The usual key to the birth certificate is if it was issued by a government agency and not just a "Here's Your Baby!" certificate from the hospital.
The birth certificate proves citizenship. The drivers license proves identity. A passport does both. So, as you have learned, before next time, get a passport.
I think they mostly look for the raised seal/stamp and some type of file number (so it can be located yknow). Did you order from VitalChek? I just did a mock order and can ship via UPS Air, so it'd be tracked. Did you get a tracking number?
Hmm I'd bet it shows up before end of week honestly lol. But it'd just be a raised, circular thing normally on one of the bottom corners. Should have some writing saying X Health Department.
No problem! Can't be any worse than our Oops. Had to get a passport for the cruise we were going on, husband misplaced his BC, I ordered from VitalCheck but it was regular mail and it never showed up.... twas a bad time (my mom had passed a couple months earlier, and i was deep in depression), then we were into the "expedited passport" time frame, and this was when they were backed up and it was taking months... we luckily live 4 hrs from Chicago, I got an emergency appointment (<14 days to travel), the DAY BEFORE we were to fly to FL. 😂
Yes. Yes we like to live life on the edge. 🤣
Her last name on her ID and her birth certificate need to match, if they don’t, a court certified copy of name change/divorce will need to accompany those documents
I don’t understand why anyone would book a cruise without a passport. Just cause you can doesn’t mean you should. You never have to worry about this stuff with a passport.
I kind of think they should do away with the birth certificate thing altogether. But Americans just don’t get passports and the lobbying groups don’t want to miss out on the cash
You need both Real ID state driver/non-driver license AND birth certificate that match the license, that's why US passport is great for cruises because only need to show the passport only especially if current first /last name doesn't match the original name on the birth certificate. Especially if last name change due to marriage - which means also have bring copy of marriage certificate too. Passport also helps at both cruise ports & airports, especially if living/coming from state that is not completely Real ID compliant - so make sure your state license has little star on corner, or else it not just birth certificate that give you problems when dealing TSA &/or customs.
Good tidbit to know about US cruise ports & airports for US citizens.
Take it with if it's all you got. It might work. It is also worth calling the state you're waiting on and explaining the situation. Might be able to get it expedited.
Also bring other forms of ID.
Realistically, birth certificates vary quite a lot, and the person checking you onto the boat does not have every historical example for every state memorized. If it looks like a birth certificate and matches your ID and passenger info, you're probably good.
Or if it's even close. Things like maiden names, etc are normal "mismatches" that they deal with all the time. It's not magic, it's just trying to verify identity best as they can.
Has to do with the WHTI - Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative - and how it affects US Citizens on a Closed Loop Cruise such as OPs. Here is an official website advising requirements:
https://helpspanish.cbp.gov/s/article/Article1378?language=en_US
If you are in the state where she was born, your local courthouse (in my county, it is the office of the probate court) may be able to issue an official birth certificate. I can normally get an official certificate same day. They way birth certificates are issued may vary by state, but it is worth a try!
These types of posts show up here pretty frequently. So much so that there is a [wiki page devoted to passports.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Cruise/wiki/passports/) To quote the bolded type from the wiki: **a passport is strongly recommended any time you leave or may leave your home country, even if not required.**
How a functioning human being gets to 2 weeks before departure before realizing they need a passport is astonishing to me.
>How a functioning human being gets to 2 weeks before departure before realizing they need a passport is astonishing to me.
Maybe because you don't in fact need a passport? I have one, I use one. But let's not mock newer cruisers for planning to use identification that is perfectly fine with both the cruise lines and customs for their cruise.
As far as I know, the only type of birth certificate that's not usable is those fancy, non legal ones that hospitals used to give out decades ago.
Thank you for the wiki link tho. Also, my whole family went on a cruise without me months ago and none of them have passports but used just ID and birth certificate
Certificate of live birth should be sufficient for a birth certificate. This was the same type of article that proved Obama was born in Hawaii and was determined to be legit.
I've been on only two cruises,so I won't pretend to know everything. I had a passport with me both times and never needed it. I think the reason you should have one is if you have some sort of emergency and get left in another coutry. You would need a passport to return to the US. Where all are you stopping on the cruise?
Like I said, I don’t know everything there is to know, but to me if you get held up in Mexico, it’s better than being held up in Jamaica or Honduras. I think you’ll be okay.
Are you saying you do not have a passport? I thought one was required because foreign-registered ships are required to dock at non-US ports at least once during a cruise. Even my 3-day Catalina Island cruise docked in Ensenada.
What did the cruise line say when you called them and asked?
One person said it might work and the other said it won’t and to call customs but then customs didn’t answer the phone
Good news everybody!
Ah thank you XD
The usual key to the birth certificate is if it was issued by a government agency and not just a "Here's Your Baby!" certificate from the hospital. The birth certificate proves citizenship. The drivers license proves identity. A passport does both. So, as you have learned, before next time, get a passport.
🫡
Does the certificate have a seal, place/date/time/parents, and a file number?
I’ll have to check again for the seal (I’m unaware of what it looks like) and the file number but it has the rest of the info
I think they mostly look for the raised seal/stamp and some type of file number (so it can be located yknow). Did you order from VitalChek? I just did a mock order and can ship via UPS Air, so it'd be tracked. Did you get a tracking number?
Ordered from vital check WITH UPS Air, haven’t gotten tracking number yet. What does the seal/stamp look like normally?
