Passport book vs Passport Card vs. Birth Certificate

[Boardwalk Gal]

For the Magic Cruise from NYC to ports of WDW and CC, in 2016, does a passenger need a passport, or will a passport card or Birth certificate will be ok for this cruise?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

For the Magic Cruise from NYC to ports of WDW and CC, in 2016, does a passenger need a passport, or will a passport card or Birth certificate will be ok for this cruise?

If you are a US citizen, and the cruise is a closed-loop cruise (beginning and ending in the same US port), the minimum requirement for ID is a birth certificate plus (for those 16 and over) a government issued photo ID.

A passport is preferred by many, when traveling internationally, because, if something were to happen during the cruise, and you need to fly home, you must have a passport (book) to do so.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

In regards to a closed loop cruise, a passport card won't do anything more than a birth certificate plus government issued ID. I recommend passport books for all cruise passengers. As PrincessShmoo pointed out, if something should happen and you would need to fly home early from one of the ports, you will need a passport book.

 

[Plaid Princess]

I have both, and I basically use the Passport Card as backup. It makes it a bit easier to get a passport replaced at a US embassy (which I unfortunately have experience with). Personally, I would never leave the US with only a birth certificate as ID.

 

[bumbershoot]

Passport card and BC+ID are the same. Neither gets you home by plane in case of emergency. Some use the card because they drive to Canada often or it just fits in their wallet better.

IMO get the passport book if you're getting anything passport-related, because it's the gold standard ID.


But for YOUR situation we would have to know if your cruise ends in NY as well. Because "closed loop" is the important bit.

 

[Boardwalk Gal]

Thanks all...it actually for my son's friend who coming with us on the cruise..SHe only has a Passport Card already and i was wondering if that was good enough for our cruise..(instead of getting passport which is pricey) and yes, we will be returning back to NYC so it is a closed loop. Many of you mentioned about not being able to fly home on the passport card, but our ports are only WDW (florida) and Castaway Cay...so no worries about flying home in emergency, right?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Thanks all...it actually for my son's friend who coming with us on the cruise..SHe only has a Passport Card already and i was wondering if that was good enough for our cruise..(instead of getting passport which is pricey) and yes, we will be returning back to NYC so it is a closed loop. Many of you mentioned about not being able to fly home on the passport card, but our ports are only WDW (florida) and Castaway Cay...so no worries about flying home in emergency, right?

It's illegal for a cruise to not stop at a foreign port, so you are going to at least one foreign port.Castaway Cay is in the Bahamas. Are you not also going to Nassau? That's the Bahamas, too.

But, yes, a passport card is sufficient for a closed-loop cruise. Just can't use it to fly from a foreign airport back to the US.

 

[bumbershoot]

Many of you mentioned about not being able to fly home on the passport card, but our ports are only WDW (florida) and Castaway Cay...so no worries about flying home in emergency, right?

Castaway is the Bahamas. have an emergency there you might be flown to Nassau vs Florida. Then you have to get home from there. Which will need a passport book. Which you can get there, expedited and expensive and sitting in an office instead of being on a plane, but you won't be stuck there. It's just going to be expensive and annoying.

BUT that's very unlikely to happen. The Card seems to be fine for the cruise. I mean, we have the Books. I have no interest in expedited passports and being annoyed in offices. But I do try to be realistic.

 

[Boardwalk Gal]

It's illegal for a cruise to not stop at a foreign port, so you are going to at least one foreign port.Castaway Cay is in the Bahamas. Are you not also going to Nassau? That's the Bahamas, too.

But, yes, a passport card is sufficient for a closed-loop cruise. Just can't use it to fly from a foreign airport back to the US.

Illegal? seriously? by whom?

No Stop at Nassau...that port is during 8 night cruise from NYC...but 7 nights-- CC and WDW and 4 sea days! I am happy with that. Never like Nassau!

Yes, i just realized that CC is in the bahamas.

