Zuiderdam Sunfarer...visiting Costa Rica and need for passport

[msmayor]

So while taking a look over the itinerary for my upcoming Zuiderdam cruise, I noticed that Holland America notes "PR", or passport required, next to the stop at Puerto Limon Costa Rica.

 

I never noticed that before, and since I already have a passport that I use whenever I cruise I never really worry about that requirement...just visas.

 

So seeing that notation on HAL's site, I did a little digging...and on both the US Embassy site for Costa Rica and the Costa Rican embassy.org web site, it states that a current valid passport is indeed required to visit Costa Rica along with valid evidence of onward travel to leave the country.

 

For those who have done this itinerary (or any itinerary that includes Costa Rica)...I'm curious...have you seen people denied boarding because they have no passport? So many people will think that because its a closed-loop cruise (Sunfarer is RT Ft. Lauderdale) only a birth certificate and photo ID is enough.

 

Are they checking passports in Costa Rica? Really just curious, since my husband and I have passports so no worries if we are asked for them.

[CruiserBruce]

Hmmm...news to me on the passport requirement. And looking at other Zuiderdam Partial Transit cruises, am not seeing a passport requirement.

 

Just looking something like this up on the internet often misses the common exception almost all(but definitely not all) countries give for one day cruise ship type visits.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I am also curious about this.

We have done this cruise several times and I never saw that notation before. It wouldn't bother us as we always take our passports with us.

Hope people who have done this cruise recently respond.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I just looked at your itinerary -- which we have done -- and there is nothing unusual about it.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Hmmm...news to me on the passport requirement. And looking at other Zuiderdam Partial Transit cruises, am not seeing a passport requirement.

 

Just looking something like this up on the internet often misses the common exception almost all(but definitely not all) countries give for one day cruise ship type visits.

 

Yes, it's there. I just looked. I'm on the Feb 25 cruise. I swear I didn't see that PR before. And the list of "notes" is longer than I remember. P1 for "transit times are approximate" seems new, too. I know there's a caveat somewhere about times not being certain, but I don't recall it being there. I think it shows up on the itinerary page for booking tours.

 

Fortunately, we have passports so not a problem for us. Funny, I did check that we don't need visas, but I missed the Costa Rica passport requirement.

 

Here's the list of port notes

PORT NOTES:

TR Tender Required

NW Wheelchair Access Limited

CO Cruising Only

P1 Transit Times Are Approximate

SC Service Call

PR Passport Required

[cabinluvn]

We did this cruise last January and I don't recall them even collecting our passports before we arrived at this port

 

 

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[AZNative2000]

Not sure why the PR notation but for any foreign port if, say, you have a medical emergency and have to be left at hospital (I've seen this happen.) and ... fly home from there, you must have a passport.

 

If all goes well, fine. But to paraphrase Yogi Berra: If there's a problem, there's a problem.

 

Cheers!

[Toad]

Isn't a passport required just about everywhere now? Most certainly I would think for reentry to the US?

 

 

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[msmayor]

Well, a little more digging on some websites yield an answer....

 

According to the website CostaRicaCruises dot com, travelers to Costa Rica by air, land or sea are required to have passports EXCEPT if it is a closed-loop cruise to/from the same US port, it is not required. I don't really consider this website an authority though, since its operated by a division of a large cruise agency clearing house.

 

Seeing this though just reinforces my decision to get us passports years ago and keep them current. Makes life a lot simpler for travel.

 

Interesting though that on both the US and Costa Rican embassy sites I am not seeing this exception listed.

 

KK, at first I thought the "PR" only showed up on the itinerary I see after I log in to my account, but I did start a mock booking and if I click on 'Itinerary Details' the "PR" is there, right at the end of the words 'Costa Rica'. If you look quick, because of the font style, its actually easy to miss.

[ellieanne]

I'm booked on a Sunfarer in December and there is no Passport required notice on my itinerary when I log in to check my account. But it is there if I just search for the itinerary from the Plan a Cruise menu.

 

I'll have my passport either way, but I do find it interesting that's in one place but not the other.

[Sundagger]

I was on the Sunfarer cruise in late 2015. Just before the cruise, we got an email from Hal saying that Costa Rica began requiring passports. We took ours, but weren't asked for them in Costa Rica. I have no idea if anyone was denied boarding for lack of a passport. I've taken 5 or 6 Caribbean cruises and haven't needed my passport at any foreign port there.

[IndyDenise]

I'm going on this cruise, we leave this Wednesday.

 

When I booked in October I saw this on the cruise listing on HAL.

 

Then after booking I received two e-mails from HAL 1) passport requirements for Costa Rica 2) new smoking policy.

 

The first one intrigued me. So I did a little digging. Seems Costa Rica started this due to the amount of people that try to stay illegally in their country ( build a wall I say with sarcasm! )

 

I don't think HAL ever has to physically collect and turn in the passports but maybe just the names/numbers.

 

Seems to me too ( and please remember it was October when I "researched " ) people on another line were denied boarding the cruise for lack of passport. If you don't have one you won't get on in the first place.

