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Do we need a passport?

JEN5508

By JEN5508,
in Royal Caribbean International

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S.A.M.J.R.

S.A.M.J.R.

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No, you do not NEED passports (you will need some extra paperwork... birth certificates, photo ID, and "bridging documents" if the names between the BC & ID don't match).  

 

Are they a good idea?  I think so.  I also think trip insurance is a good idea.  

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Charles4515

Charles4515

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18 minutes ago, JEN5508 said:

yes, we are US Citizens

 

Jenn

In the event you needed to fly home you would need a passport. While having an emergency and having to return home may be remote  having a passport would eliminate a hassle. As the sailing is in June you have plenty of time to get a passport. Also having a passport will make travel other than cruises that leave from a US port and return to a US port. possible 

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BirdTravels "Live from...." Rare

BirdTravels

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54 minutes ago, JEN5508 said:

We leave on June 11th out of Pt Canaveral and travel to St Thomas, St Maarten & Coco Cay Bahamas.  

 

 

You need an original, embossed birth certificate and, as needed, linking documents. 

 

Closed-loop cruises (voyages that begin and end in the same U.S. port) allow U.S. citizens to travel with additional travel documents such as a U.S. birth certificate plus a government issued picture ID card (i.e., a drivers license). The name on your travel documents needs to match the name on the cruise line reservation or be linked by other legal documents such as a marriage certificate. A birth certificate, issued by a government agency (state, county, city, etc.), is an accepted travel document. A birth notice, issued by a hospital or other or other type of medical facility, is not an acceptable travel document. The name on your travel documents must match the name on your cruise reservation or be linked by a legal document such as a marriage license. For more information regarding domestic travel document requirements, visit: www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/western-hemisphere-travel-initiative.

 

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Ret MP

Ret MP

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24 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

I mentioned in the remote possibility. That is not screaming. 

Well, we do agree with this.  I guess some don't believe that there is a possibility that an emergency can arise and having a passport would/could make a bad situation a little less bad.  And no, you didn't yell or scream.  Amazing!

 

 

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Oceansaway17 Holiday Sharing Rare

Oceansaway17

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3 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

In a way, a passport is a form of travel insurance. You don't want to ever need to use it, but if you need to use it, you're sure glad you have it.

well  put.

I mean if folks spend money to cruise, then pony up for a passport and do it in plenty of time.

And then lately there are stories of folks traveling with less than 6 months left on active passport.

To me take care of the details and then no problems.  I hope eventually all cruise lines will require a passport.

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BirdTravels "Live from...." Rare

BirdTravels

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42 minutes ago, Oceansaway17 said:

well  put.

I mean if folks spend money to cruise, then pony up for a passport and do it in plenty of time.

And then lately there are stories of folks traveling with less than 6 months left on active passport.

To me take care of the details and then no problems.  I hope eventually all cruise lines will require a passport.

I don't understand why you would "hope that curies line require passport". Why would you "hope" that????

 

4.6 Million passengers sailed on Royal Caribbean in 2022... other than those who had to travel to a foreign country for embarkation, how many had an emergency that required one?

 

A passport is not required by the US Government for closed loop cruises. So, no cruise line is going to artificially impose passport restrictions. 

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BallFour4

BallFour4

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6 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

In the event you needed to fly home you would need a passport. While having an emergency and having to return home may be remote  having a passport would eliminate a hassle. As the sailing is in June you have plenty of time to get a passport. Also having a passport will make travel other than cruises that leave from a US port and return to a US port. possible 

This is not quite true. Cruise lines work with a port agent to get people home without passports. We've experienced this twice with table mates.

 

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Charles4515

Charles4515

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1 hour ago, Oceansaway17 said:

 

 I hope eventually all cruise lines will require a passport.

Why would they do that? The mass market cruise lines don’t want to make it more difficult for people to cruise. They could have required a passport since 2008. They advertise you don’t need a passport. Only a few boutique cruise lines require a passport.

 

 

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c-leg5

c-leg5

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9 minutes ago, BallFour4 said:

This is not quite true. Cruise lines work with a port agent to get people home without passports. We've experienced this twice with table mates.

 

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People have always been “able” to get home without passports, just like if they are stolen/lost when you are flying. It doesn’t mean it isn’t a whole lot easier if you have one.

 

I have never understood the reluctance of Americans to not get a passport, or why they think it is OK to go overseas without one. 
 

The fundamental problem here isn’t whether or not the cruiselines “require “ a passport. Obviously they aren’t going to make people get something they don’t have to get as it reduces their eligible market.

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Charles4515

Charles4515

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3 minutes ago, Seville2Cabo said:

BS. The port agent has no influence on passport control 

You are taking it too literally. The port agent will help people obtain emergency passports from a consulate or embassy if they don’t have a passport. That is part of the port agents job. 

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BallFour4

BallFour4

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16 minutes ago, c-leg5 said:

 I have never understood the reluctance of Americans to not get a passport, or why they think it is OK to go overseas without one.

Agreed. We would not step on any ship without ours. I also have all our documents scanned in, emailed to myself and my wife.
 We had table mates without passports make a flight home from Cozumel before the ship left port. The same experience with our friends, home quickly.
 One more point; every cruise from here in Galveston someone leaves their birth certificate at home. They show up, are sent to the Escalation Desk for what is hopefully a family member or friend that can find the BC, scan it in and send it via email. Escalation prints it off and sends them aboard.
 You'd be amazed at how many times this happens.

.

Edited by BallFour4
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