Passports or not

[Princess Merida]

We are traveling on the Fantasy 7 nights with stops in Tortola St. Thomas and Castaway Cay. We have two kids 4 and 9 and I'm wondering if I should get passports. I know we don't need them unless we need to fly home but I'm worried about medical emergencies for my kids. we can fly from St Thomas without a passport and there is no airport in Castaway Cay so am I wasting money getting them to be able to fly home from Tortola? If there was a serious emergency and someone had to be flown to a hospital will they not take you without a passport? Sorry so many questions. We have never left the country.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

I look at passports as insurance. You have a very high probability of being just fine without passports, but if you happen to be unlucky, getting back home is a whole lot easier with the passports. You don't have to worry just about the ports you are scheduled to stop at. If there is a medical emergency, the ship might divert to the closest port to get you medical attention and that could be a port that wasn't scheduled.

 

[RafikiTiki21]

There is no airport on Castaway Cay, but CC is in the Bahamas and there is one nearby should such an emergency occur.

I think this is a very personal decision based on weighing the risks vs the cost, and if your family will be traveling again in the future to need a passport under different circumstances. For my family, it was a no-brainer and we're on the same itinerary. I also have a history of working with the State Dept assisting Americans in trouble abroad so that experience has influenced my risk analysis.

In the grand scheme of things, you are already paying a lot for the vacation and the passport expense is not that high of a % of your overall cost to provide peace of mind and ease of travel. Will you need them? Likely not. But again, a very personal decision based on all factors once you've understood the policies vs. advice others give.

 

[NHDisneyFan]

If you are worried about medical emergency for the kids due to pre existing condition get them. If it is a worry item you'll get people telling you to get them. Just get them.

 

[AquaDame]

Everyone has their own opinion on this and it boils down to your capacity for reasonable risk. Most likely passports won't be necessary but the 'what if' means I always sail with them, just in case. I am not a gambler...

 

[LoverDisney]

I got passports because I didn't want to take a risk. It's a great expense but I would rather have peace of mind.

 

[Otimon]

Absolutely invest in the passports. Don't leave home without them!

 

[bumbershoot]

If there was a serious emergency and someone had to be flown to a hospital will they not take you without a passport?

No; you would at that time be getting a passport in one way or the other, and paying MORE for what you could have already had and taking time with bureaucracy when you just want to be *going*. And I have read that emergency passports are NOT good for the amount of time they are good when you get them normally.


If you are concerned about this, just get them. The whole world opens up to you with a passport. Well, maybe not North Korea. But almost the world.


The chances of needing them are low. So it's up to you to determine your family's feelings.


We have passports.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

you would at that time be getting a passport in one way or the other, and paying MORE for what you could have already had and taking time with bureaucracy when you just want to be *going*. And I have read that emergency passports are NOT good for the amount of time they are good when you get them normally.

Correct, a "limited Validity" passport (what you get if you must get one to return home) is only valid for a limited time.

If you apply to replace the limited validity passport within a year, there's no additional cost. The limited validity passport costs the same as regular (10 year) passport. The actual validity time is usually a year (I think) but can be longer, if circumstances require it. It just must be less than the standard 5 or 10 period to be considered a "limited validity" passport.

If it's over a year, you must pay the full renewal fee for a new passport.
https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/services/limited-validity.html

 

[CesD]

I just posted this on another thread so apologies if you've read it already. it takes no time to get one.
we made an appointment at the city registrar office. we were done in 20 min for 3 passport applications. photos are $5/ person at Costco.
it is very little money compared to what you are spending on the vacation.

side note:
it also opens up the chance to grab an amazing last minute trip abroad if you see a deal come up without having to worry about getting passports then.

 

[Quellman]

You forget, that even though the ship has scheduled ports of call, it isn't uncommon for the ship to make an emergency stop at other places to let off passengers needing medical attention. The Dominican Republic and Hati are along the way.

Passports are easy identification and can be used to identify oneself anywhere in the US and is good for any other overseas travel. I recommend having one!

 

[olookasquirrel]

One thing I didn't see mentioned is that if something happened to the ship itself, those with passports are going to be better off than those without. Of course the risks with DCL are a lot smaller, but we all remember the Carnival poop cruise, or even the Costa Concordia... In theory, the ship could be forced to dock & debark passengers somewhere random, and fly everyone home. One could imagine the chaos of trying to get a thousand plus people last minute passports.

Again, the odds are soooooo low, but passports are good for quite a while and can come in handy other places (ID's for older kids, first job paperwork, etc).

I just got back from a surprise trip to Helsinki so I was very happy to have gotten my passport updated for my Disney cruise, as mad as I was about the outlay at the time!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

One thing I didn't see mentioned is that if something happened to the ship itself, those with passports are going to be better off than those without. Of course the risks with DCL are a lot smaller, but we all remember the Carnival poop cruise, or even the Costa Concordia... In theory, the ship could be forced to dock & debark passengers somewhere random, and fly everyone home. One could imagine the chaos of trying to get a thousand plus people last minute passports.

Again, the odds are soooooo low, but passports are good for quite a while and can come in handy other places (ID's for older kids, first job paperwork, etc).

I just got back from a surprise trip to Helsinki so I was very happy to have gotten my passport updated for my Disney cruise, as mad as I was about the outlay at the time!

