Passport Requirements for Intra-Australia Cruise

[rwmiller]

Hi Australian cruisers,

 

My wife and I are heading to Brisbane this week to visit her aunt and take a Princess cruise up the Queensland coast and back to Brisbane. We would like to be able to have them join us on the cruise and are trying to find out how we can do this. We called Princess (from the US and got the Philippines call center) and the rep stated it was a Princess Cruise Line requirement for Australian citizens to have a passport to cruise. Well, one of them has a valid passport and the other one has an expired passport. Is the representative correct? I see other cruise lines (old posts) let Australians cruise with just a photo ID.

 

Secondly, can we book the cruise using the US version of the princess website as I can't seem to find the Australian version? Thanks in advance for your help.

 

Bob

[Aus Traveller]

4 minutes ago, rwmiller said:

Hi Australian cruisers,

 

My wife and I are heading to Brisbane this week to visit her aunt and take a Princess cruise up the Queensland coast and back to Brisbane. We would like to be able to have them join us on the cruise and are trying to find out how we can do this. We called Princess (from the US and got the Philippines call center) and the rep stated it was a Princess Cruise Line requirement for Australian citizens to have a passport to cruise. Well, one of them has a valid passport and the other one has an expired passport. Is the representative correct? I see other cruise lines (old posts) let Australians cruise with just a photo ID.

 

Secondly, can we book the cruise using the US version of the princess website as I can't seem to find the Australian version? Thanks in advance for your help.

 

Bob

I believe the answer from the call centre is incorrect. I understand that Australians can cruise domestically using their driver's licence as ID. Someone else on this forum will be able to confirm. If not, I can check into it further for you.

[Cbtours]

1 minute ago, Aus Traveller said:

I believe the answer from the call centre is incorrect. I understand that Australians can cruise domestically using their driver's licence as ID. Someone else on this forum will be able to confirm. If not, I can check into it further for you.

Yes definitely drivers licence /photo id is all we Aussies use in aus

[Aus Traveller]

1 minute ago, Cbtours said:

Yes definitely drivers licence /photo id is all we Aussies use in aus

Thinking about it further - this is definitely correct. When we went on a Q'ld coastal cruise immediately after the COVID 'pause', this was the case.

[rwmiller]

We are back on the phone again and another representative is telling us a passport is required. They keep telling this requirement is tied to the voyage number. Is there a separate Princess phone number / website that we can try to get directly to a Princess Australia representative? 

 

Thanks again everyone,

Bob

[ceeceeDee]

Australian citizens need only photo ID to cruise domestically. We did 7 days Brisbane to Cairns round trip in June last year and that was the case.

[possum52]

As you appear to be in the US, the Princess website will automatically go to the US Princess website just like here in Australia it will automatically go to the Australian version of the site. Try adding /en-au to https://www.princess.com and see if that takes you to the Australian website.

[rwmiller]

@ceeceeDee Were you on Princess or another line? I want to be able to argue with them with facts as they are just going back to the book. 

 

I am also trying to figure out how to book online. I started a trial booking and the first page (name / address) only gave me the option of United States for country. 

 

Bob

[ceeceeDee]

You could try emailing:

 

[rwmiller]

2 minutes ago, possum52 said:

As you appear to be in the US, the Princess website will automatically go to the US Princess website just like here in Australia it will automatically go to the Australian version of the site. Try adding /en-au to https://www.princess.com and see if that takes you to the Australian website.

Thanks but the website address automatically shifted back to /en-us. Our fallback is to have our cousin fill out the booking in Australia - we may need to try that if we don't want to wait until we arrive on Friday (for a Monday departure). 

 

Bob

[Wanderers2]

8 minutes ago, rwmiller said:

We are back on the phone again and another representative is telling us a passport is required. They keep telling this requirement is tied to the voyage number. Is there a separate Princess phone number / website that we can try to get directly to a Princess Australia representative? 

 

Thanks again everyone,

Bob

The itinerary may be the key to why a passport is required.  If they have an Australian travel agent it may be advisable to contact them by email.

[ceeceeDee]

The following is straight off the Carnival website:

 

[possum52]

5 minutes ago, Wanderers2 said:

The itinerary may be the key to why a passport is required.  If they have an Australian travel agent it may be advisable to contact them by email.

The itinerary is Australian ports only - leaving Brisbane on Monday week on Coral Princess. 

[rwmiller]

Thanks for your help. I have sent an email off to the Princess Australia info address @ceeceeDee provided. I will let you know what happens.

 

Bob

[SinbadThePorter]

Princess has some restrictions on Australian residents booking cruises through their US website. It might be easier to get your companions to book it themselves.

[Aus Traveller]

50 minutes ago, Wanderers2 said:

The itinerary may be the key to why a passport is required.  If they have an Australian travel agent it may be advisable to contact them by email.

I suggest the reason rwmiller is being told a passport is required has nothing to do with the itinerary. Rather, it is because he is from the US and the person he is talking to can only answer questions from that standpoint. Passports are not required for Australian citizens (assuming his cousin is Australian) for domestic cruises.

[rwmiller]

28 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

questions

I hope you are right.  We are now having our cousin work the booking from Australia hoping there are no issues. Appreciate all the help. Everyone’s answers are giving us confidence that the US Princess reps are wrong. 
 

Bob

[possum52]

4 minutes ago, rwmiller said:

I hope you are right.  We are now having our cousin work the booking from Australia hoping there are no issues. Appreciate all the help. Everyone’s answers are giving us confidence that the US Princess reps are wrong. 
 

Bob

I would suggest that the US reps, even if in the Phillipines are only familiar with what is required for US citizens. Please come back and tell us how it all works out.

[rwmiller]

Our cousin was able to book our Australian relatives onto the cruise using their IDs. I think we are all set and we appreciate all your help. 

Bob

Edited January 28 by rwmiller

[2022cruisey]

I have taken the Princess cruise from Brisbane to Port Douglas and return using my drivers license and my kids using their Medicare card.  When it asks for the passport number you just use your aunt’s drivers license.  Also did the same for a cruise from a Melbourne to Adelaide and return.  No problems at all.

[ceeceeDee]

24 minutes ago, rwmiller said:

Our cousin was able to book our Australian relatives onto the cruise using their IDs. I think we are all set and we appreciate all your help. 

Bob

That's great news, Bob!

[OzKiwiJJ]

We've done several Australia-only cruises on Princess just using our drivers licences.

 

Have a great cruise!

[Bubbeh]

On 1/28/2024 at 7:15 AM, ceeceeDee said:

The following is straight off the Carnival website:

 

Well another school day for this little black duck.  I've only ever boarded a cruise with my Passport and I was totally unaware that any Govt ID Photo ID would do. Mind you, having said that, I've never just cruised domestically, always gone overseas in both senses of the word.  Doing the Coral Coast in September Freo-Freo so I wonder if I can just use my Drivers Licence?  Probably, but I'll likely use my Passport, my DL licence photo is dreadful but my Passport photo is quite flattering.  Just waffling so ignore at will...😉

[ceeceeDee]

To be honest, we used our passports for ID on our last domestic cruise. Not necessary, but since we have them............................

[Pushka]

My mum didn't have a passport nor drivers license but simply used a Govt identity card (looks like a drivers licence - she's never driven a car) and this was fine for a Princess cruise within Australian ports.