Passports, Honestly who cruises without them ?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sadly -- JMO -- there are lots of people who sail without passports.

We wouldn't think of leaving this country without a passport. I don't want the worry that if something happens to one of us and we end up in a foreign hospital and once we were well, we wouldn't be able to get home as quickly as possible. And if something at home and we got that call -- get home quickly -- another hassle with no passport.

[sparks1093]

Sadly -- JMO -- there are lots of people who sail without passports.

 

We wouldn't think of leaving this country without a passport. I don't want the worry that if something happens to one of us and we end up in a foreign hospital and once we were well, we wouldn't be able to get home as quickly as possible. And if something at home and we got that call -- get home quickly -- another hassle with no passport.

 

Why in the world is it "sadly"? People have a choice and as long as they make a choice that works for them who is to say differenty? Yes, you don't want the risk or the hassle or the worry but they aren't making a choice that affects you.

[OCruisers]

Hello

Ok don't jump down my throat, but I just booked a closed loop cruise on NCL and I am thinking that I'm not going to have time to get passports. I am thinking about just going without them. How many people actually do that out there?

 

To answer your question .... Yes, you will be able to cruise without a passport and others have and do cruise without passports on a closed loop.

 

Have a great cruise and do consider getting a passport well in advance for your future cruises. :)

 

LuLu

[Shorex]

Does it make a difference whether the number of people who cruise without a passport is 42 or 42,000? Not to your situation.

 

IF

You do not have time to get a passport (and this is a particularly busy time for the passport office) AND

You are taking a closed loop cruise AND

You have the required documentation to cruise without a passport THEN

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[loubetti]

I "had" my first passport (included in my mother's) when I was 5 or 6. Once I started traveling internationally (around age 18) I got my "own" passport. I do have my birth certificate, but it really wouldn't do any good, it's in German.

 

Yes, my first passport was with my mother. Both photos on it and, I still have every one of them afterwards!

 

Gosh, I think I might have gotten better looking over the years! :D

[OCruisers]

Yes, my first passport was with my mother. Both photos on it and, I still have every one of them afterwards!

 

Gosh, I think I might have gotten better looking over the years! :D

 

Lou, I also remember when passports for young children were taken "sitting on Mommy's lap". Don't know if that's still done or not.

 

LuLu

[sail7seas]

Does it make a difference whether the number of people who cruise without a passport is 42 or 42,000? Not to your situation.

 

IF

You do not have time to get a passport (and this is a particularly busy time for the passport office) AND

You are taking a closed loop cruise AND

You have the required documentation to cruise without a passport THEN

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

I'm not so sure getting a passport now would be particularly slow.

I just renewed mine and since I had no immediate need to get it back quickly, I did not ask for expedited processing or overnight mail.

 

I received it and my passport card in just about three weeks or a day or two faster.

 

Edited February 24, 2016 by sail7seas

[sail7seas]

You are welcome. When we first started cruising we took a 4 day cruise to the Bahamas. Passports for the 7 of us would have set us back close to $900, which was almost as much as the cruise itself. I did my research, including reading the DHS regulations (not a pleasant task;)) and determined that the risk didn't warrant that outlay of cash since a much more affordable alternative was available. Of course if I had determined that the passports were a must have then we would have either found a way to pay for them or we would have found a different vacation. (And I figured you knew I was prior military but the way you wrote the post threw me a little and I apologize if I misread.)

 

Most certainly, no problem. :)

 

[Warm Breezes]

I can't answer for cb at sea but since I've given similar answers my answer might come close- my life limited where I could travel and limited me to closed loop cruises. We had to drive to the port and had absolutely no immediate plans for international air travel. Not everyone has the ability to travel at will wherever and whenever they want and if they do decide to take such a trip there is usually plenty to time for obtaining a passport.

 

Agree. DH and I sailed 10 times without passports. We got them for our 11th because we were leaving the kids at home alone for the first time. This upped the risk for us enough to for us to justify the expense. Our kids are sailing with us in May....without passports. The risk is extremely small and it is an individual's choice to get one or not for closed loop cruises.

 

Our traveling without passports was no more limited to us before passports as it has been with passports. We do not have any reason to travel out of the country for any reason that would not be pre-planned with enough time to get a passport if NEEDED for that travel. Many, many others are in the same situation and currently have no need for a passport and to get it for a closed loop cruise which is a low risk situation in most peoples cases is a personal choice for them to make based on their own comfort level of risk taking.

[whataboutport]

Never have cruised or traveled by plane, even domestically, without one. I got my first passport at age 7, 50 years ago.

 

It is the gold standard for ID.

 

Besides, I have no idea where my birth certificate is!

 

Ya' wanna save a few bucks, ya' take your chances!

 

If you can afford a cruise you can afford a passport. Passports are not an area to "cheap out" on.

