Do you need a passport

[kevinsgirl88]

Do you need a passport to go to the caribbean if you leave from the US and Return to the US. and if not can i still get off the ship? thank you so much for the help!:)

[cruisenfever]

Do you need a passport to go to the caribbean if you leave from the US and Return to the US. and if not can i still get off the ship? thank you so much for the help!:)

When leaving and returning to the same US port only a photo ID is required. You can still get off in port, just carry your photo ID with you as sometimes it is required to reboard.

[mrsfuzzmo]

Yes, as long as you have a legal photo ID and an original Birth Certificate to check in.

[kevinsgirl88]

Thank you so much for the help!! i have already lost 2 passports!!! one when i was 17 my mom and dad misplaced it and the other 2 years ago. so i dont know whats going to happen if i request yet another one!!! thank for the help!! and God Bless:o

[akcruz]

When leaving and returning to the same US port only a photo ID is required. You can still get off in port, just carry your photo ID with you as sometimes it is required to reboard.

 

Yes, as long as you have a legal photo ID and an original Birth Certificate to check in.

 

Yes, I thought if you didn't have a passport you could bring photo ID (ex license) AND a birth certificate. Not just the photo ID.

 

Note the requirements for each.

[Coov]

Drivers license AND certified birth certificate with raised seal. If those 2 names on both items are different you need a link (i.e. marriage certificate or the like.)

[cruzeluver]

Drivers license AND certified birth certificate with raised seal.

 

Birth certificates in some states do not have a raised seal. As long as the certificate is certified, you are fine.

[bigboffs]

As others have said, if the cruise is a closed loop (start and end in a US port), a passport is not required. However, we believe that most seasoned cruisers will say that having one is recommended. For example, accidents and illnesses do happen and; if in a foreign port and you miss the ship, getting back to the US without a passport can be both time consuming and expensive. Some examples we know of people missing the ship include an auto accident; and emergency medical care for tripping on a poorly maintained sidewalk, stepping on a sharp object on a beach, and chest pains. A passport is an inexpensive type of travel insurance, and it is good for 10 years

[Paul65]

There's another thread dealing with this issue of passport right now. Passports are really the best ID to have, and are recommended, but they are not required in this case. As others have said, in the absence of a passport, you'll need a certified copy of your birth certificate to check in. (This is not required to get on and off the ship in ports of call. For that you'll need your SeaPass card and photo ID, and many times the photo ID isn't even checked.)

[wscott52]

You can cruise with an original or official copy of a government birth certificate and a driver's license for a "closed loop" Caribbean cruise but I would go ahead and get a passport. The issue is if you miss the ship or have to fly home unexpectedly from a foreign port. you will need the passport. You will still get home without one but it becomes much more complicated. If you have a passport you simply book the flight and show your passport. One of the main reasons Carnival decided to tow the Triumph to Mobile instead of Cozumel was the 900 passengers onboard without passports. Of course then you get into the question of whether you carry it ashore with you or leave it in the safe in the room. Personally my wife and I will have ours with us. If you know you are going to miss the ship and notify them they will make an effort to get your passports to the port authority but if an accident or medical emergency leaves you incapacitated you may not be able to notify them. I did a lot of diving in the Bahamas and Caribbean before I met my wife and always kept my passport with me. I last dove 20 years ago when the islands were much more relaxed though. You have to weigh the pros and cons and make your own decision. If you think this cruise may be a one time event then maybe a passport isn't worth it. If you plan to take future cruises as well I would get a passport.

[Coov]

I went through the drama of not having the correct birth certificate on my last cruise with Carnival last year. I used the same birth certificate for my only other cruise in 2000 (hospital birth certificate)... 12 years later the rules have changed and they almost did not let me on.

 

Now I have a cruise set up in April and I have a passport tucked away in a nice safe place. Stress levels are way down and all I have to do is just remember to bring the darned thing. :)

 

No mare waiting 12 years. I expect to do this AT LEAST once a year now!

[LuvBNatC]

If you are leaving the country for any reason and don't want to worry about anybody giving you a hassle about your citizenship, bite the bullet and get the passport.

 

Just last week, passengers on Carnival Triumph were faced with being dumped off in Mexico without passports, and whatever merriment might ensue. Fortunately, they came back to the U.S. instead.

 

But why create unnecessary drama for yourself? You're supposed to relax on a vacation. :D

[cruisenfever]

Yes, as long as you have a legal photo ID and an original Birth Certificate to check in.

Oops, forgot the Birth Certificate.:o Thanks for adding that.

 

How easily one forgets what is required when you always travel with a Passport.

[celle]

Yes, as long as you have a legal photo ID and an original Birth Certificate to check in.

 

As the OP is from the USA, this information is correct for a closed-loop cruise.

 

Cruisers from anywhere but the USA will require a passport.

