Passports: Book, or Card?

[Kim&Chris]

My sister & her two daughters (11 and 9) are planning on joining DMom and I next year for a Disney Cruise. No one in her family has passports, but should really have them. Mom and I have the passport books.

I was looking on the passport website, and it seems they have passport cards now (maybe they've always had them, but this is the first time I've seen them).

Can she get a card, instead of a book, for her & her kids? The ports we'll be visiting are only Nassau & Castaway Cay.

Thanks!

 

[NJRRK]

I believe the cards are only good for travel to/from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean by land or sea, not air. The passport book is good for all over the world.

See this link for official stuff on passport cards. http://travel.state.gov/passport/ppt_card/ppt_card_3926.html

 

[Alexander]

I know they are expensive, but I really like having the passport books for all of my family. Just that peace of mind--and you never know when I might decide to travel abroad!

If there is enough time, maybe they can spread out the time they get their passports. DS (11) and I got ours first. DH got his a few months later, and DS (3) got his last a couple of months after that. Then the initial cost doesn't come all at once.

 

[backyardponder]

Since passports are typically valid for 10 years, get the book. You never know where you might go in 2019!

 

[DVCBELLE]

I agree if you are going to pay for them that you might as well go ahead and get the book - the card is not good for flying so if you need to fly home - you might as well not have anything at all. I don't see where the card is any better than your driver's license.

 

[NJRRK]

The card was really designed for those who cross the Canadian or Mexican borders on a reqular basis. When I lived in Northern New Hampshire (before the crackdown on border crossings) I did most of my shopping in Canada because the mall was only 1 hour away in Canada and the nearest US mall was over 2 hours away. if I were still doing that a card in my wallet would be much easier to have on a reqular basis than the passport book.

 

[pr surfer]

Since passports are typically valid for 10 years, get the book. You never know where you might go in 2019!

Both are valid for 10 years

The card was really designed for those who cross the Canadian or Mexican borders on a reqular basis.

And those of us that are a few hours by boat from tropical island paradises

 

[disneyfaninaz]

You cannot fly from a foreign country back to the US, or vice versa with a Passport Card. As previously stated, the card is intended for land crossings.

I would never leave the country without a valid US passport book, but that's just my opinion. Technically, on a Disney cruise, you are not required to have a passport, only an official birth certificate (for all) and valid gov't picture ID (for adults). If you plan on any future travels to foreign countries or other cruises, I'd recommend getting the passport book.

 

[pr surfer]

Should something go wrong and you need to fly back to the US in an emergency, you will definitely need a passport book.

The size factor and price are the main advantages to the passport card. In every other aspect, the passport book is the better choice.

**Edit**

Almost forgot! Whatever you decide to do, remember that prices for passports (card, book, and related services) are going up on July 13, so be sure to do this before then!

 

[Corwin]

We did a Disney cruise earlier this year, and got both the passport book and the card. If you get the card in addition to the book, it's not much more money to add the card ($20 for adults/$10 for minors), and you get a second form of government ID. Also, if your passport book was lost or stolen on the cruise, you could use this backup form of ID to reenter the country.

Finally, the DCL ship requires picture ID along with your DCL keycard to leave and return to the ship. We used our passport cards for this. (We left our passport books in the stateroom safe.) I didn't particularly want to take our passport books with us to the beach, and the passport card seemed a better form of ID than a state driver's licence, especially if we had to deal with Bahamian police (which we didn't).

I don't see any downside to getting both.

I would not go on a cruise with just the card, though. You'd need the passport book if you had to fly back for an emergency.

 

[Alexander]

We did a Disney cruise earlier this year, and got both the passport book and the card. If you get the card in addition to the book, it's not much more money to add the card ($20 for adults/$10 for minors), and you get a second form of government ID. Also, if your passport book was lost or stolen on the cruise, you could use this backup form of ID to reenter the country.

Finally, the DCL ship requires picture ID along with your DCL keycard to leave and return to the ship. We used our passport cards for this. (We left our passport books in the stateroom safe.) I didn't particularly want to take our passport books with us to the beach, and the passport card seemed a better form of ID than a state driver's licence, especially if we had to deal with Bahamian police (which we didn't).

I don't see any downside to getting both.

I would not go on a cruise with just the card, though. You'd need the passport book if you had to fly back for an emergency.

This is a great reason to get the card too! The cards weren't available when we got our passports, but when we renew, we will definately get them just for this use!

 

[WDWsnooper]

Book!! As mentioned, if for ANY reason (medical emergency for self or family member) someone needs to fly back to the USA, they will be able to enter the country.

 

[mitsybella]

Since passports are typically valid for 10 years, get the book. You never know where you might go in 2019!

passports are valid for 10 years for adults, only 5 years for children

 

[pr surfer]

Book!! As mentioned, if for ANY reason (medical emergency for self or family member) someone needs to fly back to the USA, they will be able to enter the country.

well... they'd be able to enter anyway. US citizens can't be denied entry. The problem would be finding a way to get to the immigration checkpoint

 

[TheWog]

My sister & her two daughters (11 and 9) are planning on joining DMom and I next year for a Disney Cruise. No one in her family has passports, but should really have them. Mom and I have the passport books.

I was looking on the passport website, and it seems they have passport cards now (maybe they've always had them, but this is the first time I've seen them).

Can she get a card, instead of a book, for her & her kids? The ports we'll be visiting are only Nassau & Castaway Cay.

Thanks!

I think you answered your own question. I am a member of the Passport Pushers Society. I think you should have it for any international travel. As others have mentioned, they are not required at this point for a cruise, but you just never know. I say get the book vs. the card. A few extra dollars, but worth it.

 

[NJRRK]

You know looking at this thread and looking at the price on the webiste, if the cost isn't prohibitive to you, spend the extra $20 each and get both. That's what we're going to do.