Certified Birth Certificates

[Warm Breezes]

This is by no means a , "Get a passport or else" post, but just a question out of curiosity. If you are going to invest $$ in a cruise vacation, why not invest in a passport which you know every cruise line and governtment will accept and save the worry of....will the cruise line except my documents? Because I'm not worried of the cruise line excepting my documents because I know a certified birth certificate and drivers license are all that are required. That is what we have, so passports are not required for closed loop cruises.

 

I, too, read the thread about being denied boarding because someone had a "certificate of live birth" and it was unfortunate. This seems kind of crazy because what says BIRTH CERTIFICATE more than a Certificate of Live Birth! LoL

 

It just seems that it is left up to personal interpretation, on the part of Carnival, as to whether people are allowed to board with this document.

 

The person in the other thread had a birth record not a certified birth certificate. They even said that is what they had in their OP and that they needed a certified birth certificate instead. If you have the proper documentation then there is no need to worry that the cruise line will turn you away nor is there any need to spend money that isn't required to be spent.

[jmeans23970]

This is by no means a , "Get a passport or else" post, but just a question out of curiosity. If you are going to invest $$ in a cruise vacation, why not invest in a passport which you know every cruise line and governtment will accept and save the worry of....will the cruise line except my documents?

 

I, too, read the thread about being denied boarding because someone had a "certificate of live birth" and it was unfortunate. This seems kind of crazy because what says BIRTH CERTIFICATE more than a Certificate of Live Birth! LoL

 

It just seems that it is left up to personal interpretation, on the part of Carnival, as to whether people are allowed to board with this document.

 

I can't make people get passports. :( I myself have one (got one for my honeymoon cruise)! But I did call the AL vital records office and apparently all their "birth certificates" say certificate of live birth. It is the registars signature and seal that makes it an official certified birth certificate! I am just worry though! Can't wait to be on board though with a drink in hand!

[Kurbanfan]

This is by no means a , "Get a passport or else" post, but just a question out of curiosity. If you are going to invest $$ in a cruise vacation, why not invest in a passport which you know every cruise line and governtment will accept and save the worry of....will the cruise line except my documents?

 

I, too, read the thread about being denied boarding because someone had a "certificate of live birth" and it was unfortunate. This seems kind of crazy because what says BIRTH CERTIFICATE more than a Certificate of Live Birth! LoL

 

It just seems that it is left up to personal interpretation, on the part of Carnival, as to whether people are allowed to board with this document.

 

Wrong........they had a birth record not a certified birth certificate..........

Holy moly spigoly.........seriously people if you can't figure out what is the correct document then you need to apply for a passport......but remember that correct document that Carnival requires is the same one required to get a passport.........will it never end:rolleyes:

Nothing has changed in the 12 years I have been sailing.......

[noblepa]

I think that people lose sight of the fact that Birth Certificates are issued by state and county governments all over the US. They all have slightly different formats, wording and content. What my BC says may not be exactly what YOUR BC says, even if we were both born in the same state. This is especially true if there is a large difference in our ages. These things change over the years.

 

In some states (such as KS in the poster in the other thread), maybe they DO say "Birth Certificate" at the top. If I ever move to KS and try to get a driver's license, they're gonna have to accept my Ohio "Certificate of Live Birth", because that's all they're gonna get.

 

I find it interesting, too, that someone, earlier in this thread, quoted from the CCL website that an original birth certificate is one of the acceptable forms of ID. I don't think that anyone born in the US has an original birth certicate. What they have is a certified copy of the original. States simply don't give away the original document. Otherwise, how would the state be able to give you a copy, when you lose yours?

 

And the issue of having a raised seal or not is another red-herring. In the past, this was a way of telling if the document in question was really from a state/county agency. As others have said, this is no longer true, as some states have stopped using the raised seal.

 

The point is that you must have a certified copy of whatever your state calls a birth certificate, that is issued by the state/county where you were born. Anything issued by the hospital or your church, or anyone else will not suffice. If you got it from a state/county agency, you're okay.

 

Paul

[ChefSusan]

What's confusing is that the rules for what constitutes a Birth Certificate/Birth Record are different for each state. I really wish that there was some sort of standardization across the board - then there would not be any question about using Birth Certificates/Birth Records as a form of proof of citizenship. That is, until US Homeland Security says that you must have a passport if you are traveling out of the country, regardless of whether you are doing this by plane, train, automobile, or cruise ship.

