Need a passport or card for this cruise?

[penaddict]

I was reading an article on this site that talks about when you don't need a passport to take a cruise and one of them said if the starting and ending point is in the US you wouldn't need one.

It gave an example of an Alaskan cruise that started and ended in Seattle.

So I wonder if that is correct even if there's one port in Victoria Canada.

Can anyone confirm this as we will have our birth certificates and IDs?

This is the article:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=2352

Edited February 10, 2017 by penaddict
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[Clarea]

If you are a native born US citizen, and your cruise starts and ends at the same US port, you can cruise with a certified copy of your birth certificate and a government issued photo ID.

 

Note that there may be some excursions that require a passport. I recall one in Skagway on a train that enters Canada that required a passport booklet or card.

[penaddict]

I seem to of gotten some ambiguous information from Princess cruises. She said their policy says that it requires one but then she also said that maybe it doesn't but you won't be able to get off the ship when it goes to Victoria Canada and get back on.

So does that make sense mean that if we didn't have a passport we won't be able to go to the Canada port ?

[JMorris271]

I believe that the cruise lines themselves made changes that require a valid passport or ship pass to board their ship. The requirement is usually addressed on that cruises site

[penaddict]

I think I found my answer:

Princess requires that ALL passengers must be in possession of a valid passport. In cases of emergency where guests may be required to disembark at a non-U.S. port, Princess cannot guarantee that all members of your party will be allowed to disembark with just a WHTI-compliant document or birth certificate. Failure to present a valid passport for all passengers traveling together will result in denial of boarding without refund.

[Clarea]

I seem to of gotten some ambiguous information from Princess cruises. She said their policy says that it requires one but then she also said that maybe it doesn't but you won't be able to get off the ship when it goes to Victoria Canada and get back on.

So does that make sense mean that if we didn't have a passport we won't be able to go to the Canada port ?

We've been to Victoria at least a half-dozen times and never had to show passports. However, that was on Royal Caribbean. Perhaps Princess has different rules.

[njhorseman]

I think I found my answer:

Princess requires that ALL passengers must be in possession of a valid passport. In cases of emergency where guests may be required to disembark at a non-U.S. port, Princess cannot guarantee that all members of your party will be allowed to disembark with just a WHTI-compliant document or birth certificate. Failure to present a valid passport for all passengers traveling together will result in denial of boarding without refund.

 

You're quoting the exception to their requirements that only applies in cases where minors are cruising with only one adult in their travelling party. If that particular circumstance is not applicable to your situation, then the following applies:

 

The official Princess FAQ from their website under the travel documents tab:

 

http://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/pre_cruise/prepare.jsp

US citizens traveling on U.S. roundtrip or “closed-loop” voyages may also travel with an original certified birth certificate presented together with a valid government-issued photo identification. These voyages include:

 

 

Alaska roundtrip from San Francisco or Seattle (roundtrip Seattle cruisetours excluded)

Canada/New England roundtrip from New York

Caribbean roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale^, New York or Houston

Hawaii roundtrip from Los Angeles and San Francisco

Mexico roundtrip from Los Angeles or San Francisco

Panama Canal roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale^

^Voyages that call to Central or South America are excluded and only Passports or WHTI compliant documents are accepted.

[penaddict]

We're not traveling with a minor and does that mean that the princess representative gave me the wrong information on the phone ?

Would we still be able to get off at Victoria Canada and come back on board ?

Edited February 11, 2017 by penaddict

[LHT28]

Some cruise lines do require passports for all even on closed loop cruises

I would call Princess again & ask for a supervisor

You may need to get passports or cancel the cruise

[penaddict]

OK I called back again and we only need a birth certificate and driver's license. My husband just reminded me that we took a Canada New England cruise eight years ago that round trip from New York and we didn't have a passport then and that was princess as well. Well I'm happy I can save several hundred dollars at least 😄

[njhorseman]

Some cruise lines do require passports for all even on closed loop cruises

I would call Princess again & ask for a supervisor

You may need to get passports or cancel the cruise

 

Premium and luxury lines generally require all passengers to have a passport, but not the mass market lines, including Princess (with the one exception I cited when minors are travelling with only one adult).

[Koalacash]

Times they are a changing...I would not go ANYWHERE without a passport...regardless of the requirements.

[CGinMTL]

Not sure why this would be OK. Us citizens definitely need passeport to enter Canada.

 

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[sparks1093]

Not sure why this would be OK. Us citizens definitely need passeport to enter Canada.

 

Sent from my SM-T580 using Forums mobile app

 

I have entered Canada via the land border several times without a passport. I use my Enhanced Drivers License for the purpose. :) In any event on a closed loop cruise a US citizen may use a birth certificate and government issued ID, even for cruises with a stop in Canada;).

[sail7seas]

If you intend to continue traveling, why not get a passport and be done with it? You won't have to stress and ask and read up and sorry about not being permitted to b oard be cause you have insuficient travel documents. If you don't think you'll travel again,. I suppose I could underrstandf but I fail to get it when people plan to travel and still refuse to get a passport. I've tried for years on this forum to finally undestand but I fail. it tmakes no sense to me.Wh en will you ultimately get tired of worrying, asking, rsearching? It's so much easier to get a passport good for ten years and stop worrying about it.

[sparks1093]

If you intend to continue traveling, why not get a passport and be done with it? You won't have to stress and ask and read up and sorry about not being permitted to b oard be cause you have insuficient travel documents. If you don't think you'll travel again,. I suppose I could underrstandf but I fail to get it when people plan to travel and still refuse to get a passport. I've tried for years on this forum to finally undestand but I fail. it tmakes no sense to me.Wh en will you ultimately get tired of worrying, asking, rsearching? It's so much easier to get a passport good for ten years and stop worrying about it.

 

When we first started cruising closed loop cruises were our only option for foreign travel and even then only once a year or every other year. Didn't even need (or want) to cross the border that is 8 miles from our front door. We couldn't afford any other type of vacation other than driving trips and cruises were much more fun (and economical). We knew that we wanted to travel by international air eventually but until then decided to forego getting passports since we didn't need them and didn't want to start the clock running on them. I did decide to get either a passport card or EDL once I found out how much it would cost to replace DW's naturalization certificate (:eek:), which opened up open jaw sailings and crossing the land border as options. We took our first international air trip in 2015 and that is when we obtained our passports. Had we purchased passports when we first started cruising they would only have had 4 years left on them. There was research involved, but I love research. There was no worry because I knew I had what I needed. As I have said repeatedly everyone has different travel needs and different levels of risk tolerance.