I'm sorry but this is not correct, you are still required to present proof of citizenship. They can accept a birth certificate and drivers license but just a drivers license is not enough to establish citizenship.
I stand corrected on the entry requirements to Canada. As with all things, it's always possible for them to grant special dispensation, given the circumstances. All of the travelers have passports, and CBSA and/or the airline will have access to the details, including passport numbers, since they will be on the flight manifest as the airline collected the information at check-in. So, they can run their checks just as if the passport was physically presented. I'm not sure what their rules are for such a situation, but it would not surprise me to find that they would admit US citizens in such a circumstance, even though they don't have to. The OP has certainly resolved this part of the puzzle by now, as they've either been admitted to Canada, or were returned to the US by now.
If you can't recover the items I'd see about flying to Seattle... they have a
big passport office with emergency services, and you might be able to turn around in time for your cruise?
As someone else already mentioned, they won't be able to fly to Seattle from Vancouver without passports (unless they were denied entry to Canada and chose to fly to Seattle instead of back to their home airport).
But Plaid I don't think she CAN fly to Seattle without a passport. With an enhanced DL she could go by land, it seems.
But if she has that, by my reading of the WHTI, she could board the cruise, too.
Well, there's a catch. The rules say that you need to have passport, passport card, or enhanced DL to cross the land border into the US. But, if you are a US citizen and get to a land border in the US, you cannot be denied entry for any reason. A regular DL will do. No ID will do. They will of course have to verify your identity before letting you in, but that should not be a problem in this case, as all travelers have passports issued to them and they can easily be pulled up at the border. In this case, since the travelers lack the required documents on their person, they
could be assessed a civil fine, but they'll be admitted for sure. I personally doubt that, given the circumstances, they would get a fine, if they approach the situation with contriteness and politeness at the border. US citizens trying to cross the border without proper documents and act like a jerk about it might earn the civil fine to help adjust their attitude.
So, they can definitely travel by land to Seattle, then deal with the passport office there, or fly back home on a domestic flight without replacing their passports if they chose to do so.
I thought it was changed that you need a passport, passport card, or an enhanced drivers license that is pretty much a passport card.
That's true for entry into the US (with the caveat I mentioned above). But ID plus proof of citizenship is still okay for entry into Canada. In practice, this means you need to meet the US standard for re-entry into Canada, as otherwise how will you get back? That aside, Canada never updated their law to require passport or enhanced DL for entry.
Also even though you swear you didn't leave it at your home airport check there too just in case. Did you take them out to fill out the customs forms?
Customs forms are passed out on the aircraft, so that's where they'd be if that was the case. Also, they will check passports upon boarding the aircraft, not just at check-in, so the fact that they flew the flight almost certainly means that they are on board the aircraft and not at some prior point.
To fly back into the US as the OP is scheduled to do you are required to have a passport, passport cards or enhanced drivers licenses are not eligable. If they enter the US via land or sea then all 3 apply. But I was just commenting on what Canada will accept in order to enter as that's the OP's immediate issue. They can always get an emergency passport to get back into the US once their cruise is finished.
You're missing an important part of the situation: One issue is getting admitted to Canada, which has already been dealt with one way or the other. The other is getting on the cruise ship. Setting aside
DCL rules, closed loop cruises to Alaska from Vancouver are handled in a special manner: You pass through US CBP at the Vancouver cruise terminal, and are admitted to the US at that point. You remain admitted to the US during your entire stay on the ship. This is what allows you to get off at each US port in Alaska without having to go through CBP inspection. So, just before you get on the boat, while at the Vancouver cruise terminal, you pass through a sea port of entry
to the US. So, you must meet US documentation requirements at that point, which are passport, passport card, or enhanced DL. And, you can't claim the "US citizen has unconditional right to be admitted" exception I talked about above because you're not on US soil. That's not to say that they wouldn't still admit you, given the circumstances, but they don't have to and I would not count on it.
Well, it's required for entry into Canada, if you fly into Canada from a foreign country. Yes, the OP used the passports to get on the plane, but they were only checking that she had the proper documents for use at the other end. She needs the passport to get out of the airport. Or she'll be placed on the next flight back to the US.
Maybe, maybe not.
I'm not sure if DCL does, but many cruise lines require a passport for Alaskan cruises. Yes, it's a closed-loop cruise, ...
The normal rules for "Closed loop" cruises that we discuss here so often do not apply in this situation, since the cruise does not begin and end in the US.
