Reminding everyone who wishes to travel:

You must remember that you are required to prove your identity several times. And by now, EVERY U.S. citizen should possess and carry a passport when traveling. PERIOD.

You must be who you say you are. For example, if your name is Reginald Beauregard Johnson, but you go by “Reggie Bubba Jay-man”; then just please remember that you cannot use “Reggie Bubba Jay-man” as your legal name when booking travel of any kind. This is very very basic. TSA and the Bureau of Consular Affairs does not know you and your nickname(s). The passport is a U.S. citizen’s key to international travel. If you do not have a passport, then you are putting yourself at risk, even if you are doing a “closed- loop” cruise. What if you break your leg in a foreign port and get stuck in a hospital? Just invest the $140 to $175 (less for renewals) to get that crucial document!

The most important item that should be attached to your body is your identification. You may forget your underwear and your toothbrush, but that passport should be attached to your body somehow (in a docs folder, a nifty little pouch around your neck, a fanny pack around your waist, in your purse, in your pocket, etc…). You can buy or replace the other forgotten items on your trip packing list; but you’re up a creek without a paddle if you forget your passport. And if you already have a passport, make sure the next time you travel abroad you still have at least 6 months from return date before it expires.

From The Bureau of Consular Affairs:
For any trip abroad, it is important to be prepared. Before traveling, you clients should follow our Traveler’s Checklist to get information about their destination, have required documents, sign up for our free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive updates about their destination while traveling, and get insurance for the unexpected. It is especially important for all travelers to be ready in case of a crisis abroad and have an evacuation plan that does not rely on U.S. government assistance. 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/before-you-go/travelers-checklist.html

Happy Travels!!
Sincerely,

Marianne Cook Windham , AKA “MariBob”, “Crazy Mari”, “Fluffy Doberman”, “Cookie”?

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