Passport Card ??'s

[carbreylynn]

On my first cruise we used our birth certificates and drivers licenses and the 1 birth certificate line for customs was so long and people were cutting and pushing it was horrible!! There were 3 passport lanes and no lines at all over there! This time we were thinking of using passport cards (this may be a dumb question) but does the passport card allow you to use the passport lane or is it just a "better form" of id, like a replacement for the drivers license???? I'm just wondering if it's even worth it...

[sloepoke]

the main difference between a passport and a passport card is that the passport card you can only use if you're travelling on the earth's surface -- via land or boat -- in the us, canada, mexico, caribbean ...

 

so, if you get stuck in cozumel and need to fly to the next port or fly back to the us, you won't be able to with the passport card.

[mom2boys97]

I do belive it does but in my opinion its a waste of money because it is no diffrent than a birth certificate because u couldnt fly home with it if u need too... If your gonna spend the money u might want to invest in Passports... JMO

[SteelerCruiser]

it is similar to a passport being that it is a step up from the BC and DL. We have one for my Son and My Wife and I have Full Passports. The cards are only good for land and sea travel and not air travel that the full passport is good for. Check out the State departments website for more detailed info.

[Colorado Kat]

Yes, definitely get the full passport, not just the passport card. Much more usable.

[carbreylynn]

Hmm passport cards would only cost $110 for my dh and I and it looks like passports would be $330...guess I need to figure out how much I'm willing to spend...thanks!

[okwriter]

Yes, you can use the "passport" line. :)

[thinfool]

Hmm passport cards would only cost $110 for my dh and I and it looks like passports would be $330...guess I need to figure out how much I'm willing to spend...thanks!

 

No, passports are (first time) $135.00pp, good for 10 years. $270 for 2.

 

You can have both book and card, but the passport book by itself will do it all.

[kansas kruiser]

No, passports are (first time) $135.00pp, good for 10 years. $270 for 2.

 

You can have both book and card, but the passport book by itself will do it all.

:cool:H'mm I would not even spend the money if all they are worried about getting thru the line quicker!!:rolleyes: BTW I do have a passport!:)

[V8cruiser]

my card works just fine because I wont fly. At the time, it was a lot less than the book. When my son's expire, we will all upgrade to the book, but again, not a big deal because we wont fly.

[DocF]

The purpose of the Passport Card was to expedite border crossings at Detroit, Port Huron, and Sault Ste. Marie. Virtually all the traffic at these crossing to Canada is local and daily commuters. The regular Passport is more cumbersome and would slow down traffic at very busy border crossings. It was never intended to be used for International travel.

 

Doc

[cawagner]

On my first cruise we used our birth certificates and drivers licenses and the 1 birth certificate line for customs was so long and people were cutting and pushing it was horrible!! There were 3 passport lanes and no lines at all over there! This time we were thinking of using passport cards (this may be a dumb question) but does the passport card allow you to use the passport lane or is it just a "better form" of id, like a replacement for the drivers license???? I'm just wondering if it's even worth it...

 

We have passport cards and use them and plan on using them our next cruise too. You will get all kinds of debate here on birth certificate/driver license vs. passport card vs. passport book...as long as your on a closed loop cruise you dont "need" a passport book, but if something would happen and you need to fly out of one of the ports for something only the passport book would work (and yes, we are still going to take our chances...again...with just the passport card and don't need any lectures or advice on that matter)

[S.S.Oceanlover]

On my first cruise we used our birth certificates and drivers licenses and the 1 birth certificate line for customs was so long and people were cutting and pushing it was horrible!! There were 3 passport lanes and no lines at all over there! This time we were thinking of using passport cards (this may be a dumb question) but does the passport card allow you to use the passport lane or is it just a "better form" of id, like a replacement for the drivers license???? I'm just wondering if it's even worth it...

 

do they have seperate lines at all ports? I've never seen what you are describing.

