Expedited Passport and a Cruise for Mother’s Day - Expedited Passports

Still trying to come up with ideas for Mother’s Day? Cruises have become surprisingly affordable-why not pitch in with your siblings and get her a cruise? For example, the Travel Deals blog has a link to some great deals on Caribbean cruises, starting as low as $179!

Remember, though, that travel requirements for cruises to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean are changing.  Currently, travelers on cruises to these regions can use photo ID and proof of citizenship, like a birth certificate, to re-enter the United States. However, starting June 1st, 2009, passports will be required for adults on cruises to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean, unless the cruises begin and end at the same US port.

If you’re purchasing a cruise for Mom this year, make sure to check with the cruise line to see if passports will be required. If your mother doesn’t have a passport, you can help her apply for an expedited passport if she needs one. Since most of the cruises that are on sale leave within the next month or so, the best way to make sure Mom has her passport in time is to use a private passport expediting service. Although the US Department of State offers expedited service, their expedited service currently takes at least 3 weeks door-to-door.  An expediting company can have her expedited passport application processed in as little as 24 hours, so she won’t have to worry about being left in port.

Order an expedited passport today, and get ready to enjoy life on the high seas!

Are you trying to decide what to do when the kids get out of school for summer vacation? Here’s a surprisingly cheap idea: take the family on  a cruise! B-Net.com has a post up that describes the deep discounts the cruise industry is offering to keep itself afloat.  According to the post, some cruises are even cheaper than staying in a nice hotel!

Of course, if you have little ones, you’ll want to make sure they have fun, too.  Royal Caribbean is offering family-friendly Nickelodeon-themed cruises over the summer. So, adults get all the luxuries of life at sea, and kids get green slime and their favorite Nickelodeon characters. Everyone wins!

If you decide to take the family on a cruise, remember that you may need passports. Currently, only air passengers need US passports to enter the country from Mexico or the Caribbean. However, on June 1st, 2009, the rules change and getting a passport will become a necessity for land and sea passengers as well.  (more…)

UPDATED INFORMATION as of June 1, 2009: 

A passport, a passport card, a NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST enrollment card, or an enhanced driver’s license is required to travel to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean by land or by sea.  

However, if you are on a closed-loop cruise to any of the above destinations, one that begins and ends at the same US port, you do not have to carry a passport and can use your driver’s license and birth certificate instead.

Also, children under the age of 16 can travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean by land or sea using only a birth certificate.

Passports are still required for any air travel out of the country  (with certain exceptions for NEXUS card holders), and you may wish to carry one even for closed-loop cruises in case you miss the  boat and need to fly to the next port, or in case you need fly home for an emergency.

Cruises that involve foreign countries other than Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean require a passport book.

Are you considering taking off on a cruise to the Caribbean for some fun in the sun? How about sailing to Mexico or Canada? Starting June 1, new passport regulations go into effect, and you may need to pack your passport.

What are the new passport requirements for cruises? Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, starting June 1 passengers on cruises that go outside the US will need a passport to re-enter the country.  There are two exceptions: (more…)