travel documents

[sal13579]

what docs are needed for carribbean cruise now. Passport or is birth certificate sufficient

[floatn]

photo ID are sufficient IF you leave and return from the same US port. Leave and come back to Port Canaveral, bc and ID are good.

[paul929207]

photo ID are sufficient IF you leave and return from the same US port. Leave and come back to Port Canaveral, bc and ID are good.

You also must be a US citizen to get by with BC and government issued photo ID. Just don't miss the ship or have to fly home in the middle.

[cherylandtk]

And make certain you are using a government issued certified BC; the hospital certificates don't pass muster any longer.

[G.M.T.]

Get a passport and see the world.

 

Ron

[karen&roy]

what docs are needed for carribbean cruise now. Passport or is birth certificate sufficient

 

Birth Certificate and drivers license/ or govt issued photo ID

[Essiesmom]

Ship happens. Yes, BC and gov't issued photo ID are sufficient, according to the WHTI, but cruise lines always recommend you get a passport. And quite a few people in San Juan are wishing they had one, as Carnival Victory had to leave port early on embarkation day due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Irene. Since she left at 6pm instead of 10pm, many people were left behind (some arriving on later flights, some who checked in and left the ship for excursions). she had to skip her first port of St. Thomas due to Irene, so went straight to Barbados. Anyone needing to catch up to the ship by flying to Barbados needed a passport. EM

[terracool]

Ship happens. Yes, BC and gov't issued photo ID are sufficient, according to the WHTI, but cruise lines always recommend you get a passport. And quite a few people in San Juan are wishing they had one, as Carnival Victory had to leave port early on embarkation day due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Irene. Since she left at 6pm instead of 10pm, many people were left behind (some arriving on later flights, some who checked in and left the ship for excursions). she had to skip her first port of St. Thomas due to Irene, so went straight to Barbados. Anyone needing to catch up to the ship by flying to Barbados needed a passport. EM

 

 

Best point ever, right there. What a perfect example of why it's smart to take a definitive and safe option when it comes to travel documents even if it has a larger PITA factor.

[navybankerteacher]

Ship happens. Yes, BC and gov't issued photo ID are sufficient, according to the WHTI, but cruise lines always recommend you get a passport. And quite a few people in San Juan are wishing they had one, as Carnival Victory had to leave port early on embarkation day due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Irene. Since she left at 6pm instead of 10pm, many people were left behind (some arriving on later flights, some who checked in and left the ship for excursions). she had to skip her first port of St. Thomas due to Irene, so went straight to Barbados. Anyone needing to catch up to the ship by flying to Barbados needed a passport. EM

 

Very good object lesson for those who are sure they will never need a passport because they only travel on closed loop cruises, so why bother with a passport.

[paul929207]

Also, check with your cruise line. SOme require a passport.

[Loonbeam]

Note that while a BC and DL might also meet US customs requirements, its not unheard of to get an overly pedantic customs officer in a cruise port who won't accept them.

 

Add that into the risk of being stuck overseas until the US embassy can assist you in the event of a missed ship or medical issue and it is unwise to cruise without a passport..

 

If its a cost issue, think of it as a 10 year travel insurance policy supplement.

[njhorseman]

Note that while a BC and DL might also meet US customs requirements, its not unheard of to get an overly pedantic customs officer in a cruise port who won't accept them.

 

Add that into the risk of being stuck overseas until the US embassy can assist you in the event of a missed ship or medical issue and it is unwise to cruise without a passport..

 

If its a cost issue, think of it as a 10 year travel insurance policy supplement.

 

Care to provide a verified example of that? Something that's not " I heard" or "I thought I read" .

 

Your cruise line won't even let you board the ship if your documentation doesn't meet the requirements of the ports at which the ship will be calling.

[6rugrats]

Note that while a BC and DL might also meet US customs requirements, its not unheard of to get an overly pedantic customs officer in a cruise port who won't accept them.

Where would this be? If you need a passport, the cruise line won't let you board without one. You have to meet the immigration (not customs) requirement of every port you visit, not just fulfill US requirements for reentry back home.

[caripoo]

Spread over the 10 years they are valid, passports are CHEAP.... Don't leave home without it... If something happens and you are stranded on one of the islands without a passport?????:p:p

[Loonbeam]

Two years ago, my neighbors mother took her and her kids on a Cariibean cruise. The mother was a frequent traveler and had a passport, it was a closed loop so my neighbor just took at DL and BC, kids had school IDs. When they got off at one port, I think it was the Caymans, but I am not sure, one customs officer refused to allow entry to anyone without a passport. Eventually a supervisor came over and it was cleared up, but they lost over an hour in port and several people missed tours, etc. I can verify the exact port if you would like.

 

The rules say a BC/DL is fine, but you can't always depend on government officials to know follow the rules exactly.

 

Care to provide a verified example of that? Something that's not " I heard" or "I thought I read" .

 

Your cruise line won't even let you board the ship if your documentation doesn't meet the requirements of the ports at which the ship will be calling.

[6rugrats]

Two years ago, my neighbors mother took her and her kids on a Cariibean cruise. The mother was a frequent traveler and had a passport, it was a closed loop so my neighbor just took at DL and BC, kids had school IDs. When they got off at one port, I think it was the Caymans, but I am not sure, one customs officer refused to allow entry to anyone without a passport. Eventually a supervisor came over and it was cleared up, but they lost over an hour in port and several people missed tours, etc. I can verify the exact port if you would like.

 

The rules say a BC/DL is fine, but you can't always depend on government officials to know follow the rules exactly.

 

This is not a "verified" example, it's just anecdotal evidence.

 

I am assuming this was a closed-loop cruise. Maybe there was more to this story. A passport is not required for entry of a US citizen to the Caymans, but you must have an original or notarized BC.

[serene56]

This is not a "verified" example, it's just anecdotal evidence.

 

I am assuming this was a closed-loop cruise. Maybe there was more to this story. A passport is not required for entry of a US citizen to the Caymans, but you must have an original or notarized BC.

 

 

and when cruising-- the only thing you need in the port is your sign and sail card and a photo id.

[njhorseman]

Two years ago, my neighbors mother took her and her kids on a Cariibean cruise. The mother was a frequent traveler and had a passport, it was a closed loop so my neighbor just took at DL and BC, kids had school IDs. When they got off at one port, I think it was the Caymans, but I am not sure, one customs officer refused to allow entry to anyone without a passport. Eventually a supervisor came over and it was cleared up, but they lost over an hour in port and several people missed tours, etc. I can verify the exact port if you would like.

 

The rules say a BC/DL is fine, but you can't always depend on government officials to know follow the rules exactly.

 

Even assuming it happened exactly as you state, all it proves is that they ran into an ill-informed employee, whose actions were eventually overturned by a supervisor. Maybe it was this person's first day on the job. Thousands of passengers cruise these itineraries every year without a passport and don't have a problem. An isolated mistake doesn't translate into the need to advise "don't do it".

[ssgirl54]

If nothing else the Passport is fastest and easiest.............plus you never know...............the ship goes to different port for mechanical trouble....or illesses ...mass illnesses...............the US customs in US have no sense of humor...........their job is to keep us safe so.......anytime you leave the USA shores......or USA airspace have a passport...........they are not hard to come by........and cheaper than getting stuck somewhere.............plus all you need is basically what you need to get on the cruise ship anyway......my passport got lost once enroute before a trip to Jamaica, I got another one with in 24 hours.........there are services for a fee that will walk your passport application thru the system........it was worth every bit of the price I paid....