Passport question

[karensi]

I'm sorry because I'm sure this has been asked many times before.
Anyway I'm taking my family on a RC cruise over next NYE.
It's a 5 night cruise and we will stop at their own private island and Jamaica.

So here's my question. My adult DD and her family,( my son in law and 3 grandsons) don't have passports. Yes, I absolutely know it's best to have them and the rest of my family do. I'm pretty sure what's stopping them is the cost.
Anyway, bottom line is will it be a problem for them, going to Jamaica and RCs own island without passports?
Will they need passports to board the ship? Or to get off in Jamaica or the private island?
They are aware that in an emergency they would not be able to fly home, but I'm concentrating more on their ability to board the ship in Ft Lauderdale and to get off the ship in Jamaica and RCs private island.

To any who can give me any info....thank you very much

Karen

 

[tinka-belle]

Passport requirements can change before December, there is usually some advance notice though. As it stands now, as long as the cruise leaves from a US port and returns to that SAME port a passport is not yet required. If returning to a different US port a passport will be required to board the ship.

Proof of citizenship is still needed however. A "long form" birth certificate with a raised seal that is valid for travel for each passenger. A government issued photo ID for ages 16 and up (driver's license or state ID card will suffice, for most states a driving learner's permit cannot be used for ID). School issued photo ID for younger ones is helpful but is not required. As far as the birth cert., it should be in decent condition and fairly recent issued in the past few years. I've seen many that are folded and creased and falling apart from age and those are iffy, better to have a clear recent one.

If there have been any name changes from the birth cert. to the photo ID (marriage, adoptions, etc.) all paperwork to show the changes must also be presented. For example a marriage certificate showing maiden name and spouse's name, or court papers for name changes, etc.

Can also apply for a "passport card", but that is government issued ID for driving across a border or just for cruises that don't require a full passport. Rate is slightly less than a full passport, application details are the same. Cannot fly with a passport card though, only a passport is accepted for flights.

Passport is still the best way to go, but I'm sure they've heard that already. As long as they are a day visitor and not staying overnight, they would not need a passport for getting off the ship in the islands. If a passport is a requirement on any part of an itinerary, they would not be allowed to even board the ship without one.

 

[sam_gordon]

Passport requirements can change before December, there is usually some advance notice though. As it stands now, as long as the cruise leaves from a US port and returns to that SAME port a passport is not yet required. If returning to a different US port a passport will be required to board the ship.

Proof of citizenship is still needed however. A "long form" birth certificate with a raised seal that is valid for travel for each passenger. A government issued photo ID for ages 16 and up (driver's license or state ID card will suffice, for most states a driving learner's permit cannot be used for ID). School issued photo ID for younger ones is helpful but is not required. As far as the birth cert., it should be in decent condition and fairly recent issued in the past few years. I've seen many that are folded and creased and falling apart from age and those are iffy, better to have a clear recent one.

If there have been any name changes from the birth cert. to the photo ID (marriage, adoptions, etc.) all paperwork to show the changes must also be presented. For example a marriage certificate showing maiden name and spouse's name, or court papers for name changes, etc.

Can also apply for a "passport card", but that is government issued ID for driving across a border or just for cruises that don't require a full passport. Rate is slightly less than a full passport, application details are the same. Cannot fly with a passport card though, only a passport is accepted for flights.

Passport is still the best way to go, but I'm sure they've heard that already. As long as they are a day visitor and not staying overnight, they would not need a passport for getting off the ship in the islands. If a passport is a requirement on any part of an itinerary, they would not be allowed to even board the ship without one.

I agree with everything except for the bolded. I agree if a BC is falling apart, you might have an issue and should probably get a new one, but there's no requirement (that I've heard) that they be recently issued.

Another note... make sure it's the OFFICIAL BC, not the "symbolic" one many hospitals apparently give out.

And assuming they have BC, a photo ID for adults, and a 'bridging document' (marriage license) if your DD took her husband's name, they'll be fine. You'll only need to present the BC to get on the ship in FL, and off the ship in FL. As far as port stops, you'll need a photo ID and your Seapass card.

 

[karensi]

I agree with everything except for the bolded. I agree if a BC is falling apart, you might have an issue and should probably get a new one, but there's no requirement (that I've heard) that they be recently issued.

Another note... make sure it's the OFFICIAL BC, not the "symbolic" one many hospitals apparently give out.

And assuming they have BC, a photo ID for adults, and a 'bridging document' (marriage license) if your DD took her husband's name, they'll be fine. You'll only need to present the BC to get on the ship in FL, and off the ship in FL. As far as port stops, you'll need a photo ID and your Seapass card.

 

[karensi]

Thank you both very much.
I'm breathing a sigh of relief but will really be able to exhale once we're all on board.

