I think I read that if you leave and return to a common port you don't need a passport for mexico--just a birth certificate and id. Is that still true? Also, want to take a first time cruise out of Tampa--should I just go to the Carnival site or would you recommend a first timer talking to a travel agent to go over options, other lines?

I went on a cruise that left in Seattle and came back to Seattle, but we had a stop in Canada so we needed a passport.
Now if you don't get off the boat at that foreign stop????

Who knows.

Royal Caribbean

Information here. The important thing to remember is that if one of the countries you're visiting requires a passport to enter, the cruise line may require that to board the ship. But in most cases you're right a BC and ID might work. But a passport absolutely will which is why I got one prior to my first cruise. It's valid for a decade so if you have the time before the cruise, it's worth the initial cost.

Best to check with the cruise line directly and for a first timer, it might be helpful to use a TA and tell them what your budget is and when you can travel and let them do the leg work.

We have used a birth certificate and ID four different times on cruises. This is still allowed for a closed-loop cruise (departs from and returns to the same port). We ended up getting passports before our cruise last year, just so we wouldn't have to stress out about it anymore. We figured we would need to get them eventually anyways.

Regarding calling the cruise line, we have done that and they were very little help. It is like they don't want to commit to anything in writing or on the phone. They just continuously point you to the state department's website or phone number. We called the state department for some info and they referred us back to the cruise line. This was all to just a confirmation that the short-form birth certificate was acceptable (which was all we had).

I've always used vacations to go. I just like their aggregator for checking multiple cruise lines at once.

I've only sailed Carnival and booked directly through their website, but even when I shopped around I wasn't finding deals better that Carnival.com.

We are looking at going to Alaska next year and I'm finding some pretty good deals for Celebrity, we may go that route.

Here's the correct web address. VacationsToGo

For some cruises with them, you may not find better pricing than directly through the cruise line. For some cruises, you'll find deals better than the cruise lines due to pricing agreements and group pricing. At the very least, you'll receive much better service than directly with a cruise line. They'll send a written quote and answer as many questions as it takes for you to buy from them. Call earlier in the day as that's when more experienced agents are on the phone. If you call nights or weekends, you're more likely to get someone who's only been around a few months.

Don't need a passport. Just birth certificate with raised seal.

I'd advise against carnival unless you know what you're getting into. They are more of a budget option imo

You wouldn't need a passport for the cruise you described. Anything one-way between the U.S. and another country or anything outside U.S./Canada/Mexico/Caribbean/Bahamas/Bermuda and you'd need a passport.

All of the cruise lines have budget options. The keys are newer ships and longer itineraries. Higher cost of entry keeps the riff-raff away.

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Here's the correct web address. VacationsToGo

For some cruises with them, you may not find better pricing than directly through the cruise line. For some cruises, you'll find deals better than the cruise lines due to pricing agreements and group pricing. At the very least, you'll receive much better service than directly with a cruise line. They'll send a written quote and answer as many questions as it takes for you to buy from them. Call earlier in the day as that's when more experienced agents are on the phone. If you call nights or weekends, you're more likely to get someone who's only been around a few months.

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Whoops!

Has anyone ever taken a young child on a cruise? How does transportation work when you stop in other countries? Did you bring a car seat?

Lap carry. Most of the time you're in a van/minibus anyway and no-one wears a seatbelt.

Get/take a passport.
Know someone that needed to return by air for medical treatment and not having one was a major complication. Any number of things can happen, sickness, family emergency, missing a ship departure can put you in a position to need it.
When the ship caught fire in the Gulf one of the reasons they did not air return people was they did not have passports. It was still problematic since they returned to a different port from their departure.

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You wouldn't need a passport for the cruise you described. Anything one-way between the U.S. and another country or anything outside U.S./Canada/Mexico/Caribbean/Bahamas/Bermuda and you'd need a passport.

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Say you get off boat in Canada for your stop and you get injured and require a hospital stay, or miss getting back on (so you get back home on your own), or have an emergency and need to fly back to US. Now you have no passport and are in a foreign country.

