Do you have a passport? If not and you plan on going to a cruise or fly to the Caribbean, Mexico, Bermuda, Canada and internationally (other than domestic), you will be required to have a passport to return back to the United States. Initially the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative was to have taken effect back in January 2008, but the government decided to change it, given that there was a run on passports and they weren't able to process the passports in a timely and efficient manner. Also, the travel industry pushed back a lot because it would mean a decline in persons travelling.

Come June 1, 2009 everyone travelling by sea and/or air (other than domestic flights), will be required to have a passport in order to return to the United States. There are certain exceptions to this rule (minors under 18),

If travelling by sea one does have an option to get a passport card but a traveller can only use this for travel at sea. It would make better sense, rather than to incur the cost of a passport card, to get a regular United States Passport which is good for ten years.

For more information on the initiative go to www.travel.state.gov

Once you've applied for a passport, you can also go to this same site to check the status of your passport application. Knowing it is approaching only 80 days from June 1st, if you know you're going to be travelling and require a passport better to apply for one sooner rather than later. You can, if time is not on your side, apply for a passport in a hurry but it will be at a price.

Another good source for information is your travel professional (consultant). He or she will be able to advise what is best for you and your family, if travelling with others.