[Kurbanfan]

*shaking head*

[Warm Breezes]

What's confusing is that the rules for what constitutes a Birth Certificate/Birth Record are different for each state. I really wish that there was some sort of standardization across the board - then there would not be any question about using Birth Certificates/Birth Records as a form of proof of citizenship. That is, until US Homeland Security says that you must have a passport if you are traveling out of the country, regardless of whether you are doing this by plane, train, automobile, or cruise ship.

 

But then people would still have issues getting their passport if they tried using a Birth Record instead of a certified Birth Certificate. A birth record can not be used to get on a cruise ship or to get a passport. A certified Birth Certificate is what is required for both.

[DryCreek]

Not only that, but it brought out the "GET A PASSPORT IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU" posters in droves. Certified Birth Certicates and Government Issued ID's (for those 16 and older) are all that are required on Closed Loop US cruises....PERIOD.

 

If we use their reasoning, then I should also renew my Commercial Driver License in case the bus driver on any public transportation dies and I need to get home, or maybe I should bring a parachute every time I fly. The part that the "get a passport" crowd is missing is the fact that you will have all of the necessary documents with you on the cruise should you need an emergency passport to be issued. That is the entire basis of the closed-loop cruise exemption! The U.S. Consulate can get you home. There are no large communes of ill, injured or late-to-the pier Americans in the WHTI countries.

 

I am particularly annoyed by the "if you can't afford a passport then you can't afford to cruise" group. What a bunch of elitist snobs. Why buy something you don't need (even in an emergency)?

[dan40]

I renewed my passport last year for the 4th or 5th time, who cares, I PREDICT, that before my present passport expires, PASSPORT BOOKS, will be required for all international travel of any kind, anywhere. And that the price of a passport will be at least DOUBLE, if not more, when such requirement takes place.

 

Everywhere BUT the US, passports are the normal and required form of ID. Numerous places a passport with a prearranged VISA is required.

[futaba951]

I renewed my passport last year for the 4th or 5th time, who cares, I PREDICT, that before my present passport expires, PASSPORT BOOKS, will be required for all international travel of any kind, anywhere. And that the price of a passport will be at least DOUBLE, if not more, when such requirement takes place.

 

Everywhere BUT the US, passports are the normal and required form of ID. Numerous places a passport with a prearranged VISA is required.

 

And you'd better have the correct Visa and don't overstay it by even a minute. When I lived in Japan, I had to carry an alien registration booklet (it looked like a mini passport) with me at all times. I was actually asked to produce it by the police at least a dozen times in the 18 years I lived there.

[CRU1Z1N]

That is the key~ They look at them, look for the seal and your good to go. No seal... They take it as not official:(

 

My DD was born in Illinois...there is NOT a raised seal on her BC. Some states do not use a raised seal. She cruise in Aug '03 and had no problems.

[stewpapa]

GET A PASSPORT IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU!

 

 

:rolleyes:

[QTPieRye]

UNBELIEVABLE.................... eek:

[KFinTx]

The certified birth certificate is the BC you get from vital stats right? My brother and sisters doesn't actually say birth certificate. It just says Certificate of Live Birth, and has a raised seal on the bottom and a paragraph saying this is a true copy etc...

 

 

Few days before the cruise and I am a nervous nellie for everyone!

 

Somewhere on there should be evidence that it was issued by the state or county vital statistics office. That's what makes it a "birth certificate."

 

Obligatory "get a passport" suggestion, although it's a bit too late for that now. :)

[KFinTx]

I think that people lose sight of the fact that Birth Certificates are issued by state and county governments all over the US. They all have slightly different formats, wording and content. What my BC says may not be exactly what YOUR BC says, even if we were both born in the same state. This is especially true if there is a large difference in our ages. These things change over the years.

 

As an added bonus, some don't even come on white paper. My birth certificate is blue. :eek:

[5waldos]

My DD was born in Illinois...there is NOT a raised seal on her BC. Some states do not use a raised seal. She cruise in Aug '03 and had no problems.

 

Things have changed significantly since Aug '03. Not saying it wouldn't still be fine, just saying that what worked in 03 may or may not work in 10 or 11.

[dan40]

As an added bonus, some don't even come on white paper. My birth certificate is blue. :eek:

 

 

My was on a clay tablet, until I dropped it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,:eek::eek::rolleyes:

[Kurbanfan]

Things have changed significantly since Aug '03. Not saying it wouldn't still be fine, just saying that what worked in 03 may or may not work in 10 or 11.

 

It was still required in 2003 to have a certified birth certificate.....nothing has change.......