Passport Book VS Passport Card? Update in #12

[liz]

My family and I are heading on a cruise to Bermuda leaving from Boston. DH and I need new passports since ours are over 15 years old. The kids would be getting a passport for the first time. I see that for a lower fee you can get a Passport Card for travel to Mexico, Bermuda, Canada and the Caribbean.

I am leaning towards the Passport Card since I don't see us travelling internationally anytime soon. Plus the cruise was a last minute purchase and we had to pay for the cruise in full. I would love to save some money if possible.

Any one have experience with the Passport Card??

[georgiegirl]

It’s only a $15 difference I think. I’d just get the regular passport in case you want to go to Canada or somewhere else. We just re-applied for our kids last weekend, and it was pretty easy.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[liz]

It’s only a $15 difference I think. I’d just get the regular passport in case you want to go to Canada or somewhere else. We just re-applied for our kids last weekend, and it was pretty easy.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I'm seeing for kids under 16 a passport is $115 and the card is $50. Adults are $145 for the passport and the card is $65. I'm not being snarky, but am I missing something? I certainly don't want to get the wrong form of ID to travel!

eta, it's supposed to be travel to/from Mexico, Bermuda, Caribbean, and Canada. It sounds to good to be true! Also, we would be paying for new passports, not renewing, so new passports would be more $

[JElaineB]

I have both. You can't fly back from Bermuda with the passport card if there is an emergency. So if you are bothering to get the card then you might as well pay the extra money for the book too (or instead). You can cruise on a closed loop cruise to Bermuda with just a photo ID and birth certificate so you really don't need either the book or the card at all if you are willing to risk not being able to fly back.

[hillview]

if you don't plan to travel more get the card

[liz]

I have both. You can't fly back from Bermuda with the passport card if there is an emergency. So if you are bothering to get the card then you might as well pay the extra money for the book too (or instead). You can cruise on a closed loop cruise to Bermuda with just a photo ID and birth certificate so you really don't need either the book or the card at all if you are willing to risk not being able to fly back.

wow, just an ID and birth certificate? I really thought I needed a passport to travel.

I guess part of the reason I don't want to get passports is that kids passports/cards are only good for 5 years and it's over a 50% savings. Quickly figuring out prices, it looks like passports for all 5 of us would be $635 vs cards would be $280

[JElaineB]

No, if you are all US citizens going from Boston to Bermuda and back on a cruise you do not need passports. Anyone 16 and older will need a photo ID and birth certificate anyone under 16 will just need the birth certificate. https://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/cruise-travel-documents

[MSWR0319]

The passport card only works for land or water travel. What if there's an emergency and you have to fly back? We just got the kids their passports and got the regular one. Right now our only plan is travel to Canada by car, but we may fly to the Caribbean in the next five years, so we didn't want to chance it.

[georgiegirl]

I'm seeing for kids under 16 a passport is $115 and the card is $50. Adults are $145 for the passport and the card is $65. I'm not being snarky, but am I missing something? I certainly don't want to get the wrong form of ID to travel!

eta, it's supposed to be travel to/from Mexico, Bermuda, Caribbean, and Canada. It sounds to good to be true! Also, we would be paying for new passports, not renewing, so new passports would be more $

I misread. I was looking at the wrong amount. If you are sure you won’t travel internationally in the next 4.5 years, then I guess the passport book would be fine. That is a big difference when you add it all up. Thankfully next time my kids need passports, DD will be 17 and can get one for 10 years.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[connor_mommy]

We got both for the kids and myself. The fees you posted are higher than what I recall. Here’s a link to the fees that I was charged: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/requirements/fees.html

For the kids it was only $15 more to get the card. We travel to Washington quite a bit. So the cards are easier for me to carry when we want to go to Vancouver. But with them getting older, international travel maybe in our future.

[liz]

We got both for the kids and myself. The fees you posted are higher than what I recall. Here’s a link to the fees that I was charged: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/requirements/fees.html

For the kids it was only $15 more to get the card. We travel to Washington quite a bit. So the cards are easier for me to carry when we want to go to Vancouver. But with them getting older, international travel maybe in our future.

That's the same amount I see, adding the $110 application fee plus the $35 acceptance fee gives you the $145 per adult. This is the page I'm looking at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/apply-renew-passport/card.html

I'm not too worried about having to fly back, but it is something to think about. Another option is to get DH and I passports and get the passport cards for the kids.

[liz]

Update

So after going back and forth, DH and I decided to get passport books for all of us. We started talking about future vacations and realized that spending the extra $$ would open up new travel possibilities. Thanks for everyone's input.

We all went to the post office this morning to get paperwork in order. Only thing, I realized as we were finishing up that we needed to bring a check/cash/debit card.
Of course I just assumed we could put it on a credit card :6: Wound up having to run to the bank because of issues with my card, but it all went relatively smoothly.

[123LuckyMom]

Update

So after going back and forth, DH and I decided to get passport books for all of us. We started talking about future vacations and realized that spending the extra $$ would open up new travel possibilities. Thanks for everyone's input.

We all went to the post office this morning to get paperwork in order. Only thing, I realized as we were finishing up that we needed to bring a check/cash/debit card.
Of course I just assumed we could put it on a credit card :6: Wound up having to run to the bank because of issues with my card, but it all went relatively smoothly.

I think that was definitely the right decision! It is more expensive, but now you’ll have lots more options for travel!


Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87652)