Passports to the Caribbean?

[grandmaR]

I'm thinking about taking my granddaughter who will be 12 on Disney June 2013. Going to St. Thomas and St. Maartin.

 

1) Does she need a passport? I took her brother to Hawaii and no one ever asked for his passport. I will get an authorization from her parents, but I've only been asked for it once in five different trips and then it was in Heathrow airport.

 

2) Does Disney ever have twin beds? I'd rather than neither of us have to sleep on a pull out couch.

[mom x4,grandma x4]

I'm thinking about taking my granddaughter who will be 12 on Disney June 2013. Going to St. Thomas and St. Maartin.

 

1) Does she need a passport? I took her brother to Hawaii and no one ever asked for his passport. I will get an authorization from her parents, but I've only been asked for it once in five different trips and then it was in Heathrow airport.

 

2) Does Disney ever have twin beds? I'd rather than neither of us have to sleep on a pull out couch.

 

1. Yes. Hawaii is a U.S. state so no need for one but The islands your heading to arnt. Castaway Cay is evem in the Bahamas which of coruse is not U.S. Yes being the authorization form from her parents because Disney usually checks and can deny your cruise if your without it. I think they may have their own form you can print off their web site for this too, so make sure yours covers as much information as theirs does.

You dont ant any headaches to start your vacation.

 

2. On the Magic and Wonder the beds separate, you just request it from your room host. On the 2 new ships they dont separate. Many complaints about that too.

They will fold out and put away the couch for you and it actually is pretty comfortable. Not sur eon the newer ships but the old ones had some rooms with bunk beds that pulled down over the couch too. Of course those were more expensive rooms.

[grandmaR]

I realize the Hawaii is inside the US but I didn't have to show a photo ID for him even at the airport because he was only 12, whereas this last trip, my granddaughter did have to show ID even for trips within the US and she was also 12. I was planning to have her get hers renewed (she had one in 2002) but because so many people in this thread said they didn't need one, I just thought I'd check.

 

The ship would be a new one so I guess one of us will have to sleep on the couch or else sleep together.

 

My travel agent says Disney is different for travel agents then the other lines - do you know what the difference is? Should I make the reservation myself?

[Shmoo here]

I'm thinking about taking my granddaughter who will be 12 on Disney June 2013. Going to St. Thomas and St. Maartin.

 

1) Does she need a passport? I took her brother to Hawaii and no one ever asked for his passport. I will get an authorization from her parents, but I've only been asked for it once in five different trips and then it was in Heathrow airport.

 

2) Does Disney ever have twin beds? I'd rather than neither of us have to sleep on a pull out couch.

 

Currently, for US citizens, all that's required for a closed-loop cruise (beginning and ending in the same US port, on the same ship) is a CERTIFIED birth certificate and (for those 16 and over) a govenment issued photo ID.

 

As noted by PP, the Wonder & Magic have a queen bed which can separate into twins. The Dream & Fantasy have a queen bed that does not separate.

 

It's not a pull out type couch. The back of the couch folds down and the bed in in the part that is the back of the couch when you are sitting on it. My DSs (both of them) slept on it and they felt it was quite comfortable.

 

:)

[grandmaR]

I'm sure it would be comfortable enough, but suppose you wanted to take a nap in the middle of the day? Could you?

[Shmoo here]

I'm sure it would be comfortable enough, but suppose you wanted to take a nap in the middle of the day? Could you?

 

You can either ask the room host to leave the bed down (but made up) or ask them to open it during the day, if you want the couch confguration most of the time.

 

:)

[racingfandj]

For your original question about passport, there is a passport card that is cheaper than the usual book passport. They are only good for land and sea travel. We got ours last year to go to Canada so we didn't have to carry our birth certificates. I think for kids it's about $50 and provides peace of mind that you don't have to worry about someone asking for it or not.

 

For the couch, my 14 y/o niece slept on it for a week and never complained. It was easy put pull out yourself too if you wanted it down during the day. My DD wanted to take a nap on it one day so we pulled it down for her.

 

Enjoy your vacation!

[dwjoe]

For your original question about passport, there is a passport card that is cheaper than the usual book passport. They are only good for land and sea travel. We got ours last year to go to Canada so we didn't have to carry our birth certificates. I think for kids it's about $50 and provides peace of mind that you don't have to worry about someone asking for it or not.

The PP card is an option and costs $40 for kids. Its advantages relative to a birth certificate include:

 

-more convenient to carry than birth certificate

-faster/easier processing at cruise terminal than birth certificate

-easier to get an emergency passport book issued if you already have a passport card

-good for land/sea entry into the United States

-one of very few photo id's available to a minor

-works for repositioning cruises

-works for naturalized US citizens

[Host Mick]

For your original question about passport, there is a passport card that is cheaper than the usual book passport. They are only good for land and sea travel. We got ours last year to go to Canada so we didn't have to carry our birth certificates. I think for kids it's about $50 and provides peace of mind that you don't have to worry about someone asking for it or not.

 

For the couch, my 14 y/o niece slept on it for a week and never complained. It was easy put pull out yourself too if you wanted it down during the day. My DD wanted to take a nap on it one day so we pulled it down for her.

 

Enjoy your vacation!

 

The passport card cannot be used for air travel. If you miss the ship or have to deboard and fly home, it's worthless. For cruises, it's effectively the same as a BC and DL.

[FoghornLeghorn]

Just take a certified copy of her birth certicate. Easy and simple.

 

The fold down couch is quite comfortable. My 50 something friend slept on it the entire cruise and never complained. I'm sure a 12 year old would be just fine.

 

Naps? The bed is big enough that both of you could lie down for a nap together. (How I'd love to be able to take a nap again with my grandmother)

If not...she could just use the couch for a quick nap.

 

Wishing you and your granddaughter a wonderful cruise together!