passport ?

[nenner1]

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

Hey Leslie!

I hear ya! I got my card before the price went up- I couldn't believe how expensive they got (no longer worth it to get the card IMO now that they cost almost as much as the book). Its' a big chunk of change when you have a few members in the family.

In January coming back the customs agent really gave us a hard time. Telling us we HAD to have them and they are REQUIRED blah blah blah. I just smiled at him. LOL. I can only imagine what others coming through his line with BC's thought "Wow! How did they let me on the boat, then?"

It's totally up to you to weigh the risks. I have heard some horror stories for sure but obviously they didn't concern me enough to feel it was necessary to get passports for our family. But if you decide to not get them, you won't be the only ones on the ship, rest assured!

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 don't think it will change by then, but as the post below states, this allowance is actually an exemption to the Law requiring them. It could change anytime. But if it makes you feel better the original implementation date was Jan 2008 and it has been pushed back several times since then and now the exemption is indefinite.

I'm cruising in October too! It's a lovely time to go, enjoy!!

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

^This is true.

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.

Excellent advice.

 

[luckymom3]

We are leaving on April 25th with no passports. I did call and they said there are no plans for changing the requirements for 2010. Although you never know. We went 2 years ago with just Birth certificates and licenses to the Bahamas and no problem. As long as it is a "closed loop" cruise. Meaning you embark and disembark at the same port.