Recently cruised using birth certificates?

[MillauFr]

As I said, we are getting the passports to "cover our rears"!!! Should we have to leave the cruise due to illness, etc. and fly back to the U.S., you CAN NOT re-enter without a passport...according to everything I've read. Hopefully it will be an expense that we really didn't need to incur but at our age, I'd rather be prepared!

Wrong.
So you would be stranded in a foreign country unable ever to return to the US???? Of course you will be able to get back to the US. It won't be easy though and the last thing you need is another hassle when you are stuck in a foreign country with medical issues or something else serious.

 

[alaskanabbott]

Op didn't ask to start another "passport vs birth cert" DIScussion.
We have sailed 3 DCL cruises in 18 months with 11 different people. Birth certificates only and none of the women were asked for marriage liscense even though 3 had different last names.

 

[patti226]

This is a very common topic here. I probably see one thread every week or so. A couple of facts that need to be corrected.

1) You can return by air to the country without a passport in the event of an emergency. It is a longer process but it can be done.
2) A copy of the marriage license is needed if the name on the birth certificate does not match the name on the photo ID. There needs to be something to create that link between the names, otherwise there is no proof that the birth certificate is really yours.
3) The passport card is not a substitute for a passport. It is helpful for land crossings only. Otherwise, it is just another form of government issue ID.

Sailing on a closed loop cruise is really the only way you can leave the country without a passport these days. If you are planning to travel for vacations, it is worth considering. However, since passports for children expire more frequently, I can see why you might not want to do this for the kids.

Sailing with an ID and Certified Copy of the Birth Certificate is perfectly fine and thousands of passengers do it every year.

You can use the passport card for land and sea travel not air travel

 

[mandykaye]

Thanks for all the replies I guess we will use our birth certificates, since this is a one time vacation for us

 

[anniemck]

Just off the Wonder this morning. BC/DL and ML alone. This is my 15th cruise and haven't had a passport yet, however my cruise buddy said she wants to do Europe in two years, so I guess I will have it then.

 

[Beermam42]

How many have recently crusied using your birth certificates?

REASON MORE THAN HALF PEOPLE ON BOARD DID NOT HAVE PASSPORTS. We passed the dead ship on Magic on Monday AM and they were only 125 from a port in Mexico. You cannot return to US by any other means than that ship without passport. One of the things considered was to transfer at the dock in Mexico to another Carnival Ship, and that would not work.

The day we docked, Friday in Galveston, got to meet and see the passengers being busses back from Mobile. Hope I never have be in those shoes.

 

[Disneydreamer MN]

Cruised in August with birth certificates without any issues.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

How many have recently crusied using your birth certificates?

No legal reason you cannot use the official birth cert. and photo id. If everything goes right.....great.


Please note is has to be a orginial with whatever symbol your states uses on the BC. In addition, your parents names have to be on the BC as well.

The reason most people he advise getting a passport is for the times things go wrong..............illness, accidents, missing the ship, ..its a big problem and lots of time and visits to the US embassy to get a replacement passort.

Whatever you do have a great cruise.


AKK

 

[jdb in AZ]

REASON MORE THAN HALF PEOPLE ON BOARD DID NOT HAVE PASSPORTS. We passed the dead ship on Magic on Monday AM and they were only 125 from a port in Mexico. You cannot return to US by any other means than that ship without passport. One of the things considered was to transfer at the dock in Mexico to another Carnival Ship, and that would not work.

The day we docked, Friday in Galveston, got to meet and see the passengers being busses back from Mobile. Hope I never have be in those shoes.

The real reason they were towed to the US -- by the time the tugs arrived, the ship had drifted many miles northward, so it was simpler to tow them the rest of the way to Alabama.

 

[livie1205]

make sure to bring your marriage cert also if your last name has changed from your birth and drivers liscence!

I have never had a issue with this, I called disney before our last cruise and they said as long as my DL had my name now that they dont worry about that. They said most people have already been married and the BC would have our given name.I used my BC and my DL ( with married name) with no issue.I also did not need a paper for my son who has my ex s name and i have my dh name which is not the same. I dont know about other cruise lines but DCL is very easy.