Documentation needed for Canada?

[fd851]

I have a friend (Yes seriously this is not about me) who is going on their first cruise. They are landlocked in Indiana and do not travel much, especially abroad. They are going on a cruise that begins and ends in Seattle, WA, with a stop in Canada. There are 3 of them (husband, wife, 8 year old daughter) and are wanting to spend as little as possible on documents. If i have read correctly, it is still possible to cruise (US Citizens) with a drivers license, and birth certificate....is this the case? I assume the wife would need her marriage license, as well, and the 8 year old would need only her birth cert. As I understand it, a passport card would be their second least expensive option. This does not allow for air travel, in the event of an emergency, however. A passport would be the most versitile and safest documentation, but would also cost them about $400 bucks. Sooooo, first can they sail with the non passport docs, or should they spring for the passport card knowing the limitations? Help, as I do not wish to steer them wrong!

[Sunkissed Mommy]

As long as the ship leaves from and returns to the same port that's all they need are BC & ID.

Let's just hope there is no reason for them to get left behind or disembark in Canada, then they might need expedited passports!! Lots of $$$

[cruisenfever]

From the RCI website on What travel documents and identification will I need for domestic sailings?

[fd851]

you are not suggesting that they could not get off the ship in canada to venture ashore, just that there would be problems if they got left there, correct?

[xxoocruiser]

Just so you know.... There are some tours into the Canadian Yukon Territory from one of the Alaskan Ports ( don't remember which port) that do require you to have a passport regardless of the fact it's a closed loop cruise.

[johneeo]

you are not suggesting that they could not get off the ship in canada to venture ashore, just that there would be problems if they got left there, correct?

 

A bear could eat them.

 

Seriously, a BC and ID is fine. They do NOT need passports.

[Beth C]

IF they did get left behind here they couldn't fly back to the US. We (Canadians) have to have a passport to get into the USA and back into Canada so they might want to look into if Americans can cross back into the US without one...

 

 

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[songster2]

Just so you know.... There are some tours into the Canadian Yukon Territory from one of the Alaskan Ports ( don't remember which port) that do require you to have a passport regardless of the fact it's a closed loop cruise.

 

We've taken a bus/train trip from Skagway into the Yukon three or four times. We were required to present passports to the officer who came aboard the train at the Canadian border.

[Putterdude]

With a closed loop cruise from Seattle, as long as they are US citizens they do not require a passport to cruise to Alaska or to get off the ship in Victoria. However, should they go from Skagway into British Columbia or the Yukon, other than by the train to the White Pass Summit, they will need a passport to re-enter Alaska. A passport would also be required if for some reason they had to fly from somewhere in Canada back to the US.

[scottbee]

I have a friend (Yes seriously this is not about me) who is going on their first cruise. They are landlocked in Indiana and do not travel much, especially abroad. They are going on a cruise that begins and ends in Seattle, WA, with a stop in Canada. There are 3 of them (husband, wife, 8 year old daughter) and are wanting to spend as little as possible on documents. If i have read correctly, it is still possible to cruise (US Citizens) with a drivers license, and birth certificate....is this the case? I assume the wife would need her marriage license, as well, and the 8 year old would need only her birth cert. As I understand it, a passport card would be their second least expensive option. This does not allow for air travel, in the event of an emergency, however. A passport would be the most versitile and safest documentation, but would also cost them about $400 bucks. Sooooo, first can they sail with the non passport docs, or should they spring for the passport card knowing the limitations? Help, as I do not wish to steer them wrong!

 

Canada requires the same thing it did 20 years ago (It's the USA that changed the rules);

 

• Proof of Citizenship (such as a govt issued birth cert -- not a hospital one)
  
• Govt issued Photo ID (such as a DL)
  
• Correct documentation to go home
  

As the USA don't require a passport to re-enter the USA on a closed loop cruise, you don't need it to enter Canada (see #3 above).

 

 

 

HOWEVER, If you're stopping in Skagway, and want to take the full train ride to the top of White Pass (into Canada), that's a different entry and would require a passport (or passport card or other WHTI document), as the USA require a passport to re-enter the USA (as it's not part of the closed loop cruise).

[smeyer418]

Canada requires the same thing it did 20 years ago (It's the USA that changed the rules);

 

• Proof of Citizenship (such as a govt issued birth cert -- not a hospital one)
  
• Govt issued Photo ID (such as a DL)
  
• Correct documentation to go home
  

As the USA don't require a passport to re-enter the USA on a closed loop cruise, you don't need it to enter Canada (see #3 above).

 

 

 

HOWEVER, If you're stopping in Skagway, and want to take the full train ride to the top of White Pass (into Canada), that's a different entry and would require a passport (or passport card or other WHTI document), as the USA require a passport to re-enter the USA (as it's not part of the closed loop cruise).

 

or an enhanced drivers license...but Indiana doesn't issue them.