# passport ?



## Mimi39 (Nov 24, 2014)

I know there is more authoritative place to post this, but is a passport needed to only as far as Ensenada in Mexico?  I'm thinking about taking three adult grandkids on a short Carnival cruise next spring. None of them have passports now.


----------



## DeniseM (Nov 24, 2014)

Yes - and the cruise will require it.


----------



## PStreet1 (Nov 24, 2014)

You can get passport cards:  they cost less and are good for the Caribbean, Mexico, and Canada for everything but flying.


----------



## Talent312 (Nov 25, 2014)

You best check with the cruiseline's documents-required webpage to see if a card works.
While a passport card may work, why not shell out a little more for an actual passport?
A regular passport will give them a license to travel the world, and might encourage it.
.


----------



## nightnurse613 (Nov 25, 2014)

I thought when you departed and returned to a US Port via a cruise ship that a passport/passport card was not required.  We carry passports or passport cards but have used certified birth certificates in the past. If I recall correctly there once was a "free trade" zone but I'm not sure it extended to Ensenada.


----------



## Ron98GT (Nov 25, 2014)

Here is a link to the Royal Caribbean "Passport Requirements" page:

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/beforeyouboard/passportGuidelines.do


I never heard about the US Passport Card before this thread, but the following US Department of State link below specifically states that a US Passport Card can be used as acceptable proof of US citizenship when returning to the US from Mexico, Canada, Caribbean, &  Bermuda, on a cruise ship: interesting. 

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/news/western-hemisphere-travel-initiative.html


Here is a US Department of State link about the US Pass Port Card:

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/information/card.html


But, I'm with Talent, best to get a US passport, although I might get a US Passport Card just because they look cool. 

"
If you are interested in applying for a U.S. passport card and you have a U.S. passport book and are eligible to use Form DS-82, you may apply for the card by mail.

    You can use Form DS-82 to renew your passport book at the same time that your apply for your passport card.  To find out whether you qualify to use Form DS-82 and apply by mail, please visit Renew a Passport.
"


Form DS-82:

http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/212241.pdf


----------



## isisdave (Nov 25, 2014)

Get the real passport, unless you're only going to drive into Mexico, because you can't fly home on a passport card. Imagine being on a cruise to Cancun when you or a traveling partner gets sick.


----------



## Passepartout (Nov 25, 2014)

The difference between $50 each for cards, and over $100 each for passports in order to gift the adult kids a cheap 3 night cruise is not inconsequential Otoh, simply having one opens up the possibility of world travel to them. Not knowing the family's resources it's hard to make judgments, but holding a passport gives one a feeling of freedom they can't get any other way. 

Put another way, buying a passport just to go to Ensenada is darn expensive, but to have it handy for next year's trip to Europe or China....priceless.

Jim


----------



## PigsDad (Nov 25, 2014)

If the grandkids were minors (under 16), I would have suggested opting for the passport card since it would only be valid for 5 years.  But since they are adults, I agree with Jim and others that giving them a full passport would be a great additional gift that could be used for years from now.  (The gift that keeps on giving, but better than the Jelly of the Month club membership  )

Kurt


----------



## mdurette (Nov 26, 2014)

Talent312 said:


> You best check with the cruiseline's documents-required webpage to see if a card works.
> While a passport card may work, why not shell out a little more for an actual passport?
> A regular passport will give them a license to travel the world, and might encourage it.
> .



I agree that taking a step up from the card and getting the full passport is a good idea, but here was my reason for doing it.   As mentioned the card is fine for all but flying.  Our local passport rep gave me this example:  Someone in your party gets very ill and needs to be seen medically in another country.   If you miss the cruise back and need to fly home, it will be a lot of red tape to go through to get back in the country without the full passport.  Who wants that after a vacation that already had its problems........


----------



## Passepartout (Nov 26, 2014)

mdurette said:


> I agree that taking a step up from the card and getting the full passport is a good idea, but here was my reason for doing it.   As mentioned the card is fine for all but flying.  Our local passport rep gave me this example:  Someone in your party gets very ill and needs to be seen medically in another country.  * If you miss the cruise back and need to fly home*, it will be a lot of red tape to go through to get back in the country without the full passport.  Who wants that after a vacation that already had its problems........



