Repositioning Cruises Passport Info

[mmouse37]

I feel your pain about things falling into the dogs water dish....my hubby was walking in our kitchen and he bumped into the counter and his cell phone fell out of his holder and plop...right in the dog's water bowl!!

MJ

 

[Verandah Man]

Originally posted by mmouse37
I feel your pain about things falling into the dogs water dish....my hubby was walking in our kitchen and he bumped into the counter and his cell phone fell out of his holder and plop...right in the dog's water bowl!!

MJ

Can you hear me now??? Sorry, I just had to do that!!!

 

[sandygirl]

I definately agree - get the passport. Last year I took DD to Mexico to visit cousins who are missionaries. They assured me all I needed was her birth certificate to cross the border (we walked over the bridge...so cool to stand with one foot in Mexico and one foot in the US!). I just felt safer having the passport proving she was mine and a US citizen. You never know.

Plus, now if we get an unexpected opportunity to travel overseas we can just go and not miss it because of not having a passport. **I can dream**

Start the process now and you won't have to worry about it later.

 

[NancyDVC]

Unfortunately I'm not going on either repositioning cruise next year. Lack of funds, work schedule etc., etc.
However just to avoid the "This isn't the correct type of birth certificate" issues I decided to get a passport. I submitted all my paper work and $$ yesterday! Hurray! I was told to expect it in 6 weeks!
For anyone who lives here on Long Island there is a post office in the lower level (basement) of the Roosevelt Field mall. They do passport applications Monday-Satruday 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM. And they can do your pictures for a $15 Fee. The line was a bit long yesterday, lots of parents and kids because of the new regulations, but the actual process was fast. The reason I mention this is that most post offices only accept pasport applications during very restricted hours-ie. 10:00 AM-12:00 Noon and 2:00PM - 3:00PM and only Monday-Friday. This makes it difficult for folks who work all week especially if you are like me with long hours!
Good luck all you repositioners! I'll be watching for you on the Panama Canal web cams! (Here's hoping that the canal transit occurs when I'm home!)

 

[seaulater]

MJ-love the tidbit about your DH and his cell phone, but I actually have one better.....

My DH was working (he's in construction), leaned over.......the man hole cover, cell phone fell out of his pocket...bye bye cell phone.......on it's way to the waters of???

Cost me a new cell phone, the insurance wouldn't cover it falling out of his pocket and into the sewer system.

Oh well, only my DH could do something like that!

Linda

 

[invaderzim]

Can you tell me -- we are going on the Western Caribbean Cruise this August. Do we need passports -- or are birth certificates enough? We only had birth certificates last year for the Eastern Caribbean, but I wasn't sure about the Mexican ports.

Thanks.

 

[TheWog]

You will be fine for the Western, unless requirements change.

 

[Greysword]

I just ordered my passport today; it took all of 3 minutes for the postal employee to process the paperwork

Yesterday at lunch, I went to get my picture taken at a local photoshop (that took about 30 minutes). I downloaded and filled out the form and had my birth certificate already at home.

Some items of note:

I needed to pay the fees in two seperate payments. I wrote a check for the $55 processing fee (it will be sent to the passport office) and I charged the $30 fee for the post office section. I could have wrote two checks, though. I don't know if a passport office proper would allow it in one lump payment or not, though.

They took my BC and sent it along with my application to the passport office. It will be returned in the mail with the passport no later tha June 26th (they said).

 

[ivanova]

from the state dept website on passports:

*Note: When applying at one of the thousands of designated application acceptance facilities in the U.S., you pay the application processing fee to the “U.S. Department of State” and the execution fee to the facility where you are applying. Acceptable forms of payment vary. When applying at a Regional Passport Agency, both fees are combined into one payment to the “U.S. Department of State” and may be paid by check (personal, certified, travelers’), major credit card (V, MC, AE, Discover), bank draft or cashier’s check, money order (U.S. Postal, international, currency exchange), or if abroad, the foreign currency equivalent, or a check drawn on a U.S. bank.

 

[Cap]

Has anyone heard from Disney Cruise Line on this, after they were asked to check? I would think there should be some clear statement from them, especially since there seems to be a lot of cancellation / new booking going on as people decide they cannot afford the repositioning cruises in terms of money, time, kids out of school, etc.

