passports needed in s. carrib.

[tsj]

Hi All, Just booked a southern. carrib. on the Dawn Princess for next March, ports include Isla Margerita, Curacao, Barbados , Dominica, St. Thomas & Princess Cay, will these ports require a passport? Thanks.

Also Hotel reccommendations for Fort Lauderdale are welcome, also after our cruise are Princess tranfers to the Airport a good idea or are we better off with a cab?
thanks again

Barbados was requiring passports earlier this year but there was some leeway for US cruise passangers. Get one. It's better to be safe than sorry.

[LisaK]

spend the money, get the passport. It saves so much time and hassle when going thru customs, and Barbados is requireing them now.
As for hotel in Ft. Lauderdale, most have courtesy shuttles from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the cruise ship terminal. We have stayed at the Marriott Marina and the Embassy Suites both are very nice- but we prefer the Embassy Suites -great pool, you get a suite for a room price, full breakfast & happy hour are included in the price. Their shuttle service was very efficient and the staff very friendly.
We used the Princess transfers on the way home. Found it to be very easy, efficient and if you were running late, you would be first off the bus and escorted straight to customs.

[Jim Bragg]

At the present time, (meaning today), they are not 'required' but highly recommended. I am sticking to my remark that someday soon you will be required to have a Passport to travel outside the USA even while on a cruiseship. I highly recommend that you get one as it is so much easier to deal with than those silly BC's that there is no standard for and every state has a differant form etc. Passports are recognized the worlkd over and you pass quickly through any immigration officers whereas with a BC and photo ID you will stand in line for a good while. In many cases Passport holders are allowed to use an express line that is almost a walk-through!
Jim

[earl]

It doesn't to get a passport, Better safe then sorry.

[Donna]

I also agree with the previous posters, get the passport:

Passport info.

I'd just get a cab to the airport after the cruise, its very close and there are plenty of cabs, why wait on the bus?

[tammar]

We applied for passports six weeks ago, but haven't gotten them yet. I know this is a busy time for the government, but we are getting a little concerned right now.

Has anyone waited longer for passports?

I wouldn't think of leaving the United States in this day and age without my passport.

The important thing for you to understand is that any nation can change their requirements at any time and demand a passport. It is your responsibility to produce the required documents no matter how recently the rules were put in place.

From now to next March is an eternity with regard to things like that, and virtually anything can happen.

Besides, the best thing about getting a passport is that maybe once you have it you'll be tempted to use it frequently.

Time to get with the program, get the passport, and get it over with.

[olivia]

i have a site you can go to to get the status of your passport. emai me and i will send it to you..olivia


legend of the sea's june 27th 2004


... getting close

[Dorothy]

We didn't wait longer than 6 weeks, but I suspect it's not uncommon for a longer wait this time of year. When we applied, they gave us a number we could call (or was it a website?) to check on the status. Look at your documents and see if you can find that info.

dorothy

[tsj]

Thanks to all who responded. We will apply for passports, better safe than sorry. Glad to hear it will also speed things up at the port. Thanks again.

I haven't tammar. Dh and I got our passports back in 3 weeks. Trying contacting the passport agency to get a status on the passports.