Above is a good rationale for springing for the full passport, but in the OP's case, nobody takes those 3 night Carnival cruises to Ensenada expecting a 'luxury' experience. Those are low cost 'party boat' getaways. Nobody is going to fly back to the U.S. from there, no matter HOW sick they get.


----------



## Ron98GT (Nov 26, 2014)

Mimi39 said:


> I know there is more authoritative place to post this, but is a passport needed to only as far as Ensenada in Mexico?  I'm thinking about taking three adult grandkids on a short Carnival cruise next spring. None of them have passports now.


Travel documentation, from Carnivals Web site:

http://www.carnival.com/core/faq.aspx#q-1394828


I didn't know Carnival was offering these cruises?  You can take a 2, 3, or 4 nite cruise, with ocean view, for as low as $93/person + taxes, and that's not per nite, it's $93 for 4 nites.  Gota try it.


----------



## PStreet1 (Nov 26, 2014)

We have passport cards and passports.  We got our cards in 2008, and they were good for 10 years, just like the passport.  However, the numbers are not the same:  one set of numbers for each document and different expiration dates.  They are, apparently, not linked---except somewhere deep in government documents land.  We like having it for easy slipping into the pocket when going ashore, and we use it for I.D. a lot of times.  Obviously, we didn't need both, but we do use both.  (As for needing to fly back because some is ill, all U.S. citizens have "right of return," regardless of documentation.  They can delay you, but they can't keep you out.  In the case of an emergency from a ship/out of country accident/etc., I can't imagine there would be a problem--evacuation people would take care of that.)


----------



## BocaBoy (Nov 27, 2014)

I can't believe anyone would argue against a full passport for taking a cruise.  Given the advantages of a passport and the flexibility it offers for 10 years, the cost difference is negligible.  If that cost difference is a deal breaker, in my opinion the traveler has no business even considering a cruise.


----------



## BocaBoy (Nov 27, 2014)

PStreet1 said:


> We have passport cards and passports.  We got our cards in 2008, and they were good for 10 years, just like the passport.  However, the numbers are not the same:  one set of numbers for each document and different expiration dates.  They are, apparently, not linked---except somewhere deep in government documents land.  We like having it for easy slipping into the pocket when going ashore, and we use it for I.D. a lot of times.  Obviously, we didn't need both, but we do use both.  (As for needing to fly back because some is ill, all U.S. citizens have "right of return," regardless of documentation.  They can delay you, but they can't keep you out.  In the case of an emergency from a ship/out of country accident/etc., I can't imagine there would be a problem--evacuation people would take care of that.)



You absolutely could expect a delay, at least while they somehow verified citizenship.  What would they do, simply take your word for it?  And in the case of a medical emergency, that delay could be fatal.


----------



## BocaBoy (Nov 27, 2014)

Passepartout said:


> Above is a good rationale for springing for the full passport, but in the OP's case, nobody takes those 3 night Carnival cruises to Ensenada expecting a 'luxury' experience. *Those are low cost 'party boat' getaways. Nobody is going to fly back to the U.S. from there, no matter HOW sick they get.*



I hope this is not a serious statement.


----------



## Passepartout (Nov 27, 2014)

BocaBoy said:


> I hope this is not a serious statement.



Actually, it is. There is no airport in Ensenada, and it's about a 20-30 minute taxi or ambulance ride to the US border.


----------



## PStreet1 (Nov 27, 2014)

BocaBoy said:


> You absolutely could expect a delay, at least while they somehow verified citizenship.  What would they do, simply take your word for it?  And in the case of a medical emergency, that delay could be fatal.



Medical emergencies are handled as exactly that:  medical emergencies.  After the crisis, you might have some issues with immigration, though I doubt it, but when being flown in on a med-vac, they aren't going to delay.  We handle KNOWN illegals medically immediately when needed; they aren't going to say to someone that the med-vac people have radioed ahead and sent details on "wait right here; we're going to call and see if we can locate your birth certificate information."


