Closed loop cruise

[1965]

My sisters & I are sailing out of Galveston on the Breeze in March. One sister does not have a passport. Am i correct that she only needs her birth certificate & drivers license for this closed loop sailing? My other sister has a passport that will expire 2 months after we sail. Will she be able to use that? We will visit Cozumel & one other Mexican port. Thanks for any info & input.

Edited June 22, 2021 by 1965

[ledges1]

I would call Carnival and inquire. Carnival usually indicates that you should not travel with a passport that expires within 6 months. I do not know the reason. Safest bet is call Carnival and not rely on this website. It will carry no weight at the Carnival cruise terminal.

[dbrucern]

Yes birth certificate and DL good.  As for passport it is supposed to be good for 6 months after the cruise but we used ours 

 

[groundloop]

From Carnival's website:

 

For cruises that begin and end in a U.S port, the following WHTI-Compliant Documents are acceptable for cruise travel. These standard forms of documentation will enable the Department of Homeland Security to quickly and reliably identify a traveler. If a picture I.D. is not affixed to the WHTI-compliant document, a picture I.D. is required (a valid, unexpired government-issued photo I.D. for all guests 16 years of age or older). If the cruise includes air travel to or from Canada, a valid, unexpired U.S. passport is required.

 

• U.S. Passport
• Passport Card
• State Enhanced Driver's License
• Certificate of U.S. Naturalization
• Native American Indians

For cruises that visit Martinique, guests going ashore are required to carry a valid, unexpired passport. .  

Also acceptable for cruise travel (for cruises that begin and end in a U.S port), U.S. citizens can show proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate  issued by a government agency and accompanied by government-issued photo identification. If the cruise includes air travel to or from Canada, a valid, unexpired U.S. passport is required. Guests who have committed or been convicted of a crime may not be allowed into Canada - for more information, click here.

 

So.... if you have an enhanced drivers license (gold or black start) you don't need anything else.  If you live in a state like mine that's behind the times you'll need a birth certificate in addition to your drivers license, or a good old fashioned passport.

 

Edited June 22, 2021 by groundloop

[sparks1093]

42 minutes ago, dbrucern said:

Yes birth certificate and DL good.  As for passport it is supposed to be good for 6 months after the cruise but we used ours 

 

That is only a recommendation, it is not a requirement. 

[Babr]

Be mindful that if there are any hiccups along the way, you will have trouble flying home without a passport.

[Bases5]

The reason Carnival suggest passports be 6 months from expiration is because that is a requirement in a lot of countries visited by carnival. So if you would have to fly home know the rules of the county you will visit. 

[mexicobob]

8 hours ago, Babr said:

Be mindful that if there are any hiccups along the way, you will have trouble flying home without a passport.

Trouble would be an understatement in some situations. You might not be a able to fly home. Best case scenario would be a lengthy, major hassle.

[sparks1093]

13 hours ago, Bases5 said:

The reason Carnival suggest passports be 6 months from expiration is because that is a requirement in a lot of countries visited by carnival. So if you would have to fly home know the rules of the county you will visit. 

None of the countries visited on a closed loop cruise fall into that category and worldwide I think there might be 30 countries that require 6 months remaining on a passport for US citizens. And it should be noted that the 6 month requirement is from the end of your trip, not the beginning, so if you were going to spend 2 months in such a country you would need 8 months of validity remaining on your passport. 

[sparks1093]

11 hours ago, mexicobob said:

Trouble would be an understatement in some situations. You might not be a able to fly home. Best case scenario would be a lengthy, major hassle.

No, in most cases that is likely not the case. There are provisions in the regulations to waive the passport requirement for an emergency or for humanitarian reasons. There will be a delay as the cruise line has to work with CBP to make the arrangements but no one in the equation (the cruise line, our government, the government of the country you are in) wants to delay you any more than necessary. 

[Moviela]

 "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help. ".

 

-President Reagan

 

If you have a problem in any country abroad, things will not go well without a passport. Don't leave the country without one. 

[ProgRockCruiser]

Aha, I see we are back to the old "passports vs DL+BC" discussion!

 

Things are indeed returning to normal...

[sparks1093]

52 minutes ago, Moviela said:

 "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help. ".

 

-President Reagan

 

If you have a problem in any country abroad, things will not go well without a passport. Don't leave the country without one. 

I can leave the country by turning left out of my driveway and driving 8 miles so your statement is much too broad, many folks in my community routinely cross that border using something other than a passport. If you don't believe that the government will help you if you have an issue abroad you probably shouldn't even think about travel. But for the rest of us we know that is one of their functions. 

[mexicobob]

13 hours ago, Moviela said:

 "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help. ".

 

-President Reagan

 

If you have a problem in any country abroad, things will not go well without a passport. Don't leave the country without one. 

Might be the best words ever spoken on these boards. Unfortunately, some people have to learn the hard way. I speak from experience.

Really good we are back having this discussion though. Might get stuck somewhere but at least we may be going somewhere.

[SNJCruisers]

On 6/22/2021 at 6:41 PM, mexicobob said:

Trouble would be an understatement in some situations. You might not be a able to fly home. Best case scenario would be a lengthy, major hassle.

 

20 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

No, in most cases that is likely not the case. There are provisions in the regulations to waive the passport requirement for an emergency or for humanitarian reasons. There will be a delay as the cruise line has to work with CBP to make the arrangements but no one in the equation (the cruise line, our government, the government of the country you are in) wants to delay you any more than necessary. 

Bob is talking about Mexico, while Sparks1093 is talking about Canada.  Does this need to be discussed any further? 😉

[chengkp75]

On 6/22/2021 at 9:36 AM, groundloop said:

So.... if you have an enhanced drivers license (gold or black start) you don't need anything else.  If you live in a state like mine that's behind the times you'll need a birth certificate in addition to your drivers license, or a good old fashioned passport.

This is not correct.  While you are correct that an enhanced driver's license is sufficient on it's own, a license with a "gold or black star" is only a "REAL ID" compliant driver's license, not an enhanced license.  Enhanced licenses have a US flag on them, not the star.  Enhanced licenses are not being mandated, unlike "Real ID" licenses, and only 5 states to date have issued them:  Michigan, Vermont, Washington, New York, and Minnesota, due to the frequency of state residents casually crossing the border with Canada.  I'm not aware of any other states planning on issuing enhanced licenses.

[sparks1093]

3 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

 

Bob is talking about Mexico, while Sparks1093 is talking about Canada.  Does this need to be discussed any further? 😉

I did talk about Canada in response to a broad "no one should leave the country without a passport", but overall I am talking about closed loop cruises (but the regulations do allow something other than a passport for both land and sea border crossings).

[sparks1093]

18 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

This is not correct.  While you are correct that an enhanced driver's license is sufficient on it's own, a license with a "gold or black star" is only a "REAL ID" compliant driver's license, not an enhanced license.  Enhanced licenses have a US flag on them, not the star.  Enhanced licenses are not being mandated, unlike "Real ID" licenses, and only 5 states to date have issued them:  Michigan, Vermont, Washington, New York, and Minnesota, due to the frequency of state residents casually crossing the border with Canada.  I'm not aware of any other states planning on issuing enhanced licenses.

Excellent catch. My EDL has a US flag on it and the star.