Passport or ID Card for travel to Canada/Mexico

[elcydcruiser]

Has anyone gotten a new US Passport that included an ID type card to use in lieu of your Passport to travel to Canada or Mexico? We're getting ready for a Princess Pacific Coastal...and one of our group wants to carry the ID card instead of the Passport. Can she use the ID card for check-in process (Port of LA) ?

[RickEk]

Has anyone gotten a new US Passport that included an ID type card to use in lieu of your Passport to travel to Canada or Mexico? We're getting ready for a Princess Pacific Coastal...and one of our group wants to carry the ID card instead of the Passport. Can she use the ID card for check-in process (Port of LA) ?

 

Yes, the passport card can be used for a closed loop cruise, roundtrip from a US port. It cannot be used for a cruise that originates in the US and ends in Canada or vice versa.

[MauiLvrs]

The additional question should be ... can we get on a airplane and fly home with it if we need to.

 

I believe that the answer for both from Canada/Mexico is yes.

[Pam in CA]

The additional question should be ... can we get on a airplane and fly home with it if we need to.

 

 

 

I believe that the answer for both from Canada/Mexico is yes.

Yes. The passport card can be used for travel to/from Canada and Mexico. Even though I have a passport book, I got a passport card to take with me whenever I go ashore, no matter where since it's so much easier to carry. I believe the card is linked to your passport book since I had to put my passport book # in the application.

[sjbj]

The additional question should be ... can we get on a airplane and fly home with it if we need to.

 

I believe that the answer for both from Canada/Mexico is yes.

 

Absolutely NOT! Only the passport "book" can be used for international air travel. The passport "card" can be used for land travel to Mexico and Canada, not Caribbean. The passport "card" or birth certificate and government photo id can be used for close loop cruises.

[caribill]

The additional question should be ... can we get on a airplane and fly home with it if we need to.

 

I believe that the answer for both from Canada/Mexico is yes.

 

The answer for any country including Canada and Mexico is no as far as flying is concerned.

[Pam in CA]

Absolutely NOT! Only the passport "book" can be used for international air travel. The passport "card" can be used for land travel to Mexico and Canada, not Caribbean. The passport "card" or birth certificate and government photo id can be used for close loop cruises.

I stand corrected. You're right about air travel.

[MauiLvrs]

The answer for any country including Canada and Mexico is no as far as flying is concerned.

 

The U.S. Passport Card can be used to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda at land border crossings or sea ports-of-entry and is more convenient and less expensive than a passport book.

The passport card cannot be used for international travel by air.

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/information/card.html

[skynight]

Recommended, bring your Passport Book, don't fool around with shortcuts. You never know what can happen. If you have a passport card you bring that also.

[Colo Cruiser]

Get the passport book.

[Putterdude]

The Passport Card may be used when entering and leaving the US from Canada and Mexico at land and sea border points but can not be used for flying. So the Passport Card can be used for the cruise you describe as long as you are not flying home from Canada.

[elcydcruiser]

Thank you all for your replies. CC is a wealth of information. :)

Round trip from Los Angeles with Ensenada as the International Port; no flying involved.

Edited March 27, 2014 by elcydcruiser

[Jim Avery]

The Passport Card may be used when entering and leaving the US from Canada and Mexico at land and sea border points but can not be used for flying. So the Passport Card can be used for the cruise you describe as long as you are not flying home from Canada.

 

As long as nothing goes wrong and you need to fly home. I would never leave the country without my passport (book). Not like it takes up much room. I bet the passport card costs lots more to produce than, say, an AMEX card and it has such limited uses. Score another one for our wasteful government.

[Loonbeam]

Just to make the OPs options clear

 

If they use the ID for a closed loop cruise, and an emergency happens, land travel back from Mexico or Canada will be the only option unless a waiver is granted by State/ICE. In most cases this will not be a huge deal, as the ports are fairly near the US, and once in the US you can fly as needed, but that will add a lot of time and expense to any travel.

 

Given the relatively small price difference between card and book, if you must have only one, go with the book. If she has both, leave book in safe and carry card.

[elcydcruiser]

Loonbeam...I think I might suggest that to her. Bring both; stow the book, carry the card. Thank you.

[Colo Cruiser]

Loonbeam...I think I might suggest that to her. Bring both; stow the book, carry the card. Thank you.

 

 

Good idea.

[caribill]

I bet the passport card costs lots more to produce than, say, an AMEX card and it has such limited uses. Score another one for our wasteful government.

 

The card was designed to be used by a large number of American citizens who live near the Canadian or Mexican border and cross the land border often, sometimes on a daily basis.

 

It may be of limited use to most Americans, but for the people it was designed for it is of great value and the cost of producing it is covered by the cost of obtaining it.

[Putterdude]

I know nothing about Mexican requirements re travel documents but currently there is no requirement for an American citizen to have a passport or passport card to enter Canada, the only reason CBSA officers what to see one from Americans is to ensure that Americans can return to the US. As for a card for people living close to the Canadian/US border, the NEXUS card was the document which was designed to replace the PACE program after its suspension post 9-11 and remains the document of choice for frequent travellers between Canada and the US. We were among original enrolees in the NEXUS program and are now in our second renewal.

[Loonbeam]

It's actually fairly cheap to produce, once the printers are purchased. Verification channels are the same as used for passports as is the database.

 

The tech in the cards are pretty much the exact same ones used for Casino IDs.

 

 

The card was designed to be used by a large number of American citizens who live near the Canadian or Mexican border and cross the land border often, sometimes on a daily basis.

 

It may be of limited use to most Americans, but for the people it was designed for it is of great value and the cost of producing it is covered by the cost of obtaining it.