Round trip San Francisco

[vino100]

Do you need a passport for a 7 day closed loop cruise. Ports are Santa Barbara, la, San Diego and Ensenada. Hopefully a birth certificate will work. 

[NavyVeteran]

10 minutes ago, vino100 said:

Do you need a passport for a 7 day closed loop cruise. Ports are Santa Barbara, la, San Diego and Ensenada. Hopefully a birth certificate will work. 

I suggest you look at the Princess Pre-Cruise FAQ: Prepare for Your Cruise under "Travel Document Requirements". That is the official policy from Princess. It lists all of the options.

 

As it states for "US citizens traveling on U.S. roundtrip or "closed-loop" voyages", including "Mexico roundtrip from Los Angeles or San Francisco", you "may also travel with an original certified US birth certificate presented together with a valid US government-issued photo identification." Make sure it is an original certified birth certificate - not a copy.

 

Note that there may be additional requirements when traveling with a minor.

[wheezedr]

The simple answer is, no , you do not need a passport for that cruise.

[cr8tiv1]

There have been a couple of "warning" threads on CC.  

 

Born in the United States certified birth certificate (this may also take time to get)

Preferable an enhanced or starred driver's license.

Excellent medical insurance

 

 

 

[skynight]

If you are a U.S. citizen then no. You can travel with an Original birth certificate, one with an official government seal plus an official government issued photo ID. Look up WHTI travel requirements for closed loop cruises on the gov. web site for all the details. If something happens to you in Ensenada and you have to disembark you probably will run into documentation issues when returning to the U.S. 

[NavyVeteran]

3 hours ago, skynight said:

If you are a U.S. citizen then no. You can travel with an Original birth certificate, one with an official government seal plus an official government issued photo ID. Look up WHTI travel requirements for closed loop cruises on the gov. web site for all the details. If something happens to you in Ensenada and you have to disembark you probably will run into documentation issues when returning to the U.S. 

You probably would not be able to fly back to the US, but you should be able to come back by land. Ensenada is close enough to the US border that it should be doable if necsessary.

[masterty]

If you are good at the game frogger, then no passport needed.

[skynight]

7 hours ago, masterty said:

If you are good at the game frogger, then no passport needed.

Have no idea what this means. 

[KeepCalmBearOn]

21 hours ago, vino100 said:

Do you need a passport for a 7 day closed loop cruise. Ports are Santa Barbara, la, San Diego and Ensenada. Hopefully a birth certificate will work. 

 

No you don't need a passport. All you need is a Real ID (Enhanced ID) and an original copy of your birth certificate. That doesn't mean it has to be THE original, but it has to come from a governmental agency, it can't be a Xerox copy.

[SiliconCruiser]

11 hours ago, skynight said:

If you are a U.S. citizen then no. You can travel with an Original birth certificate, one with an official government seal plus an official government issued photo ID.

This is only applicable if you are a native born U.S. citizen, not for a naturalized citizen.  Another option would be a Real-ID driver license in lieu of other documents for travel into Canada or Mexico.

 

[vino100]

Thanks everyone for the info. 

[HaveDogWillTravel]

 

4 hours ago, scottca075 said:

All you need is a Real ID (Enhanced ID) and an original copy of your birth certificate.

Real ID and Enhanced Drivers Licensees are NOT the same thing. In short Real ID cannot be used to enter the US (by itself) while an Enhanced DL CAN  be used to enter from Canada, Mexico or Caribbean in place of a passport. Only a few states have EDL and California isn’t one of them. 
 

However, Princess does not require a Real ID…..https://www.princess.com/learn/faq/pre-cruise/prepare-for-your-cruise/. 

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

 

Anyone traveling without a passport really needs to read that section of the FAQs thoroughly!  
 

Also if you travel without a passport be prepared for ill informed port personnel.  They were telling my nephew he couldn’t board in SF with a California Real ID & certified birth certificate.  The first check in person insisted it had to be an EDL. She said they had turned away multiple people for just using a drivers license & birth cert!   After getting a supervisor it was all sorted out and he boarded.  

But boy did border control give him a long stink eye when we disembarked. Our saying is just because the ship lets you board doesn’t mean the border cops will let you back in. 
 

Here’s the reference material on real ID and EDL if you’re interested.  

 

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification-cards/real-id/what-is-real-id/

What is a REAL ID?

A REAL ID is a driver’s license or identification card that is also a federally accepted form of identification. It can be used to board a domestic flight within the U.S. and enter secure federal facilities, such as military bases, federal courthouses, and other secure federal locations. 
 

https://www.dhs.gov/enhanced-drivers-licenses-what-are-they

Enhanced Drivers Licenses: What Are They?

Enhanced Drivers Licenses (EDLs) are state-issued enhanced drivers licenses that provide proof of identity and U.S. citizenship. They are issued in a secure process, and include technology that makes travel easier. EDLs are a low-cost, convenient option for entering the United States from Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean through a land or sea port of entry, in addition to serving as a permit to drive.

DHS has been working with individual states to enhance their drivers licenses and identification documents to comply with travel rules under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), effective June 1, 2009.

EDLs make it easier for U.S. citizens to cross the border into the United States because they include:

• A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip that will signal a secure system to pull up your biographic and biometric data for the CBP officer as you approach the border inspection booth.
• A Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) or barcode that the CBP officer can read electronically if RFID isn't available.

Edited August 25, 2022 by HaveDogWillTravel

[KeepCalmBearOn]

6 hours ago, HaveDogWillTravel said:

Real ID and Enhanced Drivers Licensees are NOT the same thing.

 

Who said Real ID and EDL are the same thing? The OP asked about a closed loop cruise cruise and do they need a passport. The answer is no. A Real ID (drivers license or state issued ID) or an EDL with an original copy of the birth certificate is all they need.

 

End of story.

[HaveDogWillTravel]

14 hours ago, scottca075 said:

No you don't need a passport. All you need is a Real ID (Enhanced ID) and an original copy of your birth certificate

This statement implies they are the same. 

[HaveDogWillTravel]

3 hours ago, scottca075 said:

A Real ID (drivers license or state issued ID) or an EDL with an original copy of the birth certificate is all they need.

This statement is much clearer and does not imply they are the same thing.