Passports for Closed Loop cruise that includes Roatan and Belize

[byrdbrain55]

4 minutes ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

Have you checked the travel summary for your booking?  It should give the requirements for the specific itinerary, including any Princess requirements that are stricter than the destinations' requirements. 

The travel summary says US citizens may present a Certified Birth Certificate together with valid photo identification.

[DallasGuy75219]

42 minutes ago, byrdbrain55 said:

The travel summary says US citizens may present a Certified Birth Certificate together with valid photo identification.

There's your answer, more reliable than anything you'll get from a phone agent.

[cr8tiv1]

Oh, I forgot to mention that cabin mate was born in Canada, so does not have a certified US birth certificate.  I’m sure she would have had to present many more documents.  Easiest to have a passport. She travels internationally, so passport is not the issue.  Forgetting to bring it was…

 

But that is way off the center.  Glad OP traveling partner is going to get a passport. 

[HaveDogWillTravel]

4 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

 

Hundreds of thousands have taken closed loop cruises to Mexico with birth certificates. What was specifically stated was wrong. If she had a birth certificate and the agent said no she would have had to ask for a supervisor. She would have been allowed to board with a DL and birth certificate. 

A certified birth certificate with the embossed stamp. My nephew sailed RT Sf to Mexico with me November 2021 with these docs. You are correct about asking for a supervisor if denied boarding.  He was denied at first and that’s what we did. The supervisor straightened it out and he boarded.  

[Roberto256]

4 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

Mute Point.  I am just relaying my recent experience. She had a passport that she left at home.  We retrieved it and boarded the ship.  We were already "late" and I was not about to stand my ground for an issue that was resolved by her having her passport.

That's funny.

[BrandiGreg]

What if the name on your birth certificate does not match the one on your DL?  Many people (women especially) take new names through marriage.

[RD64]

I still fail to realize the reluctance of Americans to get a passport.

[Expat Cruise]

On 5/31/2023 at 9:55 AM, cr8tiv1 said:

I can not answer for a closed loop cruise from FLL.  I can only give you my experience last week.

 

My cabin mate was also under the impression that her real ID would be good enough to do a closed loop for a Los Angeles Coastal that stopped in Ensenada.  I made her go home and get her passport.  

 

She questioned the agent about needing a passport.  He said (and I was there) that she would not have been allowed to board the ship without her passport because they were stopping in Mexico.

 

I realize that FLL is a different state, itinerary is different, and agents are different.  I reminded her to bring her passport the night before.  Good luck with your friend's decision not to get a passport.

Really, I was on a closed loop cruise from San Diego, Hawaii, to Ensenada, Mexico in January. Many passengers travelled without a passport. People need to stop posting false or half true information. 

 

It is very simple, a close lop cruise does not require a passport for US Citizens. 

[cr8tiv1]

1 minute ago, Expat Cruise said:

Really, I was on a closed loop cruise from San Diego, Hawaii, to Ensenada, Mexico in January. Many passengers travelled without a passport. People need to stop posting false or half true information. 

 

It is very simple, a close lop cruise does not require a passport for US Citizens. 

 

I was not posting "false or half true information".  I was speaking from my experience.  It happened to us.  It was in real time.  I was not about to hold up a bunch of passengers to argue a mute point (she had her passport after I made her drive home to get it).  I had just asked the agent what would have happened if she didn't have her passport but a Real ID.  That was the information he told me.  

 

Others have had different agents and different outcomes.  I even knew about a passenger that lost her Driver's License on the way to the ship AND didn't have a birth certificate.  She was let on with her photo ID from a membership store.  But that was also a long time ago.  

 

You may speak for yourself.  You MAY NOT speak for what happened to me.  I do not appreciate being called a liar.  

[DallasGuy75219]

48 minutes ago, Expat Cruise said:

It is very simple, a close lop cruise does not require a passport for US Citizens. 

That's not universally true.  For example a partial Panama Canal transit closed loop cruise (like Princess does out of Ft. Lauderdale) requires a passport for US Citizens.

 

People need to stop posting false or half true information.

[Cruise Raider]

On 5/30/2023 at 7:37 PM, capriccio said:

The US State Department has a search engine for each country that includes entry and exit requirements (plus lots of other useful information).

