Jump to content

Passport question


Recommended Posts

I just booked our eastern Caribbean cruise on the Harmony on Friday and we leave the 25th of this month.   I thought it was a good idea at the time but I have been driving myself nuts with the planning since.  Biggest problem right now is the passports.

My husband and I are fine but I just noticed that my kids passports expired 2 weeks ago. They are 13 and 15. I know I can travel with just their birth certificates but I also know that passports are preferred. Does anybody think it would be worth it for us to apply for their passports ASAP, pay the expedited fee and hopefully get them in time for the trip or is it not worth the stress?  

In my irrational mind, we will get lost at sea during our snuba excursion in st. Maarten, the ship will leave us and when we are saved,  my kids will be unable to get home because they don't have passports.  I know it's a bit far-fetched but is there really any reason that they would absolutely need their passports besides a medical emergency?

Thanks in advance! I'm sure I'll have many questions to come in the next coming weeks. The only Royal Caribbean cruise I've done was a three day about 17 years ago.  We did a Disney cruise 5 yrs ago but this is a whole new ballgame.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to the message boards!

Cruising with a passport is always ideal but for US citizens on closed loop sailings like Harmony they are technically not required to board the ship.

If I were in your shoes I would try for the expedited passport service knowing that a raised seal birth certificate is there as my fallback plan.  But that's just me.   Many people only cruise with BC/DL as adults.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the replies.   50/50 so far.   I'm starting to lean heavily towards traveling w/ just their birth certificates with the thinking that we have to send in their original birth certificates for the passport renewal. If anything goes wrong, I'm left with no documents and I will have to scramble 2 get raised seal copies. Not terrible for 1 kid but the other was born in NY 2+ hrs away. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not to raise your fear level, In Pennsylvania where I live, our drivers license is not an acceptable federal ID due to failure to comply with federal security guidelines.  Just double check that your state's DL is acceptable. Not sure is that matters with raised seal BC. Just a double check thought.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, DRLPP said:

Not to raise your fear level, In Pennsylvania where I live, our drivers license is not an acceptable federal ID due to failure to comply with federal security guidelines.  Just double check that your state's DL is acceptable. Not sure is that matters with raised seal BC. Just a double check thought.

Thank you DRLPP.  The 2 adults have passports, just the kids that expired.  No dls yet. RCCL insists that the kids are okay with just official bc' s since they are under 16.  I'm just trying to come up with worst case scenario where they would need actual passports

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good point about having to send BC into the passport office.  People cruise often with just a BC. 

Take the expired passports with you, don't show them to the cruise line, that's just set off a red flag, but in case you need emergency travel VIA air they may come in handy with any local consulate or embassy in that worst case scenario.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you are a U.S. citizen taking a closed loop cruise, then you can usually travel using a birth certificate and (if over 16 years old) a non-expired government-issued ID with photo, name, and date of birth. This is usually a driver’s license or government-issued ID card.  Royal Caribbean requires that “all documents must be original or a notarized copy.”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Boston Babe said:

Are you anywhere near a big city that you can go to get your passport in one day? NYC you can and I believe Phila.  I would try to get passports if you are near a big city but if not I wouldn't mail their original just go and you should be fine.

Yes and no.  We're actually between Philly and the ny office but they only do passports for travel within 2 weeks and husband is out of town for work for most of that time and I'm pretty sure he would have to come with us.  Murphy's law

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, twangster said:

Good point about having to send BC into the passport office.  People cruise often with just a BC. 

Take the expired passports with you, don't show them to the cruise line, that's just set off a red flag, but in case you need emergency travel VIA air they may come in handy with any local consulate or embassy in that worst case scenario.

Will do.  Thanks for the tip about bringing and not showing the expired passports.  I would have handed everything over but less is more sometimes. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you don't live in or near a major city with a US Passport office, there are LOTS of expedited passport renewal services.

Just do a Google search for "<city name> expedited passport renewal"

In Orlando, you can pay quite a bit but get passports renewed in 24 hours! (Our closest passport office is in Miami)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd suggest bringing a photo ID for the kids as well; I'm assuming they have an ID from their school.  My kids almost were not let on a ship as I only brought their birth certificate.  They were young teens at the time, so no driver's licenses yet.  I had to argue with a supervisor to get them on the ship, believe it or not.  When we booked, it was before some policy change (I don't remember what it was at the time, may have been around the time passport requirements were changed) and all the documents said BC was enough.  So the policy changes, and of course it is my responsibility to know this, but we thought due to their age the BC was enough that the changes were not applicable to them.  They eventually let us on, but we were told not to get off the ship with them in port, as a photo ID was required to get back through security in a couple of the ports we were going to.  Of course, we took them off the ship, and no one asked for their photo IDs (but we were asked) so that point was mute.  But they gave us a real hard time.  We got them passports as soon as we got back. 

Rather than be stuck, I suggest all my friends who travel without passports to have the kids bring the school IDs.  It's not that much extra trouble to carry it, and it's not worth having a problem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, juliakays said:

Yes and no.  We're actually between Philly and the ny office but they only do passports for travel within 2 weeks and husband is out of town for work for most of that time and I'm pretty sure he would have to come with us.  Murphy's law

Check and see if he can provide you a notarized signed letter giving permission to renew their passport with out him? I recall seeing a option for this when I was applying for my son's passport a few years back. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yesterday I decided to go with just the birth certificates, school ids and expired passports.  My husband called an hr ago to make sure he didn't need to come home early so we could go to the evening hrs at the county passport center.  I told him we'll be fine.

