ID for minors to Alaska

[sprint180]

I hope someone can help me.  I am trying to find what form of ID minors need for Alaska.  On the website I can find that they need birth certificate, but does this include Alaska where adults need passports?    Yes I will call RCCL but I don't necessarily trust what they say after reading a few posts.  Just wanted some first hand knowledge.

Thanks, Vicki

[ARandomTraveler]

Alaska is part of the United States. Your profile says you're from the US, so you shouldn't need a passport to go to Alaska.

[DaKahuna]

34 minutes ago, sprint180 said:

I hope someone can help me.  I am trying to find what form of ID minors need for Alaska.  On the website I can find that they need birth certificate, but does this include Alaska where adults need passports?    Yes I will call RCCL but I don't necessarily trust what they say after reading a few posts.  Just wanted some first hand knowledge.

Thanks, Vicki

 Since your cruise will be visiting Canada, you should check what the requirements for Canada say for minor children. 
 

Personally, if there is enough time before the cruise I would get them Passport Cards.  That’s our daughter and son did for their minor children when we sailed in the Caribbean with them. 
 

 

[BirdTravels]

19 minutes ago, ARandomTraveler said:

Alaska is part of the United States. Your profile says you're from the US, so you shouldn't need a passport to go to Alaska.

Incorrect. Since you are on an international cruise calling at foreign ports, you will need a passport or birth certificate if it is a closed loop trip. There are additional requirements if you are originating or ending in Canada. 

[sprint180]

22 minutes ago, ARandomTraveler said:

Alaska is part of the United States. Your profile says you're from the US, so you shouldn't need a passport to go to Alaska.

Adults do need a passport to go to Alaska as they stop in Canada

[not-enough-cruising]

6 hours ago, ARandomTraveler said:

Alaska is part of the United States. Your profile says you're from the US, so you shouldn't need a passport to go to Alaska.

Yeah, no

[Joseph2017China]

8 hours ago, sprint180 said:

I hope someone can help me.  I am trying to find what form of ID minors need for Alaska.  On the website I can find that they need birth certificate, but does this include Alaska where adults need passports?    Yes I will call RCCL but I don't necessarily trust what they say after reading a few posts.  Just wanted some first hand knowledge.

Thanks, Vicki

Your are asking the wrong questions.  

 

First, a minor is a human being, and all humans are treated the same....so a minor is the same as an adult and vice versa

 

Secondly, you don't need a passport for AK

 

Next, you need to ask the question, are you leaving from Vancouver or Seattle.

 

Next you need to say, is it a closed loop cruise or a one way cruise. 

 

Next, do you plan to do an excursion, such as a train that goes into Yukon. 

 

Next, if you don't trust RCCL, than why in the world do you trust perfect strangers on a message board?

 

So, if you are on a closed loop cruise from Seattle, that enters Canada you don't plan on any excursions entering Canada, than I'm pretty sure, you don't need a Passport (or card). Now, if you somehow already determined that an "adult" needs a passport, than of course the "minor" needs it, but why do you think you need it?  

 

 

[A&L_Ont]

If you have to fly from Canada to the States, closed loop or not (medical emergency return from Canada before the cruise ends officially), you will need a passport. 

[reallyitsmema]

9 hours ago, sprint180 said:

I hope someone can help me.  I am trying to find what form of ID minors need for Alaska.  On the website I can find that they need birth certificate, but does this include Alaska where adults need passports?    Yes I will call RCCL but I don't necessarily trust what they say after reading a few posts.  Just wanted some first hand knowledge.

Thanks, Vicki

 

9 hours ago, sprint180 said:

Adults do need a passport to go to Alaska as they stop in Canada

 

If you are doing a closed loop cruise from Seattle to Alaska, you can sail with a birth certificate and a picture ID (picture ID for those 16 and over).  If you are sailing from Vancouver or one of the one way itineraries, all will require a passport.  If you are going to do any excursions while in port that goes from Alaska into Canada, all will need a passport.

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/what-travel-documents-i-need-for-boarding-day

[ARandomTraveler]

9 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Incorrect. Since you are on an international cruise calling at foreign ports, you will need a passport or birth certificate if it is a closed loop trip. There are additional requirements if you are originating or ending in Canada. 

She didn't ask about going to Canada, she asked about going to Alaska, so that's what I replied to. My answer was correct for the way she asked her question.

[sprint180]

4 hours ago, Joseph2017China said:

Your are asking the wrong questions.  

