i m sorry--but

[kids1stcruise]

on one search for passports i read 2009 is when it is mandatory:confused: --on another i need at least the passport card--please what is it. cruising in aug.

[dec2007w3boys]

Per the US gov't - it is now summer 2009 for Carribean cruises. Have a nice cruise!

[ClerkPatsy]

This is the information from the official passport site. Because the date is TBD, you may want to consider applying for a passport or passport card. Homeland security could initiate the requirement at any time.

 

AIR TRAVEL

 

Implemented on January 23, 2007, ALL PERSONS traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean region are required to present a passport or other valid travel document to enter or re-enter the United States.

LAND AND SEA TRAVEL

The following summarizes information available on the Department of Homeland Security’s website.

• JANUARY 31, 2008
  U.S. and Canadian citizens will need to present either a WHTI-compliant document, or a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, plus proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate. DHS also proposes to begin alternative procedures for U.S. and Canadian children at that time.
  
• LATER
  At a later date, to be determined, the departments will implement the full requirements of the land and sea phase of WHTI. The proposed rules require most U.S. citizens entering the United States at sea or land ports of entry to have either a U.S. passport; a U.S. passport card; a trusted traveler card such as NEXUS, FAST, or SENTRI; a valid Merchant Mariner Document (MMD) when traveling in conjunction with official maritime business; or a valid U.S. Military identification card when traveling on official orders.

Note: The passport requirement does NOT apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or returning directly from a U.S. territory.

U.S. PASSPORT AND OTHER TRAVEL DOCUMENTS

• U.S. Passport: U.S. citizens may present a valid U.S. passport when traveling via air, land or sea between the U.S. and the aforementioned Western Hemisphere countries.
  
• The Passport Card: U.S. citizens may begin applying in advance for this new, limited-use, wallet-size passport card beginning February 1, 2008. We expect cards will be available and mailed to applicants in spring 2008. When available it will only be valid for land and sea travel between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean region, and Bermuda.
  
• Other Accepted Travel Documents: SENTRI, NEXUS, FAST and the U.S. Coast Guard Mariner Document. Members of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty traveling on orders are exempt from the passport requirement. DHS has more information on these travel documents. This information may be seen at www.dhs.gov.

[Jtd724]

As early as Summer 2008 - A valid passport will be required for all U.S. citizens for all sea and air travel. And subject to U.S. Government amendment, U.S. and Canadian citizens 15 or younger with their parents consent may cross the U.S./Canadian border by land or sea with a certified copy of their birth certificate.

 

Until that time

 

Sea Travel Only

For domestic travel which includes: the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico, a passport (valid or expired) is highly recommended.

In the absence of a passport, a birth certificate (original or certified copy), plus laminated picture ID card issued by a federal, state, or local government agency is required. Note: Baptismal papers and hospital certificates of birth (except for new borns) are not acceptable.

For U.S. Naturalized citizens, in the absence of a passport, Naturalization papers (either original or notarized copy) plus a picture ID card issued by a federal, state, or local government agency is required.

A voter registration card or Social Security Card are not considered to be proof of citizenship.

Children under 16 years of age do not require a picture ID.

[CorbinCatFan]

The government keeps pushing the date out, I'll have to renew my passport before it's required.:rolleyes:

[Snorkel2Much]

The government keeps pushing the date out, I'll have to renew my passport before it's required.:rolleyes:

As of now the 2009 date is dead. They've dropped all plans for cruise passenger passport requirements subject to the following restrictions:

DHS rules: http://www.dhs.gov/xtrvlsec/crossingborders/index.shtm#3

Cruise Passengers

 

U.S. and Canadian citizens arriving on cruises from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean will be able to enter or depart the country with proof of identity and citizenship, such as a birth certificate and government-issued photo ID. View complete list of acceptable documents at CBP.gov.

Please be aware that you may still be required to present a passport when you dock at a foreign port, depending on the islands or countries that your cruise ship is visiting. Check with your cruiseline to ensure you have the appropriate documents for the stops you’ll be making on your cruise.

