Traveling without Passport??

[lovbeinmom]

Has anyone recently cruised without a passport on the 3 day cruise to the Bahamas? My travel agent said it is OK, but I am not sure. Any advice?

 

[Keira1387]

Has anyone recently cruised without a passport on the 3 day cruise to the Bahamas? My travel agent said it is OK, but I am not sure. Any advice?

Just got off the dream on Sunday. Two people in our party did not have a passport and had no issues.

 

[lovbeinmom]

I am glad to hear that....Thanks!

Just got off the dream on Sunday. Two people in our party did not have a passport and had no issues.

 

[sissy_ib]

You do not need a passport on a closed loop cruise. It is however highly recommended.

 

[lovbeinmom]

This is what a friend told me today. What would I need in place of a passport? Why is it highly recommended?

I just can't see paying about $400 for 3 of us to get passports for a 3 night crusie.

You do not need a passport on a closed loop cruise. It is however highly recommended.

 

[Phototech11]

I have read all the posts regarding the question of the need for a passport...

While it is true you may not need one for the trip if everything goes 100% according to plan.

But as we have learned this past week a passport would of saved a family from missing their entire cruise. They were unable to get on the ship the day of departure due to flight cancellations. But they could of caught the ship at the port in the Bahamas...one little problem...No passports. You have to have a passport to fly in to the Bahamas. The other big issue is they did not purchase trip insurance...lets not get off on that again.

The other major reason to have a passport on a cruise is if you get injured while in port or get airlifted off a ship to a foreign country...well things just got 2x worse without a passport.

I could go on and on and on....I would rather have it and enjoy the cruise knowing that I have it. Plus in the future if you want to fly to another country well you will be ready to go.

We got our daughter her first passport and it only took 3-4 weeks...we ordered it back around March 1st...it runs about $100.

 

[mesaboy2]

This is what a friend told me today. What would I need in place of a passport? Why is it highly recommended?

I just can't see paying about $400 for 3 of us to get passports for a 3 night crusie.

Passports are recommended in case you are stranded in a foreign port or have a medical emergency there.

Short of a passport, a state-issued birth certificate will usually suffice.

 

[kcashner]

You do not need a passport on a closed loop cruise. It is however highly recommended.

You do not NEED a passport provided that you return to Port Canaveral on the ship. If you would incur a medical emergency or other issue that might require you to FLY back to the US, you would need to obtain an emergency passport from the US Embassy or COnsulate. One more hoop to jump thru at an already stressed time in your life. That's why the passport is recommended.

If you choose to not have a passport, people under 18 need a certified birth certificate. People 18 or over need a government issued photo ID AND a certified birth certificate.

 

[Anal Annie]

Ask the family that missed their cruise last weekend what they think about passports....betcha they've got a new outlook on them.

No, they're not necessary for a cruise to the Bahamas but they sure can come in handy sometimes...

 

[CandyMandy]

Frankly, anyone who goes on any Disney cruise with an itinerary that includes any foreign ports who doesn't have both a passport and travel insurance with a private medivac air benefit is taking a very large risk. The issue isn't just what happens if you need to get a flight home in a medical emergency situation without a passport - it's the possibility your condition is so serious that your life depends on both getting directly to a major US hospital as quickly as possible and while in transit having your condition under the care of professional life support staff in an aircraft specifically equipped for that level of treatment. And that sort of Medivac flight costs five figures-- and if not booked by an insurance company must be paid for in cash before the plane leaves the ground

And as a parent, I would NEVER put my family at the risk of not having access to that type of support if it was needed.

NEVER.

 

[Makayna]

You're spending THOUSANDS of dollars to enjoy your cruise, and while I'm sure another $400 IS a lot of money, how would you like to not enjoy your cruise AT ALL because you don't have passports? Yes, it might cost $400 for a passport, but it's good for many, many years. This of all of the trips you can take in the years to come and NOT need to buy a passport again?! And, the price of peace of mind in case something terrible happens (like you miss your cruise due to weather, or someone gets seriously ill and MUST fly back immediately), is, well, priceless. Do you REALLY want to chance that?

 

[Disney Dreams]

You do not *need* a passport. Is it a good idea to go to the Bahamas without one? Not in my opinion.

If everything goes perfectly on your trip, you will never use your passport and (given that you are asking the question) will probably end up feeling that you wasted the money.

