Do you need a passport?

[sparks1093]

My bc is in my wallet with my license. My passport was with my wife who was holding all the passports to go into the safe in her backpack. Lots of lawyers here. Anything else anyone would like to know about how I pack my personal stuff?

 

No, a lot of people trying to figure out why you were treated differently. Again, if you had presented your birth cert with your license I am sure you would have been allowed in. In any event you made it into the terminal and onto the cruise, which I hope was great.

[njhorseman]

Again, you weren't there. I didn't offer it, didn't think to. Said i had my license and he said that was no good i needed a passport. He never said dig out your "certified birth certificate" to go with your license. I know it's easy to appear so high and mighty behind a computer screen but still I have yet to hear you say you were there at that moment. If you were on this cruise than please say so. If not, please go back into your hole and bother someone else. If the OP or anyone else for that matter wants to try and travel without a passport they can go ahead and try. That's up to them. I am merely sharing my experience, which may have differed from the norm, or from yours.

 

You didn't offer the BC, so what you're missing is the fact that it would have been accepted if you had.

 

I wasn't there with you, but I have personally seen and heard this happen numerous times, so I know exactly what the drill is.

 

I'm sorry you didn't understand how this works.

[jethrojam]

It is meant to scare people. You are probably correct. But I can't be sure as I have no way to ask the cop again why he asked this way. It just seems like a reasonable thought process that since that particular cruise did not come from a closed loop location and that some people did in fact get off the boat to go back on after seeing a few sites that it could be the case that for that particular cruise, it would be necessary to board with only a passport. I am not writing this for the sole purpose of pissing people off. I am writing this because I don't want people to get left at the dock because they didn't spend an extra 100ish dollars on something as simple as a passport.

[garycarla]

It is meant to scare people. You are probably correct. ...

 

Scaring people into jumping through hoops to get a passport when they do not need one is not good. Or if someone cruising next week is alarmed, or someone about to book a last minute cruise and avoids it, etc.

 

Bottom line, either cop was wrong, the communication was mis-communicated, or something similar. In any event, you would have been able to board once things were cleared up.

 

(p.s. We have passports and so do our kids)

[jmleedy]

Since this is about Passports, is there a difference between Passport books and passport cards as far as cruising is concerned? looks like the card would be ok, and it's a lot cheaper.

 

Anyone have any helpful info?

[tunaman2011]

Since this is about Passports, is there a difference between Passport books and passport cards as far as cruising is concerned? looks like the card would be ok, and it's a lot cheaper.

 

Anyone have any helpful info?

 

Greetings

 

You cannot fly internationally with a passport card. They are only good for land crossings and US, Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or Caribbean cruises. IMO anyone leaving the country should have a passport. You never know what may happen while abroad.

 

Good Sailing

Tom

[sparks1093]

Since this is about Passports, is there a difference between Passport books and passport cards as far as cruising is concerned? looks like the card would be ok, and it's a lot cheaper.

 

Anyone have any helpful info?

 

Passport cards have the advantage of being able to be used for open jaw sailing to return from Canada, Bermuda, Mexico and the Caribbean and for land border crossings. The card cannot be used for international air travel.

[jmleedy]

awesome, so if i never really travel other than a cruise, a card would be the extra little insurance over a birth certificate. thanks all for the help

[garycarla]

awesome, so if i never really travel other than a cruise, a card would be the extra little insurance over a birth certificate. thanks all for the help

 

Not sure what the extra "insurance" would be. If the card is left at home, you are still out of luck. If I were to get anything, it would be the passport. (we have that)

 

Other than for those that frequently travel across the Canada or Mexican border, the card seems rather silly to have vs getting the passport.

[sparks1093]

Not sure what the extra "insurance" would be. If the card is left at home, you are still out of luck. If I were to get anything, it would be the passport. (we have that)

 

Other than for those that frequently travel across the Canada or Mexican border, the card seems rather silly to have vs getting the passport.

 

The extra insurance comes from the State Department already having all of your information in their system, which would make it easier for them if you needed their assistance. If the only type of travel one can do are cruises in the Western Hemisphere it could be worth having. (I decided on an enhanced license because it's only one document to carry that I carry anyway, but of course that is only an option to those living in one of the 5 states that issue them).

[TardisDance]

Also, if your state offers it, an enhanced license is accepted. Just like a passport card, it's for land and sea travel only. I think NY, MI, VT and a few others states offer it. I think some Canadian provinces do as well. It can be confusing on the NCL website, because there isn't an option for it on the online check in. I was told to key my license number under the passport option. I was fine on my cruise last year. You will be asked to sign a form that basically says you're screwed if it you miss your ship at port. I was on the BA going to Bermuda.

[garycarla]

The extra insurance comes from the State Department already having all of your information in their system, which would make it easier for them if you needed their assistance. If the only type of travel one can do are cruises in the Western Hemisphere it could be worth having. (I decided on an enhanced license because it's only one document to carry that I carry anyway, but of course that is only an option to those living in one of the 5 states that issue them).

 

I would agree with the state department thing. Then again, I would just go ahead and get the passport.

 

for those that can get the enhanced DL, that is a good option if not doing other intl travel.