[dwjoe]

From RCCL's web site:

 

United States citizens on cruises that begin and end at the same port in the United States can use a government-issued picture ID (i.e. driver's license) AND a government-issued birth certificate or original Naturalization Certificate.

Minors under the age of 16 will be able to present either an original government-issued, original or certified copy of his or her birth certificate; a Consular Report of Birth Abroad Issued by DOA; or Certificate of Naturalization issued by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/beforeyouboard/travelDocumentation.do?cS=NAVBAR&pnav=4&snav=5

[DrD]

Thank you so much for the help!! i have already lost 2 passports!!! one when i was 17 my mom and dad misplaced it and the other 2 years ago. so i dont know whats going to happen if i request yet another one!!! thank for the help!! and God Bless:o

 

I don't think they will mind if you ask for another one. You're paying for it after all.

 

They also have a new passport card that is cheaper and good for travel in the Caribbean.

[Toddcan]

I know I am repeating another response, but for those who are not American - a passport is required.

[Eng23]

You can cruise with an original or official copy of a government birth certificate and a driver's license for a "closed loop" Caribbean cruise but I would go ahead and get a passport. The issue is if you miss the ship or have to fly home unexpectedly from a foreign port. you will need the passport. You will still get home without one but it becomes much more complicated. If you have a passport you simply book the flight and show your passport. One of the main reasons Carnival decided to tow the Triumph to Mobile instead of Cozumel was the 900 passengers onboard without passports. Of course then you get into the question of whether you carry it ashore with you or leave it in the safe in the room. Personally my wife and I will have ours with us. If you know you are going to miss the ship and notify them they will make an effort to get your passports to the port authority but if an accident or medical emergency leaves you incapacitated you may not be able to notify them. I did a lot of diving in the Bahamas and Caribbean before I met my wife and always kept my passport with me. I last dove 20 years ago when the islands were much more relaxed though. You have to weigh the pros and cons and make your own decision. If you think this cruise may be a one time event then maybe a passport isn't worth it. If you plan to take future cruises as well I would get a passport.

 

I'm glad you brought this up. Those 900 or so folks that did not have passports would have had a hard time getting back into the USA on top of the misfortune of what happened on the ship.

[iamsunnysarah]

I would never travel outside of the contingent US without a passport. Just my personal inclination...something about that little book makes me feel much more secure in the event of something crazy happening. As PP said, a bit of insurance...

[dwjoe]

I would never travel outside of the contingent US without a passport.

I assume you mean the continental U.S.

[TravelerThom]

...They also have a new passport card that is cheaper and good for travel in the Caribbean.

Note that the Passport Card is good for surface [land or sea] travel only; it is not good for air travel to or from the Caribbean. [Yes, I know that we are discussing cruises here, but didn't want someone to misunderstand]

 

Thom

[cruisnseas]

I would like to specify this information ONLY applies to NATURAL BORN US Citizens. If your birth certificate is from another country and you immigrated here and gained citizenship, you have different requirements.

[dwjoe]

I would like to specify this information ONLY applies to NATURAL BORN US Citizens. If your birth certificate is from another country and you immigrated here and gained citizenship, you have different requirements.

That is correct.

 

In such a case, you can cruise with DL and your naturalization certificate, but I do not recommend it. If the naturalization certificate is lost or damaged, it is much more difficult and expensive to replace than a birth certificate. Some naturalization certificates even say DO NOT PHOTOCOPY on them.

[Beth C]

As a Canadian we're captive in our own country without having a passport do its a non issue for us. After seeing the potential issues Carnival passengers would have faced if they had gone to progresso I couldn't imagine going without. Yes this was a one in a million type of problem at least with a passport you could walk off the ship and get home without having to jump through all the hoops to get back to the us.

 

I still find it odd that the USA Hasn't made passports mandatory... A major $$$ maker for the govt if anything!

 

I just wish our passports were $100 for 10 yrs... Ours are only valid for 5 :(

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[AliceJ]

One other thing to consider - what if someone in your family had an emergeny and you all had to leave the cruise from a foreign port? I have 2 examples:

 

1. on our first cruise, our 4 y.o. daughter had a health issue, and Princess (as would any cruise line, presumably), told us that we had to have her examined by a pediatrician at our next port of call (St. Martin). Unless the pediatrician gave an all-clear, we would have to leave the cruise at that point and go home. Both before and after the cruise, she's extremely healthy, so this was totally out of the ordinary for us.

 

2. I have a father in ill-health. I could foresee the possiblity of him having a health crisis and having to fly home early from the cruise, from whatever port we were in.

 

I'm not saying you have to take a passport, just that sometimes odd things come up, and I wouldn't want to compound a difficult situation by not having a passport to come back to the US. For our family, if we are leaving the continental US, we take our passports.