Royal Caribbean enforcing passports?

[aqhacruiser]

Hi, Here is some useful information that may help someone who is going to get a passport now. Our first cruise is in late Oct. but I knew the new passport law was going to take effect soon so we decided to just get the passports now as we are going to be hopefully taking a couple of cruises in 2007. We live in Pa. and we applied for our passports on 7/6/06 and I received them yesterday 8/14/06. I was told that it could take at least 8 weeks or even longer so I think we just got lucky. I do agree with one person as the deadline approaches it will most likely take longer to get a passport due to the volume of people applying for one. I do not know if this is the process in other states but when we applied for our passports I thought I had everything we needed, passport photo's, birth certificates, driver's licences and a few other documents I brought just in case. The one thing I did not have on me was CASH. They only accepted cash! So I had to leave the office and run over to the bank and cash the check I planned to use. They wouldn't even take a credit card. So call first wherever you apply for your passport to see what payment they accept. They also take your original birth certificates and they were returned to us in our passports. I do not want to debate whether Americans should have a passport or not but I do live close to NYC and it is a post 9/11 world and I personally know people who lost loved ones that day. As an insurance agent I was fingerprinted and cleared by the FBI and the Pa. state police before I received my insurance license in Pa. and that procedure is just part of the new security laws in my state. 9/11 changed our way of living and we really do not know what to expect from one day to the next anymore so I personally feel better that I do have my passport just in case something does happen when I am traveling either in or out of our country. I know passports are expensive especially when you have a large family like some people do on this board but the reality is you are going to need them in the very near future so you may as well get one now before you end up waiting months for one and possibly missing a great trip you want to take. Just my opinion.

[aqhacruiser]

We just seen what happened in London the other day and we know that airlines changed rules immediately of what a passenger could or could not carry on a plane and they also implemented other security measures immediately. There were a few posts where people didn't think Royal Carribbean or any cruise line for that matter could change their policy's at the last minute. I disagree with that as I know if there were any security threats or risks to a ship or a port the cruiselines can change their rules to protect their passengers safety and their ships at any time and that may also include additional documentation they would require from a passenger to board a ship.

[nosmothj]

We have cruised several times with RCCL and have not always had a passport. I am also Canadian "AH".

 

As far as the first persons comments the US does not yet have control over all contries so it is up to them to decide if you need a pass port to enter. Reurning home you can rant about your rights then!

 

 

 

 

I would be curious to know what aliens won't be requiring passports to travel. I have family who are aliens in the US and they have always used passports.

 

Considering you are visiting different countries I don't think it is unreasonable to have a passport. I am Canadian and when I went on a cruise last year I needed to have one - IMO anyone who travels should have one.

[negc]

We just seen what happened in London the other day and we know that airlines changed rules immediately of what a passenger could or could not carry on a plane and they also implemented other security measures immediately. There were a few posts where people didn't think Royal Carribbean or any cruise line for that matter could change their policy's at the last minute. I disagree with that as I know if there were any security threats or risks to a ship or a port the cruiselines can change their rules to protect their passengers safety and their ships at any time and that may also include additional documentation they would require from a passenger to board a ship.

 

No one is saying that cruiselines can't change their policies on short notice. What most of us are saying is that, if the cruiseline wants to be able to compete effectively, it will not arbitrarily impose a requirement that the other lines don't have. The passport requirement is established by the federal government and not the cruiselines. For a single line to require its passengers to have passports when their competitors do not, would be bad business because it would result in mass defection to those other lines by guests who don't possess a passport.

 

To use your analogy to the airlines recent actions in London, you'll notice that the new policies were put in place acroos the board and applied to all airlines. Can you imagine what would have happened if some of the airlines imposed new restrictions and others did not? If you check I also think you will find that it was the British authorities who imposed the restrictions. It was not an individual decision by each airline.

 

Passports provide an excellent means of identification and can be used to control access to our borders, but possession of a valid passport doesn't guarantee that its owner is an upstanding citizen and not a safety risk.

[Autumnrose]

I think this probably all started from a misunderstanding. Either the parents misunderstood the TA or the TA misunderstood RCI. If you are going on a cruise that departs before date that the passports are required but returning after that date then you will be required to have your passport. Which means that if you are taking a long cruise then you may be required to have you passport by early to mid December depending on how long the cruise is. I think the confusion is coming from the fact that it doesn't depend on when you are departing but when you are returning.

