Passports vs Birth Certificate for Cruising

[Reigert2008]

Hello,
     I saw another thread about checking in with a passport, which got me thinking.  Other than cost, why would you not have a passport when going on a cruise?  I could see for a child that may "age out" before being able to renew, but my wife and i treat the passport as "another form of ID" and got our passports before we did our first cruise many years ago.  We've since planned other cruises with "first timers " and have convinced them to get the passport. Over all it seems easier to have the passport and not have to deal with your other important documents while traveling and it feels like it would be easier to replace the passport should you lose it and not have to replace the birth certificate if that was lost.  

We are a family of two, so we don't have the extra expense that other family may have, but we would have wanted our kids to travel with some type of ID "just in case" and we encouraged other family members to get passports for thier children.

I agree it's a "sunk cost" especially if you don't think you will use it again before renewal, but with the ways things change you never know when it may be useful.  For example, until very recently, our drivers licenses here in KY were not REAL ID compliant (I'll upgrade mine with renewal this year), so the passport ensured that we could still travel while KY was figuring out the REAL ID process if the extensions had not gone through.  Our extension was set to expire before COVID, but they have extended it to this year, but with offices being shutdown they are slower to get the REAL IDS out to people and it gives me comfort knowing that we have our passports for the travels we have planed for later this year.

 

Maybe I'm missing something that would be helpful when someone asks me about it in the future.  Thanks!

[teddy]

Maybe if someone doesn’t  want “the Man” to have info on them?  

On a serious note, I never saw the need for one until I started needing it to go back and forth to Canada.  I had never traveled anywhere that I needed it before then.

When my wife got naturalized, they told her to get a US passport asap as that was the way she could prove US citizenship.  That opened my eyes a bit since our state has stalled on the Real ID driver’s licenses   

 

 

 

 

[twangster]

I continue to be surprised that CBP allows cruisers to travel internationally without a passport.

I wouldn't travel without one but America is unique in this regard.  The US is so large it's common to go years without ever leaving so a passport isn't the thing that it is in other regions.  Within the US you can be in the Caribbean, or the Arctic, or a desert, in the mountains, the plains, or in the largest cultural epicenter of the world and in that statement I'm leaving out some of the best parts of America. 

Consequently many do not have passports so the current rule is a compromise for a low risk form of travel from a CBP perspective.    

[Galveston Steve]

If you have to interrupt your cruise for some reason, or if you get stuck in traffic and  can't get back to the port before the ship sails, you will need a passport to fly.  Birth certificates don't work for international air travel.  What if you have an accident, get a serious illness, and have to go to a hospital in a foreign country while the ship sails off without you?  Having a passport will make your life a lot easier.

My 4 year old grandson has one.  My 4 week old granddaughter will have one before her first cruise later this year.  I don't leave home without my American Express card or my passport.

[Zacharius]

As someone with dual nationality who has lived with a passport in my pocket for seemingly my entire life, I would never feel comfortable leaving a country without my passport (sometimes both passports). I don't see a good reason other than cost, and personally I don't even see that as a good reason (leaving the country? passport should be part of the budget). 

[SPS]

35 minutes ago, Zacharius said:

I don't see a good reason other than cost, and personally I don't even see that as a good reason

Absolutely! It's good for ten years. I've paid far more for other items that have not been good for ten years!

The convenience alone upon returning from a cruise is worth it. Many a time I've seen a group at customs held up for a good long time using birth certificates.

Regarding another post that inspired this one, I think check-in with passports is easier because it's "in the system" and is easily verified electronically. The piece of paper you keep in your bedroom's strong box is not.

[jticarruthers]

I think it already been covered but I would sum it up as:

Many Americans never had a reason to need one since travel through the US doesn't require one.

Once needed it is an additional expense and if you don't "need" it to go on a cruise its an easy expense to skip.

I would definitely recommend that everyone should get one before their second cruise though, at that point your hooked and its just more convenient going forward

 

[Lovetocruise2002]

As Canadians, other than the early years when my parents used to cross the border with me using my birth certificate, for as long as I started travelling on my own, we have always had passports. We don’t even think about should we, like others have mentioned, it just factors in as part of travelling cost. The kids have had one the minute they started travelling with us. 

[Sharla]

I wouldn't cruise without a passport. If there is an emergency and you need to fly home it's essential. And you're not going to leave your kids behind and fly home, so get them one too!

[wannabecruiseexpert]

I'm the one who started the other thread and I can only answer that for my family, we have just never needed one.  We are just getting into cruising. During this last year, we had four....literally 4.....passport appointments cancelled. Every single one of them was cancelled the day of (within a few hours of the appointment) after we took off work. For the May cruise I was referring to on the other post, we just haven't received them yet and while I'm sure they would arrived before we sailed, I still wanted to go ahead and check in. I realize how valuable they are to have but finally getting an appointment and actually getting to send in the applications took an extremely long time.

