On certain itineraries on Disney Cruise Line (and many other lines, I believe) if you are a US citizen you are able to cruise with an original birth certificate and are not required to have a passport.
I, however, would never do this, and I always strongly recommend that my clients get a passport any time they are going to be out of the United States.
The short answer as to why is because, without a passport, you will not be able to fly back into the United States quickly, without hankering with the consulate or customs, if you have to disembark in a foreign port.
I admit, I am a "worst case scenario" person and I like to be prepared for as many situations as I can. As with the Trip Insurance issue, is it likely that something awful would happen during your trip and you would need to get home? Probably not, God willing everything is fine - - but what if it DOES?
One of the biggest reasons I hear for not getting passports is the cost; and yes, they are not cheap. I think they are around $100 for an adult and for a family, that can add up. However, think of the cost (in money and in time) if you don't have it, and need it?
So without further ado, here are the reasons why I will never cruise without a passport:
* Today you can - tomorrow (the day before your cruise??) you might not be able to.
We all know that rules can change at any point - this is especially true for US Customs and travel in and out of the United States. Let's say your cruise is in June and come May 30th, an announcement is made that starting immediately US Customs will no longer allow cruise travelers to use their birth certificates. And it's days before your cruise, so you'll either A) not be able to go, or B) have to pay out the nose in last-minute passport fees. I guarantee you this will cost WAY more than that $100/person passport charge.
* In an emergency, getting home should not be a worry.
Unfortunately emergencies do happen, and they can happen on vacation as easily as at home. Say, for example, you are on a cruise and your spouse has a stroke. Your disembark in a foreign port of call in order to get medical treatment, but unless you have a passport, you cannot board a flight to get home once you're cleared to do so. Imagine not only dealing with your loved one being sick, but having to add to that the headache and hassle of trying to get back to the United States.
A few months ago, a fellow travel agent relayed an incident involving two of her clients. On a cruise, one of the travelers passed away in their sleep. The decedent and the surviving spouse disembarked the ship in a Caribbean country, in accordance with cruise line rules - and they were sailing without passports. Not only was the spouse dealing with the tragedy of losing their loved one, and the legal steps needed to get the deceased back to the US - she was told she would most likely be in that country for at least 2 weeks while everything was getting sorted out to allow her back into the United States.
In an emergency, the LAST thing you want to do is stress about getting you (and your loved ones) back to the United States in a timely matter.
* Passports are good for a number of years.
Currently, if you are over 18 your passport is good for ten years; those younger than 18 have their valid for five years.
"Well, I'm not planning any other cruises / foreign trips in the next 5-10 years", you say. Are you sure? What if you son/daughter comes home from school and tells you about the class trip to Toronto? (Yes, Canada is a foreign country so you need a passport!) What if your best friend calls you, says she's getting married in Cabo in 3 months and wants you there as her maid of honor?
These might be extreme examples, but you just never know when an opportunity to use the passport will present itself and if you already have it - easy peasy!
* It's another great form of government issued photo ID.
You can use your passport for more than foreign travel; it's also a great (if not the best) form of government ID. Let's say you misplace your drivers license, and you have a flight tomorrow morning. No worries! Just bring your passport. (After someone drives you to the airport, of course!) If you didn't have it, you wouldn't be getting on that flight.
Please share in the comments and on Facebook - were you ever in a situation where having your passport made things MUCH easier? What would you say to someone who was on the fence about getting one?
Have a magical day!
No comments:
Post a Comment