Will This Hurt The Cruise Business?

[Feralpeg]

I just came across this in a local magazine and it made me wonder. Do you think this will hurt the cruise business? People will have to go to the trouble to get a passport.

"Recently, he Departments of State and Homeland Security announced that effective December 31, 2005 all travelers to the Caribbean, Bermuda, and South and Central America will be required to show a passport to re-enter the US. Travel to Canada and Mexico will require a passport effective December 31, 2006."

 

[bicker]

These changes are being made gradually over time. (I believe travel to/from Canada and Mexico will require passports a year later). They'll likely only have very little negative impact on the industry. Getting a passport is only a very minor inconvenience and expense, and customers will likely just chalk it up to the price of safety.

 

[WDWLVR]

This has been debated here on the boards for a couple of months now. I think the cruise industry will potentially lose some first time cruisers, especially families for whom cruising is already expensive. We've had our passports for a few years now and it seems more and more people have been getting them so I don't think it will hurt the overall business.

 

[johnatthebar]

my family is kinda dependant on the cruise industry and I have been around it all my life. I would be shocked if it caused a noteable impact. especially higher end brands that have repeat clientel as most of those customers are already world travelers. your lower end family brands will work with passengers and coddle them thru the process somewhat I would think.

 

[Jsme]

I agree it might put off the frist time cruisers. For my family it just means we are getting passports soon.

 

[Babs417]

Oh only a minor inconvenice. Just $1000 for my family of 11. I dont feel it will make my life safer.

 

[tvguy]

Oh only a minor inconvenice. Just $1000 for my family of 11. I dont feel it will make my life safer.

Almost everyone on our Disney cruise that I saw used a passport, and that was in December 2003. Wonder if cruise lines monitor passport use? Any Travel Agents out there with access to statistics?

As for Babs417's concern, well, if you're on a 7 day, yes I do consider it a minor financial inconvenience on a vacation that probably will set you back $20,000 before you are done.

 

[webray]

Nope..I don't think it will hurt it at all. People who want to take a cruise vacation will get passports. They are going to become standard for traveling, just like a DL is for driving..so why not just get one and explore the world.

 

[tarheel_girl]

I just got a passport right before my west coast cruise. Sure it's expensive. BUT it's good for 10 years. Divide the price by 10 years and it really isn't that bad of a price. I choose to see the glass half full!

 

[crisi]

It will probably impact the "bargain cruises" the $299 4 day last minute deals on Carnival.

Most people willing to pay the premium Disney charges - a passport will be a drop in the bucket.

There are some people scrimping and saving to sail DCL over another line. They'll have to decide whether to sail a cheaper line, sail fewer days (if possible) or pay the premium.

 

[DrCavin]

Oh only a minor inconvenice. Just $1000 for my family of 11. I dont feel it will make my life safer.

I am not buying the "they make it safer" line either. Criminals will always find away to get the necessary items.

 

[Laurajean1014]

No. If people can afford $300-10,000 trips, they can spring the $60 for a passport (that lasts 10 years).

 

[Mmketeer]

LauraJean,

Where can you get a $60 passport? That sounds really reasonable. Everything I have been finding for first timers is around $99pp!
Thanks! Mmketeer
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[Indea88]

The passports set me back 400.00 for a family of four. That is a significant difference. I had a passport for myself in the eighties which is now expired, I believe it was about 35.00. I find eighty some dollars for an infants passport to be ridiculous and some of the charges broken down within that fee no one can explain what they are for? Security? Come again...!!

 

[bicker]

I am not buying the "they make it safer" line either. Criminals will always find away to get the necessary items.

Deterrants, regardless of what they are, make it more difficult for criminals to commit crime, cull the weaker criminals out of the equation, make efforts to commit crime easier to detect, and raise everyone's level of awareness.

 

[natdencro]

Try travelling outside USA without a passport! $400 for passports for a family of 4? That works out at just $10 per person per year - during the 10yr life of a passport - enabling you world-wide travel. Small price to pay I would have thought for the luxury of seeing the world with as much security as possible. There are always CHEAPER cruises if you cannot afford a passport AND a Caribbean Cruise.

 

[chasbos]

ITA with Laurajean1014 and the others who stated that a passport cost is pretty minor compared to the cost of the cruise itself. We have always had to have passports to travel internationally - if I could not afford the passport for my family of 6 - we would not be travelling internationally.

If you cannot afford the passport than can you really afford the cruise? IMO - for me personally the answer would be NO.

I am just in the process of renewing our passports - $120 for pictures, $37 * 4 kids= $148, $87 * 2 adults= $174 For a total of $442 for passports that last 5 years. So that is only $88.40 per year.

Now on a $10,000 vacation - $88.40 is a drop in the bucket.

 

[Babs417]

Passports are only another form of tax.Something we dont have to much on this cruise.

 

[bicker]

Actually, passport fees are the opposite of taxes. Taxes are funds raised for general use -- everyone pays for everything. Passport fees are charged only for those who use the services of INS -- those entering or leaving the country.

 

[crisi]

My economics textbook would say you are wrong bicker. Passports are a service based tax. Fee for service is still a form of taxation, i.e. taxation is money collected by the government.

Besides, as inefficient as the government is, it doesn't cost them $90 to process a passport. There is some element of passport fees to be paying for other services provided by either the State Department/Customs etc, or ending up in the general fund.

But compared to other fee for service operations, its cheap. My son's immigration paperwork and citizenship (we adopted from abroad) were much more expensive.