is the hassle of getting a passport, filling out the form, taking a picture, or writing a check. I would like to know how you did this in hours as the U.S. consulate or Embassy is the only way to get back onto a flight. Your story sounds fishy

OP, your kids under 16 do not need a photo ID, only their birth certificates. Yes, there might be some delay involved if you had to come back early but the risk for most is very low so it depends on if you are willing to accept that risk.

Coevan- Exactly lol....better to be safe than sorry I say....I found this in a google....If you need a medical evacuation and don't have a passport, the nearest US consulate or embassy will need to essentially issue you a temporary passport. This could take days.

I personally would not risk a thing, anything can happen in these days and best to be safe than sorry....but OP is entitled of course to think its not necessary.

It can take days. There is a difference between replacing a stolen passport and acquiring a new passport. You also need the US Consulate to be open and you need to be able to get there. Everything depends on where and when.

Yes, it can take days but chances are it won't.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2544751

Yes, it can take days but chances are it won't.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2544751

When I lost my passport in Germany, it took 3 days for me to get a new one. And that was in the city where one of the consulates was, during the week, not summertime.

Passports were a formality in the Reagan Era. You could drop your paperwork and return after lunch and pick it up. Thirty Bucks! After HRC became Secretary the prices skyrocketed and wait times were introduced to give her bloated staff something to do. Visa were either not needed or gratis for Americans. No more. Mrs Clinton raised the visa fee for foreigners to $160 each to file the paperwork and then deny most of the applications for tourists. Now places like Brazil, Russia, China, and India do the same to Americans.

If I had four kids I would balk at passports if they seldom traveled. A certified copy of a birth certificate is fine.

When I lost my passport in Germany, it took 3 days for me to get a new one. And that was in the city where one of the consulates was, during the week, not summertime.

Yes and Germany is not in the area covered by the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. They have to have a procedure to get US citizens home from those ports that do not have a State Department presence, which is most of them (ports that may visited without a passport, unlike countries in Europe). The easiest procedure is to put them on a plane back to the States and then sort them out at secondary inspection, which was the procedure followed by the OP in the thread I cited. Of course if you miss the ship and wanted to possibly catch up to it you wouldn't be allowed to do that, but for returning home it's a different story.

Passports were a formality in the Reagan Era. You could drop your paperwork and return after lunch and pick it up. Thirty Bucks! After HRC became Secretary the prices skyrocketed and wait times were introduced to give her bloated staff something to do. Visa were either not needed or gratis for Americans. No more. Mrs Clinton raised the visa fee for foreigners to $160 each to file the paperwork and then deny most of the applications for tourists. Now places like Brazil, Russia, China, and India do the same to Americans.

 

If I had four kids I would balk at passports if they seldom traveled. A certified copy of a birth certificate is fine.

Since passports are only used by a limited number of citizens the costs of producing them must be passed on to those who apply for them, which is a law that was passed back in George W. Bush's term (I believe, my memory may be rusty). Passports have been $110 for quite some time now, long before she was SecState.

We just sailed to the bahamas with 3 under 16 and certified birth certificates were just fine. At check in, they did ask if the 15 year old had her school id but she didnt and it still wasnt an issue. I think at 16 is when they start to require some form of photo ID.

If concerned about the lack of a photo ID for those 15 and under try contacting your county's sheriff department. Many as part of The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children participate in the Child ID project or the McGruff Ident-A-Kid program, have "official" looking info cards. Some will have a free take home or will mail DIY kits, some will direct you to community event or the the local police to have one done in person.

Though really not a true ID (but officials in other country's may not know), as it does not require any personal verification beyond a parent's wordl. Nor is it registered with any agency unless the parent puts it on file, many kits provide a parent or guardian a card that can be laminated including a current picture of the child. Some may add things like a place for fingerprints since the program was original intend to be a quick way for a parent of a lost or abducted child to provide concise yet quick set of base info to get a search or investigation started.

Only 16 and over need a PHOTO ID...the younger kids only need their BC.

You do not need ID for kids under 16. Birth certificate works, both parents traveling, so notarized permissions not needed.

Passport cards are cheap-ish and valid for your cruise. Should someone get hurt and need to fly home instead of cruise home is where you have the issue.

I own both passport card and passport but my family only has passports. We travel a lot. It’s expensive when it comes time to renew.

I considered not renewing their passports for our upcoming cruise but since sports have them traveling outside the country, it’s just easier to have them.

It’s a personal choice of convenience to you.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is the first time we are taking the kids on a cruise. My mom is coming as well. My mom and husband and I have passports. We are going to the bahamas. All of this is confusing to me. I read that all you need for the kids are birth certificates. My 19yr old has a drivers license. The 16 old I am going to take to get an ID before we go. As for the 14 and 10 yr old should I get a gov id ( apparently they offer this at the dmv) . I really dont want to purchase passports for this cruise. Maybe in the future if we do more with them then I will invest the money to get them. But do you think the id's and the birth certificates are good? And if the DMV doesnt offer id's to the younger two kids, will the birth certificate be enough?

 

thanks!

The first time my kids joined us, my older two had state issued id’s from the DMV and their birth certificate (Carnival required both) and my younger two (both under 8) had just birth certificates. Now we have passport cards for all the kids, which I prefer.

The first time my kids joined us, my older two had state issued id’s from the DMV and their birth certificate (Carnival required both) and my younger two (both under 8) had just birth certificates. Now we have passport cards for all the kids, which I prefer.

Why just the passport cards and not the passports?

Why just the passport cards and not the passports?

It was the cost of the passports and the fact that they expire sooner than adults. We have zero plans to do any kind of international travel before they turn 16.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you all for responding. I am going to get the 16 yr old a photo ID and just bring the BC's. We also decided to make this a b2b cruise added three days on. So excited can't wait to take the kids and my mom!!