Passport Book Vs Passport Card for Kids???

[bailman]

I want to get my 3 kids passports for our cruise in October. They will be ages 7, 7 and 6. It is my understanding that it is better to have them in case of emergency. My husband and I already have them. I was looking online and the passport card is much less expensive ($105 v $40) but would that be okay in case one of them had a medical emergency? We are going on the Oct 9th Dream stopping in the Bahamas and Castaway Cay. Since both the passport book and the passport card are only valid for 5 years and we do not foresee any other foreign travel in the next 5 years, we obviously want to go the cheapest route possible. Thanks!
Carolyn

 

[1983disneykid]

We decided to get the book for our daughter (18 months) even though it was more expensive for two reasons:
1. If heaven-forbid we miss the boat on Nassau, we'd need the book. The card is only good for land and sea travel, which means that we couldn't get a flight to the US.
2. In the long run, if we do decide to go to Canada or Mexico in the next few years (a trip elsewhere is probably out of the budget for five years), we'd definitely be traveling by air, so in the long run, the book is cheaper.

However, if you are only going on ship-sponsored excursions (or not leaving the boat), you should be perfectly fine with the card.

Hope this helps.

 

[TXDCLfan]

I would just use their birth certificates.

 

[Conservative Hippie]

We got passport cards for our kids (10 months and 3 years) because it is way cheaper, and they won't be doing any international travel in the next 5 years. The only reason I got the passport cards at all (instead of just using their birth certificates) is that we already do some ministry work that requires us to bring either a birth certificate or government-issued photo id, so rather than just tote the birth certificates all over the place, the kids now have photo ids.

 

[Joan1]

You have to do what you feel is best but personally I would either not bother with the card and just use their birth certificates or get the full passport book

To me the $40 each for the card is a waste unless you plan on traveling by land to Mexico and Canada often. If you don't want to spend the money for the full passport I would save what you would have spend on the card and use it toward a full passport book in the future. $40 x 3 = $120 and that more than covers a passport book for one child

 

[bigedwin]

Hi
As stated before, you cannot fly back in case of an emergency with the passport card nor birthcertificate, so no need to pay 40 for something you can use birth certificate for!

If your concern is god forbid an true medical emergency a passport is the way to go!

Quick story.
Soon after 9/11 A friend had flown from New Jersey to Domincan republic with wife and 2 kids.
For some unknown reason he was able to use birth certificate for his daughters to fly (they had passports but left them home).
When they were going to fly back they would not let the 2 daughters get on the plane because they had no passports!!!!
I had to go to their home retrieve the passports, his wife flew back to Newark
I gave her the passports then she had to fly back!
A nightmare!!!

So you never know when a passport might be needed'

Good luck

 

[eandesmom]

While according to all the governmental rules a card should be ok,and is in fact part of why they exist at all, the Disney policy is passport only. I checked. multiple times and places and contacts. At least it is for the Alaska cruise so we are just going to to that for our kids. In the same boat and I'd rather do a card but it's not worth not being allowed to board even if they'd let me drive over the border with just a card.

 

[Tarabra]

We just got back from the 7 day Eastern and neither my husband and I or kids have a passport. We've used our birth certificates all 9 times. Yes, something could happen, but so far no problems.

 

[amyg1]

When we applied for our son's passport, the woman at the passport counter would not take our passport as a valid form of ID. She only accepted drivers licenses. She claimed that the passport was not a valid form of ID. Kind of makes me wonder what she thinks a passport is? We gave a drivers license because getting the passport was more important than making a point.

The point of this story is, even though a passport card is a valid form of ID, the person who looks at the card may not know. It is not worth missing your trip if you happen to get one person who doesn't believe it. So, I bring a passport even if some other form would be just as legal. Legal is irrelevant sometimes.

 

[mickeyfan1]

If you are flying to Canada for the Alaskan cruise and flying home, you have to have a passport book. The card is only valid for land crossings in and out of Mexico and Canada. If you are flying into Seattle and driving to Vancouver, the card is fine. US Immigration has allowed the cards to be used for closed loop cruises beginning and ending in the US, but as other people have pointed out, they are not good for air travel from ANY foreign country. I heard a woman arguing with the security person at the Port of LA before the repo, all in a huff because she "had done a lot of research on the passport card" and she knew she was in the right. I just hope she was planning on driving to, taking a bus to, or the train to Seattle, because she would not have been allowed to board an airplane in Canada with just her card.

 

[traveljen1027]

I would get the passport book or nothing - the birth certificate and the passport card seem equal in value to me - you can't fly home with either, and that would be the point of getting the passport book - if there is an emergency and you are in a foreign country, you cannot get on an airplane without a passport book, period, so it seems like a waste of money to get the card if a birth certificate will suffice. Good luck!!! We just renewed our 7 year old DD's passport, and got our 2 year old DS his first passport, and it sure is a chunk of money. I will say that we use their passports all the time when we travel, both domestically & internationally - I just feel safer leaving their birth certificates at home, for some reason...not sure if one is easier to replace over the other, but the thought of having to replace birth certificates just terrifies me.