 

PS. I save every email about my booking and just checked it. I have the passport required notation on every booking email.

 

 

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[momatibm]

Well, a little more digging on some websites yield an answer....

 

According to the website CostaRicaCruises dot com, travelers to Costa Rica by air, land or sea are required to have passports EXCEPT if it is a closed-loop cruise to/from the same US port, it is not required. I don't really consider this website an authority though, since its operated by a division of a large cruise agency clearing house.

 

Seeing this though just reinforces my decision to get us passports years ago and keep them current. Makes life a lot simpler for travel.

 

Interesting though that on both the US and Costa Rican embassy sites I am not seeing this exception listed.

 

KK, at first I thought the "PR" only showed up on the itinerary I see after I log in to my account, but I did start a mock booking and if I click on 'Itinerary Details' the "PR" is there, right at the end of the words 'Costa Rica'. If you look quick, because of the font style, its actually easy to miss.

 

Both the US State Department and the Costa Rican government site indicate passports, but no visa, are required for entry. No exceptions made for 'closed' loop cruises.

[summersigh]

We did this cruise last January and I don't recall them even collecting our passports before we arrived at this port

We did this cruise Dec 2016. I didn't pay much attention because we have valid passports BUT .... we did receive at least 2 itinerary specific mass mailing emails from HAL saying that this itinerary required a valid passport. Emails were also sent to our TA.

 

Passports were checked at Port Everglades check-in so I imagine HAL vouched for us all having them. When we disembarked at all of the ports including Puerto Limon we only took our ships card and driver's license.

[57redbird]

We did your cruise in December, 2016 &, because of the notation about needing passports in CR, we took ours ashore but were never asked for them.

[PDXrae]

We were on this ship, and this cruise, in Dec 2016 and no passports were required to reboard after a day of ziplining or a quick trip to the shops. We just needed our room card.

 

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[HollDoll]

Do you take your passports with you when you go ashore? I prefer to leave them in the safe unless they are required. Just wondering if I should be bringing it with me.

[cabinluvn]

Do you take your passports with you when you go ashore? I prefer to leave them in the safe unless they are required. Just wondering if I should be bringing it with me.

 

 

 

We made copies of our passports and travel off the ship with those as well as copies of our driver's license

 

 

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[summersigh]

Do you take your passports with you when you go ashore? I prefer to leave them in the safe unless they are required. Just wondering if I should be bringing it with me.

Different folks have differing opinions :) For us ... Debarking at Caribbean ports I only carry a copy of our passports in my wallet and my ship's card with my driver's license in a deep pocket.

 

If it happened that we were going to miss the sailing for some drastic reason ... before they sail the ship's officers will empty your safe (where we keep our real passports, extra credit cards and valuables) and give the contents to a port official so I don't worry about being stranded without our vital "stuff" ;)

 

PS ... the only reason I carry a copy of our passports at ports is because for the cruise ports I carry a small travel wallet only used for traveling. I copy the PP when we get new ones and just leave the copies in there.

[IndyDenise]

I take a picture of them with my cell phone. I take my phone with me with data off to use for emergencies and camera mode.

 

I also have a photo of it and all credit cards emailed to myself .. and in my saved emails. Plus all important information I may ever need.

 

I would be able to access all that information on any internet enabled device from anywhere in the world. Just in case I got beaten up and mugged I could still get my information.

 

 

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[foodsvcmgr]

In today's world why anyone would travel internationally without a passport is beyond me.

[msmayor]

Both the US State Department and the Costa Rican government site indicate passports, but no visa, are required for entry. No exceptions made for 'closed' loop cruises.

 

I meant to add that to my comment...I thought it very unusual that a travel site would make the statement that the passport isn't necessary for a closed-loop cruise that included Costa Rica while the official government sites (both US and Costa Rican) are silent on that.

 

Those government sites seem to make it clear that a passport is required. Others have said they've never been asked for it, and leave it on the ship...but in my mind that doesn't necessarily mean it isn't required, only that they haven't been asked to produce it.

 

We generally always carry our passport with us in port for emergencies, but will certainly make sure I have it when going ashore in Costa Rica as a result of this.

[Liz54]

In the "Ask a Cruise Question Forum" there are about 3 threads on the need, or not, for passports. Some say enhanced BCs are fine. People get all riled up and there is real resistance by some US citizens to get passports.

 

As a Canadian I need to take a passport to get into the US to board ship, but I still find it hard to understand in the current boarder upheaval that everyone would not just get a passport. When the US requires passports (as they did with Canada post 9/11) it is usually a reciprocal agreement. I would think Mexico will soon require one.

 

I would not want to get caught, and now that they are good for 10 years.....

[NMLady]

Isn't a passport required just about everywhere now? Most certainly I would think for reentry to the US?

 

 

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On a closed loop cruise US citizens only need official birth certificate and Govt issued photo id for re-entry into US.

[NMLady]

... When the US requires passports (as they did with Canada post 9/11) it is usually a reciprocal agreement. I would think Mexico will soon require one. ...

 

Canada and Mexico both require either a passport or a passport card for land crossings from US, a passport if arriving by air.