[negc]

I think you are correct and I also think that the shifting deadlines added to the confusion as well as the different deadlines for air and sea border crossings as opposed to land crossings. Not too many months from now, the new policies should be in effect and, I hope, the confusion will no longer be an issue.:)

[navel1ring]

More important than the date you are returning is the ports you are visiting. You may be visiting a port which requires a passport for entry into the country. Our October Panama Canal Cruise requires passports because of Costa Rico & Panama. We are also stopping in Mexico, Aruba & Curacao, which don't have passport requirements for US citizens.

 

Wendy

[negc]

More important than the date you are returning is the ports you are visiting. You may be visiting a port which requires a passport for entry into the country. Our October Panama Canal Cruise requires passports because of Costa Rico & Panama. We are also stopping in Mexico, Aruba & Curacao, which don't have passport requirements for US citizens.

 

Wendy

 

I'm not sure you are correct and you might want to double check. Usually cruise passengers visiting a port for a day as part of their cruise are considered to be "in transit" and are exempt from those passport regulations in Caribbean and Central American countries which require passports for persons intending to stay for more than a day. I already had a passport when we visited those countries on a cruise, so the issue never came up, but I am sure that several of our friends did not have passports at the time. Unless their rules have changed since 2002, you might not need them in October either. By this time next year, however, the whole issue should be moot.:)

[aqhacruiser]

I agree that if RCCL suddenly changed their policy and required everyone to have a passport before it is a law in 2007 it would cost the cruiseline money as people would definitely switch to another ship if they did not have a passport. What I am saying is that if there is a threat regarding a cruiseline or especially a port in a high risk area, any ship may require a passport to board and that rule may be imposed by our goverment during the time a threat exists. There were 3 airlines involved in the beginning of the London threat but then other airlines started imposing similar guidelines also in our country depending on the routes they traveled. Airlines make individual decisions everyday now to protect passenger safety depending on what the risks are on any plane at any given time. Anyone who has to fly for business on a regular basis can tell you this and it is annoying but in the end we do understand decisions are made for our safety so we deal with it.

[wrp96]

More important than the date you are returning is the ports you are visiting. You may be visiting a port which requires a passport for entry into the country. Our October Panama Canal Cruise requires passports because of Costa Rico & Panama. We are also stopping in Mexico, Aruba & Curacao, which don't have passport requirements for US citizens.

 

Wendy

 

I did not need a passport for my cruise this past February that stopped in Panama and Costa Rica.

[seamama1]

RCCL doesn't give a rat whether or not you want to get a passport. They don't care if you decide never to get a passport. They don't care if you never cruise with them again. They simply won't board you if you don't have one.

 

The cruiselines are not going to lose any business...Most people have known for quite some time that passports are going to be required and most people have already made those arrangments. If you want to travel outside the country, you are going to need one. Period!

 

What is the fuss? In my opinion, the longer you wait, the more you will pay for it (dontcha know the prices are going up when it is mandatory across-the-board) and the longer it will take to get one.

 

Just get it! Don't blame the cruiseline - they are not U.S. flagged and can require any darn thing they want for I.D. If you want to take your business elsewhere, go ahead....but that business is going to require one soon too.

 

Americans have such an attitude - always blaming someone for "picking on them", always ready to argue, interpret the rules to suit themselves... A passport is merely a legal identification that is recognized by every country in the world.

 

Stop whining!:cool:

[mohavemommy]

These posts have brought up a thought for me. I am now wondering if the passport applications and fees will impact new cruisers who very well might take that into account when deciding between a cruise and a domestic land vacation for their family. There are simply those people who will never leave the US for any foreign country but maybe once in their life, and I wonder if this will impact their choice for vacation. I know that I have a few co-workers who have never cruised and I have been talking to them about just how affordable this kind of vacation is... and now their costs just went up due to passports.

[dannyt818]

just off enchantment and passports were not needed but we were told we should get passports ASAP to avoid a big rush

[Fran Harp]

These posts have brought up a thought for me. I am now wondering if the passport applications and fees will impact new cruisers who very well might take that into account when deciding between a cruise and a domestic land vacation for their family. There are simply those people who will never leave the US for any foreign country but maybe once in their life, and I wonder if this will impact their choice for vacation. I know that I have a few co-workers who have never cruised and I have been talking to them about just how affordable this kind of vacation is... and now their costs just went up due to passports.

 

A passport is good for ten years in the US isn't it?....hardly a significant cost. If I'm going to fork out $1500 for a cruise, another $100 or so for a passport isn't going to make me cancel, or not book one. I'd be more inclined to start getting the passports early...knowing how long they can take, and having had passports get lost in the mail.:cool:

 

The bottom line is, it's US immigration which will require you to have a passport even to come to Canada. We Canadians already have to do that....and I find it amusing, folks, that you're getting so upset about something the rest of the world has had to do for so long. :rolleyes:

 

Fran in Toronto

[seagulls]

Everyone should have a passport no if, ands or buts!

