New documentation requirement?

[edjny]

If you are traveling out of the country, there is no question a Passport is the best, but if cost is a concern and one is only traveling on closed loop cruises to the Caribbean or Canada (or is doing a land crossing to Canada or Mexico) then a Passport Card is the next best thing.

 

I don't buy the argument that a Passport costs SOOOOO much that it is just too much of a burden to get one. If one can afford to pay out the big payment for a cruise, the cost of a real passport is pocket change in comparison. If it is such a big deal, skip an excursion and a drink or two. There, I just covered the cost of the passport. :)

[moakes]

I don't buy the argument that a Passport costs SOOOOO much that it is just too much of a burden to get one. If one can afford to pay out the big payment for a cruise, the cost of a real passport is pocket change in comparison. If it is such a big deal, skip an excursion and a drink or two. There, I just covered the cost of the passport. :)

 

If you read back over the thread, an earlier poster mentioned cost as the reason they did not want to get a passport. A PC is a lower cost alternative, though as pointed out has restrictions. I have a passport (and a PC) and couldn't agree more that in the scheme of what one pays for a vacation, a passport that is good for 10 years is a very low cost line item on your overall vacation budget.:)

[nascar junkie]

Real simple:

 

1. If for ANY reason, you or anyone in your family with you cannot return by land or sea or has to be flown back, you are stuck in port for 2-3 days until the embassy can issue a temporary one to all who don't have them.

 

2. In the case of name changes, etc. you get all that stuff out of the way before having to deal with it while trying to board.

 

I realize for a family with several kids, it can be real expensive IF you are planning on a 1 time trip but if someone gets ill/injured and has to stay in port causing you to miss the ship or be flown back, costs can add up quickly. It's a 10 year insurance policy against being "stuck in the jungle".

[spiritkat090909]

You need to take another look at the way things work.

 

You get to the ship and show them your passport, then get on the ship.

 

I get to the ship and show them my BC and DL and get on the ship.

 

You know where you keep your PP at home so it is easy to find.

I keep my BC and DL and I know where they are so it is simple.

 

If you lose your PP or forget it at home it is a real pain.

If I lose or forget my DL and BC it is a real pain.

 

 

 

please tell me how your life is simpler by having a PP.

 

My life is simpler with the passport because...I sail a lot out of Galveston. In Galveston, the line to exit the ship with the passport line thru customs is typically a THIRD of the length of the one with BC & DL. Worth it. To me. Equivalent time saved... at least an hour, maybe more.

[babyblue78]

Recently I was told by a Royal Caribbean representative that a birth certificate and drivers lisence is no longer enough for a married woman to board a cruise ship. She said I need to bring my marriage lisence also. I've never needed it before. Just to be sure, I called and asked a different person and got the same answer. :mad:

 

Not a cruise but a land vacation, but 10-15 years ago my mother was asked for a bridging document (marriage license) at the customs/immigration at Montego Bay airport in Jamaica. Good thing she played it safe and brought it with her! She now has a passport, this was back before they were required to fly internationally. Just wanted to throw out there they can ask for it at any time, so better safe than sorry!

[brianjb]

Like most people have said, the cost of a passport is pretty insignificant when you spread the cost over 10 years. It is a really small price, less than $1/month.

[Iamthesea]

My life is simpler with the passport because...I sail a lot out of Galveston. In Galveston, the line to exit the ship with the passport line thru customs is typically a THIRD of the length of the one with BC & DL. Worth it. To me. Equivalent time saved... at least an hour, maybe more.

 

Is this the case in all disembarkation ports? My youngest daughter and I are traveling with passports. my oldest daughter will have a birth certificate and DL. Will we be separated going through customs in Ft, Lauderdale?

 

I'm sure it does, but it's not a requirement for a closed-loop cruise. Also, can be very expensive for a large family. My question was not about passports anyway, so why bring them up? :rolleyes:

 

Is a cruise from Ft, Lauderdale to Cozumel and then Key West to Ft. Lauderdale considered a close-loop cruise?

 

I completely agree...

 

The marriage license is a government document to prove that you are one in the same person and I could see why they would require it. This is IF your name used for the cruise documents is different than all of your legal documents (Birth certificate and drivers license). To avoid this on our first cruise in 2006 we booked the cruise with my wife using her madden name thus all documents matching. We did sail 1 day after we got married so we would not have had the legal marriage license anyway.

