Passport Clarification Needed..

[Brighton Line]

My honeymoon cruise my wife sailed and used ID under her maiden name. Heck we don't even get a copy of the license for 3 weeks ;)

[abq_girl]

I recently changed my name due to marriage, and my passport and birth certificate are both in my maiden name. Do I HAVE to update my passport, or can I use my birth certificate? My drivers license and social card have my new name. I don't really want to pay for a new passport unless I absolutely have to...

Any suggestions?

[njhorseman]

I recently changed my name due to marriage, and my passport and birth certificate are both in my maiden name. Do I HAVE to update my passport, or can I use my birth certificate? My drivers license and social card have my new name. I don't really want to pay for a new passport unless I absolutely have to...

Any suggestions?

 

You didn't say what type of travel you are doing. For a closed loop Western Hemisphere cruise you can use your birth certificate and drivers license, plus you should take your marriage certificate to as a bridge document to show why the names on your birth certificate and drivers license are different (not all cruise lines ask for that, but some do).

 

For any other type of travel you'll need a passport. While it would be best to have your passport changed to match the name on your other forms of ID, you can circumvent that by making your travel reservations in your maiden name. That way your passport will match your reservation.

Edited February 14, 2011 by njhorseman

[cherylandtk]

I recently changed my name due to marriage, and my passport and birth certificate are both in my maiden name. Do I HAVE to update my passport, or can I use my birth certificate? My drivers license and social card have my new name. I don't really want to pay for a new passport unless I absolutely have to...

Any suggestions?

Book your travel in your maiden name as suggested. You do not need your DL for identity, you can use your passport. BUT, realize that you must make a concerted effort while traveling to keep your name straight and remember 'who you are' at that moment so as to avoid causing red flags to go up by using the 'wrong' name or getting confused yourself. You do not want to pull out both your DL and your passport or otherwise flash both names at the same time. Be one or the other, not both.

[abq_girl]

Thank you! We booked our cruise in my married name, so maybe I just shot myself in the foot. I will consider taking my BC, DL, and ML or maybe it would be best to just fork over the money and have my passport updated. Thank you for your suggestions!

[forfamily]

Hi Everyone-

 

I realize that having valid passports on you is the smartest thing to do....but my dilemma is this:

We decided at the last minute (relatively) to do a family cruise to the Mexican Riveria - the first week in April.

I called our county clerks office today for passport information, and she told me it would take a minimum of four to six weeks to get them back, and she couldn't guarantee we'd have them in time.

If we use the "rush" service - we could have them in two to three weeks, but the added fee makes it MORE to obtain all four of us passports than the actual cruise is going to cost. There is no way we can do both right now.

 

So, if our cruise is a closed loop from LA to the MR back to LA.....do I HAVE to have them according to the new rules? If not, then do I need them to return to our boat after a shore excusion? If the only reason we need them is *in case* of an incident while we are out of country, then we may take the chance on using our certified birth certificates instead - for this cruise. Otherwise, we will have to cancel our plans and try for next year, and I really really dont want to have to do that....

 

What do you all think? Any personal experiences or links to actual laws and\or policies out there? Our TA said we should 'be fine', but I hate to take that chance on just his word alone.

 

(The cruise line is Princess, if that makes any difference.)

 

Thanks to everyone in advance!

Kim:confused:

[jkloni]

Hi Everyone-

 

I realize that having valid passports on you is the smartest thing to do....but my dilemma is this:

We decided at the last minute (relatively) to do a family cruise to the Mexican Riveria - the first week in April.

I called our county clerks office today for passport information, and she told me it would take a minimum of four to six weeks to get them back, and she couldn't guarantee we'd have them in time.

If we use the "rush" service - we could have them in two to three weeks, but the added fee makes it MORE to obtain all four of us passports than the actual cruise is going to cost. There is no way we can do both right now.

 

So, if our cruise is a closed loop from LA to the MR back to LA.....do I HAVE to have them according to the new rules? If not, then do I need them to return to our boat after a shore excusion? If the only reason we need them is *in case* of an incident while we are out of country, then we may take the chance on using our certified birth certificates instead - for this cruise. Otherwise, we will have to cancel our plans and try for next year, and I really really dont want to have to do that....

 

What do you all think? Any personal experiences or links to actual laws and\or policies out there? Our TA said we should 'be fine', but I hate to take that chance on just his word alone.