 

First, a minor is a human being, and all humans are treated the same....so a minor is the same as an adult and vice versa

 

Secondly, you don't need a passport for AK

 

Next, you need to ask the question, are you leaving from Vancouver or Seattle.

 

Next you need to say, is it a closed loop cruise or a one way cruise. 

 

Next, do you plan to do an excursion, such as a train that goes into Yukon. 

 

Next, if you don't trust RCCL, than why in the world do you trust perfect strangers on a message board?

 

So, if you are on a closed loop cruise from Seattle, that enters Canada you don't plan on any excursions entering Canada, than I'm pretty sure, you don't need a Passport (or card). Now, if you somehow already determined that an "adult" needs a passport, than of course the "minor" needs it, but why do you think you need it?  

 

 

First, a minor is a human being, and all humans are treated the same....so a minor is the same as an adult and vice versa

---I asked about a "minor" because when I looked in the FAQ's it specifically talked about what minors could use.

Secondly, you don't need a passport for AK

---You don't need a passport to go to Alaska but to go into Canada you do which is on our trip.

Next, you need to ask the question, are you leaving from Vancouver or Seattle.

---I do not know where I would be leaving from as we haven't booked our trip.  This depends on if a passport would be needed for a child to go on this trip.

Next, if you don't trust RCCL, than why in the world do you trust perfect strangers on a message board?

--- You only have to read these boards for a while to realize you don't always get the correct answer from calling RCCL .  There is a thread right now that shows that.  I said I was contacting them but just wanted to know from someone who actually had experience with this.  

 

So, if you are on a closed loop cruise from Seattle, that enters Canada you don't plan on any excursions entering Canada, than I'm pretty sure, you don't need a Passport (or card). Now, if you somehow already determined that an "adult" needs a passport, than of course the "minor" needs it, but why do you think you need it?  

---because the last time I went to Alaska on a cruise I was told by RCCL that we needed passport I'm just trying to cover my bases.  

 

 

[LeeW]

4 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

If you have to fly from Canada to the States, closed loop or not (medical emergency return from Canada before the cruise ends officially), you will need a passport. 

Rather unlikely one would ever have to fly from Canada - the only possible Canada stops are in Victoria or Vancouver for a Seattle roundtrip cruise and these would be land crossings.

 

Rules are pretty simple.  A birth certificate and picture ID for sailings that are roundtrip from USA (Seattle or San Francisco).  Passport for any one-way sailings.

[sprint180]

3 hours ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

 

If you are doing a closed loop cruise from Seattle to Alaska, you can sail with a birth certificate and a picture ID (picture ID for those 16 and over).  If you are sailing from Vancouver or one of the one way itineraries, all will require a passport.  If you are going to do any excursions while in port that goes from Alaska into Canada, all will need a passport.

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/what-travel-documents-i-need-for-boarding-day

Thank you for posting this.  This is not the same page I found yesterday.  I suppose I searched the wrong wording.  I appreciate it.

[sprint180]

12 hours ago, ARandomTraveler said:

Alaska is part of the United States. Your profile says you're from the US, so you shouldn't need a passport to go to Alaska.

True, I worded that incorrectly.  The cruise we are looking at stops in Canada.  

[reallyitsmema]

3 hours ago, ARandomTraveler said:

She didn't ask about going to Canada, she asked about going to Alaska, so that's what I replied to. My answer was correct for the way she asked her question.

 

All Alaska cruises have to have a stop in Canada or they are in violation of the PVSA.

[Joseph2017China]

1 hour ago, sprint180 said:

First, a minor is a human being, and all humans are treated the same....so a minor is the same as an adult and vice versa

---I asked about a "minor" because when I looked in the FAQ's it specifically talked about what minors could use.

Secondly, you don't need a passport for AK

---You don't need a passport to go to Alaska but to go into Canada you do which is on our trip.

Next, you need to ask the question, are you leaving from Vancouver or Seattle.

---I do not know where I would be leaving from as we haven't booked our trip.  This depends on if a passport would be needed for a child to go on this trip.

Next, if you don't trust RCCL, than why in the world do you trust perfect strangers on a message board?

--- You only have to read these boards for a while to realize you don't always get the correct answer from calling RCCL .  There is a thread right now that shows that.  I said I was contacting them but just wanted to know from someone who actually had experience with this.  