[Jtd724]

As of now the 2009 date is dead. They've dropped all plans for cruise passenger passport requirements subject to the following restrictions:

DHS rules: http://www.dhs.gov/xtrvlsec/crossingborders/index.shtm#3

Cruise Passengers

 

U.S. and Canadian citizens arriving on cruises from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean will be able to enter or depart the country with proof of identity and citizenship, such as a birth certificate and government-issued photo ID. View complete list of acceptable documents at CBP.gov.

Please be aware that you may still be required to present a passport when you dock at a foreign port, depending on the islands or countries that your cruise ship is visiting. Check with your cruiseline to ensure you have the appropriate documents for the stops you’ll be making on your cruise.

 

Hi Snorkel, I found out the supposed "latest info" on royal caribbeans site, could you please direct me to a factual site that has that info? I have 2 friends going in May and we were planning them passports just in case they institued it before we sail. Now it looks like never?

[kids1stcruise]

so do we need them?

ta said birth cert. is good for ship but doesn't know about all ports of call.

looking at website it seems under 16 is good w/o having having passport only birth certificate and it seems the same for adults.

just want to make sure--

[soontobegrady]

Just keep in mind, since passpots are not currently requied for "sea travel" but are for "air travel" in the event you may miss the ship while at port or if you may need to fly home in the event of an emergency - you will be required to have a valid passport.

[Bunkie103]

Traveling with DD and her DDs and we got passports for all of them the end of December. Noticed when I was at the post office that the prices have gone up. Glad we beat the price increase. Won't travel out of the country without a passport, no matter what they say, but that's just me.

[truecruiser]

This is the information from the official passport site. Because the date is TBD, you may want to consider applying for a passport or passport card. Homeland security could initiate the requirement at any time.

 

AIR TRAVEL

 

Implemented on January 23, 2007, ALL PERSONS traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean region are required to present a passport or other valid travel document to enter or re-enter the United States.

LAND AND SEA TRAVEL

The following summarizes information available on the Department of Homeland Security’s website.

• JANUARY 31, 2008
  U.S. and Canadian citizens will need to present either a WHTI-compliant document, or a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, plus proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate. DHS also proposes to begin alternative procedures for U.S. and Canadian children at that time.
  
• LATER
  At a later date, to be determined, the departments will implement the full requirements of the land and sea phase of WHTI. The proposed rules require most U.S. citizens entering the United States at sea or land ports of entry to have either a U.S. passport; a U.S. passport card; a trusted traveler card such as NEXUS, FAST, or SENTRI; a valid Merchant Mariner Document (MMD) when traveling in conjunction with official maritime business; or a valid U.S. Military identification card when traveling on official orders.

Note: The passport requirement does NOT apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or returning directly from a U.S. territory.

U.S. PASSPORT AND OTHER TRAVEL DOCUMENTS

• U.S. Passport: U.S. citizens may present a valid U.S. passport when traveling via air, land or sea between the U.S. and the aforementioned Western Hemisphere countries.
  
• The Passport Card: U.S. citizens may begin applying in advance for this new, limited-use, wallet-size passport card beginning February 1, 2008. We expect cards will be available and mailed to applicants in spring 2008. When available it will only be valid for land and sea travel between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean region, and Bermuda.
  
• Other Accepted Travel Documents: SENTRI, NEXUS, FAST and the U.S. Coast Guard Mariner Document. Members of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty traveling on orders are exempt from the passport requirement. DHS has more information on these travel documents. This information may be seen at www.dhs.gov.

 

so the passport card IS good for air travel to mexico, canada and the caribbean. that makes a BIG difference!

 

ETA: click on the link and it confirms not valid for air travel. i did not read this thoroughly, but you need to find out if this card can be used to get you to or from a caribbean port if you miss the ship or need to depart for home from a POC due to an emergency.

 

if it cannot be used for this, my vote wld be to not even waste the $ on it. pay the extra bucks and get the passport which will take care of it all.

[jimswims]

We were at a travel show today and the US Post Office was there taking passport applications and photos.

 

We have passports but our kids did not. We had their long form birth certificates with us and since my DW and I were both there, we got the kids their passports. We were told that we would have them in 3-4 weeks.

