Passport or birth certificate

[happy mom of 6]

My family and I are cruising in April 2004. Just wanted to know if you could use your birth certificate or do you need to get a passport??? Also, if you take your birth certificate do you need any other forms of ID???

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

While my personal preference is for a passport, you can use a birth certificate with a photo ID. There's no need to get a passport just for the cruise. From the DCL website:

What documentation do I need to bring?
All U.S. and Canadian citizens must travel with proof of citizenship, which is a valid passport, or certified birth certificate (with official raised seal) and picture identification, or a certified naturalization certificate with a picture identification. Acceptable forms of picture identification are state or provincial driver's license, or federal, state, province, or local government photo I.D. card. Guests age 17 and under who are U.S. or Canadian citizens are only required to have proof of citizenship, excluding picture identification. These guidelines are based on U.S. government regulations which are subject to change at any time. It is the Guest's responsibility to check with their Travel Agent, government agencies, embassies or consulates prior to their vacation to ensure that they have proper documentation. Any Guest traveling without proper documentation will not be allowed to board the vessel and no refund of cruise fare will be issued.
New security guidelines require all adult Guests to show a picture I.D. to embark and disembark the ship in all ports, excluding Castaway Cay. Please be advised that anyone under the age of 18 wishing to go ashore unaccompanied will be required to have a consenting parent, guardian or other responsible adult with them at the gangway, to provide their signature as authorization.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

I do not have a Passport, but will be getting one very very soon because the last name isn't the same on my birth certificate and driver's license. I didn't have trouble on the last two trips with these IDs (12/01 & 1/03) but I did just a few days ago at Philadelphia Airport. The guy gave me a lot of trouble and held us up for a bit at the Delta ticket counter because of this. I will definitely be sending in the paperwork for my Passport.

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

The other thing you may want to consider is the age of your children. We had a couple of instances in the airports coming and going (especially with DS coming home at MCO) where they were questioned for picture ID. DD is 13 and DS just turned 16. He is also a big guy, plays line on his high school football team.

Having the passports solved the problem easily but I'm not sure how easily it would have been handled without that as the only other picture ID he has is his school ID. Don't get a picture license in Michigan until they get past the restricted license stage which can often be close to 17.

Deb

 

[alaskantwinks]

Hi I noticed that one of you mentioned that your driver's id looks different than your birth certificate? My maiden name is listed on my marriage certificate, as well as my former last name (married once before) I wonder if I should be getting a passport to clear up the confusion?? I don't want to be not able to get on board because of the names!! What do you think?? I need to get a copy of my birth certificate. Or do you think I'll be alright, because my maiden name is listed on the marriage certificate? Maybe I could bring my dissolution paper from my first marriage? How confusing! Kelly

 

[BrinxFam]

When we went on the Disney Wonder 3-day in May my mom, my husband and I used our birth certificates and driver's license. We only had to show a birth certificate for our DD's (13 & 5). We had absolutely no problem at all.

Enjoy your cruise!

MIS

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Originally posted by alaskantwinks
Hi I noticed that one of you mentioned that your driver's id looks different than your birth certificate? My maiden name is listed on my marriage certificate, as well as my former last name (married once before) I wonder if I should be getting a passport to clear up the confusion?? I don't want to be not able to get on board because of the names!! What do you think?? I need to get a copy of my birth certificate. Or do you think I'll be alright, because my maiden name is listed on the marriage certificate? Maybe I could bring my dissolution paper from my first marriage? How confusing! Kelly

I definitely would. That's where I had the trouble...the names were different and they held us up for a while at the airport Delta counter. I never want to take that change again.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

ignore this post...in the middle of a storm and funny things were happening!

 

[alaskantwinks]

Well I guess I'll break down and get a passport. My husband may want to do that as well, since he may go to Mexico with a friend that has a timeshare down there, you never know, we may want to go there together sometime! So I think I will do it, I just need to figure out where to get it from. We live in a small remote town in Alaska, I think we get it from the local DMV office. I'll check Monday. Thanks! Better safe than sorry, right? Kelly

 

[lbgraves]

That just seems odd to me. Doesn't anyone drop their maiden name anymore??? I have had people question why I did, even at Blockbuster when I wanted my name changed.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Originally posted by alaskantwinks
Well I guess I'll break down and get a passport. My husband may want to do that as well, since he may go to Mexico with a friend that has a timeshare down there, you never know, we may want to go there together sometime! So I think I will do it, I just need to figure out where to get it from. We live in a small remote town in Alaska, I think we get it from the local DMV office. I'll check Monday. Thanks! Better safe than sorry, right? Kelly

I was able to download my form from our state's transportation authority website. You may want to look on yours. I know I have to return the form to our local courthouse, not the DMV. I'm not sure of the different rules in the different states, though. GOOD LUCK!

 

[alaskantwinks]

CRSNDSNY, thanks, I will give it a whirl, and see if it is on the state website! Is it a long form to fill out?

LBGraves, I did change my name from my maiden name, its just that if I only took my birth certificate and i.d. with my married name, wouldn't they ask for my marriage certificate? What I was saying was that my marriage certificate lists my maiden name, but it also shows my current last name (at the time I was getting married) as my former last name because I was married before. That's why I thought it would be easier to get a passport? Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't want to be held up at the cruise terminal because of my former marriage.

Kelly

 

[lbgraves]

Kelly, I understand why your situation may be easier with a passport. I was responding more to the fact that CRSNDSNY
was given a hard time with her BC & DL. I would think that the majority of married women have changed their names and it shouldn't be such an issue when checking ID. Just questioning the system.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Originally posted by lbgraves
I was responding more to the fact that CRSNDSNY
was given a hard time with her BC & DL. I would think that the majority of married women have changed their names and it shouldn't be such an issue when checking ID. Just questioning the system.

It sure was a huge pain in the butt. I promised myself and my panicking DH that I would have a Passport from now on.

Originally posted by alaskantwinks CRSNDSNY, thanks, I will give it a whirl, and see if it is on the state website! Is it a long form to fill out?

It was a very short one-sided form. The only pain is the photo part. I have everything filled out but they require two identical 4"x4" headshots. I have to get those.