Karen

 

[Laz]

A number of years ago we docked in Jamaica and were surprised to find out passports were being required to get off and on the ship. Just ask and make sure they are not needed before you leave the ship.

 

[karensi]

A number of years ago we docked in Jamaica and were surprised to find out passports were being required to get off and on the ship. Just ask and make sure they are not needed before you leave the ship.

Thank you Laz.

 

[Mouseketeers4]

We stopped in Jamaica twice last year (Feb and Dec) with RC and passports were not required to get off and on the ship. My brother's girlfriend and my two little ones cruised with just a birth certificate with no problems.

 

[IndyRnRfan]

I'm sorry because I'm sure this has been asked many times before.
Anyway I'm taking my family on a RC cruise over next NYE.
It's a 5 night cruise and we will stop at their own private island and Jamaica.

So here's my question. My adult DD and her family,( my son in law and 3 grandsons) don't have passports. Yes, I absolutely know it's best to have them and the rest of my family do. I'm pretty sure what's stopping them is the cost.
Anyway, bottom line is will it be a problem for them, going to Jamaica and RCs own island without passports?
Will they need passports to board the ship? Or to get off in Jamaica or the private island?
They are aware that in an emergency they would not be able to fly home, but I'm concentrating more on their ability to board the ship in Ft Lauderdale and to get off the ship in Jamaica and RCs private island.

To any who can give me any info....thank you very much

Karen

My wife just got off FoTS this past weekend. They stopped at Coco Cay, St. Thomas, and St. Marten. You had to show your passports every time you got off the ship. They did not have any children with them so I don't know what they had to show.

 

[Trekker]

My wife just got off FoTS this past weekend. They stopped at Coco Cay, St. Thomas, and St. Marten. You had to show your passports every time you got off the ship. They did not have any children with them so I don't know what they had to show.

Are you sure it had to be passport - or is that just what your wife used? The requirement is to have a photo id (passport, drivers license) and your room key card (Sea Pass?) with you when you get off the ship and to re-board.

 

[sam_gordon]

Are you sure it had to be passport - or is that just what your wife used? The requirement is to have a photo id (passport, drivers license) and your room key card (Sea Pass?) with you when you get off the ship and to re-board.

Agreed. Just because someone USED a passport doesn't mean that's what's required.

We went to Falmouth and Cozumel in 2013, both of those and Grand Cayman in 2014. We needed photo ID & Seapass card.

 

[Chuckers]

Also, check to see if you can get a passport card. I have both a passport and a card. I think the card was $40? The card allows you to enter/exit the US by land or sea to destinations like Canada, Mexico and the Virgin Islands. It can NOT be used for air travel. Here in Mass, I got applied for mine at the Post Office and got them back in about a month. You do need a birth certificate to get one.

 

[lanejudy]

Also, check to see if you can get a passport card. I have both a passport and a card. I think the card was $40? The card allows you to enter/exit the US by land or sea to destinations like Canada, Mexico and the Virgin Islands. It can NOT be used for air travel. Here in Mass, I got applied for mine at the Post Office and got them back in about a month. You do need a birth certificate to get one.

Correct that the Passport Card costs considerably less and is acceptable for land and/or sea travel. However, obtaining a Passport Card for the sole purpose of cruising is really a waste of money -- it does nothing more than traveling with a birth certificate + photo ID, other than provide convenience.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[IndyRnRfan]

She had to use her sea pass card to get off but you had to use a passport to get back on or photo ID. Sorry for the confusion. They took their passports with them just in case there was an issue that would require it.

 

[Chuckers]

Correct that the Passport Card costs considerably less and is acceptable for land and/or sea travel. However, obtaining a Passport Card for the sole purpose of cruising is really a waste of money -- it does nothing more than traveling with a birth certificate + photo ID, other than provide convenience.

Enjoy your vacation!

True, but I don't like to travel with my birth certificate.. it's too big to fit in my wallet and I would be afraid of losing it.

 

[vacation_junkie]

I'm sorry because I'm sure this has been asked many times before.
Anyway I'm taking my family on a RC cruise over next NYE.
It's a 5 night cruise and we will stop at their own private island and Jamaica.

So here's my question. My adult DD and her family,( my son in law and 3 grandsons) don't have passports. Yes, I absolutely know it's best to have them and the rest of my family do. I'm pretty sure what's stopping them is the cost.
Anyway, bottom line is will it be a problem for them, going to Jamaica and RCs own island without passports?
Will they need passports to board the ship? Or to get off in Jamaica or the private island?
They are aware that in an emergency they would not be able to fly home, but I'm concentrating more on their ability to board the ship in Ft Lauderdale and to get off the ship in Jamaica and RCs private island.