 

That's what my younger daughter is doing. She is married, but we booked her cruise in her maiden name to match her passport that she had to have for her honeymoon. Of course, it was applied for when she was still single.

[PhoenixCruiser]

You need to take another look at the way things work.

 

You get to the ship and show them your passport, then get on the ship.

 

I get to the ship and show them my BC and DL and get on the ship.

 

You know where you keep your PP at home so it is easy to find.

I keep my BC and DL and I know where they are so it is simple.

 

If you lose your PP or forget it at home it is a real pain.

If I lose or forget my DL and BC it is a real pain.

 

 

 

please tell me how your life is simpler by having a PP.

 

But you are a guy and don't have to worry about name changes, etc. :)

 

###

[Ladysilver]

Is this the case in all disembarkation ports? My youngest daughter and I are traveling with passports. my oldest daughter will have a birth certificate and DL. Will we be separated going through customs in Ft, Lauderdale?

 

No, you can check in together and board together. :)

 

Is a cruise from Ft, Lauderdale to Cozumel and then Key West to Ft. Lauderdale considered a close-loop cruise?

 

Yes it is. :)

 

That's what my younger daughter is doing. She is married, but we booked her cruise in her maiden name to match her passport that she had to have for her honeymoon. Of course, it was applied for when she was still single.

 

Smart thinking. :)

[CanWeGoYet]

I'm sure it does, but it's not a requirement for a closed-loop cruise. Also, can be very expensive for a large family. My question was not about passports anyway, so why bring them up? :rolleyes:

 

They're actually pretty cheap if you get passport cards. I just got the card for my daughter since for kids her age they are only good for five years anyway.

[Donut23]

You need to take another look at the way things work.

 

You get to the ship and show them your passport, then get on the ship.

 

I get to the ship and show them my BC and DL and get on the ship.

 

You know where you keep your PP at home so it is easy to find.

I keep my BC and DL and I know where they are so it is simple.

 

If you lose your PP or forget it at home it is a real pain.

If I lose or forget my DL and BC it is a real pain.

 

 

 

please tell me how your life is simpler by having a PP.

 

 

 

 

 

If you travel outside the US, it's the smart thing to carry. Compact, designed for travel vs. an older piece of paper.

 

I don't understand what is wrong with a passport.

[Spurschick]

I agree with the whole pp thing.

 

Firstly imagine 3000 passengers trying to get on a ship with DL, bc etc. think of all the documentation that needs to be done and the processing time for such. A passport means they swipe it and all the info comes straight up on the machine and does not have to be manually entered.

 

Secondly my understanding was DL required for picture ID. How do you provide picture ID for a minor that doesn't have a license so I expect they may be even more heavily scrutinized (although if I am wrong I will gladly be corrected:))

 

Finally I get people have been used to traveling without passports for a while but I am still amazed they are not mandatory. If you leave the uk on a closed loop to Europe which is all part of the. EU you need a passport. If it costs $150 for arguments sake to apply for a passport get photos, mail etc for a ten year passport that is a $15 fee per year.

 

Over 16 years in US is $110 pp, under 16 is $80 pp and I get that is expensive for a larger family, but like other posters say if someone gets evacuated due to medical reasons no one is traveling with them. I have seen plenty of people including children get airlifted off.

 

Most excursions are in that ballpark per person price wise. And it is actually less than the gratuities per person for a weeks cruise to put it in perspective. Is it really worth taking the risk.

Edited March 26, 2014 by Spurschick
Edit

[woehwdy]

Recently I was told by a Royal Caribbean representative that a birth certificate and drivers lisence is no longer enough for a married woman to board a cruise ship. She said I need to bring my marriage lisence also. I've never needed it before. Just to be sure, I called and asked a different person and got the same answer. :mad:

 

Royal Caribbean does not ask for this information, it is the department of homeland security and RCCL needs to comply with the govt.

[3disboysmom]

The marriage certificate is required to prove that the birth certificate is yours if your driver's license has a different name than your birth certificate. Same name? No problem.