[mohavemommy]

A passport is good for ten years in the US isn't it?....hardly a significant cost. If I'm going to fork out $1500 for a cruise, another $100 or so for a passport isn't going to make me cancel, or not book one. I'd be more inclined to start getting the passports early...knowing how long they can take, and having had passports get lost in the mail.:cool:

 

The bottom line is, it's US immigration which will require you to have a passport even to come to Canada. We Canadians already have to do that....and I find it amusing, folks, that you're getting so upset about something the rest of the world has had to do for so long. :rolleyes:

 

Fran in Toronto

 

Maybe I didn't explain myself completely. I am thinking of a scenario of a family of 4 looking to try out cruising to see if they like it. They want to book a 3-day in an inside cabin. Cost for the cabin maybe around $800. Now they are looking at a cost of $1200 because of the passports. This may be a family who will never use a passport again in their lives so for the additional $400 the passports may be valid for 10 years, but if you never use it again in that 10 years the cost is $400 for 3 days.

[negc]

Maybe I didn't explain myself completely. I am thinking of a scenario of a family of 4 looking to try out cruising to see if they like it. They want to book a 3-day in an inside cabin. Cost for the cabin maybe around $800. Now they are looking at a cost of $1200 because of the passports. This may be a family who will never use a passport again in their lives so for the additional $400 the passports may be valid for 10 years, but if you never use it again in that 10 years the cost is $400 for 3 days.

 

There are other methods of traveling outside the US besides cruising and a passport will be required for them as well. Do you seriously believe that our passport regulations should be geared to those who might not use them more than once in 10 years?:confused: Maybe you would like a system where at the end of the 10 years, passport holders could get a partial refund if they didn't use them more than a minimum number of times over that ten year period.:rolleyes: The cost of the passport which is good for 10 years is nominal and if someone chooses not to use their passport more than once during that period, that is their personal decision.

 

If it costs that family an extra $400 to determine that cruising is not for them, then that is unfortunate, but to base our fee system on such a hypothetical situation is ludicrous.

[nosmothj]

As the lady said the rest of the worl has had to use passports for years. Know the US is coming up to par with everyone else. Maybe an option is trying a Mississippi cruise.

 

 

Maybe I didn't explain myself completely. I am thinking of a scenario of a family of 4 looking to try out cruising to see if they like it. They want to book a 3-day in an inside cabin. Cost for the cabin maybe around $800. Now they are looking at a cost of $1200 because of the passports. This may be a family who will never use a passport again in their lives so for the additional $400 the passports may be valid for 10 years, but if you never use it again in that 10 years the cost is $400 for 3 days.

[sdear]

in the future that it will be required to have a passport to travel anywhere by air , even within the USA before mine expires..and I just got it !

 

I wouldn't be suprised if this doesn't become mandatory in our future.

[rkr]

I was just told that, while the date for U.S. regulations on passports for the Caribbean won't take effect until January 2007, Royal Caribbean is now enforcing this on their own (i.e., you HAVE to have a passport).

 

Has anyone recently cruised in the past few weeks and, if you have, were you forced to present a passport?

 

 

RCCL has just changed its policy about passports. Originally, RCCL said that all passengers would be required to have a valid passport by Dec. 31. 2006. I just received notification that all passengers would be required to have a valid passport by December 31, 2007.

Currently US citizens may use birth certificates in conjunction with another form of picture ID (driver's license, for example). Non-US citizens require a passport. There are no exceptions to these rules. You will not be allowed to cruise if you do not have proper ID.

Hope this helps.

Enjoy your cruise.

K

[egh170]

Press Release: Passport Requirements for Air and Sea Travel to the United States Announced


Here is the changed requirement from The U.S Dept of State

Document Requirements


The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 requires that by January 1, 2008, travelers to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico and Canada have a passport or other secure, accepted document to enter or re-enter the United States. In order to facilitate the implementation of this requirement, the Administration is proposing to complete it in phases following a proposed timeline, which will be published in the Federal Register in the near future.

In the proposed implementation plan, which is subject to a period of initial public comment, the Initiative will be rolled out in phases, providing as much advance notice as possible to the affected public to enable them to meet the terms of the new guidelines. The proposed timeline will be as follows:

January 8, 2007 - Requirement applied to all air and sea travel to or from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.
December 31, 2007 - Requirement extended to all land border crossings as well as air and sea travel.
This is a change from prior travel requirements and will affect all United States citizens entering the United States from countries within the Western Hemisphere who do not currently possess valid passports. This new requirement will also affect certain foreign nationals who currently are not required to present a passport to travel to the United States. Most Canadian citizens, citizens of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, and to a lesser degree, Mexican citizens will be affected by the implementation of this requirement.




