Passport not needed till end of 2006

[jodifla]

With an average Disney Cruise costing a family of four over $5,000 before tips and excursions, I am constantly amazed that the cost of passports is an issue.
As someone who has had a passport for over 32 years, primarily for use for travel to Canada, I can't imagine leaving the US without a passport.

Most people in this country can't pony up an extra $400 or $500 so easily. I'm amazed at the lack of empathy some folks have regarding this. Yes, DCL cruises are a lot of money. And many people save for months or years to be able to go on one, so the added cost does make a difference.

People natter on about how they are good for 10 years, but the bulk of American citizens don't travel out of the country very often. And kids passports are only good for 5 years.

I wasn't looking forward to dragging my 3-year-old first to get his picture shot, then to stand in some government line with my husband, who'd need to take time off work to go get it. (We do have our passports.)

And I really feel for a previous poster who has her ex husband to worry about with regards to the passport issue. That adds a whole other level of hassle.

 

[Nik's Mom]

DH and I already have passports, and we were about to get the kids theirs. I think I'll just go ahead and do it. I don't want to hear later on that they changed their minds again.

 

[tvguy]

Sadly,the cost of EVERYTHING is an issue for some families. We booked over 18 months in advance so that we could pay our cruise down over time. Anytime we can save money ($500 isn't a small amount of money to a family of five on a limited income) we are grateful. If a major catastrophe comes our way, our cruise is canceled and done for, whether we are stuck with unneeded passports, or not.

I guess it isn't my concern, but as I have posted before, folks need to be REALISTIC about what a cruise costs, and unexpected costs during the trip.
.
I worry about folks that have stretched so close that the cost of passports is an issue. One typical kid mishap (simple fall requiring stitches, ear infection, twisted ankle) on the ship can add up to a $500 doctor bill.
A weather delay (if you are flying) can mean you have to come up with meals in an airport (easily $40 in an airport), an unexpect hotel room , another $100, or having to book a new flight at the last minute fare instead of the bargain you booked, that can be $500 a person. Granted, if you have travel insurance, you'll get the money back, but you have to come up with it and wait to be reimbursed when you get home.

And if you have school age children, you face the Junior High Washington DC/New York trips that now also go to Canada. In high school, you face the trip to Spain or Mexico if your child is taking Spanish, the trip to France if they are taking French, the trip to Germany if they are taking German, the trip to Japan ...china....you get the point. And trust me, a lot of these trips come up on short notice, and the cost is usually a bargain. Trust me, you will NEVER, EVER regret that your children has passports.

 

[musicgirl]

tvguy,

I would have regretted getting my ds one especially right now. Our cruise is 6-06 and he will turn 16 in sept 2006. This means he would miss out by a few months on getting a 10 year passport vs a 5 year.

Also, although school deals can be pretty good for out of the country travel, mine will not be going!!! Because if he is going, I am going!!! And the cost for both of us would be too much at the time.

Is there a chance someone might invite him out of the country? No. We have no relatives to visit and our freinds and family do not have that kind of money that they travel in this style either.

Canada is suppose to have some kind of different card, not a passport. But I can tell you as a high school band director who has traveled 18 years with teenagers, I have traveled once with our group to Canada. NEVER again. There is nothing wrong with Canada, but getting paperwork such as birth certificates OR passports was nothing but trouble. We never have this problem with any of the other paperwork.

Would we consider taking a hs. band out of the country-NEVER. We won't even go on a plane with them. We travel by bus and we don't travel any further than 10 hours so unfortunately even WDW is out!!!

You mentioned the need for unexpected costs popping up. Yes, they happen. That's why spending an extra $300 is important if it is not necessary. This is also why I have a credit card with no balance and a fairly high limit. I keep it all the time for emergencies. With a cc, I can pay it on a budget, just as I have my cruise.

 

[Admiral Boom]

I'm getting my passport right away. Carrying around a NATZ certificate will be a pain!

I don't want to deal with huge backlogs when it comes down to crunch time, either. I'm still operating as if the old rules were still in effect.

 

[cjsmith]

For those of you who are thinking about getting passports for your kids and worried about what a hassle it is, relax, it's not that bad. We went over Christmas break to get passports for our three kids and it wasn't all that horrible. You can break it up, go to your local Eckards, Walgreens, Walmart, AAA office, etc and get the pictures taken. Print out the applications on line and fill them out. Then in a lot of areas you go to your local passport office, it can be at your post office or government building, sometimes with hours on Saturday. Yes it is an expense but I think people are so dreading the time out when it may not be that big of a deal.

