E-mail from HAL - passports

[Cruisin Kay D]

Take a look at CruiseCritic's own "News" section -- yesterday was posted that the Caribbean passport requirement for 2005 postponed til at least 2006, maybe longer -- Repr. of Caribbean islands complained 12/31/05 deadline would hinder tourism in 2006 and that the 12/31/06 deadline for travel to Canada & Mexico gave those countries some sort of advantage.

[sail7seas]

[quote name='Grumpy1']Sinc ei doubt that you subscribe to the Plain Dealer, (I wouldn't either if there was another paper in town):rolleyes: and their website isn't that great, here's a link to the AP article: [url="http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/08/17/caribbean.travel.ap/"]http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/08/17/caribbean.travel.ap/[/url][/QUOTE]

[b]Thanks, Grumpy.[/b]

[b]:) You're right. I don't subscribe to the Plain Dealer. Here in Boston, it's the Boston Herald or the Boston Globe. :)[/b]

[b]Thanks for bringing the news about the extension to our attention.[/b]

[sail7seas]

[b]Not to beat a dead horse, but I'm still wondering what HAL will do about the Venezuelian Visa situation.[/b]

[Deb C.]

Sails7seas: I sent an e-mail earlier this week to the address that HAL sent with the passport info. Anyway.....they said if I had a [b]US[/b] passport don't worry about obtaining a VISA for Venezuela. Guess I won't worry until I hear more from HAL. It looks like the passport requirement for the Caribbean is not set in stone yet either. As long as they let me on the ship, I won't get off in Venezuela if I need a Visa there!:rolleyes:

[elmorejj]

As we all know the Govt. changes its mind regularly. Maybe they just needed an infusion of money!! Raise the prices of passports, give out a "must have by" date, and Voila!! lots of new money in the treasury............jean :cool:

[jhannah]

At first I was thinking, "How dumb!" But the more I thought about it, I can see the Caribbean's viewpoint. I think they should implement the passport requirement for all border crossings by the end of next year and be done with it. That will give everyone plenty of time.

[serendipity1499]

[quote name='jhannah']At first I was thinking, "How dumb!" But the more I thought about it, I can see the Caribbean's viewpoint. I think they should implement the passport requirement for all border crossings by the end of next year and be done with it. That will give everyone plenty of time.[/QUOTE]

[color=navy]Excellent idea,:) but you know (human nature) that most people will still apply for passports at the last minute anyway, & become [b]Very annoyed[/b] :mad: when they don't arrive in time! Then they will sue the cruise line, or ask for shipboard credits/upgrades etc. for not advising them that it will take (by that time) 12 weeks to get a passport...Or they will claim not to have received the letter/e-mail;)[/color]

[Grumpy1]

[quote name='sail7seas'][b]Not to beat a dead horse, but I'm still wondering what HAL will do about the Venezuelian Visa situation.[/b][/QUOTE]

The best that I have been able to figure out, based on reviewing information on Zierer Visa Service site and a couple of news stories, is that the Visas that are in question would be those that are required to enter the country for business reasons. So far I have not seen anything that the visitors pass will be affected, but that could change if some official decides to throw his weight around.

I think their officials realize how important tourism is to them, and that there are other destinations that can easily be substituted, so I don't expect them to do something that would further hurt their ecomomy.

[sail7seas]

[quote name='Deb C.']Sails7seas: I sent an e-mail earlier this week to the address that HAL sent with the passport info. Anyway.....they said if I had a [b]US[/b] passport don't worry about obtaining a VISA for Venezuela. Guess I won't worry until I hear more from HAL. It looks like the passport requirement for the Caribbean is not set in stone yet either. As long as they let me on the ship, I won't get off in Venezuela if I need a Visa there!:rolleyes:[/QUOTE]

[b]Thanks, Deb. Seems it is all in a state of flux and not worth worrying about at this point. Appreciate your sharing HAL's response.[/b]

[sail7seas]

[b]Thanks, Grumpy. I wonder what the officials of Venezuela think would become of Isla de Margarita if U.S. travelers stopped visiting and the ships stopped coming. I could easily go through the rest of my life very happily without ever visiting there. ;) [/b]

[PhylDunc]

I have somewhat a related question. Will it be necessary to carry our passports off the boat? I would think we would have to when we go to the British VI. I've been surfing to find a waterproof container to have with me off the boat when we are at the beaches and wondered if I should get a container big enough to hold my passport.

[peaches from georgia]

We never take our actual passports off the ship no matter where we are in the Caribbean. But we do make a copy that we keep with us. The originals are in our cabin safe locked up. You will have your ship ID with you and a picture ID such as a DL in order to re-board the ship.

[Krazy Kruizers]

[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=blue]Like peaches, we keep our passports locked up in the safe and carry copies with us.[/color][/font][/b]
[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=#0000ff][/color][/font][/b]
[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=#0000ff]Use driver's license and ship's card for ID for getting on and off the ship and for anywhere else we need to show ID.[/color][/font][/b]
[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=#0000ff][/color][/font][/b]

[elmorejj]

Read in the paper yesterday that the Govt. has rescinded its Dec 31 05 passport requirement for the Carib. I guess enough Islands raised enough cain to get the dates changed........jean :cool:

[Krazy Kruizers]

[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=blue]We read that in our papers a couple of days ago as well.[/color][/font][/b]
[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=#0000ff][/color][/font][/b]
[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=#0000ff]Now people will stop sending for their passports and all this will begin again next year "Do I need to get a passport?" [/color][/font][/b]
[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=#0000ff][/color][/font][/b]
[b][font=Comic Sans MS][color=#0000ff]Maybe the cruise lines and airlines should require all passengers to have passports just to fly and cruise and that would stop all these naysays from getting one.[/color][/font][/b]

[peaches from georgia]

4 years after 911 it is unbelievable that everyone doesn't need a passport to enter the U.S. The issue has nothing to do with what other countries require passports or not, but the fact that you can still get into the U.S. without a passport and requiring one is being put off [I]another[/I] year. Why is our govt. more worried about tourism in Carib countries than they are about our own security?

[elmorejj]

Peaches, I`ve been thinking the very same thing. Will it take terrorists coming in from a Carib. Mexican, or South or Central American country and playing havoc with our lives again to make the Govt. wake up. I just shake my head sometimes........jean :cool:

[Gala62]

We both have passports already so its not an issue for us. I will say however, its more than worth it to have one. With tighter airport as well as cruiseport security, having a passport makes it much easier to indentify yourself. A passport is the best form of identification you can have even if you don't do that much international travel. We will never be without one.