 

With all these delays, we decided to get them.

 

FYI, the newer passports have a "chip" in them. I did not know this. My passport and my DW's happened to get washed by accident. Since they are from 2001 and still valid, they are OK because there is no chip. I have traveled with them without a problem a few times.

 

Public Service Announcement: Do not wash your passports or submerge them in water.

[Snorkel2Much]

Hi Snorkel, I found out the supposed "latest info" on royal caribbeans site, could you please direct me to a factual site that has that info? I have 2 friends going in May and we were planning them passports just in case they institued it before we sail. Now it looks like never?

The Department of Homeland Security website link is already in the post you've quoted. I know many travellers despise DHS, but they are considered "factual". Maybe I don't understand your question, can you restate it please? :confused:

[foneguy]

simple...all though not required for a cruise,,,,,,what if you NEED to fly home? there will be a head ache when arriving, not to mention it is sooooooo easy at customs...i would just get it it just sucks that the passports cost so much

[MTcruiser]

I called Carnival twice last week and both times was told that even tho they may not be required by the state department Carnival was going to require them starting June 1, 2008. So i got the kids apps away last friday.

[Snorkel2Much]

I called Carnival twice last week and both times was told that even tho they may not be required by the state department Carnival was going to require them starting June 1, 2008. So i got the kids apps away last friday.

That makes sense....NOT :confused: :confused: It's the DHS who makes the entry requirements, the State Dept issues the passports.

 

The cruise industry lobbyists are the one's who managed to get the WHTI rules changed so that passports won't be needed for cruises starting & ending in the US. I'd be interested to know the names and job titles of the Carnival folks who said that.

 

http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/travel/vacation/ready_set_go/land_travel/whti_notification_tearsheet.ctt/whti_notification_tearsheet.pdf

 

eta: new link

[GaryWT]

We have them for the very reason Soontobegrady stated, if you need to fly home for any readon, you need a passport.

[Mr. Noob]

on one search for passports i read 2009 is when it is mandatory:confused: --on another i need at least the passport card--please what is it. cruising in aug.

 

We just booked our cruise today to the western Caribbean from Galveston TX. We were told that passports are not needed until May 2008. Currently all we need for sea travel is a drivers license and certified birth certificate.

 

 

U.S. and Canadian Citizens – Two Document Option

All U.S. and Canadian citizens who do not have one of the documents from the list above must present BOTH an identification and citizenship document from each of the columns below.

Identification Documents*

• Driver’s license or identification card issued by a federal, state, provincial, county, territory, or municipal authority
  
• U.S. or Canadian military identification card

* All identification documents must have a photo, name and date of birth.

Citizenship Documents

• U.S. or Canadian birth certificate issued by a federal, state, provincial, county, territory or municipal authority
  
• U.S. Consular report of birth abroad
  
• U.S. Certificate of Naturalization
  
• U.S. Certificate of Citizenship
  
• U.S. Citizen Identification Card
  
• Canadian Citizenship Card
  
• Canadian certificate of citizenship without photo

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/ready_set_go/land_travel/chnge_in_proced.xml

[CaribbeanKim]

I have read zillions of posts on these boards, and read the official website info...and I can certainly understand why so many people are confused! While it is true that passports are not required AT THIS MOMENT for cruises to the Caribbean, they MAY BE implemented as soon as June, 2008. (Sorry Snorkel2Much, but I have been told this by Carnival reps AND Carnival Vacation Club reps, as well as Postal Employees). Whether this is being mandated by the govt. or by Carnival really makes no difference to me.

 

There are other factors to consider though. How many of you have purchased travel insurance? If so, the thought of an unexpected emergency has already occured to you, so why not be fully prepared? While passports are not necessary to cruise - they ARE required for air travel. If something were to happen where I (or another family member) needed to fly, the passport will expedite your travel emergency. It may also be possible that some ports on your cruise itinerary may require passports upon entry &/or exit. On the practical side...if you break it down, a passport is recognized world-wide as an acceptable form of ID, and is good for 10 years (which breaks down to a paltry $10 per year). That's an insurance premium & peace of mind that I can afford!