 

[Otisp]

Don't know how it is on DCL now, but when we recently got back from a Carnival Mexican cruise there were two lines-- a VERY long one for folks without passports, and a practically non-existent one for those of us who had them. They just scanned them as we walked by, and we were on our way!

 

[invaderzim]

I point blank asked two different DCL reps at two different times about whether or not you will need passports for the itineraries in 2005 and both of their answers were a resounding YES -- absolutely. Several of the Mexican ports require it, and if you are on the Panama Canal cruise, they said that would also require a Passport.

 

[Grumbo]

Just read this thread and a question?
As being a non U.S. resident we always have to have a passport on the DCL cruises but they are handed over to the ship. You DON'T have them and are in the custody of the ship. So when you get on and off of the ship they are NOT with you.
If a passport is required at Curacao for instance would not DCL retain U.S. passports as well?
In that case if ANYONE was left at a port you're not going to have physical custody of your own passport anyway. I know that on Greek Island cruises as well as Med cruises the passports were always retained as well.

I totally agree that with today's environment a passport is a "no brainer" MUST to have while travelling abroad.

Cheers,
Grumbo

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I confirm everything Grumbo has writen, as above, on the Magic our UK passports were taken on booking in the cruise and not returned until 6am on the final day.

They are taken into custody, to ensure you get back on time and are only, 'in transit'.

On the carribean cruise our 'visa waiver' was kept in the passports and we used the same document after the cruise.

However last time I went through Panama, they took out visa waiver as we left USA , and we had to fill out the forms again as we came back to the USA in Los Angeles and go through customs etc again on the ship.

The PC trip is a lot more complicated than other cruises, and I think USA citizens might have to follow our proceedures.

 

[SandraLee]

Grumbo . . . Interesting about having your passport taken away from you at the start of the trip. I remember that happening to me once (as a US citizen) and can't remember where??

This spring, my sister (US citizen) had her passport stolen on the subway in Paris. What a disaster. Of course, it was about 30 hours before their flight was to leave. They went to the US Embassy (wrong place) and had to wait until morning for the Consulate (right place) to open. To make a long story short, her DH had to 'vouch' for her being a US citizen and they processed her passport right there. But, they were RACING to get to the airport in time. During this time, they learned they should walk the city with a COPY of the passport and leave the original in the safe at the hotel. The officials told her the copy would have sufficed if she 'got in trouble' and needed to have her passport. I had heard this before someplace else. It always bothered me to walk around a city with my passport. Scared me more than losing my money. The black market for stolen passports (especially US ones) apparently is pretty good.

At any rate, if you are travelling with your passport, make sure you keep a copy of it packed with you someplace else.

 

[TinkerBellMom]

Does anyone know if my ex-husband will need to sign anything or be present inorder to get a passport for our 11 yr old daughter to travel ? I am the custodial parent. I want to get the pasport ball a rolling and I don't want to hear him whine for the next 8 months.

 

[moocow35]

I am divorced and got my DD passport without the ex being there or signing anything. She was 14 at the time, and I just got it renewed without him either. I did this at our local Post Office, and they did not even ask.

Robin

 

[MarcyIn Florida]

Originally posted by Andrew DEREK UK
The PC trip is a lot more complicated than other cruises, and I think USA citizens might have to follow our proceedures. [/B]

We did a PC cruise in 1995, and we did not have to hand over our passports. However, we absolutely had to have passports to cruise -- RCCL made it clear that no one without a passport would be allowed on the ship.

Of course, that was 10 years a go, a different cruise line, and different stops, but I wouldn't do the repo cruise w/o a passport, esp. when you have this much advance notice to get one.

 

[MarcyIn Florida]

Originally posted by TinkerBellMom
Does anyone know if my ex-husband will need to sign anything or be present inorder to get a passport for our 11 yr old daughter to travel ? I am the custodial parent. I want to get the pasport ball a rolling and I don't want to hear him whine for the next 8 months.

Your ex will have to go with you or sign a waiver (DS-3053 Statement of Consent) allowing you to apply for her passport without him present. This is the law for all minor children under the age of 14.

 

[JenKatt]

As far as I am aware US citizens do not have to turn over their passports on US cruises (i.e. cruises that start/ end in the US)
I could be wrong