Passport card or book?

[LovePug]

Looking into our first cruise to either the Bahamas or the Caribbean...it will be my DS first passport need. Is the card alone ok?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Looking into our first cruise to either the Bahamas or the Caribbean...it will be my DS first passport need. Is the card alone ok?

Yes, you can take the cruise with "just" the card. I will point out, however, you don't get any benefit using the card over just using your birth certificate and photo ID, and it costs you money. It also isn't valid should you find it necessary to fly home from a foreign port - you need the passport book for that.

 

[LovePug]

Yes, you can take the cruise with "just" the card. I will point out, however, you don't get any benefit using the card over just using your birth certificate and photo ID, and it costs you money. It also isn't valid should you find it necessary to fly home from a foreign port - you need the passport book for that.

Thank-you!

 

[lanejudy]

As PP mentions, yes, the Passport Card alone will work for a cruise. But if you are spending money to get a Passport for the sole/main purpose of using it to cruise -- either spring for the full Passport Book or skip it altogether and cruise withe a birth certificate (plus ID if over 16). The Passport Card does nothing extra that you can't do with birth certificate + ID, other than to cost money. In event of an emergency, you would still need to obtain a Passport Book to fly international. My family has cruised with Passport Cards, but because we use them for land travel much more often.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[MPS516]

When traveling we always, always take our passports just in case, for emergency or just decide to extend outside US. I carry a passport-card in my wallet since I drive to meetings every day, including the Northwest Angle which is only accessible in the summer through Canada. I find the benefit of the card is only Canada and Mexico otherwise a passport is a must.

 

[BLTtinkerbell]

For all the reasons listed above, my family uses passport books.

Happy travels!

 

[diznymom]

Passport Cards are good if you are driving to Mexico or Canada. That is all.

The Passport Book is good for all travel.

Get the Passport Book.

 

[LovePug]

Thanks for the input. Passport book it will be.

 

[bumbershoot]

Passport Cards are good if you are driving to Mexico or Canada. That is all.

Well, they ARE good for a closed loop cruise for a US citizen. They replace the birth certificate and ID. But if you're spending money to get a book or card, you might as well either NOT spend the money and just use the BC and ID, or spend the money and get the book. Because the benefits of the card, for cruising, are just the same as the BC and ID.

 

[diznymom]

Well, they ARE good for a closed loop cruise for a US citizen. They replace the birth certificate and ID. But if you're spending money to get a book or card, you might as well either NOT spend the money and just use the BC and ID, or spend the money and get the book. Because the benefits of the card, for cruising, are just the same as the BC and ID.

Until something unplanned happens. JS

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Until something unplanned happens. JS

Well, the "benefits" for using the card are the same as for using just a birth certificate (and photo ID if 16), even if something unplanned happens. With both options you can't fly home from a foreign port.

The only "benefit" that the card has over the BC and ID is that you only have to carry one credit card sized ID and not a piece of paper plus an ID. If that's a benefit.