----------



## Ron98GT (Nov 27, 2014)

Passepartout said:


> Actually, it is. There is no airport in Ensenada, and it's about a 20-30 minute taxi or ambulance ride to the US border.


I would assume that if you are a US citizen, it is a true medical emergency, and you are on the boat (and if you aren't, get on the boat), the US Coast Guard would get you off the boat and to a hospital in San Diego.

When they use to have US Coast Guard Key West, Florida, on the Weather Channel, it was interesting to watch the US Coast Guard medical evacuations in the Western Caribbean, some actually South and West of Cuba.  From what I recall, they usually had to drain the swimming pool up on the main deck.


----------



## Passepartout (Nov 27, 2014)

True. In a medevac emergency, a patient would be brought by air without regard to their documents. but c'mon people, that is not what this thread is about.


----------



## geekette (Nov 28, 2014)

Passepartout said:


> Above is a good rationale for springing for the full passport, but in the OP's case, nobody takes those 3 night Carnival cruises to Ensenada expecting a 'luxury' experience. Those are low cost 'party boat' getaways. Nobody is going to fly back to the U.S. from there, no matter HOW sick they get.



While this might be true, my first cruise was a Bahamas shortie, but the plane coming to get us to take us to port city was delayed.  There were several extra flights involved in catching us up to the ship, including foreign airports.  If it happened today, I'd be screwed without a passport.

I will never again leave the US without a full passport, and that includes flying to Hawaii.  Once the plane is in the air, I have no control over where it lands. Crossing a land border is the same deal, I want to be Very Sure I can get Home.

~~
I don't understand why OP would pay for adults to get passports?  They should get their own, the cruise is the gift.


----------



## dioxide45 (Nov 28, 2014)

While I am the first to advocate for getting a passport book for a cruise, the OP is likely driving to the port and the cruise is a closed loop short cruise. Meaning travelers only require birth certificate and photo ID to travel. A new passport book is $135 per adult. Making it a $400 cost for three adults when this may be the only time they will ever use the passport

I would just go with birth certificate and photo ID in this situation. People do it all the time on these types of cruises.


----------



## csxjohn (Nov 29, 2014)

geekette said:


> ~~
> I don't understand why OP would pay for adults to get passports?  They should get their own, the cruise is the gift.



If I were going to take my adult grand kids or kids anywhere as my treat, I would get what they need for them to get there.

I don't see anting unusual about this.


----------



## Fern Modena (Nov 29, 2014)

Your advice doesn't make sense given the facts the OP stated in her post. The cruise is a Drive To, doesn't involve a flight or crossing an ocean. The furthest it goes from the US is less than 60 miles South of San Diego.

Fern



geekette said:


> While this might be true, my first cruise was a Bahamas shortie, but the plane coming to get us to take us to port city was delayed.  There were several extra flights involved in catching us up to the ship, including foreign airports.  If it happened today, I'd be screwed without a passport.


----------



## Ron98GT (Nov 29, 2014)

[Deleted:  inappropriate]


----------



## Talent312 (Nov 29, 2014)

For this trip, they can get by with only cards or ID papers, but IMHO...
Too few Americans travel beyond our backyards.

We can read about things that influenced our culture, but for a real understanding, you need to...
-- walk the cobblestone streets of Florence,
-- hike mountain-sides in the Swiss Alps,
-- see the Mona Lisa in person at the Louvre,
-- get drunk at a pub in Dublin, 
-- traipse about the real Cinderella Castle (Neuschwanstein),
and so much more.

A passport book may just turn out to be the spark which gets you there.
.


----------



## s1b000 (Dec 1, 2014)

well said!


----------



## Sophiaw32 (Dec 2, 2014)

U.S. citizens on cruises that begin and end in the same U.S. port and travel to destinations in Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, the Bahamas or Bermuda are able to re-enter the U.S. with proof of citizenship other than a passport or passport card. Acceptable proof of citizenship includes a U.S. state-issued original or certified copy of their birth certificate (hospital certificates are not acceptable) or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or a Certificate of Naturalization and a government-issued photo ID (such as a driver's license). Passports are required for cruises that begin in one U.S. port and end in another.


----------

