passport ?

[minnie4me]

We are going on a 5 night Bahamas cruise, do we absolutely need passports ? TA said no, we just take our chances we don't need to get off the ship for any sort of emergency. Our cruise leaves May 30th and I haven't even looked about forms, etc... I only have one copy of each persons birth certificate, the original of DS's and I heard I have to send it in with his info, what if I don't get it back in time. We are not even getting off the ship in Nassau. WWYD? The erliest we can go to Post office to apply is saturday April 10th, and I don't want to have to pay extra .
Yikes !!

 

[Kaleigh]

To apply for passports, you must send in original birth certificates. We got ours in exactly 3 weeks and did not pay extra, and there is a place online where you can check the process. The website has instructions for what to do if you are leaving in 2 weeks and still have not received your passport. (I imagine they let you pay to have it overnighted on the back end or something, but at least you get to talk to them and tell them that you at least need birth certificates back if you absolutely can't get your passport) We were surprised at how quick it was, but the stuff you need from others (birth certificates, passport photos) may not be quick. (For some reason my husband's photo kept showing a shadow and we had to go to 3 different places to get a picture that would work according to the passport website. BTW, make sure you read that because places that take photos are not always familiar with the guidelines)
I can't tell you whether you should get one or not, but that is the experience I have had with getting one. Oh, and it is a total relief to have it now and know that it is good for 10 years!

 

[TheWog]

You will need original birth certificates to use as your ID documents if you decide not to get the passports. I say get them, but I am a member of the Passport Pusher Society and think if you travel out of the U.S. you should have a passport. It is not mandatory at this time and you will be fine without it, but you just never know. You are cutting it close and I would be nervous about getting it done and back in time. Good luck deciding.

 

[kcashner]

Passports are not required for Bahamas cruises. If you should have an emergency situation, there are emergency re-patriation laws (essentially, the US Embassy/consulate issues you a temporary passport which MUST be surrendered and exchanged for a real passport when you get home). It's a little hassle, but is the same cost as buying a passport in advance. SO, if you have an emergency, you incur more hassle. No emergency, you have saved the money for the passports.

Yes, to get passports, you must submit your original birth certificate. We just got DD her first "adult" passport. It took exactly 3 weeks from submission at the post office till it arrived in our mail box.

 

[minnie4me]

If you go the Post office to get this done I heard you are less likely to have photo issues, so that would be my plan.
Do you need to submit the BC with all passport apps or just children's ?
If we go this coming Saturday, that gives us 7 weeks to get them back.

I am starting to stress too much over this and may end up skipping it for this cruise. We plan on staying in the continental US for next years vacation. Then thinking of going to Hawaii, would you want to carry a passport there (even if it is a state?) If Ds's is only good for 5 years and we don't really need it for the next three (at least as we are planning now) should we just wait?

 

[outahere]

If you go the Post office to get this done I heard you are less likely to have photo issues, so that would be my plan.
Do you need to submit the BC with all passport apps or just children's ?
If we go this coming Saturday, that gives us 7 weeks to get them back.

Unless you are submitting a passport renewal application, everyone must send in a certified copy of their birth certificate, not just children.

If you don't have passports, everyone must have a certified birth certificate when you check in at the port, and adults need a photo ID as well.

As for passport photos..... we go to our local AAA office to have them taken and have never had them refused when we submitted our passport applications.

 

[Servants of Evan]

We just went to our clerk of courts office this morning to get our passports ordered. We brought our own photos, but they could do them as well and would charge $6 per person. The clerk taking our applications (we filled them out online and printed them to bring with us) stated he got his passport last week and he had applied around 1 month ago.

 

[wrennies]

I applied for my passport on March 18. I got it in the mail Saturday. mJust over 2 weeks.

 

[mickeyfan1]

Not a passport pusher per se, but I have used mine for ID over the last 12 years or so. For me, it means I don't get questioned at the TSA stops in the airports. Yes, it is expensiver and somewhat of a hassle to get the first time, but I won't travel anywhere with out it now. And for adults, they last 109 years, kids last 5, so at least you don't have to get oneevery year. It is your choice, at least for now on a closed loop cruise, to sail with certified BCs only. You won't be the only ones.

 

[TheWog]

If you go the Post office to get this done I heard you are less likely to have photo issues, so that would be my plan.
Do you need to submit the BC with all passport apps or just children's ?
If we go this coming Saturday, that gives us 7 weeks to get them back.

I am starting to stress too much over this and may end up skipping it for this cruise. We plan on staying in the continental US for next years vacation. Then thinking of going to Hawaii, would you want to carry a passport there (even if it is a state?) If Ds's is only good for 5 years and we don't really need it for the next three (at least as we are planning now) should we just wait?

7 weeks you should be fine, based on the recent experiences of posters here. I would get it done. Only you can make the decision about your child and his need for it. Yes, the Post Office can take photos and will know the proper photos to be done. It is a convenient service.