 

[Boardwalk Gal]

Castaway is the Bahamas. have an emergency there you might be flown to Nassau vs Florida. Then you have to get home from there. Which will need a passport book. Which you can get there, expedited and expensive and sitting in an office instead of being on a plane, but you won't be stuck there. It's just going to be expensive and annoying.

BUT that's very unlikely to happen. The Card seems to be fine for the cruise. I mean, we have the Books. I have no interest in expedited passports and being annoyed in offices. But I do try to be realistic.

Yea, there a remote possibility...but very very remote. We have the books too...but no sense for her to shell out more money just because of a remote possibility of flying home from CC.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Illegal? seriously? by whom?

By the Passenger Vessel Service Act (PVSA). Basically says all foreign-flagged ships must make a foreign port stop.

In the case of a closed loop cruise this may be any foreign port. For an open-jaw cruise (begins and ends in 2 different US ports) the foreign port must be a "distant" foreign port.

 

[Boardwalk Gal]

By the Passenger Vessel Service Act (PVSA). Basically says all foreign-flagged ships must make a foreign port stop.

In the case of a closed loop cruise this may be any foreign port. For an open-jaw cruise (begins and ends in 2 different US ports) the foreign port must be a "distant" foreign port.

Interesting!! Hmmm. when i went on Disney Repo Panama Cruise back in 2005 from CA to Florida...i guess the "distant" foreign cruise stop was Curacao. Never realized that! LOL!!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

...i guess the "distant" foreign cruise stop was Curacao

Yep. From the PVSA:
A "nearby foreign port" is defined as "any port in North America, Central America, the Bermuda Islands, or the West Indies (including the Bahama Islands, but not including the Leeward Islands of the Netherlands Antilles, i.e., Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao)." 19 CFR § 4.80a(a)(2).

Any other ports are "distant". We stopped at Aruba on our 2008 PC cruise.

 

[MrPTato]

When you get onboard the ship, what do you do with your passports? Store them? Keep them on you?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

When you get onboard the ship, what do you do with your passports? Store them? Keep them on you?

Keep them in the safe. Most port stops don't require that you have your passport on you while ashore. Just your ship's card and a photo ID (we use driver's license for that). There are a few countries that do require that you have passports on you while ashore. Your Cruise Director will announce such information the night before preceding the show. And it will be noted in the Navigator for the next day.

 

[MrPTato]

Keep them in the safe. Most port stops don't require that you have your passport on you while ashore. Just your ship's card and a photo ID (we use driver's license for that). There are a few countries that do require that you have passports on you while ashore. Your Cruise Director will announce such information the night before preceding the show. And it will be noted in the Navigator for the next day.

Great...what kind of safe? Keypad or Key. We will be on the Fantasy.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Great...what kind of safe? Keypad or Key. We will be on the Fantasy.

Mostly keypad (enter your own security code). Some ships have card swipe safes (don't think DCL does).

 

[Boardwalk Gal]

Yep, we kept them in safe!!

 

[Boardwalk Gal]

Yep. From the PVSA:
A "nearby foreign port" is defined as "any port in North America, Central America, the Bermuda Islands, or the West Indies (including the Bahama Islands, but not including the Leeward Islands of the Netherlands Antilles, i.e., Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao)." 19 CFR § 4.80a(a)(2).

Any other ports are "distant". We stopped at Aruba on our 2008 PC cruise.

I see on your sig you took the WB transatlantic...I did too in 2007 going from Barcelona to FL.....what was the "distant" foreign port then? all of the stops in Euro plus Tenerife island?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I see on your sig you took the WB transatlantic...I did too in 2007 going from Barcelona to FL.....what was the "distant" foreign port then? Tenerife island?

Technically, the TransAtlantic started in a "distant" foreign port - Barcelona. We also stopped in Gibraltar and Madeira - all distant foreign ports. BUT that cruise doesn't qualify under the PVSA, since it doesn't begin and end in 2 different US ports.