 

For those countries that belong to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)  (I chose the French West Indies:  https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/FrenchWestIndies.html.html?wcmmode=disabled) they include the following note under Passports and Visas:

 

NOTE: Caribbean cruises that begin and end in the United States (closed loop cruises) do not require that you travel with a valid passport. However, should you need to disembark due to an emergency and you do not have a valid passport, you may encounter difficulties entering or remaining in a foreign country. You may also have difficulty attempting to re-enter the United States by air because many airlines will require a valid passport before allowing you to board the aircraft. Always travel abroad with your valid passport.

 

Belize (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Belize.html) and Honduras (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Honduras.html) do not belong to the Initiative and have no such note.  Instead their sections state

 

You must have a U.S. passport valid for the length of your stay (Belize)...

 

To enter Honduras, you need: A U.S. passport with at least three months validity...

 

 

 

This .. right here ^^^^ is the correct answer.  We had to have a passport for Honduras and Belize when we went!  

[Cruise Raider]

38 minutes ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

That's not universally true.  For example a partial Panama Canal transit closed loop cruise (like Princess does out of Ft. Lauderdale) requires a passport for US Citizens.

 

People need to stop posting false or half true information.

100%!  

[Cruise Raider]

2 hours ago, BrandiGreg said:

What if the name on your birth certificate does not match the one on your DL?  Many people (women especially) take new names through marriage.

You must always take your marriage certificate(s) if you are using a certified birth certificate and your name on your government issued ID you are using differ from one another.  The travel.gov website makes that clear.  

[Cruise Raider]

This should probably make it clear if there’s still a question  … Belize and Honduras are part of Central America.  This is what is posted on the Princess website with regards to the need for a passport book for cruises stopping in Central America …

 

 
 

 

[Expat Cruise]

1 hour ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

That's not universally true.  For example a partial Panama Canal transit closed loop cruise (like Princess does out of Ft. Lauderdale) requires a passport for US Citizens.

 

People need to stop posting false or half true information.

A Partial Panama Canal cruise is NOT a close loop cruise. Yes, it does return to the same port, but it does not meet the other requirements for a close loop. 

Again, if guests would just take the time to look on the website and at the terms it is very clear, as Cruise Raider did and posted the reason why it is not a close loop tour.

 

By just using returning to the same port, as the definition of a Closed Loop Cruise, Princess World Cruises from LA and FL would be closed loop cruises, and they clearly are not.  

[Expat Cruise]

2 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

I was not posting "false or half true information".  I was speaking from my experience.  It happened to us.  It was in real time.  I was not about to hold up a bunch of passengers to argue a mute point (she had her passport after I made her drive home to get it).  I had just asked the agent what would have happened if she didn't have her passport but a Real ID.  That was the information he told me.  

 

Others have had different agents and different outcomes.  I even knew about a passenger that lost her Driver's License on the way to the ship AND didn't have a birth certificate.  She was let on with her photo ID from a membership store.  But that was also a long time ago.  

 

You may speak for yourself.  You MAY NOT speak for what happened to me.  I do not appreciate being called a liar.  

Sorry, but I never called you a liar, I said the information was wrong for a close loop cruise from California. I was not speaking for myself, I was speaking for what a true close loop cruise is and what is required by Princess Cruises and the US State Department. If you do not like the truth as per their requirements, I'm sorry, but maybe you should be addressing them. Myself, I always travel on one of my passports, so never need to rely on other identification. 

[DallasGuy75219]

13 minutes ago, Expat Cruise said:

A Partial Panama Canal cruise is NOT a close loop cruise. Yes, it does return to the same port, but it does not meet the other requirements for a close loop. 

Again, if guests would just take the time to look on the website and at the terms it is very clear, as Cruise Raider did and posted the reason why it is not a close loop tour.

 

By just using returning to the same port, as the definition of a Closed Loop Cruise, Princess World Cruises from LA and FL would be closed loop cruises, and they clearly are not.  

And that's a very technical point that 99% of cruisers (who consider a closed loop cruise to be any cruise that returns to the same port it left from) are going to miss.  So that's why posting a universal statement like "a close lop cruise does not require a passport for US Citizens" is not helpful and is even misleading to most people.

