Passport/Visa question

[asassysiren]

I've been reading some of these posts and I'm starting to freak out. I'm not American, I have a United Kingdom passport and a greencard. Do I need a visa for my cruise? We leave from Tampa at the end of August to Cozumel and Grand Cayman, any information would be greatly appreciated.

[alcpa1]

The correct response will come from your cruise line. If you booked with a travel agent contact them asap. If you booked with the cruise line contact them.

[Hamburg Avon Lady]

Well, IF you do need a visa or some type of "official permission" - hopefully you are arriving a day or two prior to your cruise departure. You could probably

go to the US Embassy in Miami and get your paperwork done on the spot.

At least I would hope so.

[smeyer418]

I've been reading some of these posts and I'm starting to freak out. I'm not American, I have a United Kingdom passport and a greencard. Do I need a visa for my cruise? We leave from Tampa at the end of August to Cozumel and Grand Cayman, any information would be greatly appreciated.

No you shouldn't need one as you have a green card which is a US visa and neither Cozumel nor the Grand Cayman require them from a UK Citizen....but I agree check with the cruise line to make sure.

[mamasue]

No, you don't. I'm also an English USA GC holder....been on 2 cruises so far, never needed anything other than passport and GC.

[Philob]

My SWMBO is also a green card holder. Last time I checked as long as she had her passport & green card visas are not required.

 

BUT if she did not have a green card she will be required to get visas.

 

IIRC the Caymans is still part of the British Commonwealth and the Queen was still on their money.

[caber]

We are from the United Kindom and have done several cruises round the Caribbean and Mexico. You won`t need a visa for any of the ports. The only thing we need is a visa waiver for the U.S. if we land there.

[pa5santillan]

I have the same problem...well similar. I have my greencard for 30 yrs and do not have my Cuban passport. Do have however my original birth certificate. Just booked a cruise to the Bahamas and this is what my PVP from Carnival sent me... I would check with your cruise rep...

 

 

<<CarnivalSensation.pdf>> Current Travel Documentation Requirements

The following documentation is required in order to sail on ALL cruise departures, including Cruises-to-Nowhere.

Valid, Unexpired, Alien Resident Card with a Government-Issued Photo I.D.

Photo I.D. Information (if not on the Alien Resident Card)

• • A Government-Issued Photo I.D is required of all guests 16 years of age or older.
    
  • Sources of Photo I.D:
    • • Driver's License
        
      • Government issued identification card (city/state/federal)

[*]Important Note:

It is important that guest names on travel documents (Alien Resident Card, etc) and a Government-Issued Photo I.D be identical to those on the cruise and airline tickets. In the event of a different name (name change), documentation supporting this change is required.

• Current, valid driver's license with a photo
  
• Government issued identification card with a photo (city/state/federal)
  
• Legal Name Change court document
  
• Marriage Certificate: original or copy

[broberts]

While cruise lines try to stay current with visa requirements they cannot cover all possibilities. Prudence suggests that one should check with the countries being visited, including the ports of embarkation and debarkation. This is generally not terribly difficult, a visit to the official tourist or government web site will usually turn up the answer relatively quickly. It is entirely a passenger's responsibility to obtain all required travel documentation.

 

In my experience many of the countries visited by cruise ships have visa exemptions for cruise passengers of most nationalities visiting for a day. Although I recall at least one thread that discussed the need for a visa when not taking cruise line sanctioned excursions - in Turkey if I recall correctly.

 

One thing easily overlooked is that one needs to satisfy entry requirements for the country in which the cruise starts and ends. If traveling to the US, for example, should one require a visa it needs to be of the multiple-entry variety.

 

Even if a visa is not generally required for entry to a country some people may still need permission / special documentation to enter. There have been threads on this board that discuss this in relation to US citizens with DUI & other criminal convictions attempting to enter Canada for a cruise.

[sailingkiwi]

I am resident in the UK (I have a work visa) but travel on a New Zealand passport. When I booked my cruise I was told by Princess that as I wasn't travelling on a UK passport it was my responsibility to check and obtain any visas necessary for my trip.

 

Thankfully, NZ is part of the visa wavier scheme for the USA and as of today I don't need a visa for any of the islands we are visiting (I do keep checking though, because you can never be too sure - these things can change).

[NYCFOD]

The Cayman Islands are a British Colony, as a British Citizen you'll have no problem there. As a US Permanent Resident you'll have no problem with entry to the USA. Check with the Mexican Consulate well before you leave for the cruise, and again just before you leave, to make sure that you are eligible to enter. Be aware that visa requirements can and do change quickly without notice. If Mexico has a fight with the UK, you might find the situation changes. For example, a few months ago the Canadian Consulate in Moscow mishandled the visa application of a senior official of the Russian Government and he missed an important meeting. Consequently, Russian Consulates around the world were instructed that Canadian passports were not eligible for expedited visa processing. I know several people for whom this was a big, big problem.

 

It is the traveller's responsibility to ensure that they have all the correct visas and documentation for travel. The Mexican Embassy in DC has a pretty good visa website (http://portal.sre.gob.mx/usa/index.php?Itemid=1), go to consular services for information about visas.

 

In theory, the situation can change between the time the ship sails from the US and arrival in Cozumel, but that would be very unusual, at least for Mexico (not for Libya though).

[bluesea777]

Hey there OP!!! You should be PROUD to possess a British UK passport - it's about the most precious passport in the world to have!

 

You don't need a visa for the Caribbean islands, nor do you need one to return to USA as UK is one of the countries within the US Visa Waiver programme.

 

Years ago when we travelled to Japan with a tour group we were breezed thru while the US passport-holders had to queue. Ditto with HongKong (while it was still under British rule).

 

Relax and enjoy the cruise - but make sure the passport is still valid!!

[asassysiren]

I'm done freaking out :D I read all the posts and checked out the Cayman and Mexico visa requirements online (I don't know why I didn't think of that) I don't need a visa only my passport and greencard. Thank you everyone for your help.

Kathy

[WarmWaters]

My situation is that I want to take my mom on a cruise departing from LA to the Mexican Riviera. My mom lives in South Africa and she has a South African passport and a multi entry US visa. I almost lost sleep over this issue :

 

Does she need a Mexican visa for Mexico?

 

Royal Caribbean and Carnival is not helpful at all when you call them asking about visa entry requirements .. they both basically just said : Its up to the passenger to find out the entry requirements, and they were very quick to refer me to the Mexican Consulate/Embassy, which is closed over the weekend.

 

After hours online to find out the correct info I finally found this :

 

 

 

"PASSENGERS IN A TOURIST CRUISE -Passengers embarking on tourist cruises do not require a visa to visit Mexico regardless of their nationality; they only need to present a valid passport at points of entry.

 

 

IMPORTANT CHANGES TO MEXICAN VISA REQUIREMENTS STARTING MAY 1ST, 2010

 

With the purpose of facilitating and promoting travel to Mexico, starting May 1st, 2010:

 

.... 2) Any foreign visitors who travel to Mexico as tourists, on business, or in transit to another country will not require a Mexican visa, regardless of their country of citizenship, as long as they have a valid passport and a valid US visa (which must be shown to Mexican Immigration authorities at the Port of Entry). "

 

 

From : http://www.consulmexatlanta.org/ ( which looks like a official Mexican goverment website to me)

 

 

I hope this is helpful to anyone who is not a US or Canadian citizen and wanting to go on a cruise to Mexico.