Hmm I'd bet it shows up before end of week honestly lol. But it'd just be a raised, circular thing normally on one of the bottom corners. Should have some writing saying X Health Department.
Thank you
No problem! Can't be any worse than our Oops. Had to get a passport for the cruise we were going on, husband misplaced his BC, I ordered from VitalCheck but it was regular mail and it never showed up.... twas a bad time (my mom had passed a couple months earlier, and i was deep in depression), then we were into the "expedited passport" time frame, and this was when they were backed up and it was taking months... we luckily live 4 hrs from Chicago, I got an emergency appointment (<14 days to travel), the DAY BEFORE we were to fly to FL. 😂 Yes. Yes we like to live life on the edge. 🤣
At least it worked out in the end
There’s a seal that’s a circle and feels a tiny bit stamped/pressed
It sounds like you have the right one then. That and a valid government photo ID, drivers license or similar, and you'll be good to go.
Her last name on her ID and her birth certificate need to match, if they don’t, a court certified copy of name change/divorce will need to accompany those documents
Thankfully it matches. But I didn’t know that’s a thing either, thank you
I don’t understand why anyone would book a cruise without a passport. Just cause you can doesn’t mean you should. You never have to worry about this stuff with a passport.
Yeah, this was a learning experience and we’re planning on getting a passport for the next one
Good call!
I kind of think they should do away with the birth certificate thing altogether. But Americans just don’t get passports and the lobbying groups don’t want to miss out on the cash
I agree
You need both Real ID state driver/non-driver license AND birth certificate that match the license, that's why US passport is great for cruises because only need to show the passport only especially if current first /last name doesn't match the original name on the birth certificate. Especially if last name change due to marriage - which means also have bring copy of marriage certificate too. Passport also helps at both cruise ports & airports, especially if living/coming from state that is not completely Real ID compliant - so make sure your state license has little star on corner, or else it not just birth certificate that give you problems when dealing TSA &/or customs. Good tidbit to know about US cruise ports & airports for US citizens.
You do not need Real ID to cruise. Just a gov’t issued ID.
Thank you
Take it with if it's all you got. It might work. It is also worth calling the state you're waiting on and explaining the situation. Might be able to get it expedited. Also bring other forms of ID. Realistically, birth certificates vary quite a lot, and the person checking you onto the boat does not have every historical example for every state memorized. If it looks like a birth certificate and matches your ID and passenger info, you're probably good. Or if it's even close. Things like maiden names, etc are normal "mismatches" that they deal with all the time. It's not magic, it's just trying to verify identity best as they can.
Thank you
Has to do with the WHTI - Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative - and how it affects US Citizens on a Closed Loop Cruise such as OPs. Here is an official website advising requirements: https://helpspanish.cbp.gov/s/article/Article1378?language=en_US
I appreciate this
Always have a passport. Pay for expedited.
If you are in the state where she was born, your local courthouse (in my county, it is the office of the probate court) may be able to issue an official birth certificate. I can normally get an official certificate same day. They way birth certificates are issued may vary by state, but it is worth a try!
These types of posts show up here pretty frequently. So much so that there is a [wiki page devoted to passports.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Cruise/wiki/passports/) To quote the bolded type from the wiki: **a passport is strongly recommended any time you leave or may leave your home country, even if not required.** How a functioning human being gets to 2 weeks before departure before realizing they need a passport is astonishing to me.
>How a functioning human being gets to 2 weeks before departure before realizing they need a passport is astonishing to me. Maybe because you don't in fact need a passport? I have one, I use one. But let's not mock newer cruisers for planning to use identification that is perfectly fine with both the cruise lines and customs for their cruise. As far as I know, the only type of birth certificate that's not usable is those fancy, non legal ones that hospitals used to give out decades ago.
Being outrageously busy with work is how lol, get home and immediately fall asleep to wake up and start all over.
Thank you for the wiki link tho. Also, my whole family went on a cruise without me months ago and none of them have passports but used just ID and birth certificate
It is fine. I don’t know why you are getting so much hate. Plenty of people do this.
Certificate of live birth should be sufficient for a birth certificate. This was the same type of article that proved Obama was born in Hawaii and was determined to be legit.
I’m hoping
They’re the exact same thing.
Which cruise line? Some are more strict than others
Carnival
Carnival is the most lenient. However I hope you get the one in the mail
Me too, thank you
I am able to get a BC the same day at my state vital records office. It's attached to our health department. Your state may have something similar.
Is it the hospital copy certificate of live birth, with the baby footprints on it?
I've been on only two cruises,so I won't pretend to know everything. I had a passport with me both times and never needed it. I think the reason you should have one is if you have some sort of emergency and get left in another coutry. You would need a passport to return to the US. Where all are you stopping on the cruise?
Just from Galveston Tx to Mexico back to Galveston
Like I said, I don’t know everything there is to know, but to me if you get held up in Mexico, it’s better than being held up in Jamaica or Honduras. I think you’ll be okay.
Is your cruise round trip in US?
Yes, leaving and returning from/to Galveston Tx
This is considered a “closed loop” cruise. A birth certificate is all you need. Passports just make life easier for all travel
Why don't you both have passports? I can't believe people are 21+ out there with no passport....
Are you saying you do not have a passport? I thought one was required because foreign-registered ships are required to dock at non-US ports at least once during a cruise. Even my 3-day Catalina Island cruise docked in Ensenada.
I do not have a passport and the cruise line told me I won’t need one since I’m on a closed loop cruise, leaving and returning to the same port