The passport dilemma

[shelby]

I know you all are sick of hearing this question and I have read the passport requirements..I keep reading that people here highly suggest getting it even though we really don't HAVE to have it.
In my situation there are 5 of us. (one is a naturalized citizen with all paperwork) When we went cruising 2 years ago we ahd no problems and they didn't even glance at my marriage certificate for the change in my name from BC to my id. With 5 of us..and we are driving to port 2 days in advance... do you think we really should get them? Thats an additional $500-600 dollars on the price of our trip for something we really don't HAVE to have. We usually don't travel..these 2 trips are our first and we;ve been a family for 20 years! What are your thoughts.

[Dave]

So you're never going to travel again after this cruise? As you know, passports are already required for non-cruise related travel and will be required for ships next year. What if you have to leave the ship in Nassau and fly home?

Sooner or later you are going to travel again, and when it happens you will have no choice but to have passports. They are good for 10 years for adults. The price is not going to get any cheaper, and the wait for them will no doubt get longer. If you have the time, get it out of the way.

[shelby]

When we went to the Bahaas in 2005 they said by that December you'd have to have them for cruises. It just makes me wonder when they are REALLY going to do it. Honestly I have not been out of the country since 1985.

[Jim C.]

While I agree with Dave, I also understand the financial aspect of this to you. I assume you are traveling with your husband and kids (one of which is adopted??). I don't know what the travel rules would say but if you and you husband had a passport and you had to fly back home in the middle of the trip, would the kid's birth certificates allow them to fly with you??

Again, I'm not sure. For that matter I don't know how the situation would be handled if you didn't have a passport and cruised in and flew out now..

But my way at least allows you to defer 3/5ths of the expense unitl the next time you leave the country.

Just a thought. And I would suggest looking into this in more detail as I'm only guessing.

[Dave]

At least for the time being, the officials are still letting U.S. citizens without passports in - eventually. This includes personal interviews which are no doubt meant to be annoying and to delay the person(s). But at some point they are going to stop issuing the equivalent of "warning tickets" and leave the issue of whether a person can re-enter the U.S. up to an immigration judge or magistrate.