 

[Downrivermama]

Just a word of caution, It might be worth it to be safe than sorry. Since I booked our cruise in 2/05, the State Department has been going back and forth on this issue. I work in local government and I know how politicians and bureaucrats can change thier minds at a monents notice and not realize the hardship it puts on others.

A previous poster was lamenting the fact of a 5yrs pp for children under 16. Children's facial features change so much that, then you think about it that's quite a long time for a child to have the same picture to use as ID.

Also I live across the river from Windsor, Ont (not that I go there often) and when the new rules finally do go into effect, your will need a pp to enter Canada, not a card.

Yes, it cost money and I did have a little hassle with the local post office employees, but 2 wks later my DD 7 and I have them. I just don't want to take any chances.

 

[mamalle]

thanks for the update. we will just have to wait and see...

 

[woj68]

For those of you who are thinking about getting passports for your kids and worried about what a hassle it is, relax, it's not that bad. We went over Christmas break to get passports for our three kids and it wasn't all that horrible. You can break it up, go to your local Eckards, Walgreens, Walmart, AAA office, etc and get the pictures taken. Print out the applications on line and fill them out. Then in a lot of areas you go to your local passport office, it can be at your post office or government building, sometimes with hours on Saturday. Yes it is an expense but I think people are so dreading the time out when it may not be that big of a deal.

That's the strategy we used when we went for our passports last month. Went to Walgreen's for the photos one night and went to our local PO a week later. Wasn't bad at all. The post office wasn't busy and we had already filled out and printed all our forms online before we went. Took about 20 mins at the PO.

Too bad the government can't make up their mind about this issue because that money would have been better spent on board.

 

[goofymama]

I guess it isn't my concern, but as I have posted before, folks need to be REALISTIC about what a cruise costs, and unexpected costs during the trip.

While I agree with you on so many points ... and I count my blessings that I can easily handle the cost of the passports for my kids. For many others, this is simply not the case. And keep in mind that not all cruises cost $5000. Disney also offers 3 and 4 day cruises. Off season, a family of 4 can book a 3 day cruise for $1200 before tips and excursions. So, when adding $300 or $400 for passports to this price, it is very expensive to them!

I've already gotten my passports, and sometime in the near future, they will be a requirement to take a cruise. But until that time, I am thankful on behalf of the penny pinchers who will now be able to take that 3 or 4 day cruise that otherwise would not be able to ... so that they too can experience a little bit of the Disney magic.

 

[clten]

Hmmm and this page states a different date:

New Requirements for Travelers Between the United States and the Western Hemisphere

The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 requires that by January 1, 2008, travelers to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico and Canada to have a passport or other secure, accepted document to enter or re-enter the United States. The Administration is proposing a timeline for implementation which will be published in the Federal Register in the near future.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html


Very confusing!

This whole thing is very confusing because it is all in the proposed state. I just wanted to caution the date you are quoting. The January 1, 2008 deadline has been the proposed deadline for implementing ALL phases of this program since the original announcement in April.

I've checked the State Department website this morning and there were still no press releases posted that announced the changes in the "phase-in" dates. If you are putting off getting passports based on these news stories, I would be careful. The Detroit Free Press story says that the goverment will be issuing new guidelines. But it's the government - it might or might not be announced.

 

[jodifla]

The Freep article also quotes a passport official, saying the changes are going to be made.

 

[cjsmith]

I just printed out my eticket on AA for our 11/4 flight to Cancun and there is this on the ticket. LIke I had said, I also received something from Princess so I guess the carriers, whether it's airline or cruise line are all covering their butts by letting us know that passports may be needed by 12/31/05.

New Requirements for Travelers Between the United States and the Western Hemisphere:

Effective December 31, 2005, All nationals of the U.S., Canada and Bermuda will be required to hold a passport to enter or re-enter the United States if coming from the Caribbean (except Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands), Bermuda, Central and South America by air and by sea. This is a change from prior travel requirements and will affect all United States citizens entering the United States from countries within the Western Hemisphere. This new requirement will also affect certain foreign nationals who currently are not required to present a passport to travel to the United States. For additional information on this new policy and instructions on how to obtain a passport, visit the following website. http://www.travel.state.gov.

