What Did You Use For Identification?

[tinydancer21]

What did you use for identification? Is it easier if you have a passport or does it really matter? If you bring a Birth Cert. and Marriage Licence do they just check it when you check in for the cruise or at every port?

Also are the safes in the rooms secure enough to leave these documents in?

(I'm going on Carnival Pride 9/04 if that makes a difference)
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9/04 Pride Second Anniversary, First Honeymoon!

[karfest]

We have always used drivers license-birth certificate, but bit the bullet and got passports for this past cruise. WOW- what a difference.Much quicker and easier, less verifying by the officials. Even checking in at the airport was easier. We made two copies of our passports, drivers license, and birth certificate, just in case, and kept them in two separate places. We locked our original passports in the room safe.Once you get your cruise card, that is all you need for ID as far as the ship is concerned.
You will be fine without a passport- but I would recommend getting one before it is required.

Karen

[tinydancer21]

I know I should probebly add a week cuz I live in Alaska but how long did it take you to get your passports? Did you get them threw the post office or internet?

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9/04 Pride Second Anniversary, First Honeymoon!

[karfest]

We printed the forms off the internet and had them filled out before we went to the post office. There were two different charges, I had to write a check for one because it gets sent in, the other I put on credit card. I don't remember exact cost, around $80.00. We got our pictures taken at Walgreens. I think it took about 4 weeks to get them in the mail.

Karen
Carnival Inspiration
RCCL Grandeur of the Seas
NCL Sun
Dawn Princess
up next- NCL Star to Mexico!

[tinydancer21]

Do you have the web site address for the passport form?

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9/04 Pride Second Anniversary, First Honeymoon!

[Splinter]

More and more cruise lines are requiring passports for all foreign cruises. It is the best and safest identification. Anyone who travels at all should have one that is up to date and will not expire for at least 6 months after their trip. Here is where you can get forms and information:

[url="http://travel.state.gov/passport_services.html"]http://travel.state.gov/passport_services.html[/url]

HA Constitution 1986
NCL Skyward 1988
Crystal Harmony 1992
Dawn Princess 1994
HA Independence 1995
Celebrity Zenith 1997
Grand Princess 1999
Regal Princess 2000
Crystal Harmony 2000
HAL Ryndam 2001
HAL Statendam 2003
RCI Vision of the Seas 2003
HAL Ryndam 2004

[SweetEmi]

I will be using my passport...but when you do go to the port cities, do you need your passport to get back on the ship or is a DL and your Key Card enough?

Thanks!
Emi

NCL Star-08/31/03 in Hawaii!
NCL Star-11/13/04 to Mexico!
Alaska summer 2005!

[karfest]

We carried our ID (not passport- lock those up) with us (in case we got arrested! haha) but didn't need it.You may need your DL to use a credit card, we ran into that in the Caribbean but not in Mexico. When you first embark, you get your picture taken and a card that will do everything for you as far as the ship is concerned. You swipe out when you leave the ship and swipe in when you get back. If you aren't swiped in, they will page you before they leave. We had 2 people in Acapulco who they paged many times- I wonder if they ever got back on the boat?

Karen
Carnival Inspiration-So Carib
RCCL Grandeur of the Seas-East Carib
NCL Sun-West Carib
Dawn Princess-Mexican Riviera
up next- NCL Star to Mexico!

[SweetEmi]

Karfest: Oh...thanks. Here on the Hawaii cruise we had to show both the DL and the key card to get back on. I think I'll be safe and take it anyway. However, I really did not want to carry around my passport if I didn't have to...so that's good news.

Aloha,
Emi

NCL Star-08/31/03 in Hawaii!
NCL Star-11/13/04 to Mexico!
Alaska summer 2005!

[D4]

It's a good practice to bring your passport or at least a copy of the first 2 pages of it with you at all ports.

Sometimes something bad happens (injury, accident,...) while off the ship. If you're in a foreign place without your passport, you can end up with a lot of hassles because you don't have the proper documentation to leave their country.