Ready for the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative?

Have you heard of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative? There are some new government rules for American’s traveling to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean on June 1, 2009.

Basically, for travel to those regions, almost everyone will need a passport or passport card.

However, there are three main exemptions. The first is for children under 16, who will still only need to present an original or certified copy of their birth certificate.
In addition, children ages 16 or 17 traveling with a group under adult supervision will only need a birth certificate. However, for parents who can afford it, a passport is not a bad idea; you could still run into some problems if for any reason the child is delayed or separated from the group, or needs to return early.
The other exception is for “closed-loop” cruises from the United States. A closed loop cruise is a cruise that returns to its original departure point.