 

 

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[Iamthesea]

Ladysilver - You misunderstood my first question. ;)

 

spiritcat made this comment:

 

[i sail a lot out of Galveston. In Galveston, the line to [b]exit the ship[/b] with the passport line thru customs is typically a THIRD of the length of the one with BC & DL. Worth it. To me. Equivalent time saved... at least an hour, maybe more. /QUOTE]

 

And I asked this about disembarkation, not boarding. ;)

 

"Is this the case in all disembarkation ports? My youngest daughter and I are traveling with passports. my oldest daughter will have a birth certificate and DL. Will we be separated going through customs in Ft, Lauderdale?"

[Spurschick]

Ladysilver - You misunderstood my first question. ;)

 

spiritcat made this comment:

 

[i sail a lot out of Galveston. In Galveston, the line to [b]exit the ship[/b] with the passport line thru customs is typically a THIRD of the length of the one with BC & DL. Worth it. To me. Equivalent time saved... at least an hour, maybe more. /QUOTE]

 

And I asked this about disembarkation, not boarding. ;)

 

"Is this the case in all disembarkation ports? My youngest daughter and I are traveling with passports. my oldest daughter will have a birth certificate and DL. Will we be separated going through customs in Ft, Lauderdale?"

 

You probably can but only in the DL/bc line. Normally I have seen people able to trade down so to speak but not to bump up into faster lanes. There is a poster on here that works for cbp hopefully they will see your question and assist.

 

They will direct you when you disembark dependent on documentation in hand. If you state traveling together they may allow you but I suspect they will send you in the slower direction!

[Kartgv]

You need to take another look at the way things work. You get to the ship and show them your passport, then get on the ship. I get to the ship and show them my BC and DL and get on the ship.

You know where you keep your PP at home so it is easy to find. I keep my BC and DL and I know where they are so it is simple. If you lose your PP or forget it at home it is a real pain. If I lose or forget my DL and BC it is a real pain. please tell me how your life is simpler by having a PP.

 

It does sound like you, TahoeBob, are not a married or divorced woman who needs to provide additional paperwork each time she cruises. If you were, you'd need to keep track of more than just 2 pieces of paper. For a woman in that situation, Passport = 1 document, good for 10 years (unless she gets married/divorced again!).

[cruisnseas]

I thought it was only the policy for a newly married woman who's name does not match on the documents.

 

A married woman's name will never match on her documents. The name on her birth certificate will be different than the name on her ID. That is why the policy has always been to bring a bridging document. Now, in practice they almost never ask for it - HOWEVER - if they do ask for you, you will need to present it.

 

I recently sailed out of Galveston with my mother. I have a passport, she does not. She was asked for her marriage license by Customs. So even if the check-in folks don't ask for it, remember Customs just might.

Edited March 26, 2014 by cruisnseas

[Rick-n-Lisa]

On a Royal Caribbean cruise out of PC a few years back they asked me for my marriage license. This was my 5 th cruise with them and I had never brought it or been asked for it before. They went and got a supervisor who allowed me to board and I have brought the marriage license with me every cruise since. I have been asked to show it 2 out of 4 times. I am soon getting a passport though. Question, when you get off in port do you take your pp? I dont take my birth cert. off, just seapass and drivers license.

[xxHadleyxx]

You need to take another look at the way things work.

 

You get to the ship and show them your passport, then get on the ship.

 

I get to the ship and show them my BC and DL and get on the ship.

 

You know where you keep your PP at home so it is easy to find.

I keep my BC and DL and I know where they are so it is simple.

 

If you lose your PP or forget it at home it is a real pain.

If I lose or forget my DL and BC it is a real pain.

 

 

 

please tell me how your life is simpler by having a PP.

 

I consider it simpler because:

 

1. There is NEVER a question of what I need to travel. The passport is it (unless I am going somewhere that requires visas for everyone--but that would never be a place that could be done with a BC and DL).

 

2. It is ONE document to hand over; no extra items to juggle, no extra work for the check in person or customs and immigration agent to look at various items and line up names, etc.

 

3. I have the peace of mind that if I need to fly home for any reason, I have the proper documentation to do so. If I had to leave a cruise early and fly home, there would be some sort of emergency and focusing mental energy and time on getting a travel document is the last thing I would want to do in that case.

