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Do children need passports?

barbatkins

By barbatkins,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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BirdTravels "Live from...." Rare

BirdTravels

Posted
Posted (edited)
24 minutes ago, barbatkins said:

My sons family is going on an NCL cruise and we’re wondering if his kids that are ages 12 and 8 need to have passports?  Thanks 

Age does not matter. The rules are the same for adults and children. 

 

If and only if it is a closed loop cruise to the locations below, a US Citizen can travel with an original, certified birth certificate. Otherwise, passports are required. If this is a one-and-done cruise, there is no need to go through the expense and hassle of getting a passport. Also, both natural parents need to be traveling with the kids, otherwise additional paperwork may be required. 

 

 

 

For Cruises Leaving From a U.S. Port to the Caribbean, Bahamas & Florida, Bermuda, Alaska, Mexican Riviera, Canada & New England, Pacific Coastal

On cruises that begin and end in the same US port and do not sail through the Panama Canal or to any South American ports, you are required to carry one of the below documents:

A Valid Passport

OR

Proof of Citizenship (see below) AND Government-issued photo ID

(Baptismal paper, hospital certificates of birth, and Puerto Rico birth certificates issued prior to 7/1/10 are not acceptable.)

  • State certified U.S. birth certificate
  • Original certificate of U.S. naturalization
  • Original certificate of U.S. citizenship
  • U.S. Consular report of your birth abroad
  • Enhanced Driver’s License (enhanced driver’s licenses are only issued in Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Washington)
  • A valid passport card

Photocopies or pictures of documents will not be accepted.

*A U.S. citizen under the age of 16 does not require a government-issued photo ID.

A valid passport is required on all sailings that begin in one US port and end in another US port.

Edited by BirdTravels
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kitkat343

kitkat343

Posted
Posted (edited)

Are both parents going on the cruise?  It's a pain to get passports because technically both parents need to be present at the application.  I wouldn't chance it without both parents since if you get stuck its going to be hard to process emergency passports without both guardians (I don't know what happens if you get stuck overseas without them but in the US both parents have to go to the appointment to get them)

 

 

Whenever the cruise ship has had an emergency in the past, they have gotten the people without passports back by sea.  But if you get left behind in a port, then you are in trouble since it is your responsibility to get back and you will need to apply for emergency passports to fly.

Edited by kitkat343
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quercus alba

quercus alba

Posted
Posted

Once you get a passport, I find it convenient for my kids because they then always have documentation of citizenship without having to carry a certified copy of their birth certificate on trips, or find where it's filed when applying for a job, etc. Plus, within 5 years of the trips we initially got the passports for, both of my younger kids already had them when school trips came along that took them overseas with music or language classes. And although child/youth passports expire sooner than adult ones, it's still easier to keep them renewed than to get new ones. 

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mjkacmom

mjkacmom

Posted
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9 hours ago, quercus alba said:

Once you get a passport, I find it convenient for my kids because they then always have documentation of citizenship without having to carry a certified copy of their birth certificate on trips, or find where it's filed when applying for a job, etc. Plus, within 5 years of the trips we initially got the passports for, both of my younger kids already had them when school trips came along that took them overseas with music or language classes. And although child/youth passports expire sooner than adult ones, it's still easier to keep them renewed than to get new ones. 

Youth passports expire after 5 years, if they need to get new ones they need to apply in person for new ones, they don’t get renewed. Only adult passports can be reapplied for in the mail.

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quercus alba

quercus alba

Posted
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1 minute ago, mjkacmom said:

Youth passports expire after 5 years, if they need to get new ones they need to apply in person for new ones, they don’t get renewed. Only adult passports can be reapplied for in the mail.

Valid point--but the reapplication process was still less painful than the initial.

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Homosassa

Homosassa

Posted
Posted
14 hours ago, barbatkins said:

My sons family is going on an NCL cruise and we’re wondering if his kids 

that are ages 12 and 8 need to have passports?  Thanks 

And in case you paid no attention to it, carefully read your cruise confirmation.