 

Except for if you want to open a PO Box at the post office! I tried before with my driver's license and passport and they would not accept my passport as a form of ID! They wanted my car registration!:eek:

[whataboutport]

Out of all my cruises (6 not THAT many), I've only had my passport for one bc I just happened to have one that was valid. All others I've cruised with just my driver's license and certified birth certificate. Last cruise I thought we would have to get a passport bc we went down to South America, but as long as it's a closed loop cruise and doesn't go into another hemisphere, you're good. We didn't go south of the equator.

[spookwife]

Other than being active duty in the Military, how does one travel the world without a passport?

 

 

 

 

 

Actually not even military can travel on their ID and orders. You get a govt issued passport for all official travel and when stationed overseas are basically told a tourist passport is required. One or two sets of friends didn't have one and basically had no opportunities to go anywhere. But we traveled from Japan to Hong Kong, Australia and other nearby locales.

[sparks1093]

Actually not even military can travel on their ID and orders. You get a govt issued passport for all official travel and when stationed overseas are basically told a tourist passport is required. One or two sets of friends didn't have one and basically had no opportunities to go anywhere. But we traveled from Japan to Hong Kong, Australia and other nearby locales.

 

That is a military requirement, it's not required by the DHS regulations which still have an exception for military members traveling on official orders. When I was in there was no requirement for military members to have a passport when traveling on orders.

[capriccio]

Except for if you want to open a PO Box at the post office! I tried before with my driver's license and passport and they would not accept my passport as a form of ID! They wanted my car registration!:eek:

 

Maybe they needed an address on the ID?

[klepton]

When the Carnival Triumph had it's fire in 2013 Carnival stated that 900 (out of the 3000 passengers) used documents other than a passport to cruise. You can bet that factored into their decision to tow to Mobile instead of Progresso. :D So there are definitely a large number of cruisers who don't get passports.

 

As long as you know the risks, you're free to take whatever calculated risk you want to. I personally wouldn't travel without a passport, nor would I take my kids without one, but it's a personal decision everyone makes for themselves. If $80/$110 is too much to spend for piece of mind, roll the dice! :) Odds are you'll be just fine without one.

 

Make sure you have an official birth certificate though, people can and do get denied boarding because they have a copy of their birth certificate, not an official one.

[sparks1093]

When the Carnival Triumph had it's fire in 2013 Carnival stated that 900 (out of the 3000 passengers) used documents other than a passport to cruise. You can bet that factored into their decision to tow to Mobile instead of Progresso. :D So there are definitely a large number of cruisers who don't get passports.

 

As long as you know the risks, you're free to take whatever calculated risk you want to. I personally wouldn't travel without a passport, nor would I take my kids without one, but it's a personal decision everyone makes for themselves. If $80/$110 is too much to spend for piece of mind, roll the dice! :) Odds are you'll be just fine without one.

 

Make sure you have an official birth certificate though, people can and do get denied boarding because they have a copy of their birth certificate, not an official one.

 

By the time the tugs got to the Triumph she had drifted closer to the US so it would take less time to tow her there, the passengers not having passports did not influence the decision. A better example is the CCL ship that let everyone off in St Marten- the passengers without passports were given a letter from CBP allowing them to fly without passports.

 

Passports are the same cost for everyone now, you no longer pay a reduced fee for a child's passport even though it is only good for 5 years (for those issued when the child is under 16).

 

And finally the DHS regulations specify that a birth certificate may be an original or a copy. I have read of many passengers who had their cruise saved by the faxing of their birth certificate.

[Clarea]

When the Carnival Triumph had it's fire in 2013 Carnival stated that 900 (out of the 3000 passengers) used documents other than a passport to cruise. You can bet that factored into their decision to tow to Mobile instead of Progresso. :D So there are definitely a large number of cruisers who don't get passports.

 

As long as you know the risks, you're free to take whatever calculated risk you want to. I personally wouldn't travel without a passport, nor would I take my kids without one, but it's a personal decision everyone makes for themselves. If $80/$110 is too much to spend for piece of mind, roll the dice! :) Odds are you'll be just fine without one.

 

Make sure you have an official birth certificate though, people can and do get denied boarding because they have a copy of their birth certificate, not an official one.

My memory may be faulty, but wasn't there a Carnival ship that had problems such that they had to cancel the cruise and arrange a charter flight back to the US? Somehow I got the idea the charter made it easier to deal with the lack of passports.

[sparks1093]

My memory may be faulty, but wasn't there a Carnival ship that had problems such that they had to cancel the cruise and arrange a charter flight back to the US? Somehow I got the idea the charter made it easier to deal with the lack of passports.

 

That's the cruise that terminated in St Marten- they chartered flights and used commericial flights. One of the passengers that used a commercial flight posted a copy of the letter from CBP that they were given.

[capriccio]

 

Passports are the same cost for everyone now, you no longer pay a reduced fee for a child's passport even though it is only good for 5 years (for those issued when the child is under 16).

 

 

Technically you do save $5 (on renewal) - $20 (on initial) on a child's passport (don't spend it all in one place :D) compared with an adult passport.

