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Showing posts with label Passport Information. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Passport Information. Show all posts

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Tips on Thursday - Proper Travel Documentation


As a travel planner, when working with my clients, I always strongly recommend that each client familiarize themselves with the required travel documents necessary to travel throughout the United States and abroad. Anyone who plans to travel outside the United States will require a valid passport or visa to enter another country, as well as re-entry to the United States. It is the sole responsibility of the traveler to identify and obtain all required travel documents and have them available when necessary. Travelers who do not have the proper documentation may be prevented from boarding their flight or ship and from entering a country. No travel refunds will be given to individuals who fail to bring proper travel documents. These requirements are by government regulations and policies.
The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) requires all travelers to and from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda by land, sea or air must present a valid passport or other approved document that establishes the bearer's identity and citizenship in order to enter or reenter the United States.

For complete information and application, please visit the U.S. Department of State website.
http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/get_4855.html

In order to assist our clientele, and make things easier for them, Cruise Planners is proud to announce our partnership with American Passport Now. American Passport Now brings more than 35-years of knowledge and expertise to securing U.S. passport and travel visas to our clients. When time is of the essence, rely on the experts at American Passport Now. Meeting deadlines for global travel is ours business!”

American Passport Now is headquartered in the Washington, DC metropolitan area with satellite offices in New York, Houston, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

Here are just a few of the benefits of using American Passport Now, and their commitment to Cruise Planners.   
  • Customer Service Support. Fast, effective, and informed travel visa and passport experts available 24 hours a day, including weekends and holidays.
  • Important government updates to travel documents. Notification of important updates in travel requirements and information.    
  • Unique Services. Services ranging from same day processing, custom delivery options, weekly updates, and many more.  
  • Outstanding Customer Service. We are committed to providing our customers with the highest level of personal attention and professional service.
  • Real-time Status Update. With a password provided to each client, a real-time status update is available throughout the process. We make the process for you convenient and informative.
  • Experience. We are committed to being the fastest, easiest, and most secure way to obtain travel visas and passports. Our goal is to provide you with exceptional service each time you use our services.
  • Special Discounts. Certain discounts may be available for Seniors, Military, and Universities at time of process and will vary.
To learn more about this great service, click here.








Thursday, November 29, 2012

Tips on Thursday - Passport Information


Passports

Passports are required for all travelers, including citizens of the U.S. and Canada, who enter or re-enter the U.S. by air, land or sea.  

There are a few notable exceptions pertaining to land and sea border crossings: 
  • U.S. citizens on cruises that begin and end in the same U.S. port and travel to destinations in Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, the Bahamas or Bermuda are able to re-enter the U.S. with proof of citizenship other than a passport or passport card. Acceptable proof of citizenship includes a U.S. state-issued original or certified copy of their birth certificate (hospital certificates are not acceptable) or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or a Certificate of Naturalization and a government-issued photo ID (such as a driver's license). Passports are required for cruises that begin in one U.S. port and end in another.
  • Children under the age of 16 who are citizens of the U.S. or Canada are exempt from the passport requirement for land and sea border crossings. In lieu of a passport, children are able to use a U.S. state-issued original or certified copy of their birth certificate (hospital certificates are not acceptable) or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or a Certificate of Naturalization as proof of citizenship for entry into the U.S. by land or by sea. Children entering or re-entering the U.S. by air are required to have a valid passport.
  • A new, lower-cost alternative to the passport, called a passport card, is acceptable for entries into the U.S. by land or sea. The passport card is not acceptable for air travel.
  • The following cruise lines require a passport for all sailings, regardless of destination or port of departure: Azamara Club Cruises, Crystal, Cunard, Fred. Olsen, Hurtigruten, Oceania, Orion Expedition Cruises, P&O, Paul Gauguin, Regent, Seabourn, Silversea, Star Clippers, Swan Hellenic, Voyages of Discovery and Windstar.
  • Photocopies of required documentation are not acceptable in any circumstance.
  • Even though passports are not required at this time for U.S. citizens who sail on cruises to the above destinations that begin and end in the same U.S. port, we strongly recommend that all cruise passengers travel with a valid passport anyway. This is because guests who need to fly to or from the U.S. unexpectedly during their cruise will likely experience significant delays and complications related to booking airline tickets and entering the U.S. if they do not have a valid passport with them. For example, a passenger missing a cruise departure due to a late inbound flight to Miami would need a passport to fly to meet the ship at the next port. Similarly, guests needing to fly to or through the U.S. before their cruise ends because of medical, family, personal or business emergencies, missing a ship's departure from a port of call, or a mechanical problem of some sort with the ship, would need a passport. Of course, situations like these are rare, but they can happen.


Passports are not required for U.S. citizens traveling to or returning directly from Hawaii or a U.S. territory, including Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Passports are required for cruise travel to all International destinations not mentioned above, and for cruises that involve air travel that begins or ends outside of the U.S. Passports must be valid for at least six months after the last day of travel.

For information about obtaining a passport for the first time, or about renewing a passport,  visit the U.S. Department ofState's website

Legal U.S. Residents (Non-Citizens)

Legal permanent residents of the U.S. must have a valid passport from their country of citizenship and a valid Alien Registration Card (Green Card) to enter or re-enter the U.S.

Non-U.S., Non-Canada Citizens

The following countries participate in a visa waiver program with the U.S., and citizens of these countries must have a machine-readable passport for entry into the U.S.:

Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom

Citizens of the countries listed above who do not possess machine-readable passports, and citizens of countries not listed above must present a valid passport and a valid United States visa upon entry into the U.S. For those whose travel plans include multiple entries into the U.S., such as a cruise that begins and ends in a U.S. port, a multiple-entry visa is required.

Visas

All travelers, including U.S. and Canada citizens, are responsible for verifying visa requirements with consular officials, and obtaining visas where required, for every country visited during their trip, including countries visited via connecting flights.