 

[KKB]

you will see that it no longer lists the proposed timeline.
If you click on the link for passengers going to the Caribbean, it says you will need a passport by 1/1/08.
This is a CHANGE on the site from the previous several months. Click on all the links...no more proposed timelines. It does say under FAQa that firm dates will be published when they are official.
I am a tad paranoid. Goodness knows cruise lines and TAs have been giving out different info for the last several months...some say no, it isn't official; some have been saying YES, it is official...I don't see a change in that activity.
Think I will call DCL around the end of the month and see if I can get a firm answer. We disembark on 12/31/05, so I don't want to wait much longer if we should need them!
Kris

 

[littlebunny]

I asked my TA Tim Larison today about this, and this was his reply:

The "official" word is still the change will be in effect for 2006 (passports
for
everyone needed in 2006 for the Disney Cruise) - that's the word I got from
Disney
late last week. But the person I talked to at Disney did say "this is subject
to
change" so if I hear anything different I will send a message to the list.

Tim Larison

So according to Disney as of last week it hasn't changed. I'd go with what Disney says since they will be the one's requiring the passport to travel.

 

[musicgirl]

Downrivermama,

According to what is suppose to be in the NEW announcement, there is going to be a card for US citizens to travel to Canada that will be cheaper. Now, perhaps you are referring changes to Canada's travel requirement. It WAS the US that was going to require passports for American travelers to get back into the US from Canada.

I think some people are getting confused with old information. According to the original poster's newpaper article (from last week) and on the gov. website (changed since last week), the proposed timeline is going to be changed.

In both of these, it is stated that the travel requirements for the Western Hemisphere are going to be different from the original proposed timeline. Not all sites that have carried the proposed timeline have been updated including the one I was following.

 

[musicgirl]

cjsmith, did you click on your link? If you do, you will see that the Dec. 31,2005 is gone.

The only date they are sticking to is the 2008, which was and is the date they want whatever timeline that they propose NOW to be accomplished by.

They even state on the site that a timeline will be announced in the near future.

 

[MrsMork]

On the official web site the following is at the very end of the FAQ:

Will this requirement apply to travel between the United States and Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands?

Travel between the United States and U.S. territories will not be affected by the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. U.S. citizens traveling between the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam will continue to be able to use established forms of identification to board flights and for entry.

If traveling outside of the United States or a U.S. territory, a passport or other secure document will be required. For example, a person may travel to and from the United States to the U.S. Virgin islands without a passport or other secure document, but under proposed regulations, a passport or other secure document would be required to re-enter the U.S. Virgin Islands from the British Virgin Islands or another country as of December 31, 2005.


This still looks to me as if we should be prepared to have passports after Dec 31, 2005.

 

[Cruella de mom]

We already have passports for our kids and recently had to get them again. I like having a legal id with a photo for my kids and we travel internationally a great deal so cost isn't our issue. However, I understand all too well that someone who doesn't travel outside the U.S. often would hate the almost $100 cost. A budget is a budget and good for you for sticking to it.

After reading all the messages and seeing the troubles several of you have mentioned, here are a couple suggestions:

TO save money:
Find the nearest actual passport office and save the $30 per passport handling fee.
Take a digital picture of your children againest a white back ground, head shot only and then print it so that the head takes up most of a 2X2 space. This can save upto $15 for passport pictures

To save Hassles:
Also there is a form that can be signed and notorized in the event that only one parent can get to the passport office. The local postoffice can give you the form and your DH can have it notorized at your bank or the local kinkos etc.
I believe it this form also has a place to make a statement if you can not get the signature of the second parent for cases of sole custody, imprisionment, etc.

In my opinion, if I were taking the cruise that returns 12/31, I would wait. If DCL did not tell you you have to have a passport (thats what they told us) when you made your reservation, then they will have to inform you of any change with enough time to get the proper documents.

By the way, get your kids passports stamped, even if you have to stand in line somewhere, they make great show and tell items.

 

[GhostlyHitchhiker]

On the official web site the following is at the very end of the FAQ:

Will this requirement apply to travel between the United States and Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands?

Travel between the United States and U.S. territories will not be affected by the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. U.S. citizens traveling between the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam will continue to be able to use established forms of identification to board flights and for entry.

If traveling outside of the United States or a U.S. territory, a passport or other secure document will be required. For example, a person may travel to and from the United States to the U.S. Virgin islands without a passport or other secure document, but under proposed regulations, a passport or other secure document would be required to re-enter the U.S. Virgin Islands from the British Virgin Islands or another country as of December 31, 2005.


This still looks to me as if we should be prepared to have passports after Dec 31, 2005.

They seem to be changing/updating info on an almost hour by hour basis. I read the FAQ yesterday when the news first hit the DIS boards and that quote wasn't there then.

I guess we should all wait a few days until everything is fully updated before we all get too excited.