Passports for Littles??

[palenskec]

Daughter will be 5 at time of cruise. It looks like on the USA Passport website, that they just need a birth certificate. What do you do for your kiddos?? I am wondering if we should get a passport just in case...or rather, just to get it because it would be nice to have.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Daughter will be 5 at time of cruise. It looks like on the USA Passport website, that they just need a birth certificate. What do you do for your kiddos?? I am wondering if we should get a passport just in case...or rather, just to get it because it would be nice to have.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

The minimum requirement for US citizens on closed loop cruises (beginning and ending in the same US port), is a birth certificate PLUS (for those 16 and over) a government-issued photo ID (like a driver's license).

That's all that required, by law. That being said, passports are required if, for any reason, you would have to fly home from an international port.

I'm in the "passport is best" camp. But it's your call what you're comfortable with.

 

[jahber]

It's always good to have them. We sailed once without them for our first two kids and then fell in love with cruising. We ended up getting passports for them and then were able to take a last-minute Alaska cruise because we had them (so, be warned! )
We sailed twice with just a birth certificate for our third child and haven't yet gotten him a passport because I'm pregnant again and won't be sailing any time soon. Since they are only good for 5 years, we will wait to get him one until we sail again. It could be another two years, so that would be wasting nearly half of the passport fee. For our infant, and based on the itinerary we were sailing, I weighed the risk of needing to return home absolutely immediately and determined that it was unlikely that we would be unable to obtain a temp passport for him if needed--for example, we were sailing to the U.S. Virgin Islands, which we could fly home from without a passport.
Generally speaking, however, passports for children can be worth it if you plan to travel more than once in the next 5 years. Happy sailing!

 

[bumbershoot]

We get the passport. Makes the world "ours".

We also managed to time his first passport so that his last kid passport runs out just when he's 16 and can get the adult passport. And maybe he will have a job and will want the responsibility of paying for it on his own.

 

[Bree]

My whole family has passports and use them for more than just travel. I had to use my passport to get a Florida driver's license last year when I moved here from MA. I used the kids passports to enroll them in school. My DH uses it for employment. It has more than just travel benefits as you can see.

 

[cedricandsophie]

My daughter has had one since she was s year old. She is 30 now. I use our passports for everything that requires an id. Totally worth the time and money.​

 

[palenskec]

Thanks. Husband and I have been traveling internationally since we were both teenagers, and yes, do use our passports for all sorts of things. Just haven't gotten one for our daughter yet - but I will!

 

[MunFam]

My whole family has passports and use them for more than just travel. I had to use my passport to get a Florida driver's license last year when I moved here from MA. I used the kids passports to enroll them in school. My DH uses it for employment. It has more than just travel benefits as you can see.

This is true for us as well. We strangely use our passports a lot for domestic purposes.

We also have passports because we like to travel on deals last minute and we also have passports because you never know when you will have an emergency in international waters and end up in a random foreign country. The last thing I want to be doing is stressing out about how we are going to get a very sick family member back home...because they did not have a passport. Passports are like insurance...it does not seem necessary til you NEED it, then you are glad you have it.

 

[mmmears]

I'm in the "it's better to have one" camp, even for little kids.

 

[anricat]

We got one for our DD before her first cruise (age 5). It's sort of like insurance. If you have the means to get it before hand (let's assume your cruise is a ways out) then I would do it. We ended up heading to Mexico this year with my in laws so she used it then. We're doing Alaska next year so she'll use it on the way into Vancouver. So if you think you might end up doing more cruising or traveling in the future, I would just get it. My DD was so excited to have it. She feels all grown up.

 

[AndreAggie]

Our son has had one since his first cruise when he was 3. He's now 5 and we've only used his passport for cruising, but it's just nice to not have to worry. I'm a planner and like to be prepared for hypothetical situations. For some reason, if we have to cut a cruise short and depart from a foreign country, that's just one less thing I have to worry about. The peace of mind is enough for me to justify having one.

 

[2-pointdoe]

We also have a passport for DD, she is 8 and is on her 2nd one.

 

[Cali Cat]

I got my daughter a passport when we took the first repositioning cruise to Vancouver. She wasn't even one. Now she's five and gets really excited when she gets to tell people who "the baby" in the picture is.

 

[Otimon]

Would recommend a passport "just in case". Better safe than sorry. Have a wonderful cruise.

 

[jdb in AZ]

If you need an emergency passport for an adult to fly home, you'll also need one for a child, regardless of their age.

 

[bumbershoot]

I got my daughter a passport when we took the first repositioning cruise to Vancouver. She wasn't even one. Now she's five and gets really excited when she gets to tell people who "the baby" in the picture is.

Sounds like it's getting close to renewal time? Passport agencies are going slow, so if you have any place to be, might want to consider doing it sooner rather than later. Don't be like us and realize that the longest average time was going to get the passport after our flight to Canada (a mileage sale on Alaska airlines...we were planning on driving or taking the train, which would have meant the BC was fine for DS!), and had to pay the $60 for expediting. (got it in a week, which was amazing, though we aren't leaving for another 2 weeks)