 

(The cruise line is Princess, if that makes any difference.)

 

Thanks to everyone in advance!

Kim:confused:

 

Go on your cruise with your certified birth certificates.

Many may tell you you can't, but you can.

 

Yes, it's best to have the passports, but you are going on a closed loop cruise - which allows you to use the birth cert and photo ID. You do not need passports to get on and off the ship.

 

Enjoy your cruise! - and get your passports when you return so that you'll be ready next time.

 

Kathy

[paul929207]

Hi Everyone-

 

I realize that having valid passports on you is the smartest thing to do....but my dilemma is this:

We decided at the last minute (relatively) to do a family cruise to the Mexican Riveria - the first week in April.

I called our county clerks office today for passport information, and she told me it would take a minimum of four to six weeks to get them back, and she couldn't guarantee we'd have them in time.

If we use the "rush" service - we could have them in two to three weeks, but the added fee makes it MORE to obtain all four of us passports than the actual cruise is going to cost. There is no way we can do both right now.

 

So, if our cruise is a closed loop from LA to the MR back to LA.....do I HAVE to have them according to the new rules? If not, then do I need them to return to our boat after a shore excusion? If the only reason we need them is *in case* of an incident while we are out of country, then we may take the chance on using our certified birth certificates instead - for this cruise. Otherwise, we will have to cancel our plans and try for next year, and I really really dont want to have to do that....

 

What do you all think? Any personal experiences or links to actual laws and\or policies out there? Our TA said we should 'be fine', but I hate to take that chance on just his word alone.

 

(The cruise line is Princess, if that makes any difference.)

 

Thanks to everyone in advance!

Kim:confused:

A passport is NOT required for the cruise you are taking (assuming you are US citizens). You can use your Birth Certificate and a government issued photo ID.

[Jobeth66]

Hi Everyone-

 

I realize that having valid passports on you is the smartest thing to do....but my dilemma is this:

We decided at the last minute (relatively) to do a family cruise to the Mexican Riveria - the first week in April.

I called our county clerks office today for passport information, and she told me it would take a minimum of four to six weeks to get them back, and she couldn't guarantee we'd have them in time.

If we use the "rush" service - we could have them in two to three weeks, but the added fee makes it MORE to obtain all four of us passports than the actual cruise is going to cost. There is no way we can do both right now.

 

So, if our cruise is a closed loop from LA to the MR back to LA.....do I HAVE to have them according to the new rules? If not, then do I need them to return to our boat after a shore excusion? If the only reason we need them is *in case* of an incident while we are out of country, then we may take the chance on using our certified birth certificates instead - for this cruise. Otherwise, we will have to cancel our plans and try for next year, and I really really dont want to have to do that....

 

What do you all think? Any personal experiences or links to actual laws and\or policies out there? Our TA said we should 'be fine', but I hate to take that chance on just his word alone.

 

(The cruise line is Princess, if that makes any difference.)

 

Thanks to everyone in advance!

Kim:confused:

 

 

You are not required by law to have a passport for your cruise. If it were me, what I would do in your situation is order additional copies of certified birth certificates for everyone going on the cruise and apply for the passports. This way, if you DO get the passports in time, you're golden - and if you don't, you still have a certified birth certificate & photo id to travel, but you'll have your passport for future travel needs.

 

Note the bridge document requirements for your cruise line as well, and make sure you bring those. In other words, if the name on the birth certificate does not match the name on the ID (due to marriage, divorce, etc.) you may need to also bring a certified copy of your marriage license(s) and/or any divorce decree(s) to show the name changes.

[forfamily]

Thank you everyone for the reassurance and quick response! I have been so worried about this....and we will definitely get those passports in time for any future vacations. We've just never had a need for them before, Canada and Mexico used to be easy to get into, and neither of us have ever been anywhere else! Yet.....I'm hoping that my hubby will get the cruising bug that infects so many people!!! I've got it already from reading the boards!

 

Thanks again, all of us appreciate it!!

