Passports for Children

[Alicatt]

Ok. Thanks everyone for responding. It really helped me do some risk assessment. If was something like a few hundred dollar passport expedite fee or something, I wouldn't get them, but now I'm leaning towards it. I've seen it advised that you should leave your passports on board when you get off at Nassau which now seems like terrible advice. Thanks again!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Ok. Thanks everyone for responding. It really helped me do some risk assessment. If was something like a few hundred dollar passport expedite fee or something, I wouldn't get them, but now I'm leaning towards it. I've seen it advised that you should leave your passports on board when you get off at Nassau which now seems like terrible advice. Thanks again!

Actually, leaving your passport onboard is generally recommended by most cruise lines. Something about the odds of you losing/getting it stolen while in port vs. the ship leaving without you.

If you haven't checked back onboard by the time the ship leaves, security will enter your room, open your safe and take out your passports to be left with the port agent for when you do return back to the ship.

All of our cruises, there's only been something like 3 ports we were required to take our passports ashore with us. Different countries have different laws regarding cruise ship passengers and what sort of ID is required for them to have while in their country.

 

[Hundredacre]

Ok. Thanks everyone for responding. It really helped me do some risk assessment. If was something like a few hundred dollar passport expedite fee or something, I wouldn't get them, but now I'm leaning towards it. I've seen it advised that you should leave your passports on board when you get off at Nassau which now seems like terrible advice. Thanks again!

We know people who had passports stolen while they were at Atlantis. Disney was very helpful.

 

[Kuzcotopia1]

You are probably right on trip insurance, I think many people overlook this.

The only reason I even got trip insurance this time around was because my parents are coming and are super-pro on it. Otherwise, I probably would have skipped it again.

 

[SuperDry]

Would customs really not allow a child (well under 16) back into the country in an emergency situation with a valid birth certificate and two parents with valid passports? It just seems hard to believe.

Assuming that you are on US soil at your port of entry (such as arriving on a flight from or walking across the border with Mexico), US CBP will not and cannot deny entry to any US citizen for any reason, regardless of lack of proper documentation. If you lack proper documentation, then you may be held at the port of entry until they can verify your identity, but you won't be turned away. Note that this doesn't apply in situations where there's pre-clearance at the foreign airport, which includes The Bahamas. In that case, you're not on US soil, so US CBP can enforce a "no passport, no fly" rule even for US citizens. But getting admitted to the US isn't the real problem, as Starwind points out:

Even is US Customs was willing to let the child "in", you would not be allowed to board the plane in the foreign country to bring you back (well, the children without passport would not be). Passports are required for international air travel. The airlines have strict rules they have to follow AND they are liable (fines, costs) if a person without proper documentation is allowed on their flight and then is turned back by customs/immigration at the destination.

That's where the problem is. You can't get to the US port of entry without first taking the flight, and the airline won't board you without proper documentation. Also, in countries that have exit immigration control, you can't get past that checkpoint without proper documentation. Neither the airline nor foreign immigration officials will care about your personal "emergency" situation and don't have fallback procedures like the TSA does for domestic US flights. They will refer you to the nearest US embassy or consulate, which can issue an emergency replacement passport (or temporary travel document valid just for the trip home for those that don't already have a passport). But that can take anywhere from a bit of time to longer, depending on circumstances such as where you are in relation to the embassy/consulate.

 

[Hundredacre]

Okay, after following this thread I am actually starting to think we should get passports for the kids.

 

[AndreAggie]

We got one for our son. We try to cruise annually and all have been closed loop thus far. It's just the reassurance that makes me feel better!

We also live in a town with a large university and fortunate to have an office on campus for students who are studying abroad and can process passports. The process was painless.

 

[bumbershoot]

Taking passports off the ship is a personal decision.

We leave them onboard when on Castaway or Coco Cay. We take them off everywhere else. But I'm not booking Jamaica or Haiti stops. Or Mexico. I have no interest in being in any of those places. We did take them off in Nassau, kept our "spidey senses" on, and actually it was the big strong world traveler DH that called it and had us go back to the ship just an hour into our day there. He did not much care for it there. Second time we were there we took a Disney excursion (chocolate factory) and that made him feel better. (we did take the passports both times, because we were in a foreign country)

 

[Aerin75]

Somehow I ended up with a lanyard that we plan to tuck the passports in under our shirt if we take them with us. That will just give us peace of mind off the ship.

 

[Steelers0854]

We leave passports on board in the safe. Worse case we miss the ship, the cruise line enters your room and leaves the contents of your safe with the port agent.

 

[thndrmatt]

If you haven't checked back onboard by the time the ship leaves, security will enter your room, open your safe and take out your passports to be left with the port agent for when you do return back to the ship.

Just wanted to second this, when we got weathered in and stuck overnight on the glacier in Juneau during a dogsledding excursion, our passports were waiting for us at the hotel when we finally made it back to Juneau the next day. As were some medications for some of the older folk in the group from another cruise line.

 

[Bear3412]

We have always had PP for us and the kids while abroad. (Canada too )

We always take our PP ashore for several reasons. One being PP stamps.

Only stop PP stay aboard is CC and US Terriotories.

As stated, it is a personal decision. But isn't that why we purchased the PP in the first place?

Enjoy the peace of mind and freedom a PP provides.

 

[mmouse37]

We are pro passports. Had them for the kids since they were young and now that we have grandbabies who I want to travel, we offered to purchase their first passports. So, both our not yet 1 year olds just got their passports last month. Grandma wanted to be able to take them places if an opportunity arose so I wanted them to have them.

I was so focused on getting theirs last month I didn't realize my passport was due to expire soon so I just had to renew mine. I filled out the forms online and printed them, brought them to the post office with my current passport and was done in about 8 minutes. Had my photo taken at the Post office as well. Very easy process.

MJ

 

[dhardawa]

The one thing I realized reading this thread is that if we get off the boat, we need to always take our passports with us because you never know what will happen.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

we need to always take our passports with us because you never know what will happen.

Not exactly true. Most cruise lines recommend leaving your passport onboard. If, for some reason, you do not make it back to the ship, as long as you've left your passports in your safe in your room, the passport will be retrieved by security and left with the Port Agent for your retrieval.

Of course, you can take your passport ashore, if you wish. Some people do. But, generally, it's not required.

 

[ctnurse]

The one thing I realized reading this thread is that if we get off the boat, we need to always take our passports with us because you never know what will happen.

We leave our passports in the safe on the ship and carry a copy . The only exception is when we went into St. Petersburg, since you are required to show your passport to passport control.

We never carry anything off the ship we can't "afford" to lose.

 

[::danielle::]

I get that but I also know with some agencies they can use some sense. Like certified birth certificates with the parents name and cruise documents and whatever paperwork from said emergency should be enough with some questioning.

I imagine the reason that birth certificates is not considered an acceptable alternate is that employees of other foreign countries are not trained to tell a fake birth certificate from a real one. In fact, I'm not sure that most foreign counties even recognize the governmental jurisdiction of a state. They acknowledge the US government as the only form of sovereign power in the US.