Frequently Asked Questions about the New Travel Initiative Requirements (FAQs)

[negc]

[quote name='rkr']RCCL has just changed its policy about passports. Originally, RCCL said that all passengers would be required to have a valid passport by Dec. 31. 2006. I just received notification that all passengers would be required to have a valid passport by December 31, 2007.
Currently US citizens may use birth certificates in conjunction with another form of picture ID (driver's license, for example). Non-US citizens require a passport. There are no exceptions to these rules. You will not be allowed to cruise if you do not have proper ID.
Hope this helps.
Enjoy your cruise.
K[/quote]

The December 31, 2008 deadline applies ONLY to land based crossings. The government has proposed extending its deadline requiring passports for air and sea passengers entering or reentering the US from December 31, 2006 to January 8, 2007. If the proposed extension, which is currently in the public comment period, goes into effect you will not be allowed to cruise (or fly internationally) without a passport on or after that date. If the extension isn't made, the December 31, 2006 date holds. RCI's policies will be adjusted to reflect the government's regulations, no more and no less.
Anyone who wants to know when passports will be required should check the US State Department website.

[seamama1]

[quote name='mohavemommy']Maybe I didn't explain myself completely. I am thinking of a scenario of a family of 4 looking to try out cruising to see if they like it. They want to book a 3-day in an inside cabin. Cost for the cabin maybe around $800. Now they are looking at a cost of $1200 because of the passports. This may be a family who will never use a passport again in their lives so for the additional $400 the passports may be valid for 10 years, but if you never use it again in that 10 years the cost is $400 for 3 days.[/quote]

[B]That's life in the 21st century.....[/B]

[seamama1]

[quote name='egh170']Press Release: Passport Requirements for Air and Sea Travel to the United States Announced


Here is the changed requirement from The U.S Dept of State

Document Requirements


The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 requires that by January 1, 2008, travelers to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico and Canada have a passport or other secure, accepted document to enter or re-enter the United States. In order to facilitate the implementation of this requirement, the Administration is proposing to complete it in phases following a proposed timeline, which will be published in the Federal Register in the near future.

In the proposed implementation plan, which is subject to a period of initial public comment, the Initiative will be rolled out in phases, providing as much advance notice as possible to the affected public to enable them to meet the terms of the new guidelines. The proposed timeline will be as follows:

January 8, 2007 - Requirement applied to all air and sea travel to or from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.
December 31, 2007 - Requirement extended to all land border crossings as well as air and sea travel.
This is a change from prior travel requirements and will affect all United States citizens entering the United States from countries within the Western Hemisphere who do not currently possess valid passports. This new requirement will also affect certain foreign nationals who currently are not required to present a passport to travel to the United States. Most Canadian citizens, citizens of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, and to a lesser degree, Mexican citizens will be affected by the implementation of this requirement.




Frequently Asked Questions about the New Travel Initiative Requirements (FAQs)[/quote]

[B]Thanks! But, I think most of us are aware of this. The OP is upset because RCCL is requiring passports sooner. As many have mentioned, RCCL can require anything they want. The OP has the option to then go ahead and cruise with RCCL - or not. If she chooses to cruise with RCCL - she will need a passport.[/B]

[B]She other options right now - but I believe that most of the major cruiselines will require this sooner too. They are trying to cut their liability and to standardize their checkin process. Knowing that the passport requirements are soon coming, they have opted to put it into effect at this time....Their ships, their rules. [/B]

[negc]

[quote name='seamama1'][B]Thanks! But, I think most of us are aware of this. The OP is upset because RCCL is requiring passports sooner. As many have mentioned, RCCL can require anything they want. The OP has the option to then go ahead and cruise with RCCL - or not. If she chooses to cruise with RCCL - she will need a passport.[/B]

[B]She other options right now - but I believe that most of the major cruiselines will require this sooner too. They are trying to cut their liability and to standardize their checkin process. Knowing that the passport requirements are soon coming, they have opted to put it into effect at this time....Their ships, their rules. [/B][/quote]

Unfortunately the OP is WRONG. RCI is NOT requiring passports sooner than the law requires. No cruiseline, to my knowledge, has imposed any passport requirements other than those currently in effect, and no cruiseline is likely to impose them sooner than required unless all lines decide to do so in concert. There is enough confusion about the shifting deadlines for a passport being required without adding to the confusion by spreading rumors that this or that line is establishing its own private deadline.:rolleyes: