Passport - Link to outside verification?

[VHFamily]

Hi all - first post I have been lurking for a week or so since it was decided we are going on a W.Med cruise next february (2014)..

Anyways, I have read post upon post about the passport issue. I totally understand the benefit of having one in case of emergency and not being able to re enter the US via air without one etc etc. I get it, but my family does not believe me that it is NOT required for the ports of call and excursions for the cruise - does someone have that from a verified source that they can link me to?

For example - if we dock at cozumel and go on an excursion or get off the boat there - my brother and husband are both convinced we need our passports. I know from reading various posts and what not that is not true but they don't believe me, LOL!

 

[tweis]

Hi all - first post I have been lurking for a week or so since it was decided we are going on a W.Med cruise next february (2014)..

Anyways, I have read post upon post about the passport issue. I totally understand the benefit of having one in case of emergency and not being able to re enter the US via air without one etc etc. I get it, but my family does not believe me that it is NOT required for the ports of call and excursions for the cruise - does someone have that from a verified source that they can link me to?

For example - if we dock at cozumel and go on an excursion or get off the boat there - my brother and husband are both convinced we need our passports. I know from reading various posts and what not that is not true but they don't believe me, LOL!

Which cruise are you taking? You mention W. Med but then talk about Cozumel. Not sure if you are taking a Med cruise or a Western Caribbean.

 

[Barkell]

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/1139/~/documents-needed-to-take-a-cruise

This is a US government website that came up when I Googled "passport cruise".
It is pretty thorough in the explanations on when a passport is needed vs. not needed. Have a great trip!

 

[VHFamily]

Which cruise are you taking? You mention W. Med but then talk about Cozumel. Not sure if you are taking a Med cruise or a Western Caribbean.

My bad. It isn't booked yet but looking like the w Caribbean. I get confused with the port names and geography has NEVER been my strong suit

 

[manateesmom]

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/1139/~/documents-needed-to-take-a-cruise

I'm taking a "Closed Loop" cruise, do I need a passport?

Most cruises beginning and ending in the U.S. are considered "Closed Loop," meaning they begin and end at the same port in the U.S. For instance, if you board a cruise ship at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and after visiting at least one foreign port of call, such as Bermuda, or Cancun, return back to Fort Lauderdale, you have taken a closed loop cruise.

If, on the other hand, you - say - board a cruise ship in San Diego, California, sail through the Panama Canal (stopping at a foreign port during the cruise), and end the cruise in Miami, Florida, you have not taken a closed loop cruise and the following information does not apply to you. As of June 1, 2009 you need a passport (including infants).

U.S. Citizens on closed-loop cruises will be able to enter or depart the country on the cruise with proof of citizenship, such as an original or copy of his or her birth certificate (issued by the Vital Records Department in the state where he or she was born) and, if 16 or older, a government issued photo ID. If the child is a newborn and the actual birth certificate has not arrived from the Vital Records Department, we will accept a Hospital issued birth certificate. The United States does not require you to have a passport. (A Consular report of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State or a Certificate of Naturalization is also acceptable.)

 

[VHFamily]

This is the part of that website that has my brother and dh arguing with me:

"HOWEVER, it is possible that one or more of the Caribbean Islands on your itinerary, does require you to have a passport to enter their country. In that case, it is very possible that the cruise line will require you to have a passport to board, even if it is not a U.S. requirement."

And unfortunately they aren't taking my word that a million ppl from disboards do this with no troubles....

 

[manateesmom]

This is the part of that website that has my brother and dh arguing with me:

"HOWEVER, it is possible that one or more of the Caribbean Islands on your itinerary, does require you to have a passport to enter their country. In that case, it is very possible that the cruise line will require you to have a passport to board, even if it is not a U.S. requirement."

And unfortunately they aren't taking my word that a million ppl from disboards do this with no troubles....

So, that link is on the State Department's website, go each of the islands you'd be visiting on your itinerary and verify the requirements for each. For example, the Bahamas:

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_989.html#entry_requirements

Sea Travel: U.S. citizens traveling to The Bahamas by sea . . . on an officially-designated “closed-loop cruise”, meaning that the port of entry is the same port as the port of re-entry upon return to the U.S., may enter using a passport, passport card, or other Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) compliant document, however, it is prudent to obtain a passport before travel in case of an unforeseen emergency that requires a cruise passenger to disembark and return by air. (Please verify with your cruise line if your intended cruise is designated a closed-loop cruise.)

A WHTI-compliant document includes a birth certificate, per the link above.

Compare that to:

Air Travel: All U.S. citizens are required to present a valid U.S. passport in order to enter The Bahamas, as well as to enter or re-enter the United States when traveling by air.

 

[bumbershoot]

This is the part of that website that has my brother and dh arguing with me:

"HOWEVER, it is possible that one or more of the Caribbean Islands on your itinerary, does require you to have a passport to enter their country. In that case, it is very possible that the cruise line will require you to have a passport to board, even if it is not a U.S. requirement."

And that's a great CYA bit for the State Department.

But here is Disney's statement, based on their Bahamas and Caribbean cruises. They know where they are going and know what's required, and they say:

All Guests claiming U.S. citizenship must present the following as proof of U.S. citizenship:

etc etc

Government-issued photo ID along with one of the following:

Original or copy of their state issued birth certificate
Consular Report of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State,
Certificate of Naturalization issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Guests under the age of 16 may present one of the following:

Original or copy of their state issued birth certificate
Consular Report of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State
Naturalization Certificate issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Now...if members of your family WANT to get a passport, they certainly can. Maybe they want to do more traveling in the future and know it makes travel easy and possible! Maybe they just want them. A passport isn't not allowed, after all. In that case they should spend less time arguing and more time filling out their passport applications!

 

[MouseMomx2]

Have taken 11 Disney cruises, including 3 Western Caribbean sailings. We have only needed our passports in one port in Alaska whenwe took an excursion that crossed into Canada. Otherwise they have always stayed on board in the safe.

 

[abacab]

Maybe this is a dumb question, but what's the reason NOT to carry a passport when in a foreign country?... better safe than sorry, right?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Maybe this is a dumb question, but what's the reason NOT to carry a passport when in a foreign country?... better safe than sorry, right?

Are you talking about someone who HAS a passport, but leaves in the safe onboard? Or someone who doesn't want to get a passport?

 

[VHFamily]

Now...if members of your family WANT to get a passport, they certainly can. Maybe they want to do more traveling in the future and know it makes travel easy and possible! Maybe they just want them. A passport isn't not allowed, after all. In that case they should spend less time arguing and more time filling out their passport applications!

LOL truth Our cruise is 11 months away so we have time I have this stubborn streak that needs to prove I'm right, certainly not saying NOT to get them, just proving the point that you don't HAVE to have them. We are leaning towards getting them for me and my children (hubby already has one), but slightly undecided yet.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Maybe this is a dumb question, but what's the reason NOT to carry a passport when in a foreign country?... better safe than sorry, right?

IMHO, there is no good reason. If you have a passport and you are in a foreign port, that passport should be on your person, not in your safe in your stateroom where it can leave without you.

 

[LWQuestie]

I've done several closed loop Carib/Bahamas cruises with DCL and have the EB Transatlantic coming up. They were very clear during the TA booking process that this cruise does require a passport. Based on that, I'd wager they would make that clear on any other cruise with ports that require the cruisers to have passports.

I booked on the phone, so can't comment about how that translates when booking on the website.