[beachgrl001]

Hi Sorry if this has been asked a hundred times:o but is a passport card just as good as a passport for a closed loop cruise? I am looking at Royal Carribean western cruise itinerary being:Port Canaveral, Florida; Labadee, Haiti; Falmouth, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; Cozumel, Mexico; Port Canaveral, Florida

 

TIA

[njhorseman]

Hi Sorry if this has been asked a hundred times:o but is a passport card just as good as a passport for a closed loop cruise? I am looking at Royal Carribean western cruise itinerary being:Port Canaveral, Florida; Labadee, Haiti; Falmouth, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; Cozumel, Mexico; Port Canaveral, Florida

 

TIA

 

Yes, the passport card is perfectly OK for the cruise, but it is not good for international air travel, should you need to fly home mid cruise due to unforeseen circumstances. International air travel requires a passport book.

[Jobeth66]

Hi Sorry if this has been asked a hundred times:o but is a passport card just as good as a passport for a closed loop cruise? I am looking at Royal Carribean western cruise itinerary being:Port Canaveral, Florida; Labadee, Haiti; Falmouth, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman;Cozumel, Mexico; Port Canaveral, Florida

 

TIA

 

It is as far as the ship is concerned, and would suffice for boarding requirements. However, if for any reason you needed to fly back from one of your non-US ports, it would not be just as good as a passport booklet.

[cherylandtk]

For that itinerary, yes. Please note, the countries in the passport-exception WHTI regulation are not the same as covered by the 'Contiguous Territory and Adjacent Islands' definition which authorizes the use of the passport card.

 

Obscure difference in most cases, but there are RT cruises for which a BC/ID is legally accepted and a passport card legally is NOT. Although I am unaware of anyone with a passport card on a RT cruise being denied boarding, it could happen.

[beachgrl001]

I called RC today and she said that I dont need anything but Birth certificates:confused::confused::confused: I am so confused It seems there a lot of hidden costs for a cruise but its the only thing I want to do this year!

[njhorseman]

I called RC today and she said that I dont need anything but Birth certificates:confused::confused::confused: I am so confused It seems there a lot of hidden costs for a cruise but its the only thing I want to do this year!

 

To be more specific, as a US citizen taking a closed loop cruise you can use an original or certified copy of a government-issued birth certificate (not a hospital certificate), plus a government issued photo ID such as a drivers license in lieu of a passport or passport card. The birth certificate/photo ID combo will not be sufficient for international air travel, nor is the passport card. International air travel requires the passport book.

[Lindseylou7591]

Hi! Just a quick question! My mom doesn't want to get a passport for various reasons. She has her original birth certificate which was issued by the hospital. I saw that they do not accept hospital certificates. What exactly constitutes as a hospital certificate? Wouldn't all original birth certificates that were issued by the hospital therefore be a hospital certificate? They didn't stop issuing the originals at the hospital til about 15 years ago. Thanks! :)

[smeyer418]

Hi! Just a quick question! My mom doesn't want to get a passport for various reasons. She has her original birth certificate which was issued by the hospital. I saw that they do not accept hospital certificates. What exactly constitutes as a hospital certificate? Wouldn't all original birth certificates that were issued by the hospital therefore be a hospital certificate? They didn't stop issuing the originals at the hospital til about 15 years ago. Thanks! :)

 

unless it was a governmental hospital(like a county hospital_ these hospital certs are not official ones. they are unofficial ones.

 

http://www.odh.ohio.gov/vitalstatistics/vitalstats.aspx

 

assuming its Ohio....if not every state lists how to get them. Doing it through Vital check....costs extra.

[Lindseylou7591]

unless it was a governmental hospital(like a county hospital_ these hospital certs are not official ones. they are unofficial ones.

 

http://www.odh.ohio.gov/vitalstatistics/vitalstats.aspx

 

assuming its Ohio....if not every state lists how to get them. Doing it through Vital check....costs extra.

 

Even if it has a seal, it isn't official? I know that the official copy of mine that I have which has a seal still looks like one of the originals from the hospital they used to give out back then. It even says official copy on the back.

[jcl410]

Even if it has a seal, it isn't official?

 

 

In the US, the "official" birth certificates are issued by the state government where the birth took place.

 

Usually a seal is used to certify that the piece of paper is a "true and accurate copy" of whatever document you have a copy of.

 

That being said, a copy of a hospital birth record, whether certified or not, is not considered legal proof of where you were born; that's what the state issued birth record is for.

 

(Also note that some state's certified copies no longer use raised seals, but rather use other means, like watermarks, to prove authenticity.)

