Passport Requirement

[Homosassa]

Keep in mind that the passport card is for entry into the US .  It is not a substitute for a passport for Caribbean and other countries that require passports for U citizens on a cruise ship.

 

Closed loop doesn't make a difference; if your cruise stops at the following ports, a passport is needed.

 

Countries that require passports for cruise passengers are  Martinique, St Barts, St Martin (not St Marten),  Panama, and Colombia.

 

I am sure I missed a few - please add to list.

 

 

 

 

[Charles4515]

17 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

Keep in mind that the passport card is for entry into the US .  It is not a substitute for a passport for Caribbean and other countries that require passports for U citizens on a cruise ship.

 

Closed loop doesn't make a difference; if your cruise stops at the following ports, a passport is needed.

 

Countries that require passports for cruise passengers are  Martinique, St Barts, St Martin (not St Marten),  Panama, and Colombia.

 

I am sure I missed a few - please add to list.

 

 

 

 

Guadalupe 

[waterbug123]

7 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

Passport cards are only recognized by 20 countries near the US for entrance by land or sea. It is not a required government issued ID. You could use it as such for domestic air travel if Real ID ever goes into effect but then again you could just use your passport book. Your expectation that it will be accepted as ID going ashore could backfire. But hey if spending $30 for a passport card which is of limited use, as backup in 20 countries seems useful to you, well it is your $30. Because of inflation $30 does not seem like much anymore. If you lose the passport card it will be a nuisance too. It will have to be reported and replaced. I guess for the OCD segment it is something to have. 

 

But a passport card fits conveniently into a wallet, many of which people have attached to their phone.  A passport book doesn't.  So the card would be a much more convenient form of ID as an alternation to a REAL ID in that case. 

 

And as ID to get back on a ship, or for whatever else one might need and ID while ashore, a passport card is far more uniform than any of the 50+ different drivers licenses issued by all the different states and territories. 

 

If you don't want a passport card, don't get one.  But it doesn't make it the ridiculous and useless add-on that you're trying to make it out to be.

[Charles4515]

20 minutes ago, waterbug123 said:

 

But a passport card fits conveniently into a wallet, many of which people have attached to their phone.  A passport book doesn't.  So the card would be a much more convenient form of ID as an alternation to a REAL ID in that case. 

 

And as ID to get back on a ship, or for whatever else one might need and ID while ashore, a passport card is far more uniform than any of the 50+ different drivers licenses issued by all the different states and territories. 

 

If you don't want a passport card, don't get one.  But it doesn't make it the ridiculous and useless add-on that you're trying to make it out to be.

A drivers license fits convieniently in my wallet and the Apple Wallet I sometimes attach to my phone. My DL is Real ID. US DLs are a uniform size and format. They have RFID  chips. As I said if you want to spend $30 on something you don't need for some percieved convienence go for it. It is your $30. 

[Homosassa]

4 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

Guadalupe 

I knew there was one I was forgetting.

 

Maybe Trinidad Tobago?

[XuGator]

Lots of misinformation in these replies.  The fact that this sailing calls on one of the select islands that requires passport (Martinique) does not mean that they cannot sail without a passport.    It just means that they cannot get off the ship in Martinique.  It’s all outlined here 

 

https://porthole.com/cruising-to-martinique-dont-forget-your-passport/

 

“Cruisers without a passport can still book a cruise which stops at the island, but will not be allowed to disembark the ship while at the port”

 

Here as well

 

https://thepointsguy.com/guide/need-passport-cruise/

 

Edited October 18, 2023 by XuGator

[Charles4515]

16 minutes ago, XuGator said:

Lots of misinformation in these replies.  The fact that this sailing calls on one of the select islands that requires passport (Martinique) does not mean that they cannot sail without a passport.    It just means that they cannot get off the ship in Martinique.  It’s all outlined here 

 

https://porthole.com/cruising-to-martinique-dont-forget-your-passport/

 

“Cruisers without a passport can still book a cruise which stops at the island, but will not be allowed to disembark the ship while at the port”

 

Here as well

 

https://thepointsguy.com/guide/need-passport-cruise/

 

So you believe Porthole which was talking about Carnival and the points Guy? OP reported that the online check in would not allow check in without a passport. 

Edited October 18, 2023 by Charles4515

[XuGator]

9 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

So you believe Porthole which was talking about Carnival and the points Guy? OP reported that the online check in would not allow completion of check in without entering Passport info. 

My daughter and her friends went to Martinique on a celebrity cruise just last year.  They only had DL and BC. No issues at all.  

PS- Do you not know how reputable and renowned the points guy is ???  Not sure what other proof you need but your information is inaccurate. 

Edited October 18, 2023 by XuGator

[Charles4515]

2 minutes ago, XuGator said:

My daughter and her friends went to Martinique on a celebrity cruise just last year.  They only had DL and BC. No issues at all.  

