Passport Required?

[JEndicott]

Is a passport required if any of the cruise ports are in Canada from a U.S. embarkation?

[d9704011]

You need a passport or a passport card or a NEXUS card to enter Canada.

[CruiserBruce]

More details are required from you about your plans. Generally a roundtrip cruise to and from the same US port doesn't require a passport. BUT... if you are talking a Alaska cruise, and it stops in Skagway, and you take the White Pass rail excursion (which enters Canada), you need a passport to take that excursion.

[sparks1093]

For a closed loop cruise starting in a US port, going to Canada and returning to the same US port a US citizen does not require a passport, unless the cruise line requires one. A passport card, Enhanced Drivers License (only issued by 5 states), government issued ID coupled with proof of citizenship (birth certificate, naturalization certificate, consular report of birth abroad) may be used (passengers under 16 only need the birth certificate or other proof of citizenship). As mentioned if you plan to take an excursion that crosses the land border you would need passport, passport card or EDL. 

[Underwatr]

10 hours ago, d9704011 said:

You need a passport or a passport card or a NEXUS card to enter Canada.

Except on a cruise ship port call...

 

Google 'Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.'

Edited July 14, 2019 by Underwatr

[d9704011]

8 minutes ago, Underwatr said:

Except on a cruise ship port call...

 

Google 'Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.'

What does the WHTI have to do with entering Canada?

[sparks1093]

55 minutes ago, Harley52 said:

You should always carry your Passport.  Don't be so daft.

Sorry, US citizens aren't required to carry a passport at all times since there are times (such as a closed loop cruise) where it's not even required.

[sparks1093]

3 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

What does the WHTI have to do with entering Canada?

The WHTI provides other alternatives to those you listed.

[d9704011]

Just now, sparks1093 said:

The WHTI provides other alternatives to those you listed.

Oh, spare me!  The OP asked about a passport for visiting Canadian ports on a cruise departing crom a US port.  This isn’t about Seafarer’s Cards or other unusual combinations of citizenship and identification documents.

[d9704011]

3 minutes ago, Harley52 said:

PYNV

Exactly......

[sparks1093]

22 minutes ago, Harley52 said:

PYNV

You chastise someone for not speaking in plain English then you commit the same offense😂 

[sparks1093]

21 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

Oh, spare me!  The OP asked about a passport for visiting Canadian ports on a cruise departing crom a US port.  This isn’t about Seafarer’s Cards or other unusual combinations of citizenship and identification documents.

Yes, and the OP deserves to know exactly what is accepted.

[d9704011]

1 minute ago, sparks1093 said:

Yes, and the OP deserves to know exactly what is accepted.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.... you’re always banging on about this, I get it.  Accuracy and completeness.

[sparks1093]

1 minute ago, d9704011 said:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.... you’re always banging on about this, I get it.  Accuracy and completeness.

What's wrong with accuracy and completeness when someone's vacation is on the line?

[Sean_B]

Instead of asking random strangers on the Internet who have no official authority to say yes you need it or no you don't, why not contact Canadian Border Services Agency and ask them?
 

Edit: I can save you (and everyone else) the time:
 

Foreign National Passenger Clearance

The following persons do not require a passport to enter Canada; however, they must provide sufficient documentation to establish their identity and citizenship:

• U.S. Citizens;
• Resident Aliens of the U.S. seeking entry from the U.S. or St. Pierre et Miquelon;
• Citizens of Canada; and
• Permanent Residents of Canada (Landed Immigrants).

Foreign nationals from any other country are required to have a valid passport.

 

Hope that helps.

Edited July 14, 2019 by Sean_B

[d9704011]

8 minutes ago, Sean_B said:

Instead of asking random strangers on the Internet who have no official authority to say yes you need it or no you don't, why not contact Canadian Border Services Agency and ask them?
 

Edit: I can save you (and everyone else) the time:
 

Foreign National Passenger Clearance

The following persons do not require a passport to enter Canada; however, they must provide sufficient documentation to establish their identity and citizenship:

• U.S. Citizens;
• Resident Aliens of the U.S. seeking entry from the U.S. or St. Pierre et Miquelon;
• Citizens of Canada; and
• Permanent Residents of Canada (Landed Immigrants).

