[Marilyn]

Another thing to factor in, right now you can cruise to the Carribean and The Bahamas with a photo ID and a certified birth certificate. I've heard that as of June of this year, a passport will be required. You can obtain a passport through the post office. Here's a link to information and fees. It's best to plan ahead and apply well before you travel. It can take a while to get one the regular way, which is the least expensive.

http://www.usps.com/passport/

I can check with our travel agent and see if what I heard about June is correct and let you know.

Once you get a passport, it is good for 10 years. Mine happens to expire April 26, 2011, so I will be doing a renewal of mine around the time of our trip, too.