uggg, please don't hate me..

LOL, I know this question is brought up a lot here but I have a very specific concern I need put to rest.

I have just booked my whole family (my self, wife, 3 kids and my parents) on the carnival Magic leaving port canaveral traveling to Mexico, Rotan, Beliz then back to port canaveral.

While all adults DO have passports my kids age 9,6 and 1 do not, Yes I have read and even called carnival and was told all the kids would need is a birth certificate, BUT my real question is...

For those of you who took their children on cruises with only a birth certificate, was there any issues AT ALL when trying to get back to the ship at the ports of call?

I am not worried about getting back through customs in the US, what I'm worried about is taking my kids to shore in Mexico, or Belize or some place and having issue getting back in.. I take it we would need to carry their birth certificate with us at each port of call?

Thanks for your patents, Its just a concern of mine as if they ned passports I only have 2 months to get them.

Tommy

LOL, I know this question is brought up a lot here but I have a very specific concern I need put to rest.

 

I have just booked my whole family (my self, wife, 3 kids and my parents) on the carnival Magic leaving port canaveral traveling to Mexico, Rotan, Beliz then back to port canaveral.

 

While all adults DO have passports my kids age 9,6 and 1 do not, Yes I have read and even called carnival and was told all the kids would need is a birth certificate, BUT my real question is...

 

For those of you who took their children on cruises with only a birth certificate, was there any issues AT ALL when trying to get back to the ship at the ports of call?

 

I am not worried about getting back through customs in the US, what I'm worried about is taking my kids to shore in Mexico, or Belize or some place and having issue getting back in.. I take it we would need to carry their birth certificate with us at each port of call?

 

Thanks for your patents, Its just a concern of mine as if they ned passports I only have 2 months to get them.

 

Tommy

Tommy,

I cannot directly answer your question, since our kids are adults now and have passports.

I understand that technically, you can probably manage without passports for a cruise that starts and ends in the USA.

However, should any emergency arise and you had to leave the ship in a foreign port or leave the cruise for any reason, you would have major problems getting a passport.

My advice is to get the passports. You can probably get them from your local post office. I know it is expensive, but if you have more foreign travel with the kids, the passports will be needed.

The only problem would be if you have to fly. This can be due to a missed ship, illness or accident involving someone in your party, emergency at home, etc. You would need to get passports before you could get on a flight back to the US. This rarely happens, but it could.

To answer your question directly we never had an issue getting our kids back onboard and did not carry their birth certificate aboard with them. All they needed was their cabin card if they were under 16, 16 and older needed a photo ID and cabin card to make it through port security.

Our kids sailed Carnival without passports last year without any issues. You don't need to take their birth certificate off the ship. We locked ours in the safe and left them. Only their sail & sign card is needed to get off/on at ports

Absolutely not. No one is required to carry their proof of citizenship off on ports of call. Even though we have passports we leave them in the safe instead of taking them in port with us (usually doing a water excursion and don't want to get them wet). While adults should take photo id with them, all you and the kids need to get back onto the ship is your sea pass card. When they scan it their name and picture will pop up on the screen for identification.

The 'to passport or not to passport argument' is only about if you need to fly home mid cruise due to missing the ship or a medical/family emergency. At this point I wouldn't change a passport application. You have to mail your birth certificate in and w 2 months to go, if there was any holdup at the passport office or in mail you'd be looking at a real possibility of having neither.

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Absolutely not. No one is required to carry their proof of citizenship off on ports of call. Even though we have passports we leave them in the safe instead of taking them in port with us (usually doing a water excursion and don't want to get them wet). While adults should take photo id with them, all you and the kids need to get back onto the ship is your sea pass card. When they scan it their name and picture will pop up on the screen for identification.

While our daughter is an adult, she did take a passport for her daughter when visiting these ports. This was just in case of emergencies.