 

So, if you are on a closed loop cruise from Seattle, that enters Canada you don't plan on any excursions entering Canada, than I'm pretty sure, you don't need a Passport (or card). Now, if you somehow already determined that an "adult" needs a passport, than of course the "minor" needs it, but why do you think you need it?  

---because the last time I went to Alaska on a cruise I was told by RCCL that we needed passport I'm just trying to cover my bases.  

 

 

But you did not give complete info and if you look at the answers, they are incomplete also.  Look, if you want to show up for your cruise and get turned away, go to these boards, ask incomplete questions, get wrong answers, and good luck.  

[A&L_Ont]

2 hours ago, LeeW said:

Rather unlikely one would ever have to fly from Canada - the only possible Canada stops are in Victoria or Vancouver for a Seattle roundtrip cruise and these would be land crossings.

 

Rules are pretty simple.  A birth certificate and picture ID for sailings that are roundtrip from USA (Seattle or San Francisco).  Passport for any one-way sailings.

Correct, they are simple.
 

However you missed my one point. If they have to disembark in Canada for a medical emergency on a closed loop cruise, which is highly unlikely, they need a passport to fly out of Canada. 

[reallyitsmema]

2 hours ago, LeeW said:

Rather unlikely one would ever have to fly from Canada - the only possible Canada stops are in Victoria or Vancouver for a Seattle roundtrip cruise and these would be land crossings.

 

Rules are pretty simple.  A birth certificate and picture ID for sailings that are roundtrip from USA (Seattle or San Francisco).  Passport for any one-way sailings.

 

19 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

Correct, they are simple.
 

However you missed my one point. If they have to disembark in Canada for a medical emergency on a closed loop cruise, which is highly unlikely, they need a passport to fly out of Canada. 

 

I was in medical with Covid when we were in Victoria on our May Alaska sailing.  I was sent to quarantine in my cabin but they did medically evacuate a man from our rollcall because of norovirus and covid.  Both he and his wife ended up staying in Victoria until he was stabilized.  They ended up taking the ferry to Seattle and flew home from Seattle.  They, luckily, had passports.  Who knows how long they would have been delayed in Victoria had they only sailed on birth certificates and photo IDs.

[Lane Hog]

3 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

Correct, they are simple.
 

However you missed my one point. If they have to disembark in Canada for a medical emergency on a closed loop cruise, which is highly unlikely, they need a passport to fly out of Canada. 

Categorically not true that you NEED a passport to fly out of Canada in the event of an emergency. 

If anything, it's easier to return from Canada without a passport because of how re-entry to the US is handled at the airports.  Departing Canada, if you don't have the docs, you're able to present yourself to a US immigration officer who can make the decision to admit you.  That's not possible in Mexico or most of the Caribbean.

I've seen US CBP makes exceptions for this almost daily due to things like lost documents while traveling, or people simply being complete idiots and forgetting to bring them at all... 

If you've been in the hospital unexpectedly and have the paperwork, they're not going to fine you for that.
 

Edited November 18, 2022 by Lane Hog

[A&L_Ont]

12 hours ago, Lane Hog said:

Categorically not true that you NEED a passport to fly out of Canada in the event of an emergency. 

If anything, it's easier to return from Canada without a passport because of how re-entry to the US is handled at the airports.  Departing Canada, if you don't have the docs, you're able to present yourself to a US immigration officer who can make the decision to admit you.  That's not possible in Mexico or most of the Caribbean.

I've seen US CBP makes exceptions for this almost daily due to things like lost documents while traveling, or people simply being complete idiots and forgetting to bring them at all... 

If you've been in the hospital unexpectedly and have the paperwork, they're not going to fine you for that.
 

 

A Florida family on our southbound Radiance cruise had to drive from Vancouver to Seattle because they left their passports at home and travelled with their EDL which allows for international land and sea travel, but not air travel, to countries that recognize it.

 

They were headed to the airport to get a rental car because when they called their airline told them they could not fly home with it. Had they just travelled with their passport they could have avoided that situation all together.
 

To further your post is it possible, maybe. However, one never knows what could happen especially when leaving it up to the discretion of a US CPB. Just travel with your passport if you have one. 
 

 

Edited November 18, 2022 by A&L_Ont

[Lane Hog]

The difference between that Florida family and an emergency disembarking?... the emergency.

 

All the fear mongering from well intended people giving advice is just that... fear mongering advice that validates their own experiences of being told that the passport is the only thing that will save you from being stranded somewhere horrible like Canada...