Passports?

[hrhdhd]

DH has a valid passport from when he was 17. I have no idea how it did not expire. But it does not have the correct address.

My passport, gotten at the same time as DH for the same trip, has somehow expired. And it does not have my new name or address.

I am confused by your mentioning addresses on passports. A passport doesn't show your current address; it identifies what country you are a citizen of. It shows your place of birth, not your residence. You don't have to update a passport when you move if it's not expired.

 

[jdb in AZ]

You need a new travel agent....as a travel agent, I find this completely unacceptable.

Agreed. Our TA sends us text messages from her cell phone even when she's on a eurpean cruise.

So if you do have passports for your whole party, do you need to take birth certificates too?

Since passports have your (somewhat) recent picture and can be run through a customs' scanner to verify the info, it's really more useful than a birth cert so there's no need to take both.

Thanks for the info!!! I am going to renew our passports this weekend. They would have expired shortly after our cruise.

When you use your passport there's supposed to be at least six months remaining before the expiration date. So if you're close to the date, they may not let you use it.

 

[TXDCLfan]

Agreed. Our TA sends us text messages from her cell phone even when she's on a eurpean cruise.



Since passports have your (somewhat) recent picture and can be run through a customs' scanner to verify the info, it's really more useful than a birth cert so there's no need to take both.



When you use your passport there's supposed to be at least six months remaining before the expiration date. So if you're close to the date, they may not let you use it.

Only for European cruises not the ones out of the US going to the Caribbean

 

[holden]

I really wish Disney would clarify their position on whether or not passports that expire in less than 6 months of sailing date are good for Caribbean cruises. Since it doesn't say anything on our cruise docs, I'm assuming that DD9's passport will be accepted on our June cruise (it expires in Sept). Other cruiselines are more specific about what they will accept and what they will not (RCCL, for example).

 

[disneydreamingdebby]

I only scanned the other responses. My daughters and I are going on a cruise with my mom. Although it is to the Bahamas, I wanted the piece of mind to have the passports. I just completed the application process two weeks ago.

I went to this site: http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/get_4855.html

I filled out the paperwork online (renew mine and apply for new ones for kids) and printed it. Unless your dh's passport is under ten years old; it is expired.

I used a white sheet and took the photos needed. I used the template on the site to resize them and printed them. (This saved $45 - $15 a photo if I had done it at the post office!)

DH and I took the following to the post office (after calling and confirming passport hours):
paperwork printed from site
birth certificates for girls (they mail them in for the passports)
social security cards for girls
my expired passport (they mail it in)
passport photos
my driver's license
dh's driver's license
CASH or debit card - Credit card is not accepted

Both parents are required to be present in order to apply for the kids' passports.

It costs around $160 for mine and $180 for both kids.

If you aren't planning on further international traval, a passport card is a much cheaper option for cruising.

Good luck - HAVE FUN!

 

[kaseyC]

I only scanned the other responses. My daughters and I are going on a cruise with my mom. Although it is to the Bahamas, I wanted the piece of mind to have the passports. I just completed the application process two weeks ago.

I went to this site: http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/get_4855.html

I filled out the paperwork online (renew mine and apply for new ones for kids) and printed it. Unless your dh's passport is under ten years old; it is expired.

I used a white sheet and took the photos needed. I used the template on the site to resize them and printed them. (This saved $45 - $15 a photo if I had done it at the post office!)

DH and I took the following to the post office (after calling and confirming passport hours):
paperwork printed from site
birth certificates for girls (they mail them in for the passports)
social security cards for girls
my expired passport (they mail it in)
passport photos
my driver's license
dh's driver's license
CASH or debit card - Credit card is not accepted

Both parents are required to be present in order to apply for the kids' passports.

It costs around $160 for mine and $180 for both kids.

If you aren't planning on further international traval, a passport card is a much cheaper option for cruising.

Good luck - HAVE FUN!

Not exactly true, a notarized consent form (DS 3053) can be submitted if one parent is unable to appear. There is also a section on the form for Special Circumstances in case one of the parents are no longer in the picture.

 

[JessiLynn015]

This was one of the questions I asked about before booking our cruise. We're leaving FL and going to Nassau, Castaway Cay, & back to FL. My concern was DH and our baby (who will arrive the end of August).

The DCL agent assured me that you do not need a passport if you are a US citizen. Only things you will need are original birth certificates & valid government ID (drivers license is valid). My husband is in Afghanistan and is not able to apply for a passport where he's stationed and our baby will be about 15-16 weeks when we cruise. I did read how we would not need passports, but it was peace of mind hearing it from a DCL agent. If you have any doubts, just give them a call!

 

[trimix]

I am confused by your mentioning addresses on passports. A passport doesn't show your current address; it identifies what country you are a citizen of. It shows your place of birth, not your residence. You don't have to update a passport when you move if it's not expired.

Pull out your passport and take another look at it. After the page with your picture and name, there are several pages of text. One of these, I believe it is the first page after your picture and stuff, has lines where you are asked to fill in your address and emergency contact information. Newer passports specify using a pencil so you can make changes.