There are two types of passports. If you aren't going to be using a passport for your children very much, a passport card can be obtained for a much smaller price than the regular book passport. The card passport is only good in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, if I recall correctly.

It's better to be safe than sorry.

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You NEVER take your passports off the ship in the Caribbean. I have heard many cruise directors saying this from the stage in the theater. We have been on over 100 cruises and our passports go into our safe until we get off the ship. All you need to get back on the ship is your sign 'n sail card and, for adults, a diver's license or some form of ID. Older kids can use their school ID's which usually has their pictures on it.

I don't know about younger kids but just ask how they get back on- probably with you and their sign 'n sail card- nothing else.

We just got back from a cruise to Mexico with Carnival last week. Our passports had expired a few months ago and we did not renew them. So, we just traveled with birth certificates and drivers licenses (for those of us old enough to have them). I traveled with my five children and we all got off in Mexico in both Cozumel and Progresso. We didn't have to show anything other than our ship fun pass. We had zero problems getting back on the ship at either port. Everything was seamless....

Our kids sailed Carnival without passports last year without any issues. You don't need to take their birth certificate off the ship. We locked ours in the safe and left them. Only their sail & sign card is needed to get off/on at ports

you locked the kids in the safe? Only teasing...but words do have meaning.:D

Hank

I've also cruised with children who did not have passports. We had no issues and again, just needed their ship cards to reboard the ship.

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There are two types of passports. If you aren't going to be using a passport for your children very much, a passport card can be obtained for a much smaller price than the regular book passport. The card passport is only good in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, if I recall correctly.

According to the State Department web site, the passport card "can only be used to re-enter the United States at land border crossings and sea ports-of-entry from:

• Canada
  
• Mexico
  
• The Caribbean
  
• Bermuda
  

And: The passport card cannot be used for international air travel."

More info here: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/information/card.html

You will have NO issues with only BC in the Caribbean. NONE of the Caribbean countries require passports AT ALL from cruisers.

you locked the kids in the safe? Only teasing...but words do have meaning.:D

 

Hank

Of course, that would obviate any of OP's concerns re: getting the kids back aboard ship.

. . .

 

For those of you who took their children on cruises with only a birth certificate, was there any issues AT ALL when trying to get back to the ship at the ports of call?

 

. . .

There is never any need to take your passports off the ship in the ports you are visiting. No one ever looks at them.

The children need nothing but their ship card to return to the ship.

Tommy,

I cannot directly answer your question, since our kids are adults now and have passports.

 

I understand that technically, you can probably manage without passports for a cruise that starts and ends in the USA.

 

However, should any emergency arise and you had to leave the ship in a foreign port or leave the cruise for any reason, you would have major problems getting a passport.

 

My advice is to get the passports. You can probably get them from your local post office. I know it is expensive, but if you have more foreign travel with the kids, the passports will be needed.

The only problem would be if you have to fly. This can be due to a missed ship, illness or accident involving someone in your party, emergency at home, etc. You would need to get passports before you could get on a flight back to the US. This rarely happens, but it could.

While our daughter is an adult, she did take a passport for her daughter when visiting these ports. This was just in case of emergencies.

 

There are two types of passports. If you aren't going to be using a passport for your children very much, a passport card can be obtained for a much smaller price than the regular book passport. The card passport is only good in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, if I recall correctly.

 

It's better to be safe than sorry.

 

 

OP did not ask your advice about passports, he simply wanted to know if they were needed to return to the ship at a port of call. You know that the answer to his question is a simple no.

While it's true that you only need your sea pass card to get back on the ship, in some ports you will need more than that to get into the port itself. In Guatemala, for example, they wanted either a driver's license or a passport to get back into the port area (this was just a few weeks ago).

Except that those rules don't apply to children under the age of 10, which is what OP asked about. Additionally OP is not going to Guatemala.

Why so rude? While it's true that the answer to the OP's question is "No"-- why not provide food for thought, i.e., emergency situations and options i.e., the less expensive but restrictive passport card?