Perhaps our cruise line was looking out for the passengers and just telling us it was required to have it to avoid any bad situations.

Case in point, bring the passport if you are stopping in a foreign country, regardless if it's a round trip to/from US. No reason not to be prepared for the unexpected.

well, yeah...the newer ships and longer itineraries are going to be more expensive...and therefore shorter trips on older ships are going to be less expensive.

but carnival is flatly a budget line in comparison to rci, princess, hal, etc. (ncl could go either way) when you look at an apples to apples comparison of itineraries and ships.

that's why carnival corps owns carnival, princess, and others...so they can market carnival itself as a budget option.

It's so much easier these days to get a passport, I don't understand the reasoning not to have one. If you have the time and money to travel, there is no excuse to not have a passport.

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All of the cruise lines have budget options. The keys are newer ships and longer itineraries. Higher cost of entry keeps the riff-raff away.

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What's "riff-raff"?

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All of the cruise lines have budget options. The keys are newer ships and longer itineraries. Higher cost of entry keeps the riff-raff away.

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What's "riff-raff"?

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nascar fans

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It's so much easier these days to get a passport, I don't understand the reasoning not to have one. If you have the time and money to travel, there is no excuse to not have a passport.

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Hit the nail on the head! Also it's good for 10 years and you'll probably have several uses for it during that time.

Makes sense. Just not sure we would have time to get passport. My daughter had one but once she turned 18 we have to get a new one and she went off to college. We should have gotten it and will but not sure we will have one by end of February. Royal Caribbean also may be an option. Thanks for the tips.

Passports expire at age 18? I thought it was 5 years for minors, then 10 for adults?

Every time a Carnival cruise is brought up, wow! The silver spoons show up!

We've taken 3 Carnival cruises (beginning with our honeymoon in '91). Always booked the biggest, newest ship, 7-day, maybe that helped. All types of peeps on the cruise, tons of fun, tons to do, lively, etc. If we were to take another cruise I'd probably take another Carnival Magic cruise out of Galveston.

When you are ready to book, give www.cruisecompete.com a try.. click on Get Quotes. They seem to always beat everyone else.

Don't forget to pack plenty of booze in your luggage.

Any suggestion on what to bring on the cruise other than packing clothes and sunscreen. Any excursion recs for Cayman Islands or Cozumel.

The stingray city in Cayman is really fun

If the passport issued before 18 birthday is expired you have to appear at a passport office to renew. In College Station the Study Abroad office is the best place to go since they have walk in hours. It takes months to get in at the post office.

I was asking if they expire at 18.
If you get one at 15, it doesn't expire at 18 does it? It's good for the 5 years.

Going to Stingray at Cayman. Any recs for Cozumel...I think we may go to isla???...It's an island off Cozumel.

Nachi cocom in Cozumel.
Others:
Paradise beach
Mr sanchos

For something more active:

Amazing race Cozumel was fun

We were going to rent a private boat w/ captain on our last trip there, but his boat broke down several days before we went and he had to cancel his trips that week. Having done another private boat tour before in Grand Cayman, I highly recommend it.

Since we did not end up going with him, I cannot give you any first hand info. But, I did a lot of research on this guy beforehand and it looks like a highly regarded excursion.

http://www.rentaboatcozumel.com/

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g150809-d4932291-Reviews-Deluxe_Private_Boat_Tours-Cozumel_Yucatan_Peninsula.html

Really enjoyed the cruise and Carnival was fantastic for a first cruise. Diverse groups of people and always something to do. We loved stingray place and barrier reef in Cayman and isla paradise in Cozumel. The cruise experience was more enjoyable and relaxing than I thought. We met so many people! Definitely hooked. Thanks for the suggestions. Wouldn't mind checking out the Breeze when it comes to Galveston or oasis of the seas out of lauderdale for the big ship experience.

Glad you enjoyed it! The Cruise Critic forum is also very helpful and informative. The Oasis is an awesome experience. I've been on Oasis and Allure and there's so much to do. Heading out of Galveston on Liberty of the Seas next month and can't wait!