Going to Bonaire in March. Not sure if we need to have a passport or certified copy of our birth certificates. What do some of you recommend? Thanks for your help.

You need to have a stamped birth certificate, not a copy, and a federal or state issued picture ID. Or, simply a passport, which is easier, and fairly quickly obtained. I've seen people travel with the BC, but not smoothly.

With all the trouble in the world and different rules in different countries, I would recommend the passport. They eliminate any hassles you may encounter - providing you have nothing to hide, of course! I have heard of too many problems with the birth certificate route so I will never take the chance.

The immigration people will barely glance at a passport...but can stare at a birth certificate for 5 minutes...highly recommend spending the money and getting a passport.

I also recommend the passport. You go through customs more quickly. They tend to linger and ask more questions when traveling with a birth Certificate.

our only complaint is that bonaire no longer uses the triangular stamp for the passports....just a generic square like other places.

Pat, I agree...I liked the triangle with the flamingo

I also noticed they didn't record any information from our passports on departure. I guess it's possible they're collecting that from the airlines, but last time we were on the island, they seemed to be doing full exit checks.

I think we ought to start a movement to bring back the flamingo.
60,000 tourists might be right.
I'm looking into making some nice embroidered shirts with the airport logo.

Back on topic, State Dept. informs me my corrected passport was mailed yesterday.

Daniel, odd...they didn't record our exit in 2001, but last July they recorded both entry and exit dates...hmmm...lack of consistency...never!

Seb, glad that you will be legal soon I like the t-shirt idea...wonder who we can email about bringing back the triangle flamingo stamp...anyone know?

The passport is the only way to go. In 2000, American Airlines nearly refused to let me on the plane for our departure in Dallas. I was traveling on a birth certificate and driver's license. They claimed that many of the Caribbean countries frequently change their entry requirements with no notification and then fine the airlines if someone arrives with the wrong form of identification. It's a way of making money. They made me wait until they could reach immigration in Curacao, and we almost missed the plane. I'm not sure if this was all B.S. or not, but that's the story they told me. On the return, U.S. Customs and Immigration was extremely rude and basically said, "Get a passport. I don't have to let you into the country." The U.S. Department website still says the birth certificate is OK, but I won't leave the country without one.

i agree...passports make things so much easier...it's worth the money.

Yay, I got my new passport back today, corrected, in less than two weeks. They shoot for two weeks apparently, website information notwithstanding.

Yay Seb, you're legal now!

We just arrived back home from Bonaire last night. My wife and I travelled with birth certificates and had no trouble entering or leaving. We travelled through San Juan and had no trouble with U.S Customs, We got thru as easily as the rest of our group that had passports.

I have had a passport all my life (Dad was in US AF) and have never understood why anyone travelling internationally would not prefer to have one. Other than sheer laziness why not get a passport if you are making the effort to travel overseas? Not trying to slam anyone that prefers a flimsy, easily damaged piece of paper that just looks fake the second you get it (although mine is more interesting as an American born overseas). FWIW, all my kids have passports, even my 21 mo. Just faster and easier in every case around the world that I have visited.

Seb and everyone, I've read your messages and I'm convinced I need a passport along with my NYS driver's license, but I'm traveling mid-march. Any suggestions for how to get it in a speedy way? Who to contact? I live in upstate NY.

Thanks, Barbara

Seb
I just opened this and read a bit I'd not seen before....If you can get the airport Flamingo digitized, my dear wife has a Pfaff Embroidery Machine that can embroidery on almost anything. Technology is way over my pay grade, but if you can ship me a digitized file, I'll give er a shot

Barbara, there's services that can get you a passport almost overnight. Google for United States Passports

Good luck

funchi boy (the names change with the season).

Barbara, they have a two week turnaround on renewals, but on new applications I don't know. The passport dept. seems to be incredibly efficient right now. Get all your stuff, real birth certificate, and send it in. Their website is excellent, I just type "us passport" in google and I get there quick.

JOE THAT RULES. I have not yet paid to have it digitized, though they did it already on spec, we will talk more about this.

Barbara,

This url is the US Passport Service: http://travel.state.gov/passport_services.html . The 'Processing Time' link in the first group has a 2 week 'expedited service' listed. Also, many, if not most, post offices are 'passport offices so you can cut out one pass through the mails. Check out the info here.

Seb & Joe,

I can digitize the stamp from my passport and email/cd it if desired.

How things change when we aren't watching, or paying attention. I just looked in my 1994-issue passport and found a 1996 'Flamingo Airport Bonaire Immigratie' rectangular stamp-- and a 1994 and later'Flamingo's. ??!!??

Glen, do you mean digitize it for an embroidery machine, or to view electronically?

Image only; I don't have the embroidery machine software.

That would be the digitizing process from what they tell me, Glen. I went through the same hoop, so to speak.

Bottom line: can I be of help in producing an image file?? :–)

No, Glen, there is a gentlemen who has already done that, they provide the data in whichever machine format is desired, so the thread can be hooked up and away you go. joe if I'm wrong here give a holler.
So unless you have great connections in the rag or gimme cap trade I would say no, but thanks for the offer.

Ah, well. Maybe next time.

Your right sebmeister. The wife is gone for the weekend, but it's a pfaff 7350 and can read out of XP into whatever the Pfaff format is? I think her software will read PCD, PCS, PCQ, DST, KSM and EXP files. Not that I know what any of them mean. What kind of size logo are you looking for and on what?

the funchitronicator

Joe, I was looking for a hat sized and shirt sized logos of the Flamingo airport stamp, I figured some nice cotton golf shirts would be excellent, getting an idea of an order size and producing some. Does she have the unit for a business or just plain fun?

just for fun. She runs a home health agency full time so it'd be hit or miss on a larger order. If u can get the file into one of those formats, maybe I'll learn how to use the maching...YEAH RIGHT. If your looking for commercial production you might wanna look online, I get conference shirts and all kinda stuff that has logos on it pretty much made to order. Would be glad to give it a shot with personal stuff though. Probably best thing would be to send me the file and I can try it on a scrap and see if it works before you invest in shirts, etc.

laters

And there could be the tee shirts that have the Flamingo stamp (large size) and the words 'I want my Flamingo' on the back. Another product (line) to go with BT tee shirts, etc.???