 

The information for passports will have been included in the confirmation.

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mjkacmom

mjkacmom

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, quercus alba said:

Valid point--but the reapplication process was still less painful than the initial.

Why? I had to do it a couple of times with my kids, I felt it was torture every time (just trying to get appointments, needing my husband there, getting new photos, writing all of the checks - the fact I have 5 didn’t help). Fortunately the youngest are 20, they went on their own for their adult one and all can just mail them in from this point on.

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BirdTravels "Live from...." Rare

BirdTravels

Posted
Posted (edited)
14 hours ago, barbatkins said:

Thank all of you for the good advice.

After all of this discussion, I reiterate that 

 

If this is a one-and-done cruise, and it’s a closed loop cruise to one of the allowed countries,  there is no need to go through the expense and hassle of getting a passport. 

Edited by BirdTravels
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BunnyHutt

BunnyHutt

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

Why? I had to do it a couple of times with my kids, I felt it was torture every time (just trying to get appointments, needing my husband there, getting new photos, writing all of the checks - the fact I have 5 didn’t help). Fortunately the youngest are 20, they went on their own for their adult one and all can just mail them in from this point on.


Not the person you asked the question to, but I would guess that maybe because you already know what needs to be done/what documentation is required so it just feels like a smoother process. 
 

Our now 15 and 17 YO’s have had current passports since before they turned 1. I’m bummed that the last ‘youth’ one they got/will be getting were before the age of 16 - at that point they become good for 10 years versus 5. 
 

Now Global Entry, *that* was exponentially easier the second go-round for all of us. Approved/renewed within 48 hours of application with no interview required. 🙌🏻

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mjkacmom

mjkacmom

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26 minutes ago, BunnyHutt said:


Not the person you asked the question to, but I would guess that maybe because you already know what needs to be done/what documentation is required so it just feels like a smoother process. 
 

Our now 15 and 17 YO’s have had current passports since before they turned 1. I’m bummed that the last ‘youth’ one they got/will be getting were before the age of 16 - at that point they become good for 10 years versus 5. 
 

Now Global Entry, *that* was exponentially easier the second go-round for all of us. Approved/renewed within 48 hours of application with no interview required. 🙌🏻

I remember when I had to get a new youth one for my son who was traveling weeks before his 16th birthday for a school trip, so close.

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mjkacmom

mjkacmom

Posted
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1 hour ago, Barb Nahoumi said:

Absolutely, they should.  Even if they are going on a closed loop cruise, something unforeseen can occur when they may have to fly home from a foreign port. Passports would be required then.  

And if no passports, they will spend the rest of their lives outside if the US, very sad to have families divided like this.

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Treasure Hunter

Treasure Hunter

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Posted

We are on the Encore in February with 8 and 11 year olds. Leave and return to Miami with an assortment of Caribbean islands. They needed passports. Their mother got a special form for the father to sign ( it had to be notarized ) so he did not need to go to the Post Office appointment. She had the photos taken at CVS. Expedited for extra money. The whole thing cost a fortune. I think for the two it was more than $300. But she got them back in six weeks.

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Homosassa

Homosassa

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15 hours ago, Treasure Hunter said:

We are on the Encore in February with 8 and 11 year olds. Leave and return to Miami with an assortment of Caribbean islands. They needed passports. 

As the itinerary is not one to require passports because of the ports visited, are the passports required because  she is the only parent/guardian sailing with  the children?

 

I do know that other cruise lines, HAL for example, has a cruise line  requirement for the children and single parent to all have passports in the event that transportation home needs to be arranged from one of the ports of call.

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mjkacmom

mjkacmom

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30 minutes ago, Treasure Hunter said:

They strongly recommend passports . She also has a signed form from the father. We know several instances where there was a fire on the ship and illness and the families had to fly home. So for us it was a situation of better safe than sorry.

It really depends on what folks are comfortable with, many cruise without passports every day. There are people who take a $ day cruise and that’s a one and done. It’s rare to need them, but it happens. Of course no one will be trapped overseas, just have to jump through the hoops.

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