Question:
Last fall I am sure I remember seeing
that all passengers on cruises would
need a passport in 2006. Now I see
that this rule does not go into
effect until the end of 2006. Did
this change or was I wrong to start
with? My dear Mother who hosts the
family cruise every 2 years was
told by her TA that we all would
need a paasport for our June 2006
cruise on the Valor. Now it looks
like that is not the case. Mom is
upset because she is out the $900
or so she sprang for the family
passports and is about to take it
out on the TA. Just wondering if
the ruling changed after it was
initially announced and if so when?
Answer:
The State Department changed the
requirements because they were going
to be difficult to enforce by the
1/1/2006 deadline. The TA had no
way of knowing, (at least not unless
he/she had an in with Condoleeza
Rice) that they were going to change.
The passports are good for 10 years.
I guess your Mom cannot get a refund
but maybe the kids might consider
reimbursing her over time for something
they can use in the future?
Having the
passports with you makes everything
much easier... From the airport
checkin forward. They are the best
photo ID you can carry. The initial
date was a proposal. That was explained
here, that it was a proposal not
a rule although some could not fathom
the difference between a proposal
and a rule. Now that has been moved
back to the end of 2006. This is
just some general information that
may be of interest or help, in addition
to the latest in reference to passport
requirements.
Personally,
I would not be too hard on your
travel agent. He or she was just
providing the information they seemingly
had at the time. If that did indeed
change at a later time, they may
have had no way of knowing until
your mother had already purchased
all the passports. Yet, one way
or another, they are eventually
going to be needed anyway. Isn't
it must better to have them, even
if not needed for a particular cruise,
then to find out you don't have
them when they are needed? "Please
note that travelers to and from
certain destinations in the Western
Hemisphere will soon be required
to have a passport or other secure,
accepted document to enter or re-enter
the United States. For more information,
please visit www.travel.state.gov/passport
and follow the links to "New Requirements
for Travelers Between the United
States and the Western Hemisphere."