Foreign nationals from any other country are required to have a valid passport.

 

Hope that helps.

That doesn’t really save much time and/or effort.  The OP likely has no idea what constitutes sufficient documentation to establish identity and citizenship.

 

I’m a proponent of getting a passport although I understand there are alternatives (particularly foe Americans in certain states and those who have travel plans for which a passport card will suffice).

[Sean_B]

1 minute ago, d9704011 said:

That doesn’t really save much time and/or effort.  The OP likely has no idea what constitutes sufficient documentation to establish identity and citizenship.

 

I’m a proponent of getting a passport although I understand there are alternatives (particularly foe Americans in certain states and those who have travel plans for which a passport card will suffice).

Sufficient documentation to establish identity and citizenship can be as simple as a drivers license. The question was "is a passport required", so the answer is no, it's not required. Is it a good idea to have one? Absolutely,

[mom says]

3 hours ago, d9704011 said:

That doesn’t really save much time and/or effort.  The OP likely has no idea what constitutes sufficient documentation to establish identity and citizenship.

 

I’m a proponent of getting a passport although I understand there are alternatives (particularly foe Americans in certain states and those who have travel plans for which a passport card will suffice).

WTH is the matter with you? Nobody cares what you are a proponent of. The question was "what is required". That question was correctly answered by those who obiously know more about the requirements for American citizens than you do. Let it go.

[clo]

5 hours ago, d9704011 said:

’m a proponent of getting a passport

As am I.  If you can afford a cruise, you can afford a passport.  It removes a whole lot of "what ifs."

[sparks1093]

15 hours ago, clo said:

As am I.  If you can afford a cruise, you can afford a passport.  It removes a whole lot of "what ifs."

Millions of people travel every year on closed loop cruises with something other than a passport and have no issues and they do so for reasons other than affordability, although for some affordability is certainly an issue. In our case it would have cost $850 for our family of 7 to get passports when we first started cruising. After doing the research we decided we couldn't justify that much money for a 4 day cruise since it was possible it would be our only cruise. We both wanted to travel internationally by air at some point but knew that wasn't going to happen until the kids were grown, so we decided to wait until the time came that we could do that to get passports for ourselves. Everyone has different travel needs and travel patterns and should use the documentation that works best for them under their individual circumstances.

[clo]

4 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

Everyone has different travel needs

Good point.  So how long til the kids are grown? 🙂

[sparks1093]

Just now, clo said:

Good point.  So how long til the kids are grown? 🙂

Been awhile, we obtained our passports in 2015 for a trip to Germany to visit DW's family and make it back every year/year and a half now.

[clo]

1 minute ago, sparks1093 said:

Been awhile, we obtained our passports in 2015 for a trip to Germany to visit DW's family and make it back every year/year and a half now.

When our younger grandboy was barely over a year, he got his passport for a three generation milestone birthday celebration in Costa Rica.  He was sick with a cold.  Worst picture you can imagine 🙂  (That's the rich in-law side of the family!)

[navybankerteacher]

On 7/14/2019 at 9:00 AM, d9704011 said:

What does the WHTI have to do with entering Canada?

Canada is in the Western Hemisphere - which Travel Initiative is included in the abbreviation: WHTI.  It would be a severely reduced Hemisphere if it did not include Canada.

[SRF]

On 7/14/2019 at 5:02 PM, d9704011 said:

That doesn’t really save much time and/or effort.  The OP likely has no idea what constitutes sufficient documentation to establish identity and citizenship.

 

I’m a proponent of getting a passport although I understand there are alternatives (particularly foe Americans in certain states and those who have travel plans for which a passport card will suffice).

 

As has been stated several times, a government issued photo ID and a government (not hospital issued) birth certificate are sufficient.

 

There are some exceptions, for US citizens born outside the US, they need a Consular Report of Birth Abroad.  And for naturalized citizens, a copy of their naturalization certificate.  But most of those people know that.