HOWEVER...
If someone in your group gets ill and needs to have medical assistance - therefore not returning via the ship - you will need a passport.

If you miss the ship some how, some way (I know - it won't happen to YOU ), you will need a passport.

There are LOTS of people on these boards who have posted countless times that you do not need a passport on the short cruises that just go to the Bahamas. I completely disagree. A passport gives you freedom and flexibility should the "what if" in life happens to hit while you are on your cruise vacation.

...I just can't see paying about $400 for 3 of us to get passports for a 3 night crusie.

You aren't spending the money for you and your family to have passports for a 3 night cruise. You are paying it for your family members to have passports for 10 years. It is NEVER a bad thing to have a passport. You never know what opportunities may drop your way in life. Not having a passport could mean not being able to take advantage of them. Having one means you can "get up and go" in a moment's notice should the chance come your way - and in the case of cruising to the Bahamas, it means having a safety net for the "what if" that life can sometimes serve up unexpectedly.

Get the passports and add it into "life costs," not "trip expenses" if it makes you feel better about it.

- Dreams

 

[luvdisney24]

I recommend a passport for all the reasons listed above but also because our government, at any time, could just change the rules and start requiring passports for cruises. That's a risk I am not willing to take. I just renewed my 9 yr old's passport last month so she is set for our cruise in November. I didn't want to have to put out all that money but better safe, than sorry.

 

[Mandersons04]

I agree with the everyone else. I wouldn't cruise without a passport and I believe that getting a passport is a great investment. I'm sure that even if you don't need it on the cruise, you will probably want to travel somewhere in the future that DOES require a passport. Why wait until it's required? My DD has was issued her first passport when she was only 9 months old. We didn't even travel anywhere that required it, I just felt that it was better to have it than not.

Believe me, I have a family of 4 so I know how much the cost of passports can be but they last 5-10 years. There are many things in life I wish I could buy for a couple hundred dollars and it last for 5-10 years.

 

[nate4761]

I know that it's an extra expense, but I agree with those who recommend getting passports.

I know it sounds sordid
But you'll be rewarded
When you're definitely boarding your cruise
and your meals will be deliciously squared.
Be Prepared!

 

[shelbell77]

Passports came in very handy for someone I sailed with two weeks ago. There was a family emergency at home-since they were snarl enough to have passports they got off the ship in Cozumel to fly home.

 

[tvguy]

Now that you are required to prove citizenship when you take a new job, prove identity when you enroll in school, apply for a driver's license, etc, we use our Passports far more frequently right here in our home town that we do traveling.
I don't understand why even people with no immediate plans to travel internationally don't have Passports, they are almost a necessity at home now.

 

[disdel]

It's kind of like the insurance debate - you can pay now, or may pay later.
All of the various reasons and scenarios have been posted. Mishaps can and do happen. Be prepared. For an adult, the life of a passport is 10 years. That's less than $15/year if you count all the costs & fees.
I posted elsewhere our experience over this past President's Day weekend, where a simple flight from NYC to Miami for a wedding could have been a total disaster, missing the wedding, losing hotel costs, etc., that was mitigated by our ability to be routed through a foreign country (Canada) in order to get to Florida in a timely fashion. As an update, the father of the bride of the wedding we attended, was recently here in NY for another of his family's weddings. As he works for American Airlines, he was flying standby, and needs to be flexible. Since it was a spring break week in the NYC area, his options dwindled as flights filled, and then bad weather caused cancellations. He had said to himself "Gee, Kenny is a pretty savvy traveler, and he said he always carries a passport no matter where he travels", and he stuck his (newly acquired) passport in his bag. Lo and behold, instead of having to wait until Tuesday to get a standby flight, he was able to route through Montreal, and be home as scheduled. Same lesson the aforementioned DISboarder learned, when his whole party couldn't join thier cruise when a cancelled flight and lack of passports precluded some options.

Just my 2 cents worth

 

[ivet]

If you have time to wait, then maybe - instead of incurring the $400 all at once, try and get one passport a month until you have them all.

Just a thought

 

[luv2surf]

I encouraged my group to get their own passport and boy, I am glad they did! Here's why:

1. One man in our group lost his driver's license somewhere inside the port while checking in. Was told he can still get off the ship to go to Nassau because he got a Passport to cover for him.

2. We witnessed a traveler (not with our group) who got turned away from the ship due to copy of birth certificate from the hospital (not State issued).

Guys, do yourself a favor - get a passport, no matter what