Passports or Not?

[CRUISING FROM SC]

We are taking our son, DIL and 3 year old grandson on a 4 day Disney cruise to the Bahamas. None of them have passports,but my husband and I do. I have read the pros and cons of having them. From what I have read it would only be an issue if they had to fly back to the U.S. We just can't decide if we should spend the money or not to get them.

 

I'd love to hear input from fellow cruisers. TIA for your opinion. :)

[moki'smommy]

Well, you nailed the basic issue. If you get on and off the ship in the same port as scheduled, then there is no need for the passport. However, if someone becomes ill and has to be airlifted home or spend time in a Bahamian hospital and then fly home, they will add the issue of contacting the consulate and obtaining an emergency passport to their list of "must dos" in an already stressful situation.

 

Reality, the chances of needing them are small. However if the emergency arises, having a passport is one more thing to the good. And yes, we've seen a tween fall and sustain a compound fracture on the ship resulting in a stay in a hospital in Nassau--an accident can happen to anyone.

 

I guess I'd decide that if this is their one and only time out of the country and all are in good health, I'd likely go without them. If there is any chance of another trip in the next 5 years, I'd go ahead and get them now.

[Shmoo here]

We are taking our son, DIL and 3 year old grandson on a 4 day Disney cruise to the Bahamas. None of them have passports,but my husband and I do. I have read the pros and cons of having them. From what I have read it would only be an issue if they had to fly back to the U.S. We just can't decide if we should spend the money or not to get them.

 

I'd love to hear input from fellow cruisers. TIA for your opinion. :)

 

Personally, we wouldn't travel out of the country without passports. When we took our "kids" (adults really) on their first cruises, passports weren't required for the cruise, but we made them get them. I don't want to have to add the stress of applying for emergency re-admission back to the US in the event of some other medical or emergency issue.

 

In reality, for US citizens on a closed-loop cruise, the current minimum requirement is a birth certificate (plus a government issued photo ID for those 16 and over).

 

Children's passports are only good for 5 years, while adult ones are good for 10.

 

It's really up to your comfort level what you want to do.

[Loonbeam]

This is one of the few areas of travel where I have one hard fixed position. Never leave the North American continent without a passport for everyone. Never. Ever.

 

Yes, the odds are you won't need it. Until you do.

 

At $110 ish for 5 or 10 years, its the cheapest insurance you will ever buy.

[Ex techie]

Passport always.

 

And I bet if you get them you will make sure you get your moneys worth out of them having the incentive to travel abroad or cruise more! (DCL or otherwise)

 

ex techie

[jeffrey.p]

I would get them, better safe than sorry. Get both the regular passport book and the new passport card. We kept the book in the cabin's safe and used the passport card to go into ports. Easier to carry and less chance of damaging it.

[moki'smommy]

If you want to spend the additional money on the passport card, that's your choice. It is of no value should you need to return to the US in some way other than the ship from which you departed. The passport card is good for border crossings from Mexico and Canada only. There is no harm in getting it other than the expense, but it has no benefit on a cruise other than being another piece of ID. Carrying it into port is fine...but it won't get you back to the US.

 

If you are going to buy one thing to use on the cruise, only the passport book would be valid for an emergency re-entry. If you have only the passport card, you would still have to obtain an "emergency passport" should there be an unexpected repatriation.

 

I don't doubt that the processing might be easier if you have the card, but it won't eliminate the need to have either the book or get an emergency passport.

 

A passport is not required in any of the Caribbean or Bahamian ports. In those European ports where a passport is required to disembark, it must be the passport book (not the card).

 

Note--I DO think that a passport is a good idea and each person in my family has one. But there is a difference between the requirements and what each of us thinks is the "right" thing to do.

Edited January 5, 2015 by moki'smommy

[fla gang]

Always take your passport and a good credit card when you are at any port of call. You never know what may happen!

[Cedricandsophie]

Like others have stated I would never take the chance on leaving the country without a passport. However I never take a passport off the ship unless the port specifically requires it.

 

 

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[CRUISING FROM SC]

Thanks everyone. We are getting passports for all. Better safe than sorry. :)

[cb at sea]

We only do "closed loop" cruises, so we've never spent the money for passports. You will get home, somehow, if there is an emergency....so I've never spent too much time worrying about that! Until it's a law that you must have them, I won't do it.

[Loonbeam]

Follow the thread about the 'nightmare' cruise. Now imagine if they did not have passports.

 

Enough said, I think.

[rrkman]

If you can get them, get them. What does it hurt except for cost? Our kids already have them for cruising but I even take them when we fly within the US. Better safe than sorry.

[Emperor Norton]

Especially with the 2016 changes Im going with 'better to have and need not rather than need and have not'.

 

/imo not worth it to hot have it

[askworldtraveler]

There are many reasons to have a passport these days - immigration is only one of the reasons. A passport provides proven identification for many uses - including airports, tsa, if you don't have your Drivers license it will act as ID, makes a worse case scenario a little better - illness is not the only reason you may need to leave the ship. (My father went to hospital when I was on a cruise - I had to fly out of the next stop - international - and fly into the USA. Without a passport I would have missed a last conversation with him). I once asked a colleague to join me on a trip - London being the first stop. Having a passport allowed a yes.

 

There is only one reason not to have a passport - cost.

 

Passport photos - many options - Costco I've found the best.