Fast forward 15 minutes later and my friend pointed out to me that my 15 yr old is 6'3" with facial hair and taller than both my husband and I and people might question his age and whether or not he's the kid on the birth certificate  ?.  

Back to stressing.  I'll just sit on it for another week until we're in that 2 week emergency window and  probably head to the NYC office.  Darn puberty?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, mworkman said:

If I'm not mistake you do not need BC to renew passports...just the expired passports, application for renewal , photos and check or money order.

Thanks, yes. Supposedly we do because they are limited passports since the kids are under the age of 16. It's treated more like a new password altogether then a renewal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 hours ago, juliakays said:

Thanks, yes. Supposedly we do because they are limited passports since the kids are under the age of 16. It's treated more like a new password altogether then a renewal.

yuo kids are not a renew they are a new passport ? stinks! Check the age to get an adult passport for your oldest! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/7/2018 at 6:07 PM, juliakays said:

Yesterday I decided to go with just the birth certificates, school ids and expired passports.  My husband called an hr ago to make sure he didn't need to come home early so we could go to the evening hrs at the county passport center.  I told him we'll be fine.

Fast forward 15 minutes later and my friend pointed out to me that my 15 yr old is 6'3" with facial hair and taller than both my husband and I and people might question his age and whether or not he's the kid on the birth certificate  ?.  

Back to stressing.  I'll just sit on it for another week until we're in that 2 week emergency window and  probably head to the NYC office.  Darn puberty?

Having the school ID with you will help you with that. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Birth certificate, Drivers License if they have one,  School I.D. and you will be fine.  Spend the saved passport money on specialty dinner and drinks.  At age 16 you get the 10 year passport.  If you were going to Europe then I would get a passport.  Caribbean travel  is a Birth Certificate.  Like they say in the Caribbean : Don`t WORRY   BE HAPPY and enjoy the cruise.  And last get lots of  family pictures taken. Those memories are precious.   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yup, just double checked.  $195 for 5 yrs if I got him the expedited passport now and $135 for 10 yrs if we can avoid international travel until he turns 16 in March.  Seems like a no brainer to me

15 hours ago, Kim&N8 said:

yuo kids are not a renew they are a new passport ? stinks! Check the age to get an adult passport for your oldest! 

 

11 hours ago, melski94 said:

16-17 year olds can get a 10 year passport!   

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, juliakays said:

That's the kind of thing that I worry about.  Thankfully he does have his school id and it looks enough like him now & has his graduation yr.  

There is no harm in having them, it's not like it's any extra effort to bring them.  Not sure why some people have such a hard time accepting that it's good to be over prepared.  LOL 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, fonemanbob said:

Birth certificate, Drivers License if they have one,  School I.D. and you will be fine.  Spend the saved passport money on specialty dinner and drinks.  At age 16 you get the 10 year passport.  If you were going to Europe then I would get a passport.  Caribbean travel  is a Birth Certificate.  Like they say in the Caribbean : Don`t WORRY   BE HAPPY and enjoy the cruise.  And last get lots of  family pictures taken. Those memories are precious.   

Trying not to over think it!  Thankyou!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/6/2018 at 3:27 PM, Matt said:

If you don't live in or near a major city with a US Passport office, there are LOTS of expedited passport renewal services.

Just do a Google search for "<city name> expedited passport renewal"

In Orlando, you can pay quite a bit but get passports renewed in 24 hours! (Our closest passport office is in Miami)

This has nothing to do with this topic, as it looks like it is adequately covered, but I am trying to figure out how to sort the posts  so the thread starts with the most recent comments. Without starting an entirely new thread for such a limited topic, can it be done?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, packercruising said:

This has nothing to do with this topic, as it looks like it is adequately covered, but I am trying to figure out how to sort the posts  so the thread starts with the most recent comments. Without starting an entirely new thread for such a limited topic, can it be done?

If you look at each unread post in the boards, you'll see a blue circle next to the post title (star if it's a post you're following). If you click that instead of the post title, you will be taken straight to the first unread message in the thread.

952301143_Mostrecentpostbutton.png.5c68a04c47e305e74a4d17e16846267d.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...

Just to clarify, this is my first cruise in a long time (this place has been great, thank you).

If my wife and I have a passport, do we need to also bring a birth certificate?  Or will the passport itself be sufficient?  This is a cruise leaving from and returning to Port Canaveral.

Our kids are 11 and 5.  They would just need a birth certificate?  (Likely going to go the passport route before the trip anyway).

Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

46 minutes ago, STB7481 said:

Just to clarify, this is my first cruise in a long time (this place has been great, thank you).

If my wife and I have a passport, do we need to also bring a birth certificate?  Or will the passport itself be sufficient?  This is a cruise leaving from and returning to Port Canaveral.

Our kids are 11 and 5.  They would just need a birth certificate?  (Likely going to go the passport route before the trip anyway).

Thanks!

If you have valid passports no other ID is required.  Your kids would need original birth certificates.  

My kids always had passports but that's a personal decision.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 months later...

I am not sure if it's worse board etiquette to comment on an old thread or start a new thread that's surely been hammered out over and over, sorry!

 

For a 'closed loop' cruise leaving and returning to the US (Florida) I understand a certified BC will work to travel (I also understand Passport is best) but in the event an adult can only travel with a BC and ID can they still get off in a Caribbean port? In this case Nassau. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, PRebecca said:

OK so the ship will allow a guest off and on with BC, ID and cruise card; and also Nassau port people will allow that as well? Thanks for the info!

When returning to the ship the Nassau port security staff will ask to see Seapass card and Government ID to confirm the name on the SeaPass card matches the name on the Government ID.  A U.S. driver's license works fine.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...