Question about Passport book vs Passport Card

[khinton]

I am going on the 3-night Bahamas cruise in January. I know it is not mandatory to have a passport for this cruise but it is recommended. I have to renew mine and my husband's and i will need to get them for my children.
Has anyone gotten the passport card vs the passport book? I know the card is much cheaper and i am thinking of just getting the card. I was just curious about what other people have done?
Thanks!

 

[lanejudy]

The Passport Card does nothing for cruising that you can't accomplish with just a birth certificate (for the kids) and photo ID (for adults). The reason to use a passport for a cruise is if the unlikely emergency happens requiring you to fly home, or to fly and catch up with the ship. The Passport Card is useless for such a situation. If you wish to use passports, I recommend springing for the full Passport Book; otherwise, if the reason to get passports is simply for the cruise -- save the expense and use birth certificates for the kids. And I say this as someone who does use a Passport Card but only because we have it for ground travel.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[clten]

I'm with lanejudy, the passport card is useless for a cruise. Either get the passport book or travel with birth certificate/driver's license combo. I thought about getting the passport card in addition to the book the last time I renewed my passport but couldn't think of a time it would be worth having the card.

 

[bumbershoot]

If you're putting out the money, just get the book.

 

[anonymousegirl]

I believe that the passport card works only for travel from the USA to Mexico and USA to Canada, by land or air, not sea.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I believe that the passport card works only for travel from the USA to Mexico and USA to Canada, by land or air, not sea.

From the US Dept of State website:
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. The passport card cannot be used for international travel by air.
http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/information/card.html

 

[over50visits]

The Passport Card does nothing for cruising that you can't accomplish with just a birth certificate (for the kids) and photo ID (for adults). The reason to use a passport for a cruise is if the unlikely emergency happens requiring you to fly home, or to fly and catch up with the ship. The Passport Card is useless for such a situation. If you wish to use passports, I recommend springing for the full Passport Book; otherwise, if the reason to get passports is simply for the cruise -- save the expense and use birth certificates for the kids. And I say this as someone who does use a Passport Card but only because we have it for ground travel.

Enjoy your cruise!

Exactly - great answer. For a cruise, either use birth certificate (if OK on that cruise) or get a passport.