 

4. In the event that my paperwork were to be lost or stolen while travelling; it is far easier to replace a current passport when abroad than the other documents.

[killtheump]

 

 

 

That's what my younger daughter is doing. She is married, but we booked her cruise in her maiden name to match her passport that she had to have for her honeymoon. Of course, it was applied for when she was still single.

 

Hope her Drivers License still has her maiden name. Both illegal by the way. Hope they don't catch it or she may not travel. Could have a bigger problem at Customs when she returns!

[S.A.M.J.R.]

I'm sure it does, but it's not a requirement for a closed-loop cruise. Also, can be very expensive for a large family. My question was not about passports anyway, so why bring them up? :rolleyes:

Because the "passport police" never turn down an opportunity to tell people they're doing things "wrong" despite the FACT a passport is NOT required for a closed loop cruise.

Even though the price of a passport is $120 (plus the $25 signup fee), remember that it is good for 10 years, so it is about $15 a year. That is less than a couple cups of starbucks coffee, or two packs of cigarettes, or a cheap meal at a fast service restaurant. Not expensive for the piece of mind of not having to bring a birth certificate with you.

Yes, a PP is good for 10 years. It's a reasonable cost (IMO) only if you have plans (or even just hopes) of actually using it. I got a passport when I was 17 for a school trip to Europe.

 

I got my second passport at age 41 for a family trip. So paying $120 in between those times would have been a waste.

 

Do I think a passport is a good thing to have? Yes.

Do I judge or criticize folks who don't have a passport? Absolutely not.

[BekkaW]

Hope her Drivers License still has her maiden name. Both illegal by the way. Hope they don't catch it or she may not travel. Could have a bigger problem at Customs when she returns!

 

I am confused by this. Why is this illegal in the US?

 

In Australia a woman changes her name by common adoption when she marries (as opposed to deed poll) and as such is fully entitled to be known by either her birth name or her married name. For example many women continue to use their birth name in their professional life. There is no rule/law saying you have to change your ID at all, and if you do change it there is no time requirement.

 

Like the other poster I departed for my honeymoon 2 days after my wedding and the paperwork to lodge the marriage certificate had not yet been completed by the priest or the local authority. There was no way it would have been possible for me to obtain a new passport in my married name. Australian immigration had no problems with me using my 'old name' passport, neither did US immigration when I landed in LA nor when I went through Port Evergaldes.

Edited March 26, 2014 by BekkaW
Typos!

[xxHadleyxx]

I am confused by this. Why is this illegal in the US?

 

In Australia a woman changes her name by common adoption when she marries (as opposed to deed poll) and as such is fully entitled to be known by either her birth name or her married name. For example many women continue to use their birth name in their professional life. There is no rule/law saying you have to change your ID at all, and if you do change it there is no time requirement.

 

Like the other poster I departed for my honeymoon 2 days after my wedding and the paperwork to lodge the marriage certificate had not yet been completed by the priest or the local authority. There was no way it would have been possible for me to obtain a new passport in my married name. Australian immigration had no problems with me using my 'old name' passport, neither did US immigration when I landed in LA nor when I went through Port Evergaldes.

In the US, if your name has legally changed, you must also change it on your passport.

 

You can keep a separate business name (married or nor--my dad was a radio DJ and used an air name, for example) but that has its own set of rules and is not generally reflected in any legal ID.

 

So, a married woman could choose not to change her name at all--and that is perfectly legal. But, if she chooses to change it for one legal ID (her DL, being the most common) she must also do so for her passport.

[BekkaW]

In the US, if your name has legally changed, you must also change it on your passport.

 

You can keep a separate business name (married or nor--my dad was a radio DJ and used an air name, for example) but that has its own set of rules and is not generally reflected in any legal ID.

 

So, a married woman could choose not to change her name at all--and that is perfectly legal. But, if she chooses to change it for one legal ID (her DL, being the most common) she must also do so for her passport.

 

Interesting, thank you! Here they make it pretty easy by allowing you a free new passport in the married name, but it's not required.

 

Edit: I should add, my DL name was also not changed in those 2 days, so they did match - both in my maiden name.

Edited March 26, 2014 by BekkaW