[twangster]

You bring an up important aspect of cruising in a pandemic.  CBP hasn't changed the rules but it appears like Royal might be implementing a new policy of passport only.  Maybe if there is fear they might need to divert and offload in another country?  I'm not sure but it is an interesting observation and good catch.  

I always cruise with a passport but that isn't relevant.  If Royal is changing their policy they really should tell everyone that.  

[AshleyDillo]

23 minutes ago, twangster said:

If Royal is changing their policy they really should tell everyone that.  

It may not be a policy change and it's just their IT copying that portion of the check-in via the app from the Singapore sailings that are currently running.  They require a passport for those sailings.

When they even hinted at a national policy change for requiring passports years ago there was an uproar and push back.  I thought I remembered that CBP was going to change the rules on a phased-in basis as part of a 9/11 security initiative that would start requiring passports for land/sea travel between the US, Canada, and Mexico.  Somehow they relaxed the requirement for closed-loop cruises to not require the passport or even an enhanced driver's license which is the minimum requirement to get back into the US by land.

[Reigert2008]

It sounds like everyone has the same reasons that I give to people on why you should just get the passport.  I'm going to keep telling people to get a passport since it really is easy and gives you that extra security that you can fly home in an emergency.  Thanks!

 

Stay Safe!

[teddy]

2 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

As Canadians, other than the early years when my parents used to cross the border with me using my birth certificate

Remember crossing the border  pre 9/11?

My hometown is 10 miles from the boundary.  Since it was so isolated from the rest of the state, everyone did a lot of business in Canada.   Going through Customs both ways consisted of a wave as you drove by.

 

 

[Lovetocruise2002]

1 hour ago, teddy said:

Remember crossing the border  pre 9/11?

Yes, that changed everything....

[CrznTxn]

As an American who grew up overseas, I always had a passport. It was a requirement along with early day visas, limited entry/exit and such. When the wife and I were married she immediately got a passport and although it was rarely used (one trip to Europe) it was a mainstay in the household documentation. We even got our kids passports when they were little on the thought that they might eventually need one, which they did and were grateful we got them. When we were introduced to cruising it was no issue and we have renewed them every 10 years as it comes up. Surprise trips to Europe and down south of the border for work made trips easy. As others have stated, you need the passport if you are stranded at one of the stops and miss the ship. Had first hand view of this in Jamaica when we set sail and a couple came frantically running to the pier late. Everyone on board was waving to them as we left. Don't leave home and the ship without it.

[Zacharius]

1 hour ago, CrznTxn said:

Surprise trips to Europe and down south of the border for work made trips easy.

This is such a big thing for my wife and I. We're big travelers, and are lucky enough to have seemingly unlimited hotel rewards/flight miles, and money (no kids...yet), to pick up and go somewhere whenever want. Paris for the weekend? No problem. A week in Melbourne? Sure, let's do it. Wanna sit on a beach in Turks & Caicos? Let's go. I understand most people don't have this luxury, but you definitely don't have the luxury without the passport

[SPS]

6 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

As Canadians, other than the early years when my parents used to cross the border with me using my birth certificate, for as long as I started travelling on my own, we have always had passports. We don’t even think about should we, like others have mentioned, it just factors in as part of travelling cost.

As a Michigander, I forgot to add that this is an added benefit to having a passport. We've liked visiting Ontario from time to time should the want/need arise.

Unfortunately, COVID travel restrictions derailed our 2020 plans to tour the wineries around Hamilton and Niagara-on-the-Lake.

[smokeybandit]

Agree with others, passport is the way to go. 

[MikeK]

If you are in a port off the ship the passport doesn't do any good locked in the safe in your cabin.  Take your passport with you when go on an excursion or even just shopping.  Too many things can happen that keep you from going back to the ship to get it.  You have spent the extra money for the security of a passport so keep it with you.

 

[Beth Davis]

Our first cruise in 2018, my husband, our girls and I all got our passports but my BIL and his two kids did not. He said I don’t need it, which he was lucky not to. But that same trip, a guy on our ship cut his foot on coral while in Castaway Cay and they couldn’t stop the bleeding. We were at sea the day that he needed to be taken by helicopter, in international waters, which he wouldn’t have been able to do without a passport. I will never cruise without one. 

