Travel Documents & Requirements

Table Of Content

• Card Issuer
• U.S. Passport Expiration Requirements for Cruises
• Do you always need a passport card or passport booklet to cruise?
• The risks of not bringing a passport on an international sailing
• I Spent 7 Days on My First Adults-Only Virgin Voyages Cruise
• What to Know About U.S. Passports
• Passport Laws for Caribbean Cruises

Holland America Line, founded in 1873, operates 11 ships offering over 500 cruises to 470+ ports in 98 countries. Their cruises range from short trips to 128-day voyages, covering all continents. They’re known for their quality service, excellent food, elegant decor, and diverse entertainment. Their ships feature modern amenities like high-tech shows and extensive art collections. Holland America Line is lauded for catering to multi-generational groups making it an ideal cruise line for families.

Card Issuer

(Foreign-flagged lines are not allowed to sail between U.S. ports without visiting another country under the Jones Act.) You can do a week on the ship from Honolulu and visit five Hawaiian Islands. Far too many travelers overlook the expiration date on their passports, which can result in a complete disaster when they arrive to start their vacation. As an extra precaution, most countries will require travelers to have a passport valid for at least six months after the planned return date, which you should keep in mind. You may need to start the passport renewal process and get a new passport a few months before the expiration date.

U.S. Passport Expiration Requirements for Cruises

She and currently splits her time between San Francisco and France's Basque Country. An enhanced driver's license is another alternative that you can use for land and sea port crossings, but not for international flights. To make things even more confusing, you can get off the ship in port in Vancouver, British Columbia during an Alaska cruise without a passport, but to cross over into the Canadian province by rail, you'll need one. You can visit Alaska on a round-trip Seattle cruise without a passport. But if you wish to book a rail journey excursion on the White Pass & Yukon Route, which takes you from Alaska into Canada, choose the shorter White Pass Summit tour; you'll need a passport for the longer trips.

Do you always need a passport card or passport booklet to cruise?

That said, passport requirements can differ depending on where your cruise departs from and its itinerary. This comprehensive guide will explain everything you need to know about passport regulations for cruises. While a cruise can offer a wonderful mixture of relaxation and adventure, you must ensure that your packing list contains everything you need. Right at the top of that list should be your mandatory forms of proper identification.

The risks of not bringing a passport on an international sailing

With that said, if you do depart from Skagway, the most popular way to travel to the town is to take a roughly 45-minute commuter flight from Juneau, Alaska. Some will also choose to fly into Whitehorse, Canada, then drive the 110-mile journey along the Alaska Highway. Planning an Alaska cruise that departs from or stops at Skagway Cruise Port?

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As we will explore in greater detail, many cruise lines also partner with local excursion providers, including transportation to and from the port. While the cruise port is relatively small, it has several docks capable of handling full-sized cruise ships. Most cruise ships dock at the Broadway Dock, located at Broadway Street’s very edge. Two other docks are also used for cruise ships – Railroad Dock and Ore Dock, located at the southern edge of town at the end of Main Street. Princess Cruises' 16-day Hawaiian Islands voyage from San Francisco visits Hilo, Honolulu, Kauai, and Maui before five days at sea and a stop in Ensenada on the return to San Francisco.

Holland America Line’s seven-day Alaskan Explorer departs from Seattle and cruises the Puget Sound and Stephens Passage. Depart from the Californian cities of San Francisco, San Diego or Long Beach for a quick but memorable cruise to the Baja Peninsula in northern Mexico. Along the way, stop by Catalina Island for a day packed full of outdoor enjoyment.

You don’t want to be turned away at the pier for lack of proper identification. While you might be okay not bringing a passport if your cruise departs and returns to your home country, it can be a good idea in case of an emergency. This is particularly true if your cruise hugs the shorelines of other countries. If you need a new copy of your birth certificate, you can request a new one from your local or state vital statistics department for a fee. Some cruise lines may also ask that the copy of your birth certificate be notarized, so check with your individual cruise line to make sure you have what you need. If you choose to use your birth certificate as a form of ID on a closed-loop cruise, there are some things to keep in mind.

A credible passport expeditor can make planning a group cruise a lot smoother and less stressful. It’s always a good idea to check with Carnival Cruise Line or your travel agency for the most up-to-date information. For more information on travel requirements for Carnival Cruise Lines, visit the What travel documents do I need to bring?

Embassy or consulate abroad, it typically takes only a few days for temporary passports to process and receive. It's best to check the requirements not just for each island that you'll be sailing to, but also to additional destinations you may visit on a port call. A passport book can get you to so many more places internationally, and in the case of an emergency on a cruise, having a passport book allows you to make unexpected travel arrangements significantly easier. Additionally, visas or travel permits may be required to enter some countries. Customs and Border Protection, some countries require a notarized consent letter for children traveling without both parents or a legal guardian. It’s important to check the specific requirements of the destination country by contacting its embassy or consulate in the U.S.

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If you’re traveling by land or sea to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean, you can bring a U.S. passport card instead of a passport book. However, a passport card does not work for air travel into Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean. If you’re traveling on a closed-loop cruise to Alaska that starts and ends in the same U.S. port, you can travel with a passport card or a state-issued ID (such as a driver’s license) and an original birth certificate. On such a closed-loop cruise and without a passport, U.S. citizens will be able to enter or depart the U.S. with certain proof of citizenship.

If you are cruising to a destination not located within Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, or Bermuda, you need to bring a U.S. passport book; a passport card will not be allowed as a valid travel document. If your ship is not returning to the same port—for instance, if you are eyeing a one-way Panama Canal sailing from Los Angeles to Miami—you do need a passport. You will also be limited on some Caribbean itineraries, as select islands such as St. Bart’s and Martinique do require a passport, which means your cruise line will require a passport before you board the ship. If you are unsure about the meaning, ports of call are temporary stops in various ports. They allow you to exit the ship and experience different cultures, climates, and on-shore excursions. As you would expect, if these ports of call are in international destinations, you would need a passport, even if you initially boarded your cruise ship in your home country.

Any international destination will require a passport to leave the US and to enter another nation, and then to enter the US again. I simply had a state issued photo ID (driver’s license) and a notarized copy of my birth certificate and I was allowed to go on a closed-loop cruise. Right now (December 2017) that is all you need to go on a closed-loop cruise, but almost every cruise line from Royal Caribbean to Carnival recommends you have a passport. This will make the processing time quicker and easier and if the rules ever do change again and you need to have a passport you will be all set. The U.S. Customs & Border Protection agency states that if you're cruising without a passport, you'll need proof of identity and U.S. citizenship in the form of a state-issued birth certificate.

In our experience, the easiest and most convenient solution is to hire a passport expediting service. Carnival Cruise Lines currently offers 13 cruise destinations for guests to choose from. Each cruise is packed with a wide array of entertainment choices, from stage shows and live music to deck parties and casinos, ensuring fun-filled days and nights. If children under the age of 16 are traveling internationally by air, they will need a valid U.S. passport. Regardless, we always recommend traveling with a U.S. passport book, in case there are any inconveniences during your trip.

Once this is arranged, you’ll simply get off the ship and enjoy your destination without having to go through customs each time. However, you should always double check what the passport protocol is for the cruise ports you’re visiting. As luck would have it, you’ve suddenly got a few open days in your schedule and a yearning to travel somewhere exotic. If you take closed loop cruises (meaning your trip begins and ends at a U.S. port), you can sail to a variety of dreamy destinations as a U.S. citizen without a passport.