Original Birth Certificate Instead Of Passport/Passport Card For 3 Day Disney Cruise

[awilliams4]

Hello.

Our family does not have Passports or Passport Cards and are planning our 1st Disney Cruise. 3 Day cruise to Nassau and Castaway Cay.

Since we anticipate this may be our only Cruise for quite sometime, we would like to try and save the $170 it would take for my family of (4) to get Passport Cards.

Has anyone used just their Birth Certificate to get on the boat and back into the country? If so, any hassles, delays, problems in your experience?

Thank you.

 

[maggiegrace1]

Passport Requirement
All travelers, including U.S. Citizens and all foreign nationals, are required to have a valid passport to enter or re-enter the United States by air.

Since you will be entering the country again by boat you will not need a passport..
We do not plan on getting passports when we Disney Cruise in May, since we will probably not need them again for a long time.

 

[awilliams4]

Thanks for the reply. I am aware of the requirementments, I am just curious in the experiences, bad/good/indifferent, others have had that only used their Birth Certificate.

Thanks.

 

[UberPlannerMom]

Well, now I am confused... I thought you had to have a passport card just to drive in or out of Mexico... can you really use a birth certificate?

 

[happymom52003]

Well, now I am confused... I thought you had to have a passport card just to drive in or out of Mexico... can you really use a birth certificate?

Yes. A certified birth certificate can be used on a cruise instead of a passport. The only problem that could occur would be in the very unlikely situation that you had some sort of emergency and needed to fly home from one of the ports. If that happened, you could run into problems without a passport, since you would be entering the U.S. by plane.

 

[maggiegrace1]

Thanks for the reply. I am aware of the requirementments, I am just curious in the experiences, bad/good/indifferent, others have had that only used their Birth Certificate.

Thanks.

Ah..Ok I misunderstood..

Yes. A certified birth certificate can be used on a cruise instead of a passport. The only problem that could occur would be in the very unlikely situation that you had some sort of emergency and needed to fly home from one of the ports. If that happened, you could run into problems without a passport, since you would be entering the U.S. by plane.

That is what I read also..

 

[UberPlannerMom]

Yes. A certified birth certificate can be used on a cruise instead of a passport. The only problem that could occur would be in the very unlikely situation that you had some sort of emergency and needed to fly home from one of the ports. If that happened, you could run into problems without a passport, since you would be entering the U.S. by plane.

Well, that is good to know for the future... thanks for the info!

 

[Mr Toad]

Personally, I'd just spend the money and get regular passports. They are good for ten years. With many changes in regard to travel by the US government and other foreign governments, it might become a requirement soon.

 

[Master Yoda]

From my experience the biggest factor in check in time is when you get to the port. The earlier you get there the less time you will spend waiting in line.

 

[Mr Toad]

From my experience the biggest factor in check in time is when you get to the port. The earlier you get there the less time you will spend waiting in line.

Soooo true!

 

[sbkline]

I used to work at the County Clerk's office and, up until the last several months I worked there, we were the passport agents for the county. Due to a new rule that the office that issues birth certificates cannot also be the passport agent, the county Treasurer's office took over the passports.

Anyway, at the time that I worked there, new rules were coming out that ANYONE coming into the country had to have a passport. The new policy was being implemented in stages at the time. I think it started with people driving over the border, then it was to extend to flights, then to sea travel. I know it was to eventually include sea travel, as my wife and I decided to get passports in the event that we would ever take a cruise.

Now, I quit in October of 2007, so it could be that rules have changed once again in that amount of time. But as of that time, at least, a birth certificate would no longer be valid for re-entry from a cruise...a passport would be required.

 

[Master Yoda]

I used to work at the County Clerk's office and, up until the last several months I worked there, we were the passport agents for the county. Due to a new rule that the office that issues birth certificates cannot also be the passport agent, the county Treasurer's office took over the passports.

Anyway, at the time that I worked there, new rules were coming out that ANYONE coming into the country had to have a passport. The new policy was being implemented in stages at the time. I think it started with people driving over the border, then it was to extend to flights, then to sea travel. I know it was to eventually include sea travel, as my wife and I decided to get passports in the event that we would ever take a cruise.

Now, I quit in October of 2007, so it could be that rules have changed once again in that amount of time. But as of that time, at least, a birth certificate would no longer be valid for re-entry from a cruise...a passport would be required.

Not the case. You can take still take a cruise with only a birth certificate.

 

[Loretta]

My granddaughter decided to go the last minute on a cruise (non-Disney) with her parents this past March and all she needed was her birth certificate. She had no problems at all.

 

[Mr Toad]

Passport not required for "closed loop" cruises at originate and terminate in the same US port. However, some foreign governments may require a passport to enter their country. Most cruises fall under this category.

 

[RiversideBunny]

Things can go a lot faster and easier if you have a passport.

 

[pixiesteno]

I just checked the US State Department who issues the guidelines and pass ports under the Western Hemisphere Travel initive and it says for returning to the US by sea - and it lists commericial cruises and it was passport or card. So your best bet is to get your passports done.

 

[Mr Toad]

Things can go a lot faster and easier if you have a passport.

Agreed. Passports will make your life easier. I may not be required for most cruises right now, but that will more than likely change soon.

 

[luckyeye13]

As mentioned in a previous post and on the US government's website about the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, passports or passport cards are not required for closed loop cruises, which depart from and arrive at the same US port and only travel to countries with a common land border with the US (Canada and Mexico) or to nearby Caribbean islands. The web site is at http://www.getyouhome.gov/. According to the web site, though, cruise companies may require a passport, anyway, and your cruise may make stops that are not covered by this exemption, which would also mean that a passport or passport card would be required.

I also agree with the other posters who said that you should get a passport and/or passport card, even if you don't need it for this trip. Starting July 13, the price of passports and passport cards will go up anywhere from about 50 to 100%! As a result, it would be a good idea to get your application in now! For my part, I was originally going to wait until October (six months before my passport expired) to get a new one, but, after learning of the price increase, I sent in for both a renewal passport and a new passport card (for which I got to pay the renewal rate, since I already had a passport book). The total for both came out to $95 ($75 for the passport and $20 for the card). With the new rate, I would have paid $110 for just the passport and another $55 for the card.

Also, anyone who may need additional visa pages on an existing US passport should get that in now because, from the 13th, the charge will go from a generous $0 to an extortianate $82! If you plan to do a lot of traveling, make sure to put in a note on a new or renewal passport application asking for a 52-page passport, rather than the standard 24-page one. There is no extra cost and you will be less likely to need to pay for extra pages during the life of the passport.

 

[maryszhi]

actually the rule applies to cruises on as well. believe it or not no matter how you get there you need a passport to get off the boat and back on and finallly back to the usa. it use to be that way for the carribean and such but new rules are new rules. and you must have a passport, not the card,the card is for canada and mx only i believe. i would call disney cruise line just to make sure. i would hate for you to get there and they not let you on

 

[happymom52003]

Even though they did not need them, we went ahead and got our kids passports (my DH and I already had passports) for our recent cruise. Whenever passport rules change there can be a mad rush which results in longer waiting periods to get them, and I did not want to risk that happening to us before our cruise if they happened to decide to change the regulations. Sure it was an added expense, but still a drop in the bucket when you look at what we paid for the cruise itself. I kind of looked at it as insurance...better to have them just in case. Plus, if a great deal ever pops up at the last minute on a DCL Med cruise (which I am dying to go on!) we will already have the passports! I know, wishful thinking. But you never know!