To any who can give me any info....thank you very much

Karen

the only thing we needed for Labadee was our sea pass card.
Jamaica we needed sea pass card and photo id

 

[bcla]

Proof of citizenship is still needed however. A "long form" birth certificate with a raised seal that is valid for travel for each passenger. A government issued photo ID for ages 16 and up (driver's license or state ID card will suffice, for most states a driving learner's permit cannot be used for ID). School issued photo ID for younger ones is helpful but is not required. As far as the birth cert., it should be in decent condition and fairly recent issued in the past few years. I've seen many that are folded and creased and falling apart from age and those are iffy, better to have a clear recent one.

"Long form", "short form", or whatever don't really matter provided it's certified by the issuing authority. There are certain issuing agencies that only have a shorter "abstract" birth certificate form. There are more recent births that will only be documented by electronic transfer of the information from the hospital to the vital records agency, and there is absolutely no "long form" document to pull up. Florida is one of these places, as is New York City. Florida apparently has a system to capture an image of signatures, but NYC does not.

http://www.floridahealth.gov/certificates/certificates/EBRS/index.html
http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/vr/vr-ebrs-user-guide.pdf

There are specific instances where some very specific documents are suspect, but that's generally with the State Department issuing passports.

 

[bumbershoot]

"Long form", "short form", or whatever don't really matter provided it's certified by the issuing authority. There are certain issuing agencies that only have a shorter "abstract" birth certificate form.

While any certified BC might get you on a ship and back Ito the country, any BC won't get you a passport anymore. They changed the requirements. Short version is that the BC has to have the spot for info on both parents of the person. Weird as it seems to me, some states didn't have that on their shorter BCs. You have to have the spots for that info on the BC to get a passport now. If I were traveling on my BC and ID I would want to make sure I had the same version as would be used to get a passport, just to make sure. (My birth state has always had that info on it so I don't have to worry) That's likely what the person meant by a new certified copy of it.

 

[bcla]

While any certified BC might get you on a ship and back Ito the country, any BC won't get you a passport anymore. They changed the requirements. Short version is that the BC has to have the spot for info on both parents of the person. Weird as it seems to me, some states didn't have that on their shorter BCs. You have to have the spots for that info on the BC to get a passport now. If I were traveling on my BC and ID I would want to make sure I had the same version as would be used to get a passport, just to make sure. (My birth state has always had that info on it so I don't have to worry) That's likely what the person meant by a new certified copy of it.

My issue is with the use of the terms "long form", "short form", etc. Those terms have different meanings depending on who you ask. For some, "short form" means a computer printed abstract form, regardless of the information present on the form. Others think of it as some smaller format or perhaps a wallet sized document that may not have the features that are present in most certified birth certificates.

What the State Dept now requires for a birth certificate to be accepted as a primary proof of birth in the United States is some sort of seal, the name of at least one parent (some mothers decline to name a birth father), and a certification from the registrar. The State Dept doesn't require that a BC have certain features that many such documents do have, such as the name of the doctor, the city of birth (Pennsylvania's only lists the county of birth), signatures of the doctor/parent(s), certifier, witness, hospital name/address, etc.

There's some misconception that so-called "abstract" birth certificates aren't accepted for passport applications. There are apparently specific agencies where the State Dept has issues, but they confuse the public with a message that doesn't specify which particular ones they suspect. They do have manuals for acceptance agents that are more specific, and some of these places state specific forms that may draw scrutiny.

 

[bcla]

Just to clarify, a couple of documents the State Dept may not accept are the California Abstract of Birth and Texas's abstract form in some cases. California's abstract was pretty bad. It apparently had no seal and was easy to forge. Texas had a problem with massive midwife fraud, where many would accept payment to lie on the birth certificate form that a child was born in Texas even though the actual place of birth was in Mexico. The State Dept may want to see the "long form" for the certifier's name. It's also really messed up some people, since these midwives did actually attend to births in Texas, so they get caught up in the fraud because of who attended their births.

Apparently they've handled this in Texas by placing an "I" (institutional) notation in newer abstracts to indicate that someone was born in a hospital and certified by a doctor or hospital administrator. Their main issue seems to be that the State Dept or outside acceptance agents may not be familiar with this yet.

http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/vs/field/docs/BethP---Revised-PASSPORT-QUESTIONS.doc

1. Will the Passport agencies accept the Texas abstract birth certificates with an “I” as proof of birth to purchase a passport?

Are there any instances when they will not accept this type of birth certificate?

ANSWER:

Yes, abstract birth certificates with an “I” signifying that this was an institutional birth are acceptable as proof of birth to purchase a passport.

Yes, if there are other concerns or possible fraud issues the birth certificate alone may not be enough evidence as proof of birth.