PS- Do you not know how reputable and renowned the points guy is ???  Not sure what other proof you need but you should stop misleading people. 

No one at Celebrity told the OP they could stay on the ship. Usually countries apply the passport rule to passengers that on ships in their territorial waters. If Martinique will allow passengers to stay on the ship then Celebrity should put that in writing. OP could not complete check in without passport info. 

[XuGator]

I agree with you.  Celebrity is very vague in their verbiage regarding this and their agents don’t even seem to have the details.  This doesn’t surprise me because anytime I have had to call Celebrity, their agents have only been working there for a week and aren’t familiar with a lot of the inner-workings. They struggle with questions about their own drink package so this is going to be well over their heads. I don’t think it’s possible to complete the online check without a passport on any sailing is it? From what I understand, this has to be done in person at the checkin desk if you are using your birth certificate.   
 

We only know this because we were dealing with the same questions last year when my daughter and her friends were going.  Celebrity needs to update their closed loop literature outlining the specifics for everyone in this same situation. As long as Celebrity hasn’t adjusted something recently, I think the OP should be ok but they should know they can’t disembark in Martinique. 
 

Finally though, I agree with almost everyone else that it is wise to obtain a passport anytime you leave the country. 

Edited October 18, 2023 by XuGator

[XuGator]

30 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

No one at Celebrity told the OP they could stay on the ship. Usually countries apply the passport rule to passengers that on ships in their territorial waters. If Martinique will allow passengers to stay on the ship then Celebrity should put that in writing. OP could not complete check in without passport info. 

We were mainly concerned after reading this below which states that RCL required a passport just to board starting in 2020.  We actually received an email from celebrity stating this was updated again in 2021 to allow passengers to sail but not disembark but could not find the update anywhere online and was just the agents word basically.  I made them print the email out and they didn’t have a problem but it’s a roll of the for the OP. I don’t want them to miss out on their cruise but encourage them to get a hard copy message from celebrity indicating it’s ok for them to board.  Seems like it’s a gray area and a roll of the dice without a passport. 

 

https://cruisefever.net/royal-caribbean-issues-policy-change-regarding-passport-requirement-for-caribbean-port/

 

 

[Loracpin2]

My passport expires exactly 180 days from the day we disemabrk a week long Janauary Apex sailing. Is this going to be a boarding issue??? 

[prmssk]

18 hours ago, Homosassa said:

Countries that require passports for cruise passengers are  Martinique, St Barts, St Martin (not St Marten),  Panama, and Colombia.

This list (along with the others that other commenters have added) could change without a lot of notice.   I understand many of the Central American countries (like Belize, Costa Rica, etc.) have a passport requirement on the books but have openly chosen to ignore it.  The closed-loop rule was only intended to cover the Caribbean (and Canada), not Central and South America.

[prmssk]

10 hours ago, Loracpin2 said:

My passport expires exactly 180 days from the day we disemabrk a week long Janauary Apex sailing. Is this going to be a boarding issue??? 

No, not every country has the 6 month rule and all the itineraries I looked at for the Apex in January fall under the closed loop cruise rule.  If you are really concerned, just take a certified copy of your birth certificate along as a backup but I highly doubt you will need it.

[Blinkenlightz]

Just to chime in on the value of a passport card -- if for whatever reason you miss the ship and find yourself at the US embassy to get emergency travel documents, the passport card will establish both your identity and your citizenship status and save a whole lot of time getting that done.  A driver's license doesn't do that.

[Charles4515]

1 hour ago, Blinkenlightz said:

Just to chime in on the value of a passport card -- if for whatever reason you miss the ship and find yourself at the US embassy to get emergency travel documents, the passport card will establish both your identity and your citizenship status and save a whole lot of time getting that done.  A driver's license doesn't do that.

I always carry a copy of my Passport ID pages as recommended by the state department. Don’t need a passport card as all the ID info is on the copy. 

[Loracpin2]

2 hours ago, prmssk said:

No, not every country has the 6 month rule and all the itineraries I looked at for the Apex in January fall under the closed loop cruise rule.  If you are really concerned, just take a certified copy of your birth certificate along as a backup but I highly doubt you will need it.

Thank you!! For future reference, can I access the "closed loop cruise rule" just be googling?? 

[akcruz]

23 hours ago, Z'Loth said:

https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles/do-you-need-a-passport-to-go-on-a-cruise

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-passport/card.html

 

What is there so much hesitation in getting a passport book and passport card? 

 

The cost.  If a family of 4 decides to take a once in a lifetime vacation and none have passports it is a huge added on expense most won't make. 

 

I have had a passport since my teems and my kids got theirs early.  Wirth the money to us but fortunately ours were spread out so not all renew at the same time.  Kids are now responsible for their own and so far have kept them in to date also.

