(04-29-2014 07:22 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  

(04-28-2014 09:15 PM)ARSTATEFAN1986 Wrote:  

(04-28-2014 09:11 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  

(04-28-2014 09:09 PM)ARSTATEFAN1986 Wrote:  

(04-28-2014 03:18 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  I think its a crap idea.

Hawaii may suck to get to but you don't need passports for everyone in the traveling party to get them there.

I went earlier this year there and it required either a passport or an official birth certificate.

Went on a boat?

Yep! I also have a passport.

That's why you didn't need a passport. Closed loop cruises (start and end at the same port) are exempt. Officially the Bahamas doesn't guarantee you can get off the boat but if they don't let you off the boat they don't get your money.

So yeah you can work with a cruise line or charter and put the team on a boat in Florida, send the team over play get back on the boat and come back without a passport, not sure that ends up being the most time or cost-efficient method.

I've only traveled on a passport when flying but never needed it when driving or boating, so I don't know for sure. But I thought it was all rather informal with organized groups. Isn't that you just need a birth certificate to get back into the States but its up to the country of entry on whether they want to let you in with whatever documentation they can get away with. I would imagine the Bahamas would be like this with these kids - charter in, pretend like the university is handling all the customs, then bus them to the hotel.