No mean comments please...just a serious question

[cpdrn7]

I am assuming I know this answer by doing some research...but can a convicted felon cruise on his birth certificate alone? We are thinking about asking someone who can not get passport, but his felony is over 30 years old...some dumb young age thing.
thanks in advance

 

[my3luckycharms]

Is your cruise a closed end loop meaning you embark and disembark at the same port? If so you don't need a passport only your BC. You only need a passport when the disembarkation is in an international port.

 

[lizabu]

I'm not sure how they would know a person was a convicted felon. I've watched the TV show border security to know that people with records are not allowed into Canada but on a closed loop cruise without a passport I'm not sure how that would work. At the U.S. Canada border they will swipe your passport through a machine and that's how they know. If it's been 30 years maybe your friend could get a pardon. That would be the safest bet.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

A convicted felon is not automatically unable to obtain a passport unless the felony involves international drug trafficking or a few other circumstances. You don't say what this person's felony conviction was for, but he may still be able to obtain a passport.

http://traveltips.usatoday.com/obtain-passport-convicted-felons-62693.html

 

[Ofinn]

We have cruised with just birth certificates many times. Like other posters have said I don't know how a Disney employee would know that he is a convicted felon they don't have the ability do a background check. They will look at the birth certificate and driver's ID make sure everything matches and that is about it. It's a very informal easy process at check in.

 

[bumbershoot]

Over on cruisecritic they state that the list of people on a given ship is scrutinized. By someone in some way. (no one ever gets specific). So...they might well could figure out if someone had such a background.

Sounds hard. Sorry.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

All passengers are screened by the feds before each cruise, whether they are sailing on a passport or a.BC.

I would suggest calling DCL and ask. They would also have the right contact information to ask the feds.

@akk

 

[kiford]

All cruise ships are required to provide passenger manifests to port authorities before the ship sails. How far in advance that is, I don't know but this is why cruise lines don't allow you to book online within 3 days of sailing, although they might allow some bookings by phone within those last days. So at some point, someone is doing checking in the background and when a person who would not be allowed to travel would have something on their record when they tried to check in if not notified prior to the last day.

We had a friend who had a minor drug conviction 30 years ago and was eventually refused entry into the US from Canada, even though he had travelled between the two for years. He did have a Canadian passport but just having a passport isn't sufficient to be allowed to enter another country. He was told that he could get clearance to cross the border if he went through a certain process, paid a fee, and filed some paperwork (not exactly sure what all he needed to do to get the clearance). There was no guarantee that even after going through all of the process that he would get the clearance but was told that he had a very good chance because it was a minor conviction, he was young and it was a long time ago. He was far too lazy to do it and wasn't a big fan of travelling so never followed through with it so I have no more information on the process.

Short answer: he needs to check out the legalities with someone who has experience with this. He may be able to get a passport but even having one doesn't mean that he can travel to certain countries with it, and may need to find out if there's a way to get clearance or a pardon but there's also no guarantees that it will be granted.

 

[kevmo]

He should have no problem obtaining a passport, I have a passport and have cruised on several different lines with no issues. I would just go into the local government office and apply for a passport and see what happens.

 

[perditax]

Random interesting tidbit I picked up on CC: if you have any dwi/dui, you cannot enter Canada even if just to board a cruise in Vancouver. Additionally, if you leave a cruise in the U.S. that ports in Canada, you may be corralled/questioned by Canada customs *even if you don't try to get off the boat at a Canadian port*. Someone reported that they were notified to report to customs and they were questioned about their dui and then refused entry (without ever having tried to disembark on their own).

Short version: DUI/DWI = cruising to Alaska will be very complicated because the U.S. and Canada share criminal data.

 

[DVC4US]

Random interesting tidbit I picked up on CC: if you have any dwi/dui, you cannot enter Canada even if just to board a cruise in Vancouver. Additionally, if you leave a cruise in the U.S. that ports in Canada, you may be corralled/questioned by Canada customs *even if you don't try to get off the boat at a Canadian port*. Someone reported that they were notified to report to customs and they were questioned about their dui and then refused entry (without ever having tried to disembark on their own).

Short version: DUI/DWI = cruising to Alaska will be very complicated because the U.S. and Canada share criminal data.

I can verify that this is true, but might happen after your cruise. We did an Alaska cruise last summer and we also did 5-nights in Vancouver before our cruise. My SIL had been charged with a DWI 5 years earlier but only convicted of Reckless Driving. I knew about this rule with traveling to Canada but figured we didn't have a problem since he was not convicted of the DWI. He entered Canada(flying) with no problem and we spent 5-nights there before our cruise. Took the cruise with no problem but on our return to Vancouver as he was getting off the ship he was sent to a special holding area. My DD & SIL got separated from us getting off the ship and for a while we had no idea where they were. DD said they were both very scared and SIL thought he was going to be carted off to jail. After some intense questioning and letting the agent know that we were flying out the next morning, agent told him he had 24 hours to get out of Canada.