[hcat]

surprised there is Controversey.. Is it the money  or a failure to renew on time?

 

we  even take our Passports with us to Fl..We have  the enhanced licenses but with Passports,   we can then take advantage of  any extra trips out of US  that may  pop  up.

 

also if there is a  sad event in a cruise port..the ship security can access passports in the  safe to assist with trvl..etc   Unwise not to have one!

[Charles4515]

7 minutes ago, akcruz said:

 

The cost.  If a family of 4 decides to take a once in a lifetime vacation and none have passports it is a huge added on expense most won't make. 

 

I have had a passport since my teems and my kids got theirs early.  Wirth the money to us but fortunately ours were spread out so not all renew at the same time.  Kids are now responsible for their own and so far have kept them in to date also.

I will add to that. In addition to the expense which can add up for those with families children under 16 their passport is only good for 5 years. Children under 16 must apply in person with both parents. 

[RedIguana]

13 hours ago, Loracpin2 said:

My passport expires exactly 180 days from the day we disemabrk a week long Janauary Apex sailing. Is this going to be a boarding issue???

Short answer....you are fine.

[RedIguana]

3 hours ago, prmssk said:

This list (along with the others that other commenters have added) could change without a lot of notice.   I understand many of the Central American countries (like Belize, Costa Rica, etc.) have a passport requirement on the books but have openly chosen to ignore it.  The closed-loop rule was only intended to cover the Caribbean (and Canada), not Central and South America

If you dig through the entry requirements hard enough for those countries (I have for Belize), you will somewhere find entry requirements for cruise ship passengers exempted from the general land, air, or sea (private) passport requirement. It's not that they are openly ignoring the requirement, it's that the requirement is not in place for cruise ship passengers. Even most of the WHTI counties require a passport if arriving by means other than cruise ship. 

[RedIguana]

37 minutes ago, Loracpin2 said:

Thank you!! For future reference, can I access the "closed loop cruise rule" just be googling??

Closed loop just means it begins and ends at the same port. There are closed loop cruises that require passports. Generally any cruise with a South American or French port is likely passport restricted, but it is always best to verify.

 

Edit: referring to closed loop from the US

Edited October 18, 2023 by RedIguana
closed loop from US

[Z'Loth]

1 hour ago, akcruz said:

The cost.  If a family of 4 decides to take a once in a lifetime vacation and none have passports it is a huge added on expense most won't make. 

 

I have had a passport since my teems and my kids got theirs early.  Wirth the money to us but fortunately ours were spread out so not all renew at the same time.  Kids are now responsible for their own and so far have kept them in to date also.

 

This ignores the fact that a passport is more than just a travel document, it is, for lack of a better word, a "Super Identification" because of the verification requirements. When I moved from California to Texas, I had to get a new drivers license. The passport fulfilled the requirements for both proof of identification as well as proof of citizenship. When the company I worked for was acquired by another company, we had to provide identification again as we were "re-hired". When I showed my passport, the HR person said "perfect! Easiest document to work with" as otherwise, two other forms of identification would be required. 

In short, it may be a rarely used document, but when it is needed, it comes in very handy. That's why I pay the extra $30 for the passport card. While it is unlikely that I will travel south from Dallas to Mexico, one never knows. But, it is a secondary form of government-provided identification (along with my driver's license) that can come in very handy. 

[Homosassa]

16 hours ago, XuGator said:

Lots of misinformation in these replies.  The fact that this sailing calls on one of the select islands that requires passport (Martinique) does not mean that they cannot sail without a passport.    It just means that they cannot get off the ship in Martinique.  It’s all outlined here 

 

https://porthole.com/cruising-to-martinique-dont-forget-your-passport/

 

“Cruisers without a passport can still book a cruise which stops at the island, but will not be allowed to disembark the ship while at the port”

 

Here as well

 

https://thepointsguy.com/guide/need-passport-cruise/

 

What you miss is that a cruise line can enforce the requirement for a passport for all their passengers.

 

It doesn't matter if it is a close loop itinerary or someone says "No problem - just stay on the ship."

 

If the cruise line says a passport is needed to board, then a passport is needed. Just ask the large family group left standing on the pier for a closed loop cruise Princess cruise .

 

My upcoming Celebrity closed loop cruise that stops in two ports that require passports has a statement in the booking confirmation that a passport is needed

 

"Valid passports are required for all passengers, regardless of age. Passports must be valid for six (6) months after you disembark your cruise. Passport cards or photocopies of required documentation are not acceptable."

 

No statements  that one can decide to stay on the ship at those ports.

 

There are cruise lines that do require  passports for all  their sailings. HAL has a specific requirements for a passport for all in a cruising party that consists of minors and a single parent (guardian).

 

To tell people  to ignore the documentation that is required by the cruise line because of some quasi loophole is a disservice.