 

Aloha,

 

John

[smeyer418]

Even if it has a seal, it isn't official? I know that the official copy of mine that I have which has a seal still looks like one of the originals from the hospital they used to give out back then. It even says official copy on the back.

how about scanning it. If it says hospital issued birth certificate- it probably isn't a governmental one. It may just indicate it was a hospital birth. for $21.50 I would rather be safe than sorry.

BTW it varies by state. Ohio's are issued by the local county health department(as are some in other states) or the county or other sub unit of the state.

[barbietazz]

It would be a good idea to get them, but they arent required yet. You can still cruise with a BC and DL

 

If we are not getting passports, what does a 13 year old need besides a Birth certificate? Thanks,

[njhorseman]

If we are not getting passports, what does a 13 year old need besides a Birth certificate? Thanks,

 

A 13-year-old US citizen on a Western Hemisphere closed loop cruise departing from a US port only needs an original or certified copy of his/her birth certificate (government-issued BC...a hospital certificate is not acceptable). A photo ID is only needed once they reach age 16.

 

Please remember that without a passport you will not be able to fly home from a foreign country, should the need to do so arise mid cruise.

 

The US regulation is 22 CFR § 53.2 (b)(2) which reads as follows:

 

 

Quote:

Exceptions.

(b) A U.S. citizen is not required to bear a valid U.S. passport to enter or depart the United States:

 

(2) When traveling entirely within the Western Hemisphere on a cruise ship, and when the U.S. citizen boards the cruise ship at a port or place within the United States and returns on the return voyage of the same cruise ship to the same United States port or place from where he or she originally departed. That U.S. citizen may present a government-issued photo identification document in combination with either an original or a copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad issued by the Department, or a Certificate of Naturalization issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services before entering the United States; if the U.S. citizen is under the age of 16, he or she may present either an original or a copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad issued by the Department, or a Certificate of Naturalization issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services;

Edited April 5, 2011 by njhorseman

[TPKeller]

The US regulation is 22 CFR § 53.2 (b)(2) which reads as follows:

 

Quote:

Exceptions.

(b) A U.S. citizen is not required to bear a valid U.S. passport to enter or depart the United States:

 

(2) When traveling entirely within the Western Hemisphere on a cruise ship, and when the U.S. citizen boards the cruise ship at a port or place within the United States and returns on the return voyage of the same cruise ship to the same United States port or place from where he or she originally departed. That U.S. citizen may present a government-issued photo identification document in combination with either an original or a copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad issued by the Department, or a Certificate of Naturalization issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services before entering the United States; if the U.S. citizen is under the age of 16, he or she may present either an original or a copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad issued by the Department, or a Certificate of Naturalization issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services;

Since it is literally impossible for one to obtain their own actual original birth certificate, and this law does not modify "copy" with "certified", has anyone ever chased down the fact that the new law appears to allow a non-officially issued, non-notarized, plain-jane "copy" of one's birth certificate?

 

At worst, one must assume that the law-writers knew that the actual original is not obtainable, and in that case, when they say "an original" they could only have meant the "official copy" issued by a State government's department of vital records... and as such, this would imply that the second option "or a copy" would also have to mean a plain-jane, non-official copy.

 

I'm guessing that the rules and/or their implementation on the ground have not properly reflected the literal language of this law.

 

Theron

[njhorseman]

Since it is literally impossible for one to obtain their own actual original birth certificate, and this law does not modify "copy" with "certified", has anyone ever chased down the fact that the new law appears to allow a non-officially issued, non-notarized, plain-jane "copy" of one's birth certificate?

 

At worst, one must assume that the law-writers knew that the actual original is not obtainable, and in that case, when they say "an original" they could only have meant the "official copy" issued by a State government's department of vital records... and as such, this would imply that the second option "or a copy" would also have to mean a plain-jane, non-official copy.

 

I'm guessing that the rules and/or their implementation on the ground have not properly reflected the literal language of this law.

 

Theron

 

Theoretical points of discussion will only serve to unnecessarily confuse people who aren't familiar with the requirements and how they're enforced. Thanks to your post, for the next five years we'll be answering questions that start "I thought I read on Cruise Critic that I only had to have any type of copy of my birth certificate..."

 

Thanks for nothing. :rolleyes:

Edited April 5, 2011 by njhorseman