 

[sissy_ib]

I would get the passport book or nothing - the birth certificate and the passport card seem equal in value to me - you can't fly home with either, and that would be the point of getting the passport book - if there is an emergency and you are in a foreign country, you cannot get on an airplane without a passport book, period, so it seems like a waste of money to get the card if a birth certificate will suffice. Good luck!!! We just renewed our 7 year old DD's passport, and got our 2 year old DS his first passport, and it sure is a chunk of money. I will say that we use their passports all the time when we travel, both domestically & internationally - I just feel safer leaving their birth certificates at home, for some reason...not sure if one is easier to replace over the other, but the thought of having to replace birth certificates just terrifies me.

Getting a replacement birth certificate is no big deal. You just need fill out a form for the county recorder. If you live where your children were born you can go in person or order online. And much cheaper than a passport. Take what ever identification you feel comfortable using but there is no reason to be overly worried about a lost birth certificate.

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I have been debating this myself. I really don't want to spend the money on the passports b/c they are so expensive and we may never use them again. This is our first cruise and it is just a short 3 night sail to see if we like it. I don't want to spend over $400 and then we end up not liking cruising.

What I would like to know is what happens if you sail with just the birth certificates and then you need to fly back from the Bahamas b/c of an emergency? Surely there must be some way to get back to the U.S. for people who don't have passports or I think DCL would require them.

 

[ColoradoDisneyFreaks]

I have been debating this myself. I really don't want to spend the money on the passports b/c they are so expensive and we may never use them again. This is our first cruise and it is just a short 3 night sail to see if we like it. I don't want to spend over $400 and then we end up not liking cruising.

What I would like to know is what happens if you sail with just the birth certificates and then you need to fly back from the Bahamas b/c of an emergency? Surely there must be some way to get back to the U.S. for people who don't have passports or I think DCL would require them.

You would have to go to the US Consulate and request an emergency passport. Basically, lots of red tape and a total PITA, and it won't move fast, so if time is really of the essence, you won't have it.

Also remember, your passport (and your child's passport) are visa documents in any foreign country that doesn't require a full visa (like China and Russia). So if you're stopped, or in any other interaction with foreign authorities, your passport is your ID, not your driver's license, they couldn't care less about that. While in most cases, nothing happens, I'd rather be safe that sorry, and my kids have used their passports many times, and gotten them renewed.

If you've got trip insurance, I would consider this the same thing, better safe than sorry.

 

[mickeyfan1]

I have been debating this myself. I really don't want to spend the money on the passports b/c they are so expensive and we may never use them again. This is our first cruise and it is just a short 3 night sail to see if we like it. I don't want to spend over $400 and then we end up not liking cruising.

What I would like to know is what happens if you sail with just the birth certificates and then you need to fly back from the Bahamas b/c of an emergency? Surely there must be some way to get back to the U.S. for people who don't have passports or I think DCL would require them.

No, there isn't. What you would have to do is go to the American Consulate and get a temporary passport issued. That will allow you to fly from Nassau to the US. Once you return home you are required to turn the temporary passport into a permanent one. You will be out the money to get them then. DCL goes by the rules the State Department and US Immigration put out. If foreign countries decide that all passengers must present passports in order to enter the country, no matter how, then DCL will change their rules and require all passengers to have valid passports. Yes, they are expensive each time you get them, but adults last 10 years and children 5. If you are far enough out, you can stagger getting them or if you are a year or so out, save each month till you have enough. Skip Pizza delivery, don't get pay per view or net flicks, drink water instead of sodas, and put that money into the passport fund.

 

[CandyMandy]

You would have to go to the US Consulate and request an emergency passport. Basically, lots of red tape and a total PITA, and it won't move fast, so if time is really of the essence, you won't have it.

Also remember, your passport (and your child's passport) are visa documents in any foreign country that doesn't require a full visa (like China and Russia). So if you're stopped, or in any other interaction with foreign authorities, your passport is your ID, not your driver's license, they couldn't care less about that. While in most cases, nothing happens, I'd rather be safe that sorry, and my kids have used their passports many times, and gotten them renewed.

If you've got trip insurance, I would consider this the same thing, better safe than sorry.

100% correct - and the only addition I would make is that going on any Disney cruise without travel insurance that includes an emergency air ambulance evacuation benefit is beyond foolish. Your life or that of loved ones could depend on having access to that type of service -- which if you don't have insurance costs five figures and must be paid for in cash before the plane leaves the ground.