I must be silly--I thought this was a "Discussion" board.

There is never any need to take your passports off the ship in the ports you are visiting. No one ever looks at them.

 

The children need nothing but their ship card to return to the ship.

That may be true for the Ports the OP is visiting on this cruise. However, it's a massive generalization to say that no one on shore ever looks at passports.

Some countries do require you to carry and show your passports - India and Russia are two that come to mind.

Except that those rules don't apply to children under the age of 10, which is what OP asked about. Additionally OP is not going to Guatemala.

It is very hard for all of us to avoid having our own experiences "color" our answers, isn't it?

For example, I have never sailed the Caribbean, so I have ALWAYS had my passport with me. Also, I have been required to take my passport to at least two countries (Russia and, I think, Guatemala.). So, when the OP asked the question about kids needing passports, my gut reaction is to say, "no, not for Caribbean, BUT...." and then add the cautions about emergencies, missed boats, and future international consideration.

Those who have always cruised the Caribbean and have never had a problem, would have a different instinctual response.

I think the main thing to try to do is to answer the question as simply as possible, but then add our own "two cents."

Therefore--my answer is--no, not for this cruise (but you could encounter a very unusual emergency).And, you might want to consider passports if you envision future international travel.

LOL, I know this question is brought up a lot here but I have a very specific concern I need put to rest.

 

I have just booked my whole family (my self, wife, 3 kids and my parents) on the carnival Magic leaving port canaveral traveling to Mexico, Rotan, Beliz then back to port canaveral.

 

While all adults DO have passports my kids age 9,6 and 1 do not, Yes I have read and even called carnival and was told all the kids would need is a birth certificate, BUT my real question is...

 

For those of you who took their children on cruises with only a birth certificate, was there any issues AT ALL when trying to get back to the ship at the ports of call?

 

I am not worried about getting back through customs in the US, what I'm worried about is taking my kids to shore in Mexico, or Belize or some place and having issue getting back in.. I take it we would need to carry their birth certificate with us at each port of call?

 

Thanks for your patents, Its just a concern of mine as if they ned passports I only have 2 months to get them.

 

Tommy

If the cruiseline tells you it's ok then it's ok not to have a passports to get back on the ship. I think that is where their responsibility ends so you are wise to post on a message board where you will get responses from seasoned travelers who can and have provided you with great information and food for thought as well.

That may be true for the Ports the OP is visiting on this cruise. However, it's a massive generalization to say that no one on shore ever looks at passports.

 

Some countries do require you to carry and show your passports - India and Russia are two that come to mind.

Go back and read the post you quoted. The PP said there is no need to take passports ashore AT THE PORTS the OP is going to. They never said you never need to take a passport off the ship.

OP, as mentioned, no, you don't need to take the BCs off the ship. The adults don't need their passports either. Just a picture ID (Drivers License) and Ship card.

LOL, I know this question is brought up a lot here but I have a very specific concern I need put to rest.

 

I have just booked my whole family (my self, wife, 3 kids and my parents) on the carnival Magic leaving port canaveral traveling to Mexico, Rotan, Beliz then back to port canaveral.

 

While all adults DO have passports my kids age 9,6 and 1 do not, Yes I have read and even called carnival and was told all the kids would need is a birth certificate, BUT my real question is...

 

For those of you who took their children on cruises with only a birth certificate, was there any issues AT ALL when trying to get back to the ship at the ports of call?

 

I am not worried about getting back through customs in the US, what I'm worried about is taking my kids to shore in Mexico, or Belize or some place and having issue getting back in.. I take it we would need to carry their birth certificate with us at each port of call?

 

Thanks for your patents, Its just a concern of mine as if they ned passports I only have 2 months to get them.

 

Tommy

You'd likely get lots of responses from people who have been in your situation if you'd post the content of your question in the post subject line instead of "uggg, please dont hate me".