Recently cruised using birth certificates?

How many have recently crusied using your birth certificates?

 

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We did Feb 5th on the Magic. It was our 2nd time using our BC's, and both times we had no issues.

 

Thanks! My husband and I and our two girls are going on our first one in June and since we don't travel much we didn't want to spend $500 on passports if we didn't need to.

 

We're sailing in September with family. We're a little older (69 years old) and although we haven't needed a passport for anything other than this cruise, we decided to get them. Should something happen to one of us and we had to fly back to U.S. soil we wouldn't be able to re-enter FL or anywhere in the U.S. without a passport. We probably will never use it again...but better safe than sorry! So looking forward to our FIRST cruise on the Dream with DD, DSIL, DGD, two DGS's, sister and SIL's mom.

 

My Dad and his wife both just sailed in January using their BC's & ID's.

 

We cruised last week on the Magic and 5 out of the 7 of us had their passports. Also, we didn't have travel insurance.

With that being said, for our next cruise I will try and get the other 2 kids their passports and get travel insurance. Not that we needed it for this cruise, everything was perfect. I just stressed about it so much during the last few days leading up to our cruise that I promised myself I would cover everything next time. I worried about every possible scenario.....weather delaying flights, luggage getting lost, kids getting sick on ship.... I am normally a laid back person but after reading posts on the disboards I was completely freaked out!!!

I wasn't as worried about the passports as I was about the trip insurance.

 

As I said, we are getting the passports to "cover our rears"!!! Should we have to leave the cruise due to illness, etc. and fly back to the U.S., you CAN NOT re-enter without a passport...according to everything I've read. Hopefully it will be an expense that we really didn't need to incur but at our age, I'd rather be prepared!

 

We cruised dream jan 40th 2 adults one child all with Birth cert. no problems at all

 

Good to know!

 

I am so relieved to hear this, saves me a lot of money!

 

We just got off the Wonder on February 21st. My youngest daughter cruised with a BC only. No problems at all. Super smooth

 

make sure to bring your marriage cert also if your last name has changed from your birth and drivers liscence!

 

I have never heard this before. You have to bring marriage certificate too? What if you have one of those passport cards that look like a driver's license, do you need that, your birth certificate and marriage license?

 

On Disney cruises they have never asked for a marriage certificate. Royal Caribbean did tell me to bring it when I booked a cruise with them.

 

My DH, DD & I took a Disney cruise in 2007 with just birth certificates and I did not need my marriage license. Since that time I chose to get passports when my DD & I cruised Disney again in 2011 and have them now for my next cruise this Oct. It really is easier to check in with passports, but not necessary at this time.

 

Is the passport card in your legal name? Then don't worry about it as the passport card is enough for the closed loop cruises.

It's the flying back home invade of emergency part that the BC or passport card doesn't help with.




And having a marriage certificate along with BC if you changed your name just flat out makes sense. I am not comfy with "my name is different than my legal document just because I say I got married". Bring the legal document that shows the name change, whether it's the proof of marriage or legal paperwork if you did the change another way or for a reason other than marriage.

 

We cruised last march ncl and were told that is was law that if we didnt have a passport we would need birth certificates with raised seals and photo id and that if photo id name and birth certificate names were different marriage liscense was needed.

 

We did the Feb 5th sailing on the magic and I didn't have a passport but was asked to show our marriage certificate since my last names were different on Id and birth certificate. Thankfully I had it and we were checked in in no time

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We will all have passports but GD who is under 2; we are not getting her a passport. My DD and family got their passport before she was born.

 

This is a very common topic here. I probably see one thread every week or so. A couple of facts that need to be corrected.

1) You can return by air to the country without a passport in the event of an emergency. It is a longer process but it can be done.
2) A copy of the marriage license is needed if the name on the birth certificate does not match the name on the photo ID. There needs to be something to create that link between the names, otherwise there is no proof that the birth certificate is really yours.
3) The passport card is not a substitute for a passport. It is helpful for land crossings only. Otherwise, it is just another form of government issue ID.

Sailing on a closed loop cruise is really the only way you can leave the country without a passport these days. If you are planning to travel for vacations, it is worth considering. However, since passports for children expire more frequently, I can see why you might not want to do this for the kids.

Sailing with an ID and Certified Copy of the Birth Certificate is perfectly fine and thousands of passengers do it every year.