Passport ?

[Sky616]

My two boys and my wife will be cruising in November onboard the Oasis of the Seas. My oldest 13 had a passport book that expired. My youngest has never had one. We would like to get them a passport even though we know it's not necessary as a birth certificate would be sufficient except for an emergency that we would have to fly back to the US. Question is I noticed on the traveldotstatedotgov website there is a passport book and a passport card which is much cheaper. The book is for all international travel and the card which is travel back to the US from Mexico, Canada, Bermuda and the Caribbean. Is this all that we would need and if so is that would you would do. Thanks for the help. We have an appointment this week at our local post office. We already have the photos taken.

[thinfool]

My two boys and my wife will be cruising in November onboard the Oasis of the Seas. My oldest 13 had a passport book that expired. My youngest has never had one. We would like to get them a passport even though we know it's not necessary as a birth certificate would be sufficient except for an emergency that we would have to fly back to the US. Question is I noticed on the traveldotstatedotgov website there is a passport book and a passport card which is much cheaper. The book is for all international travel and the card which is travel back to the US from Mexico, Canada, Bermuda and the Caribbean. Is this all that we would need and if so is that would you would do. Thanks for the help. We have an appointment this week at our local post office. We already have the photos taken.

 

Yes, the card will suffice for your use.

Basically, the card is valid for land and sea travel to the locations you describe. You cannot (easily) use a card to fly into or out of the US.

 

Would I do it? It would depend on whether I could foresee the possibility of any international air travel for the family in the 5 years that a 'youth' passport would be valid.

Edited August 10, 2014 by thinfool

[GeezerCouple]

My two boys and my wife will be cruising in November onboard the Oasis of the Seas. My oldest 13 had a passport book that expired. My youngest has never had one. We would like to get them a passport even though we know it's not necessary as a birth certificate would be sufficient except for an emergency that we would have to fly back to the US. Question is I noticed on the traveldotstatedotgov website there is a passport book and a passport card which is much cheaper. The book is for all international travel and the card which is travel back to the US from Mexico, Canada, Bermuda and the Caribbean. Is this all that we would need and if so is that would you would do. Thanks for the help. We have an appointment this week at our local post office. We already have the photos taken.

 

Get the actual passport books (the "real" passports).

 

Just in case something goes wrong - perhaps missing the ship, or a medical emergency [i thought that's why you posted in the "Insurance" sub-forum here], THEN you would have the passport BOOK, making it very easy to FLY back to the USA.

 

(And then all of you would have those passports for future travel, even if you wanted to go to a different destination.)

 

I sometimes figure in cases like this, it's sort of like carrying an umbrella... THEN it won't rain ;)

That is, if you have the full passports, then (hopefully!) you won't need them!

 

GeezerCouple

[cherylandtk]

Since you wanted something that would work for an emergency flight back to the US, get the book. The card won't get you on a plane home from an international location. On a cruise such as yours, the card does not get your kids anything more than what the birth certificate would do.

Edited August 10, 2014 by cherylandtk

[sail7seas]

Seeing you asked......

 

I would get passport books.

[Sky616]

Seeing you asked......

 

I would get passport books.

 

That's what we plan to do. Since the card is the same as the passport card there's no use to get that. I was just confused about getting the card I thought we could fly back but I read it more carefully and realized we couldn't. Sure we won't need it but you never know I guess. Thanks for the help.