No, you do not need a passport to visit Hawaii, but we usually take ours as our i.d. for flights. Durable and easy to have available when going through lines.

 

[luvmyprincess]

You will need original birth certificates to use as your ID documents .

Are your birth certificates being sent off with the application? Are they returned to you? I'm just starting this process,( by that I mean trying to locate the b.c. ) and am just wondering.

Thanks !

 

[nenner1]

Meh...we don't have passports. (well I do, cause I got mine at work.. but the rest of my family doesn't)

I am Fed Govt clerk trained in Passport Issuance too. LOL.

I personally would not bother with it, especially for a Bahamas cruise.

But to each his/her own.

Yes you have to surrender your birth certificate and they mail it back to you. You receive it under separate cover and usually get it back before you receive your passport.

Another tip- I took my own photos for my passport card.

epassportphoto.com is a great resource (just save the photo to your PC and print yourself. Make sure the photo is very bright,crisp and clear - but not overexposed) Your photo is most likely to get rejected by the acceptance clerk (and yeah, some are ridiculously picky) if it is going to be rejected so you will know right away. I recommend Walgreen's too, it is usually half the price of doing at the PO.

 

[mickeyfan1]

Actually, you need a certified copy of your BC. Most states keep the original in their possesion forever.

 

[lsjones]

Meh...we don't have passports. (well I do, cause I got mine at work.. but the rest of my family doesn't)

I am Fed Govt clerk trained in Passport Issuance too. LOL.

I personally would not bother with it, especially for a Bahamas cruise.

But to each his/her own.

nenner, glad to see your post! I am reluctant to spend the $$ to get them. Why do they have to be so dang expensive!

 

[smilie]

Meh...we don't have passports. (well I do, cause I got mine at work.. but the rest of my family doesn't)

I am Fed Govt clerk trained in Passport Issuance too. LOL.

I personally would not bother with it, especially for a Bahamas cruise.

But to each his/her own.

Is there a date when this will change for Bahamas cruises? We are going in October and if it changes by then we'll need to get them.

 

[FLACRUISER]

Is there a date when this will change for Bahamas cruises? We are going in October and if it changes by then we'll need to get them.

I defiantly would get a Passport, you never know what might happen in this uncertain world and the "Closed Loop Exemption" could be dropped at any time

 

[n2mm]

My daughter just got their passports for her family of 5 -- alot of $$ -- 2 adults, 1 adult child (16) and 2 little ones. Her's took just a little over 2 weeks. We are doing a cruise and she wanted the insurance of having them over the hassle, plus you never know when the rule might change making them mandatory, plus the price was getting ready to go up, so it was time. It took many photos to get pictures of the 2 yo because she kept wanting to "cheese" and was not suppose to show teeth! Yes the certified, raised seal, birth certificate goes with them, along with a copy of mom and dads driver's license (front and back) for each child. Both parents have to apply with children, or a notarized form from a missing parent. It was not easy to get everyone on the same schedule to do this on a Saturday morning at the library.

 

[TheWog]

Are your birth certificates being sent off with the application? Are they returned to you? I'm just starting this process,( by that I mean trying to locate the b.c. ) and am just wondering.

Thanks !

Yes, the originals are sent off with the application and they are returned when the new passport is issued roughly the same time.

 

[sbell111]

Are your birth certificates being sent off with the application? Are they returned to you? I'm just starting this process,( by that I mean trying to locate the b.c. ) and am just wondering.

Thanks !

You will send off the originals (and any other required documentation) with your passport application. They will be returned to you, but not with your passport. Your passport, passport card (if ordered), and documentation will be returned to you in separate mailings, so don't freek out when you open the envelope and only your passport is inside.

Early last month, we ordered Princess Wigglypants' passport and ordered a new passport for my wife to show her name change. We received the baby's brand new passport in about 3 1/2 weeks. Cathy's 'renewal' arrived about a week later.

We had pictures made for Cathy's application at FedEx (Kinko's). We took the baby's pictures ourselves. I used epassportphoto.com to format the baby's picture for the passport and then just printed it off on our color printer. It was really easy.

It did, however, take 74 takes to get a passport-acceptable pic. She is a wiggly thing.

 

[sbell111]

One more thing:

Don't assume that the person that you deal with at the post office has a clue about passport processing. Ours was completely clueless. We had to pretty much force her to include all of the required documentation for our baby's passport.

My advice is to familiarize yourself with the requirements using the state department's website, package everything up nice and orderly, and be prepared to walk the employee through everything.

Also, the state departments website has an online version of the form, allowing you to fill everything in online and then just print it off and sign it. This is very handy if you are like me and 1) hate to fill out forms by hand, 2) have poor handwriting, and 3) don't want to stress out about whether someone properly deciphers your scribbles.