 

So yay for you showing off how smart you are but in the process you misled people who are going to misinterpret your statement based on a technicality and possibly miss their cruise.

[cr8tiv1]

An investment in a passport will open the world to you.  
 

I missed a last minute trip to France because I didn’t have my passport with me when my sister and her flight attendant son decided to hop over to visit a friend who lived in Nice, France.  
 

You can count on it now…if I pack a bag for any trip, my passport goes with me.  

[Expat Cruise]

12 minutes ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

And that's a very technical point that 99% of cruisers (who consider a closed loop cruise to be any cruise that returns to the same port it left from) are going to miss.  So that's why posting a universal statement like "a close lop cruise does not require a passport for US Citizens" is not helpful and is even misleading to most people.

 

So yay for you showing off how smart you are but in the process you misled people who are going to misinterpret your statement based on a technicality and possibly miss their cruise.

All guests should know the requirements for travel. Princess Cruises makes it very clear they will assume no responsibility for these travel documents. 

 

Directly from Princess Cruises:

 

"It is the Guest's sole responsibility to obtain and have available when necessary the appropriate valid travel documents. All Guests are advised to check with their travel advisor or the appropriate government authority to determine the necessary documents. You will be refused boarding or disembarked without recourse or liability for refund, payment, compensation, or credit of any kind if You do not have proper documentation, and You will be subject to any fine or other costs incurred by Carrier which result from improper documentation or noncompliance."

 

Princess Cruises is very clear they take no liability for as they say guests 'noncompliance'.  Guest really need to stop trying to blame others for their lack of finding the correct information. 

[DallasGuy75219]

1 minute ago, Expat Cruise said:

Guest really need to stop trying to blame others for their lack of finding the correct information. 

So why are you giving advice on CC that will only serve to mislead people?  Shame on them for misinterpreting and believing your technically correct but misleading guidance?

[Expat Cruise]

8 minutes ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

So why are you giving advice on CC that will only serve to mislead people?  Shame on them for misinterpreting and believing your technically correct but misleading guidance?

No misleading of anyone here. If it is a true close loop cruise, from the United States, no passport is required. It is that simple. 

[Buckeye10640]

On 5/30/2023 at 8:56 PM, ldtr said:

What does Princess say?  It really does not matter what the countries say.  The countries  may allow it, but if Princess says that you need a passport then you need a passport.  If they say you are fine with a Birth certificate and DL then that is fine.  So the best answer is to contact the cruise line direct.

 

 

Not sure I would rely entirely on what Princess says. Best to ask but verify independently.  We did have our passports when traveling to those countries (actually have  never cruised without them) but I dont recall if it was 'required' or if we had to show them. 

[likeadisguise]

Log into your Cruise Personalizer. On the Itinerary page, under the itinerary there are a bunch of Important Notices. Information about required travel documents specific to your cruise will be there.

Edited June 6, 2023 by likeadisguise

[Cruise Raider]

9 hours ago, Expat Cruise said:

A Partial Panama Canal cruise is NOT a close loop cruise. Yes, it does return to the same port, but it does not meet the other requirements for a close loop. 

Again, if guests would just take the time to look on the website and at the terms it is very clear, as Cruise Raider did and posted the reason why it is not a close loop tour.

 

By just using returning to the same port, as the definition of a Closed Loop Cruise, Princess World Cruises from LA and FL would be closed loop cruises, and they clearly are not.  

Actually, not meaning to nitpick here, but the definition of a closed loop cruise is that they start and stop in the same [US] port.  But, the government travel dept and Princess make it very clear that only ‘Select’ closed loop cruises won’t require a passport.  They also go on to say what WHTI compliant documents will be needed for these ‘Select’ closed loop itineraries.  

[tcdcruiser]

13 hours ago, Expat Cruise said:

Really, I was on a closed loop cruise from San Diego, Hawaii, to Ensenada, Mexico in January. Many passengers travelled without a passport. People need to stop posting false or half true information. 

 

It is very simple, a close lop cruise does not require a passport for US Citizens. 

Does not a closed loop cruise from Florida that includes Columbia require a US Passport?  Maybe something changed??

Edited June 6, 2023 by tcdcruiser