 

[MelissaE1]

If you aren't planning on further international traval, a passport card is a much cheaper option for cruising.

Unless I am missing something, the passport cards are really not helpful for cruising, except as a form of government ID. Since a passport is not technically required on closed loop cruises, the reason you might actually need one is to fly home in case of some emergency (or fly to meet the ship if you are one of the last minute runners ). The cards don't allow you to fly, so they wouldn't be too helpful in that situation. If you are going to spend money to get passports for a cruise, the full passport book is the way to go.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I'll share with you my knowledge of passports as both a TA and a traveler.

First off, for a closed loop cruise (one that begins and ends in the same port) you don't absolutely have to have a passport. For adults a valid drivers licenses and a valid birth certificate can be used. for a child a valid birth certificate can be used. I say valid birth certificate because the rules on birth certificates changed and it must list both parents names even if one is listed as unknown. It also MUST have a raised seal!

The thing is, if something were to happen on the cruise, some one got sick and had to leave the ship, a missed boarding, etc to re-enter the US other then on the cruise you need a passport!! There are US consulate in the carribean that will help you but you will have to pay for the passport through them and they are only good for a short time!

Next, I would really, really check that DH's passport hasn't expired! Adult passports are good for 10 years! Children's are less!

You can fill out the paperwork online, http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/get_4855.html, print the paperwork out and then you will need to find a local post office that does passports! http://iafdb.travel.state.gov/ Call the post office before you go because they usually have hours that they do passports! They don't do it all the time!

You have plenty of time!!! You will not have to have them rushed at this point! It takes less then a month from when you send the paperwork in to when you get the passport in the mail!

The U.S. Passport Card can be used to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda at land border crossings or sea ports-of-entry and is more convenient and less expensive than a passport book! I think $40 vs over $100!

Hope this makes sense and hope it helps! Feel free to ask or PM me if you have anymore questions!

I am confused! My dd12 does not have her father listed on her BC. So now she needs a passport? We are 6 weeks out at this point.

 

[1stdcl2012]

CASH or debit card - Credit card is not accepted

Both parents are required to be present in order to apply for the kids' passports.

If you aren't planning on further international traval, a passport card is a much cheaper option for cruising.

Good luck - HAVE FUN!

Personal checks are also accepted at passport processing stations such as post office. I've done that a couple of times and actually prefer it because the check cancellation sort-of tells me when they (Dept of State) actually processed my paperwork even if I do not check the online status.

As a pp said, there is a form that can be used if both parents can't be present during the application. The form certifies the other parent's consent, or if can't be obtained, a valid reason why the other parent can't be present.

Also, even though a passport card is cheaper, it has very limited use and no better than a birth cert and valid ID for Carribean/Bahamas cruises (or visits to Canada and Mexico and other US territories). It is valid only as part of Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (so can't be used in European cruises, etc). And also not valid for air travel.

 

[lanejudy]

Also, even though a passport card is cheaper, it has very limited use and no better than a birth cert and valid ID for Carribean/Bahamas cruises (or visits to Canada and Mexico and other US territories). It is valid only as part of Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (so can't be used in European cruises, etc). And also not valid for air travel.

Very true! If your sole purpose of obtaining a passport is for a closed-loop cruise, you should either spring for the full passport book or save your money. The passport CARD is essentially the same as traveling with driver's license and birth certificate. Usually, the reason to cruise with a passport is for peace of mind that if an emergency occurs, you will be able to fly - either home mid-cruise or to meet the ship should you be delayed up front. The passport CARD, while accepted as identification by airlines, will NOT allow international air travel.

 

[hrhdhd]

Pull out your passport and take another look at it. After the page with your picture and name, there are several pages of text. One of these, I believe it is the first page after your picture and stuff, has lines where you are asked to fill in your address and emergency contact information. Newer passports specify using a pencil so you can make changes.

Passports have always had a space for you to pencil in the place you're staying while traveling, not your home address, and emergency contact information. Whether you've inked that in or not, it doesn't invalidate the passport. The identification page (the laminated page) is the page I'm referring to.

I like to travel with my passport rather than my driver's license precisely because it doesn't have my address on it. The fewer people who know I'm traveling and my address, the better.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Can anyone find the official travel requirements on the dept of homeland security website? All the links on the FAQ thread are old and the google search just gives me random websites. I would like to read the official thing.

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

Can anyone find the official travel requirements on the dept of homeland security website? All the links on the FAQ thread are old and the google search just gives me random websites. I would like to read the official thing.

Post #6 has a link to a webpage which has a link to this page:

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis_pa_tw_2223.html

For Western Hemisphere Travel.

Hope that is what your looking for?

Ex Techie

Edit to add:

"NOTE: Be aware that Caribbean cruises that begin and end in the U.S. (closed loop cruises) do not require that you travel with a valid passport. However, should you need to disembark due to an emergency and you do not have a valid passport, you may encounter difficulties entering or remaining in a foreign country. You may also have difficulty attempting to re-enter the United States by air because many airlines will require a valid passport before allowing you to board the aircraft. As such, we strongly recommend that you always travel abroad with your valid passport."

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1107.html