 

According to the State Department's website (http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/information/fees.html#adult_first_time) the child's initial and subsequent (until 16) passport costs $80+ $25 execution fee ($105) whereas initial passports for adults are $110 + $25 ($135) and adult renewals do not include the execution fee.

 

The passport execution fee is charged to passport applicants applying on Form DS-11 to recover the costs of executing the passport application, such as administering the oath, verifying the applicant's identity, and transmitting the applications. The execution fee must be paid at the time of application execution.

The cost of processing the child's passport is most likely the same as an adult passport. I can see the necessity of requiring a child's renewal more frequently although that 5 year interval can definitely make the child impossible to match to the passport. Our daughter was 4 months old and our son 2 weeks old (we were moving from overseas back to the states right after he was born) when they got their first passports. On our multiple trips in the next 5 years we were always asked "where's the baby?" and we would point down to the 1 to 4 year old too short for their head to reach the immigration counter.

Edited February 24, 2016 by capriccio

[klepton]

By the time the tugs got to the Triumph she had drifted closer to the US so it would take less time to tow her there, the passengers not having passports did not influence the decision.

 

According to the Carnival spokesman it was a factor. Not the only factor, but a factor.

 

Carnival had originally announced Triumph would be towed to Progreso, Mexico but switched to Mobile after the ship drifted about 90 miles north due to strong currents, which put it nearly equidistant to Mobile as to Progreso. "Given the strength of the currents, it is preferable to head north to Mobile, rather than attempt to tow against them," a Carnival statement explained. "Mobile also provides simpler re-entry [than Mexico], particularly for the 900 passengers traveling without passports," the line added.

[sparks1093]

Technically you do save $5 (on renewal) - $20 (on initial) on a child's passport (don't spend it all in one place :D) compared with an adult passport.

 

According to the State Department's website (http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/information/fees.html#adult_first_time) the child's initial and subsequent (until 16) passport costs $80+ $25 execution fee ($105) whereas initial passports for adults are $110 + $25 ($135) and adult renewals do not include the execution fee.

The passport execution fee is charged to passport applicants applying on Form DS-11 to recover the costs of executing the passport application, such as administering the oath, verifying the applicant's identity, and transmitting the applications. The execution fee must be paid at the time of application execution.

The cost of processing the child's passport is most likely the same as an adult passport. I can see the necessity of requiring a child's renewal more frequently although that 5 year interval can definitely make the child impossible to match to the passport. Our daughter was 4 months old and our son 2 weeks old (we were moving from overseas back to the states right after he was born) when they got their first passports. On our multiple trips in the next 5 years we were always asked "where's the baby?" and we would point down to the 1 to 4 year old too short for their head to reach the immigration counter.

 

Huh, thanks for the correction. I understand why it's 5 years but the cost should be proportional (at least they do cost less).

[slidergirl]

That is a military requirement, it's not required by the DHS regulations which still have an exception for military members traveling on official orders. When I was in there was no requirement for military members to have a passport when traveling on orders.

 

I'm not trying to be antagonistic, but:

 

When were traveling for military and when you drove to Mexico/Canada with just your DL/military ID, was this before or after the current requirements for more than that were implemented? Makes a big difference. What used to be can't be used to justify what is now.

When I was in my 20s, we'd drive to Tijuana for the day - only used my DL. Makes no matter that I did that back in the day; the rules have changed.

[whataboutport]

Maybe they needed an address on the ID?

 

That is what they told me, in a very rude way. That if I was doing something illegal with the PO box (um first of all, F you for assuming that's what I am going to do...), that they "can stop my car, but can't stop my passport". Not really knowing what authority they have to stop my car, I dunno. I also overhear at this same office where a guy wanted to use his CCW as a second ID and they said no. :rolleyes: And asked if he was law enforcement. Not that that matters, and you don't have to be in law enforcement to have one.

 

Anyway, I always wondered why passports don't have addresses. I know one can move in the ten years it's valid, but same with DL too. They are good for a long time too and people move.

[whataboutport]

By the time the tugs got to the Triumph she had drifted closer to the US so it would take less time to tow her there, the passengers not having passports did not influence the decision. A better example is the CCL ship that let everyone off in St Marten- the passengers without passports were given a letter from CBP allowing them to fly without passports.

 

Passports are the same cost for everyone now, you no longer pay a reduced fee for a child's passport even though it is only good for 5 years (for those issued when the child is under 16).

 

And finally the DHS regulations specify that a birth certificate may be an original or a copy. I have read of many passengers who had their cruise saved by the faxing of their birth certificate.

 

Really is this true? Can you provide a link? I'm kind of surprised they would take a copy now.

[klepton]

Really is this true? Can you provide a link? I'm kind of surprised they would take a copy now.

 

They'll take a copy of an original, official, birth certificate from your states office of vital statistics. The issue is that what many people consider their birth certificate is not actually official, it might be from the hospital or a church. These people are in for a heartbreak when they show up at the port. That's why I tell people to make sure their birth certificate is official (meaning, from Vital Statistics).