May I ask why you are not going to get a passport? They are the best form of identification and you will eventually need one in the next year or two. They last for 10 years, whereas here in Canada our are only good for 5 years.
Right now you don't need a passport but you will need your a copy of your original birth certificate with raised seal and photo identification like your driver's license.
i've been having a hard time getting by birth cert from NJ, they have been taking FOREVER!!! by the time i get it i will not have time to get a passport and i see now reason to spend $$$ on something i won't be using again since i hardly ever travel out of the country. and if i do i will get it at that time.
I agree with Dee Dee, It's so much easier with a pass port and they are very easy to get. We applied at the post office and got them in two weeks. Now we just breeze through customs with no problems.
The above posts are correct.. You should get a passport before the rush in the months to come.. Anyway, in the future you will need one because they will be your national ID that ever US citizen will have to have to travel or the conduct their day to day life.. OM
Do you have your original or state issued copy of your birth certificate?
Do you have a state issued picture id such as a drivers license? (Voters registration, library card, Social Security card, etc. isn't going to work)
If you are a man or a woman and the name on your birth certificate is different than the name on your state issued id, you will have to have the court or government issued documentation that shows the name change or changes. Marriage certificate, divorce papers, etc. Make sure you have both if you are divorced.
So yes, you can get on the ship if you have those things as long as your cruise is before January 31, 2006. After that you'll need a passport.
Or, you can just take basically the same documentation (except drivers license) and send it in and get the passport. Take the 3" x 5" passport with you on your trip and make life easier. It's good for 10 years and you can travel anywhere with it. You can also use it for ID anywhere in the United States or the world.
Take care,
Mike
__________________ Cruisemates Community Leader/Moderator
"There is a great difference between being well traveled and just having been to many places." ~Me
In this day and age, all people who cross an international border should have a passport. As a Canadian I never go accross the border to America without it, it makes it so much easier for myself and for the border guards. It just makes good sense.
I have a passport, but HAL says they will only take machine readable, how do I know if that is what I have? I think the picture is digital (its part of the paper) and there are two strange lines of code at the bottom, the top one has my name, the bottom has a bunch of numbers. I've only had this a couple of years and it was my first one, so I got nothing to compare it to. I seem to recall one of the airlines scanning it on a trip to France last year though. Can anyone shed any light?
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do you HAVE to have a passport??
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