Passports .. Do I really need to...?

[4 tater]

My dh and I are taking our first cruise in jan. We don't have passports and I really don't want to spend the extra 375 dollars to get them. We are on the magic to mo bay Jamaica grand cayman and Cozumel ... My three daughters will be with my parents that we live down the street from.. My thinking is that the likely hood of a family emergency will be rare but if it does happen I'm not going to able to fly off the ship in the middle of the ocean any way...will only be in port three days .what are your guys thoughts?:(:confused:

[frayedend]

I can sum up everything you are about to hear. You don't need them but they are a good idea. The likelihood of something happening is low and even lower that you'd be able to get home any faster anyhow. If you get drunk and miss the ship in port you will need them or it will be an expensive pain in the butt to get home. So there is some risk but on a closed loop cruise you don't need them and the risk is low if you are careful to be back on ship on time.

[maurinsky2]

My dh and I are taking our first cruise in jan. We don't have passports and I really don't want to spend the extra 375 dollars to get them. We are on the magic to mo bay Jamaica grand cayman and Cozumel ... My three daughters will be with my parents that we live down the street from.. My thinking is that the likely hood of a family emergency will be rare but if it does happen I'm not going to able to fly off the ship in the middle of the ocean any way...will only be in port three days .what are your guys thoughts?:(:confused:

 

 

Why would it be $375 to get passports for two people? Could you just get a passport card? I think that's good enough for visiting Mexico, and it would cost $55 a person.

 

A passport card is definitely sufficient for travel to and from Mexico and the Caribbean as well, I just looked it up on http://travel.state.gov/passport/ppt_card/ppt_card_3926.html - not good for air travel, but perfectly fine for sea travel.

 

I've had a passport since I was a baby, because my parents are from Ireland and we used to travel there pretty regularly.

[thinfool]

Why spend money for a PP Card when you can use a birth certificate?

 

You need a bc to get a pp card, so the amount adds up.

 

The OP seems well informed about the limitations of not traveling with a passport, so a bc would seem to fit her budget best.

[Elaine5715]

Why would it be $375 to get passports for two people? Could you just get a passport card? I think that's good enough for visiting Mexico, and it would cost $55 a person.

 

A passport card is definitely sufficient for travel to and from Mexico and the Caribbean as well, I just looked it up on http://travel.state.gov/passport/ppt_card/ppt_card_3926.html - not good for air travel, but perfectly fine for sea travel.

 

I've had a passport since I was a baby, because my parents are from Ireland and we used to travel there pretty regularly.

 

A passport card provides no benefits on a cruise that a birth certificate and driver's licence can' t cover. A passport card has benefits only to border states.

[Pookeybear1966]

If you leave the kids with someone just give them a notorized letter to allow them decisions in an emergency situation. As for passports they are nice to have but not required. We have them only in case we need to fly home which has never happened once and we have cruised 8 times.

[mld1950]

We have passports for peace of mind. My father has health issues at home, my husband has had open heart surgery and has other health issues now, and I have twin granddaughters that we are helping raise that have issues also. I always get travel insurance. If I should have to fly home I want to be able to in case of an emergency. I have cruise 6 times and no issues but you just never know.

[maurinsky2]

I have a passport so I can fly anywhere in the world I want to go! But if you have a BC and a DL and don't wan't one and don't need one (although I thought they were required for travel to and from Mexico and Canada), don't get one.

[Warm Breezes]

My dh and I are taking our first cruise in jan. We don't have passports and I really don't want to spend the extra 375 dollars to get them. We are on the magic to mo bay Jamaica grand cayman and Cozumel ... My three daughters will be with my parents that we live down the street from.. My thinking is that the likely hood of a family emergency will be rare but if it does happen I'm not going to able to fly off the ship in the middle of the ocean any way...will only be in port three days .what are your guys thoughts?:(:confused:

 

We have sailed 9 times without them without problems. Just make sure you have the proper BC from your state/county of births department of vital statistics. DH & I did just get passports for ourselves, but not the for the kids. We decided to do so because we will be leaving the kids (19 and 16) home alone for the first time on our Oct cruise. Since they are both relatively new drivers, this put the risk of something happening at home, that I would want to get home as quickly as possible for, higher than if the kids were with us. High enough that we wanted the passports for our own peace of mind. It's a individual decision that needs to be based on your risk factors and your comfort level. The chances are extremely low that you would need one.

[Rena921]

Why would it be $375 to get passports for two people? Could you just get a passport card? I think that's good enough for visiting Mexico, and it would cost $55 a person.

 

A passport card is definitely sufficient for travel to and from Mexico and the Caribbean as well, I just looked it up on http://travel.state.gov/passport/ppt_card/ppt_card_3926.html - not good for air travel, but perfectly fine for sea travel.

 

I've had a passport since I was a baby, because my parents are from Ireland and we used to travel there pretty regularly.

 

Passport cards will NOT work in the event of an emergency and flying home. It is only good for land travel. Get a real passport.

[jlk806]

One of the girls in our group travels with a drivers license and a birth cert. It is a very good chance no matter what but I prefer to have a passport since iM travelling with girfriends, leaving DH and DS4.5 home.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

My dh and I are taking our first cruise in jan. We don't have passports and I really don't want to spend the extra 375 dollars to get them. We are on the magic to mo bay Jamaica grand cayman and Cozumel ... My three daughters will be with my parents that we live down the street from.. My thinking is that the likely hood of a family emergency will be rare but if it does happen I'm not going to able to fly off the ship in the middle of the ocean any way...will only be in port three days .what are your guys thoughts?:(:confused:

 

no you definitely don't need a passport as long as it's a closed loop cruise.