In the case of the Carnival ship, the people without passports were issued official letters from the (not sure - state department, embassy, consulate?) to board airplanes home, no passport required. I believe they had to be boarding a Carnival chartered/booked flight as part of a large group of passengers in the same position.

 

[olookasquirrel]

In the case of the Carnival ship, the people without passports were issued official letters from the (not sure - state department, embassy, consulate?) to board airplanes home, no passport required. I believe they had to be boarding a Carnival chartered/booked flight as part of a large group of passengers in the same position.

Very interesting - yeah I would think they wouldn't have made everybody stand in line at the embassy, but didn't know exactly what they did. Still, much better for those who could just grab the next commercial flight out and not have to stress about "is the cruise line going to take care of us? Are we stranded?" Especially with young kids in tow!

 

[SandyinMonterey]

We were on the Fantasy with the same stops. It was our first cruise and just for peace of mind, we all had passports. My husband already had one, I needed one and so did our 10 year daughter. Just a little piece of advice....do it WAY in advance. The sooner the better. My daughter got hers without a problem. I didn't anticipate any problems with mine but did. Thankfully, I had enough time.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

Just wanted to say we were on this cruise March 2016, St. Thomas, Castaway Cay and Tortola. At the time, my daughter and I lived in California. Husband moved to GA to start new job. We met at MCO. He drove from GA to Florida. And unfortunately forgot his passport. I called Disney Cruise Line, DVC (we're members), and the Concierge and ALL said my husband could not get on that ship without his passport.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Just wanted to say we were on this cruise March 2016, St. Thomas, Castaway Cay and Tortola. At the time, my daughter and I lived in California. Husband moved to GA to start new job. We met at MCO. He drove from GA to Florida. And unfortunately forgot his passport. I called Disney Cruise Line, DVC (we're members), and the Concierge and ALL said my husband could not get on that ship without his passport.

Well, if the cruise was a closed loop cruise and he's a US citizen, sadly, you were mis-informed. As long as he had at least his driver's license and birth certificate he could board. But, if he didn't have those, he couldn't as that's the minimum requirement. A passport works best, however.

 

[bumbershoot]

I just posted this on another thread so apologies if you've read it already. it takes no time to get one.
we made an appointment at the city registrar office. we were done in 20 min for 3 passport applications. photos are $5/ person at Costco.
it is very little money compared to what you are spending on the vacation.

side note:
it also opens up the chance to grab an amazing last minute trip abroad if you see a deal come up without having to worry about getting passports then.

This is not everyone's experience, though. Many people have appointments backed up months, and don't have post offices that just have open hours (like my town does). I'm VERY glad for you (and me!) that it's easy in our areas, but it's not easy for everyone everywhere.

In the case of the Carnival ship, the people without passports were issued official letters from the (not sure - state department, embassy, consulate?) to board airplanes home, no passport required. I believe they had to be boarding a Carnival chartered/booked flight as part of a large group of passengers in the same position.

I read that, too. But I thought I read it didn't actually happen?

Still, much better for those who could just grab the next commercial flight out and not have to stress about "is the cruise line going to take care of us? Are we stranded?"

Agreed.

I called Disney Cruise Line, DVC (we're members), and the Concierge and ALL said my husband could not get on that ship without his passport.

Was it a closed loop cruise? Is he a US citizen?

 

[deanimal]

I firmly believe that everyone should have a passport, and not just for vacations. Here's an example: three years ago I got a call from my brother's co-worker in South Korea saying my brother had been found unconscious and was in the hospital in serious condition. I grabbed my passport and got on the next flight and was at his bedside within 24 hours. They had him restrained and were treating him for what they thought was psychosis, partially due to the language barrier. I fought to get him to an English speaking hospital where he was quickly diagnosed with a critical electrolyte imbalance, they told me he was hours away from brain swelling, seizures and death. I didn't do anything that special, just what anyone would do for a family member if they were at home, but if I didn't have a passport on hand I never would have arrived in time.

So a passport isn't just insurance for your own trip, I consider it essential for anyone who has loved ones who ever leave the country.

 

[Steelers0854]

We are traveling on the Fantasy 7 nights with stops in Tortola St. Thomas and Castaway Cay. We have two kids 4 and 9 and I'm wondering if I should get passports. I know we don't need them unless we need to fly home but I'm worried about medical emergencies for my kids. we can fly from St Thomas without a passport and there is no airport in Castaway Cay so am I wasting money getting them to be able to fly home from Tortola? If there was a serious emergency and someone had to be flown to a hospital will they not take you without a passport? Sorry so many questions. We have never left the country.

You do not have to worry about having a passport for a medical evacuation, this would occur regardless if you had a passport or not. The issue comes into play when trying to re-enter the US as you won't come back with the ship.

One thing to keep in mind since you mentioned medical emergencies is that some foreign countries will require prepayment of medical expenses. Most insurances, if you have travel insurance or your normal medical insurance, do not pay the provider directly but reimburse you well after you are home. It's good to bring a credit card with a rather high available balance to cover such emergencies.

My 2 cents on passports, since you are asking about them you will feel much better having them. Traveling in general, but especially with kids, can be stressful. Having passports will only ease your stress levels. As others have stated they make your life easier, especially in the event of an emergency you don't need one more thing to worry about.