Martinique now requiring cruise passengers to have passport

[MomOTwins]

In my experience, I 100% agree with @PrincessShmoo about not being able to board and then stay on the ship if a given port requires a passport. The situation in Martinique appears to be the exception that proves this rule because I got a message from DCL about our January cruise:


I don't know if the island is simply phasing in the requirement and allowing this situation for some period of time or if this will be status quo ... and who knows what would happen in the event of a medical emergency on board while at port. It's just easier to have a passport and eliminate the 'what-ifs'.

This is up on the DCL website now too:

For the Disney Wonder 1/26/20 and Disney Fantasy 6/27/20 Southern Caribbean Cruise that call on Martinique

ALL guests going ashore are required to carry a valid, unexpired passport. Guests from the US and Canada are able to check-in for the cruise using the document types listed above, but will not be permitted to go ashore in Martinique.

 

[T & R]

I heard this is required in Guadeloupe as well? Why would France be making this requirement for Guadeloupe and Martinique? Is it an EU law or something? What's so special about Guadeloupe and Martinique vs. most all the other islands in the Caribbean? Guadeloupe and Martinique's economies are heavily dependent on tourism, so it seems like poor governance to cut out a portion of your tourism economy for a policy that almost no other Caribbean nations follow.

On another note, I do not know why you would spend thousands or tens of thousands on a cruise and not put down the hundred bucks or so for a passport. Just saying.

 

[AquaDame]

I heard this is required in Guadeloupe as well? Why would France be making this requirement for Guadeloupe and Martinique? Is it an EU law or something? What's so special about Guadeloupe and Martinique vs. most all the other islands in the Caribbean? Guadeloupe and Martinique's economies are heavily dependent on tourism, so it seems like poor governance to cut out a portion of your tourism economy for a policy that almost no other Caribbean nations follow.

On another note, I do not know why you would spend thousands or tens of thousands on a cruise and not put down the hundred bucks or so for a passport. Just saying.

If it were an EU law more islands would do the same... I doubt they are doing it because they are special, they're just one of the first to close the loophole.

I see why some people chose to travel without a passport if cruising in the Caribbean is the only thing they planed on doing, but I really wonder if that is going to be viable long term now.

 

[anricat]

In my experience, I 100% agree with @PrincessShmoo about not being able to board and then stay on the ship if a given port requires a passport. The situation in Martinique appears to be the exception that proves this rule because I got a message from DCL about our January cruise:


I don't know if the island is simply phasing in the requirement and allowing this situation for some period of time or if this will be status quo ... and who knows what would happen in the event of a medical emergency on board while at port. It's just easier to have a passport and eliminate the 'what-ifs'.

We're on this same cruise. At least in this instance, I suspect they are allowing folks to sail without a passport and then just remain onboard in Martinique because we were past the PIF date when they made the announcement. I have to wonder if they would have handled it differently were we prior to that date. I suspect that moving forward, cruises that stop at Martinique will require passports or I can also see DCL (and other lines) avoiding that stop altogether, which is unfortunate.