Passport Question

[saladdays]

Can my family (me, DW, DS, DS) get passport cards instead of passport books to save money when going to the Caribbean on a cruise? I know the limitations, and we aren't planning to go anywhere else internationally other than the cruise in the foreseeable future. I'd like to save money if possible.

 

[adamki]

Here is a link to the State Department's information on the passport card: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/information/card.html

Yes, it is valid for Caribbean cruises, if you needed to travel home by air, you would need to get an emergency passport.

ETA: There are a few Caribbean countries that do not participate and the travel.state.gov website has some broken links. The outliers are detailed here: http://traveltips.usatoday.com/caribbean-countries-require-passport-21704.html

 

[shelbell77]

When I renewed my passport I believe I saw that Passport Cards are only good for entry to the US via ground travel - i.e. driving from Mexico or Canada into the US.

If you want it for peace of mind in case you need to fly home quickly in an emergency (why I travel with one), I would not get the cards I would get the book. At this point passports are not required for closed loop cruises that originate in the US - so your drivers license and birth certificate is sufficient if you are trying to save money. I'm risk adverse so I have had a passport since my first cruise in 2002.

 

[wilkeliza]

If you are going to get a passport card then just use your birth certificates. The passport cards don't do what you would want a passport for anyways. If something was to happen to your child you would still be stuck dealing with the embassy when trying to fly home. Would also be useless if you missed the boat and were stuck on one of the islands.

 

[adamki]

The passport book is the best option, but there are a couple of benefits to the cards over birth certificates, in my opinion.

First, the cards are more durable than paper copies of birth certificates; You can easily carry the cards to the beach or on excursions without having to worry about protecting paper from the elements.

Second, if there were some unusual reason that we had to interact with the local border patrol on an island, I feel more confident in presenting a passport than my birth certificate. Would they sort everything out with the birth certificate? ... I'm sure they would; but I bet it would go faster with a Passport (card or book).

All three methods are valid for closed-loop Caribbean cruises; you need to do what makes you comfortable.

 

[jdb in AZ]

The passport book is the best option, but there are a couple of benefits to the cards over birth certificates, in my opinion.

First, the cards are more durable than paper copies of birth certificates; You can easily carry the cards to the beach or on excursions without having to worry about protecting paper from the elements.

Second, if there were some unusual reason that we had to interact with the local border patrol on an island, I feel more confident in presenting a passport than my birth certificate. Would they sort everything out with the birth certificate? ... I'm sure they would; but I bet it would go faster with a Passport (card or book).

All three methods are valid for closed-loop Caribbean cruises; you need to do what makes you comfortable.

Why would you carry a birth certificate or passport to the beach? DCL instructs all passengers to leave them in their room safes.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

If you are going to get a passport card then just use your birth certificates.

Yes, this. There's nothing a passport card will get you that you can't do with just your birth certificate and photo ID. Well, except cost you more money. Save your money. Or get the book.

Personally, I'm in the camp of "get a passport (book)", but legally, the minimum requirement for US citizens on a closed loop cruise is a birth certificate plus (for those 16 and over) a government issued photo ID.

 

[adamki]

Why would you carry a birth certificate or passport to the beach? DCL instructs all passengers to leave them in their room safes.

Because the Passport card is the most transportable and easily accepted form of ID that I've got.

When I am not in my home country, I don't go ANYWHERE without a passport. If I wasn't going to carry the passport, then I would go ahead and travel with a birth certificate because the passport does me no good sitting in the stateroom of the ship that I'm not on. If you think it is more secure in the stateroom (or hotel) safe then think again because anyone can open them:

 

[lanejudy]

Can my family (me, DW, DS, DS) get passport cards instead of passport books to save money when going to the Caribbean on a cruise? I know the limitations, and we aren't planning to go anywhere else internationally other than the cruise in the foreseeable future. I'd like to save money if possible.

We have passport cards, but not because we cruise, we happened to have them anyway for crossing the Canadian border. If you are trying to save money...just forego the passports altogether and travel with birth certificates (plus driver's licenses for those 16+).

When I renewed my passport I believe I saw that Passport Cards are only good for entry to the US via ground travel - i.e. driving from Mexico or Canada into the US.

Passport cards are acceptable for land or sea travel within the western hemisphere initiative (Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda). They just can't be used for international air travel.

 

[saladdays]

Well, thanks for the tips. I think we'll either decide whether to forego passports altogether or bite the bullet and pay for a passport book. The cards don't really seem like a good option for us.

 

[shelbell77]

Passport cards are acceptable for land or sea travel within the western hemisphere initiative (Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda). They just can't be used for international air travel.

So as I said, if you need to fly home in an emergency you want a book, not a card.

 

[bumbershoot]

So as I said, if you need to fly home in an emergency you want a book, not a card.

And in an emergency you will find the place to get a passport worked out. It will take time energy and money, more money than doing it ahead of time, but it can be done.

 

[shelbell77]

And in an emergency you will find the place to get a passport worked out. It will take time energy and money, more money than doing it ahead of time, but it can be done.

In an emergency I don't want to spend the time trying to get an emergency passport. I have experience with needing to get home in a hurry and the last thing I want to deal with in that case is beauracracy. That is why I have always cruised with a passport. It is my personal choice. If you'll look at my original post I told the OP to go with ID and BC if they were trying to save money. OP has to decide why they were considering the card, what purpose it would actually serve, and make their own decision about what makes the most sense for them.