 

Passports are $110 plus $25 processing fee per adult.

 

Bill

[D4]

I believe in having passports, but it is up to each person to make their own decision and live with any consequences. (As others said, don't bother with a passport card because it won't enable you to fly to/from foreign ports.)

 

I hope you're flying to the port at least one day early. Sometimes people miss the ship. You can fly to the first port if you have a passport, but you miss the cruise if you can't fly to a foreign port. (And trip insurance does not cover not having the right travel documents.)

[4 tater]

We are driving in Saturday morning ..cruise leaves Sunday at 4 ..we only live 7 hours from Galveston plan to get there by 3 pm Saturday night.. stay in Galveston and just drive to port that morning..

 

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[AgVball]

We have passport books for us as well as my 5 year olds for peace of mind in case of an emergency and the need to fly back (without hassling to get a passport while in another country). I figure if you amortize that over the 10 years its good for - its certainly worth it.

 

The past December, my aunt was put off the ship in Grand Cayman because the ship doctor didn't want to treat her. They made sure to get her passport to her, and we packed her stuff up and sent it to her at the hospital. She was fine - although pissed that she got put off and missed the trip - she flew home the next day or 2 days.

[Almost Packed]

My dh and I are taking our first cruise in jan. We don't have passports and I really don't want to spend the extra 375 dollars to get them. We are on the magic to mo bay Jamaica grand cayman and Cozumel ... My three daughters will be with my parents that we live down the street from.. My thinking is that the likely hood of a family emergency will be rare but if it does happen I'm not going to able to fly off the ship in the middle of the ocean any way...will only be in port three days .what are your guys thoughts?:(:confused:

 

No, you don't need them. Everyone will have an opinion on this matter. If you are not planning on flying out of the country anytime soon, no need to get them. i don't see any point in giving the govt. any more of my money! but that's just me.

[sparks1093]

(And trip insurance does not cover not having the right travel documents.)

 

Some insurance policies do, some don't. If the ship is missed because of a covered reason some policies will still cover the loss, so it is best to read the fine print (actually any exclusions have to be clearly stated in the policy so it can't be in the fine print:)).

 

OP, if you have analyzed the risk and are willing to accept the risk (which is probably low) then BC/government issued ID is fine. Make sure you are using a government issued birth certificate.

[Out to sea!]

My dh and I are taking our first cruise in jan. We don't have passports and I really don't want to spend the extra 375 dollars to get them. We are on the magic to mo bay Jamaica grand cayman and Cozumel ... My three daughters will be with my parents that we live down the street from.. My thinking is that the likely hood of a family emergency will be rare but if it does happen I'm not going to able to fly off the ship in the middle of the ocean any way...will only be in port three days .what are your guys thoughts?:(:confused:

 

Yes, you need passports. That is my thought.

[sparks1093]

Yes, you need passports. That is my thought.

 

There is nothing wrong with your thought, but it doesn't pertain to everyone. The law does not require a passport for a closed loop cruise.

[Warm Breezes]

Yes, you need passports. That is my thought.

 

No you don't need them...you may want them, but don't need them. Having sailed 9 times without them, I can attest to that fact.

[Cruizinman]

No, but be prepared for a bit of lip service from port authority.

Seems to be their thing when thay see a BC :p

[Out to sea!]

There is nothing wrong with your thought, but it doesn't pertain to everyone. The law does not require a passport for a closed loop cruise.

 

I never stated that she or anyone else was required by law to have a passport. But, due to what could happen, my risk management training would dictate that one needs a passport. To need one doesn't mean they have to have one, but they need one to cover all the possible scenarios that could happen therefore minimizing risk.

[stewpapa]

There is nothing wrong with your thought, but it doesn't pertain to everyone. The law does not require a passport for a closed loop cruise.

 

I agree with above posters. The passport card is useless, and it is my thought also that "everyone" who cruises needs a passport. And that thought does apply to everyone. I "think" everyone should. The OP asked what we thought. Do they have to.... No.

 

 

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[swodog94]

Gotta agree with the folks who have urged folks to get passports when traveling outside the US. This is my personal opinion based on the experience of traveling to the Caribbean, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. You do NOT want to have any sort of an issue in a foreign country and not have a US passport. If you can't prove you're a US citizen to local authorities (who don't recognize state drivers licences, military ID, library card, etc) it will be difficult to convince anyone to help you contact the US Embassy or Consulate. Just my $.02. If you have weighed the risks, done the cost/benefit analysis ($375 for 10 years vice possible $1k's to get out of trouble overseas) and are willing to live with it, then go ahead. As has been stated, a birth cert and secondary ID are sufficient, but are they adequate? For me, the answer's no...again, just me...don't flame me. :D

[wmowan8485]

I agree with above posters. The passport card is useless, and it is my thought also that "everyone" who cruises needs a passport. And that thought does apply to everyone. I "think" everyone should. The OP asked what we thought. Do they have to.... No.

 

 

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We are going on a family reunion cruise in August and my brother went through a nasty divorce & custody battle a while back. He lost his job in 2008 when the economy went south and had accumulated $35,000 child support Bill. (Northeast cost of living). Anyway, he is now gainfully employed but still owes around $9,000. Long story short The federal gov't will not issue a passport to anyone owing more than $5,000 in child support. My sister and I are paying for him and he has a DL & BC so that is what he'll travel with.

 

I just wince when I see people making blanket statements like "everyone needs". There are always circumstances that we've not considered. ;)