[Zacharius]

9 minutes ago, Beth Davis said:

Our first cruise in 2018, my husband, our girls and I all got our passports but my BIL and his two kids did not. He said I don’t need it, which he was lucky not to. But that same trip, a guy on our ship cut his foot on coral while in Castaway Cay and they couldn’t stop the bleeding. We were at sea the day that he needed to be taken by helicopter, in international waters, which he wouldn’t have been able to do without a passport. I will never cruise without one. 

I think this also proves the importance of good insurance that covers medical evacuation. I certainly wouldn't take a cruise without it...just like a passport, to me, it's a line item of the trip and if I can't afford it, the trip is out of budget. As a frequent international traveler, there have been a few times that I have had to go to a doctor in various countries, and the cost of my yearly international medical plan has, even after several years of paying the premium, been cheaper than those trips would have been out-of-pocket...and that's not even including any serious medical needs or evac. 

[CruiseGus]

On 3/5/2021 at 8:27 AM, MikeK said:

If you are in a port off the ship the passport doesn't do any good locked in the safe in your cabin.  Take your passport with you when go on an excursion or even just shopping.  Too many things can happen that keep you from going back to the ship to get it.  You have spent the extra money for the security of a passport so keep it with you.

 

I believe the policy of RCG is that if you do not make it back to the ship for port departure, that security will enter your cabin unlock the safe and hand off your passports to the Port Agent.  Maybe someone like @Matt @twangster or @WAAAYTOOO know for sure.

I used to take my passport with every time I left the ship on the first couple of cruises, but then reconsidered form the security aspect of it was far more likely it could be stolen or damaged and prevent me from a smooth disembarkation at the end of the cruise.  I now leave it in the safe.

[Matt]

I always take my passport with me when I get off the ship in any port.  And I recommend everyone do the same.  

[sk8erguy1978]

I used to always take it off the ship, then I stopped for a bit. I too had a fear of losing it or it being stolen.

I bought a neat passport wallet that holds passport, credit cards & cash so now I'm back to always taking it off the ship. 

It's not required to reboard the ship, but walking around a country without your countries passport doesn't seem like a good idea to me.

I bring photocopies for record of passport information. My driver's license is enhanced so that helps closed loops (if passport was stolen) and I'm finally embracing a password manager (1password) and will start storing copies of these sensitive documents there.

[WAAAYTOOO]

13 hours ago, CruiseGus said:

I believe the policy of RCG is that if you do not make it back to the ship for port departure, that security will enter your cabin unlock the safe and hand off your passports to the Port Agent.  Maybe someone like @Matt @twangster or @WAAAYTOOO know for sure.

While this has never happened to me, I understand that this is correct.  If the ship is forced to leave without you, they will go into your safe and get your passport and leave it with port authorities.  

[stevendom57]

This topic is proof that we are getting close to sailing again. The fine people on this board know much more than RCG, CDC, and any of the other alphabet agencies in the government. When talk changes from "are we sailing" to "what do I need to sail", we are almost there.

[smokeybandit]

We've been in "What do I need to do to sail" mode since November though.

[Momof4crazytocruise]

What convinced me to go Passport only for the kiddies (I always keep a current passport) was when I read that you can't fly internally in Mexico to get to the US Embassy in Mexico City without a passport. So if I needed one to get home I would need to drive there from Cozumel - which would be like 20 hours on unfamiliar Mexican roads, and that ain't happening. There is a now a US Consulate in Playa Del Carmen which would help me out, but it was the fear of not being able to fly home if I needed one (from anywhere). A lost passport is much easier to replace at the consulate than starting from scratch (ask me how I know this... LOL that's why we make copies y'all!). To me, it is worth the cost and the trouble for something I need to do every 10 years (5 for kids) for simply the security of knowing I can get home easily if I needed to. 

[CruiseGus]

On 3/8/2021 at 9:29 PM, sk8erguy1978 said:

I used to always take it off the ship, then I stopped for a bit. I too had a fear of losing it or it being stolen.

I bought a neat passport wallet that holds passport, credit cards & cash so now I'm back to always taking it off the ship. 

It's not required to reboard the ship, but walking around a country without your countries passport doesn't seem like a good idea to me.

I bring photocopies for record of passport information. My driver's license is enhanced so that helps closed loops (if passport was stolen) and I'm finally embracing a password manager (1password) and will start storing copies of these sensitive documents there.

@sk8erguy1978 what "neat passport wallet that holds passport, credit cards & cash" are you using.  Always interested in what works for others

[sk8erguy1978]

17 hours ago, CruiseGus said:

@sk8erguy1978 what "neat passport wallet that holds passport, credit cards & cash" are you using.  Always interested in what works for others

It's a duct tape passport wallet. I bought it years ago from thinkgeek(dot)com but it seems to be on Amazon too.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M06PHIC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_RXD3KM67X03Z4Y1BCSMT