Not sure how they knew about the DWI, but I guess we were lucky that he didn't get stopped going into the country.

OP - sorry to hijack your thread. I would have your friend check with the passport office about getting one. I looked it up and it says that convicted felons can apply for a passport but there are reasons that an application can be denied. As long as he does not have a court order forbidding him from leaving the country, then he should be able to use his BC if he can't get a passport. If he can't get a passport, I would just cover all my bases just in case so you don't get surprised at the port.

 

[JLMDisneyCruise]

No comments or contributions, just thought this was a very interesting topic! I never heard anyone ask this before!
I don't have any convictions, had kid stuff in HS, I have a passport and a TSA Pre-check, and badged for Seabrook Nucluar power plant, guess I'm good! Lol....
Great question!

 

[kiford]

I would have your friend check with the passport office about getting one. I looked it up and it says that convicted felons can apply for a passport but there are reasons that an application can be denied. As long as he does not have a court order forbidding him from leaving the country, then he should be able to use his BC if he can't get a passport.

Even having a passport and not having a court order forbidding him from leaving the country does not imply the right to be able to enter another county using either said passport or using a BC for a closed loop cruise. A country can deny entry even with a valid passport. There are separate issues here. Whether he can get a passport is a US issue but whether he can enter another country (using passport OR BC) with a felony conviction is up to the other countries.

 

[lanejudy]

Short version: DUI/DWI = cruising to Alaska will be very complicated because the U.S. and Canada share criminal data.

I believe this is because Canada considers DUI/DWI to be a felony, regardless of how the U.S. system classifies it. There is a way to get it cleared (I'm not sure if it clears completely off the record, or one receives proof of "rehabilitation" of sorts) which will allow for travel. But it can take some time and effort.

PP is correct that possession of a U.S. Passport does not necessarily guarantee one will be allowed into another country. Each country sets their own rules/laws regarding immigration and can deny entry for old convictions -- even if not considered a felony in the U.S.

OP -- whatever his "dumb young age thing" involved, your friend needs to get legal advice as to whether his conviction will impede international travel, and what he can do to rectify that if necessary. If it's a minor conviction years ago, and he's had a clean record since, there are legitimate ways to get clearance for international travel.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[bumbershoot]

Going from what I read while googling (and I bet a bunch of others read, too), it really seems that there's one main thing that can totally keep you from getting a passport ever, and it's something like international drug smuggling. That doesn't generally fit the definition of a dumb young age thing to me.

It's possible he has wrong, or outdated, info.

While googling I found that in 2009 WA decided that felons, who have completed all of their incarceration, parole, and probation can now get their voting rights back. Before, that wasn't possible. DH actually thought it was NEVER allowed, but I didn't know so I looked it up. His sister was married to a bank robber (met him as a counselor in his halfway house), so felonies come up every so often, LOL.

But my point is...things can change. So what was true 30 years ago might not be true any longer.

At least from the US side of things.

 

[Peggytc]

Is your cruise a closed end loop meaning you embark and disembark at the same port? If so you don't need a passport only your BC. You only need a passport when the disembarkation is in an international port.

But doesn't that mean you can't get off this ship in other countries? I know in Madeira, we had to show our passport when we got off the ship.

 

[SirDuff]

ETA - I'm a moron and posted in the wrong thread. Leaving this up because it's been quoted, but please ignore it (it is right, just not relevant).

We have cruised with just birth certificates many times. Like other posters have said I don't know how a Disney employee would know that he is a convicted felon they don't have the ability do a background check. They will look at the birth certificate and driver's ID make sure everything matches and that is about it. It's a very informal easy process at check in.

The OP is cruising from Vancouver - so needs to get into Canada, which requires a passport and can be halted due to a DUI. The check-in for the cruise is the least of the problems (though I assume, given the cruise itinerary, check-in for this cruise will still need a passport).

Is your cruise a closed end loop meaning you embark and disembark at the same port? If so you don't need a passport only your BC. You only need a passport when the disembarkation is in an international port.

True for cruises of the Caribbean leaving from the US. Not sure of all "closed loop" cruises. Not true for this one, for example.

 

[MUN]

I am assuming I know this answer by doing some research...but can a convicted felon cruise on his birth certificate alone? We are thinking about asking someone who can not get passport, but his felony is over 30 years old...some dumb young age thing.
thanks in advance

What did he do?

 

[Ofinn]

The OP is cruising from Vancouver - so needs to get into Canada, which requires a passport and can be halted due to a DUI. The check-in for the cruise is the least of the problems (though I assume, given the cruise itinerary, check-in for this cruise will still need a passport).



True for cruises of the Caribbean leaving from the US. Not sure of all "closed loop" cruises. Not true for this one, for example.

There is nothing in OP's post that indicates that they are cruising out of Vancouver?

 

[SirDuff]

There is nothing in OP's post that indicates that they are cruising out of Vancouver?

Wow, I'm totally sorry. You are right. There is another thread about traveling to Vancouver with a DUI and I mixed them up. Sorry.