 

we always just get in line and the next agent calls us.:confused:

 

Bill

[S.S.Oceanlover]

We have passport cards and use them and plan on using them our next cruise too. You will get all kinds of debate here on birth certificate/driver license vs. passport card vs. passport book...as long as your on a closed loop cruise you dont "need" a passport book, but if something would happen and you need to fly out of one of the ports for something only the passport book would work (and yes, we are still going to take our chances...again...with just the passport card and don't need any lectures or advice on that matter)

 

no lecture from me. All I would like to ask if why did you buy the passport card as opposed to the full passport, or just using your birth certificate?

 

Not my money so I don't care one way or the other. I'm just asking out of curiousity.:)

 

Bill

[cawagner]

no lecture from me. All I would like to ask if why did you buy the passport card as opposed to the full passport, or just using your birth certificate?

 

Not my money so I don't care one way or the other. I'm just asking out of curiousity.:)

 

Bill

 

Well, on our very first cruise it was a cruise on a whim LOL and we were going on a very tight budget, didn't want to carry our paper birth certificates. And the card worked out just fine. So we have just decided to use them again and again. If something of an emergency would arise we know the risk, but a risk we are willing to take I guess. :)

[serene56]

no lecture from me. All I would like to ask if why did you buy the passport card as opposed to the full passport, or just using your birth certificate?

 

Not my money so I don't care one way or the other. I'm just asking out of curiousity.:)

 

Bill

 

I never seen that done either.

 

I figured out after the first few cruises to grab a porter and pay him 10 bucks- for some reason the porter gets me through faster- same with the cabs.

[3Statesmom]

Cheryl, I agree with you...My entire family went with the Passport Cards instead of the paper passports as well. We only use them for cruising, and as a form of identification for my younger kids. I agree that they are much easier to utilize than birth certificates, and although I know the risks about 'not being able to fly'... the State Department allows them to be used for closed loop cruises, and Carnival allows it, so whatever the 'original intention' for the cards was...this is a viable form of identification for cruising.

As far as the OP's original question, I too have never seen separate lines for BC vs passport, but I've only cruised out of Tampa & Canaveral, so it must be different at her home port.

[Elmer McCurdy]

On my first cruise we used our birth certificates and drivers licenses and the 1 birth certificate line for customs was so long and people were cutting and pushing it was horrible!! There were 3 passport lanes and no lines at all over there! This time we were thinking of using passport cards (this may be a dumb question) but does the passport card allow you to use the passport lane or is it just a "better form" of id, like a replacement for the drivers license???? I'm just wondering if it's even worth it...

 

Yes. For the purposes of the cruise, it works the same as a passport.

[carbreylynn]

Cheryl, I agree with you...My entire family went with the Passport Cards instead of the paper passports as well. We only use them for cruising, and as a form of identification for my younger kids. I agree that they are much easier to utilize than birth certificates, and although I know the risks about 'not being able to fly'... the State Department allows them to be used for closed loop cruises, and Carnival allows it, so whatever the 'original intention' for the cards was...this is a viable form of identification for cruising.

As far as the OP's original question, I too have never seen separate lines for BC vs passport, but I've only cruised out of Tampa & Canaveral, so it must be different at her home port.

 

There were 3 lines for passports. 1 line for bc. 1 line for non us citizens and a super long line for anyone who lost luggage that didn't separate between bc/passports. This was just a month ago out of Galveston, which is where we're leaving out of again!

 

Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk

[GTO-Girl]

I never seen that done either.

 

I figured out after the first few cruises to grab a porter and pay him 10 bucks- for some reason the porter gets me through faster- same with the cabs.

 

 

Now we do the same thing as well and we are always whisked to the shortest line and out the door.

 

Best $10 you'll ever spend!!!!

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Well, on our very first cruise it was a cruise on a whim LOL and we were going on a very tight budget, didn't want to carry our paper birth certificates. And the card worked out just fine. So we have just decided to use them again and again. If something of an emergency would arise we know the risk, but a risk we are willing to take I guess. :)

 

Thank you.:)

 

Bill