CarolRoy Posted October 8, 2015 #1 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Will be on HAL Nieuw Amsterdam from Fort Lauderdale. Visiting the following ports - Grand Turk - San Juan - St. Thomas - Half Moon Cay. I know that in the ports you can just show your cruise card and license. Not sure if person would be denied embarking in FLL with only a driver's license. Do they actually need a passport for embarking? It may be too late to apply for a passport. Person is US citizen. Thanks for any info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaveDiving Posted October 8, 2015 #2 Share Posted October 8, 2015 No, you do not need a passport. Although a passport may be desirable for unforeseen circumstances, a driver's license and a birth certificate are sufficient for the Caribbean. Scott & Karen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serendipity1499 Posted October 8, 2015 #3 Share Posted October 8, 2015 (edited) Will be on HAL Nieuw Amsterdam from Fort Lauderdale. Visiting the following ports - Grand Turk - San Juan - St. Thomas - Half Moon Cay. I know that in the ports you can just show your cruise card and license. Not sure if person would be denied embarking in FLL with only a driver's license. Do they actually need a passport for embarking? It may be too late to apply for a passport. Person is US citizen. Thanks for any info. No Passport is required, but suggest you take your Birth Certificate with a raised seal as well as your drivers license....If you do not have a Passport though, you will not be permitted to fly home if there is an emergency.. Anyone flying back into the U.S. must have a passport.. Edited October 8, 2015 by serendipity1499 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YubaSutter Posted October 8, 2015 #4 Share Posted October 8, 2015 No Passport is required, but suggest you take your Birth Certificate with a raised seal as well as your drivers license....If you do not have a Passport though, you will not be permitted to fly home if there is an emergency.. Anyone flying back into the U.S. must have a passport.. A raised seal on the birth certificate is not a requirement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaBands Posted October 8, 2015 #5 Share Posted October 8, 2015 (edited) Grand Turk and HMC are foreign destination and when you return immigration form asks to list all the countries you visit. St. Thomas and PR are us so no passport needed. I would call HAL and check with them to be sure. If you love cruising you will want to have one anyway. HMC is in the Bahamas and in the past you had to fill in a immigration form for them as well. Edited October 8, 2015 by SeaBands Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fouremco Posted October 8, 2015 #6 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Grand Turk and HMC are foreign destination and when you return immigration form asks to list all the countries you visit. St. Thomas and PR are us so no passport needed. I would call HAL and check with them to be sure. If you love cruising you will want to have one anyway.HMC is in the Bahamas and in the past you had to fill in a immigration form for them as well. I've visited HMC many times, but I don't recall ever having to complete any immigration form. In fact, I don't recall ever having had to fill in an immigration form for any Caribbean destination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dakrewser Posted October 8, 2015 #7 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Grand Turk and HMC are foreign destination and when you return immigration form asks to list all the countries you visit. St. Thomas and PR are us so no passport needed. I would call HAL and check with them to be sure. If you love cruising you will want to have one anyway.HMC is in the Bahamas and in the past you had to fill in a immigration form for them as well. No passport, or immigration form, is needed for either the Bahamas or Turks & Caicos for a US citizen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruz chic Posted October 8, 2015 #8 Share Posted October 8, 2015 You used to have to fill out an immigration form for hmc but I'm guessing it's been about 10 years since that has happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boytjie Posted October 8, 2015 #9 Share Posted October 8, 2015 (edited) A drivers license alone is not sufficient. From HAL's web site: For U.S. and Canadian Citizens: Travel by Land or Sea: Travel document requirements vary based on cruise itinerary and whether international flights are required. Passports or Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) compliant documents are required for cruises to Alaska, Bermuda, Canada, Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico and the Panama Canal. U.S. and Canadian citizens ages 16 and above may present one of the following valid WHTI-compliant documents: Passport (recommended travel document) (valid for travel by air, land and sea) Passport Card (valid for land and sea border crossings only) U.S. or Canadian Issued Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL) – (valid for land and sea border crossings only)* Other documents approved by the Department of Homeland Security For a list of approved documents visit: http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/information/do-i-need.html Edited October 8, 2015 by Boytjie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kruizers Posted October 8, 2015 #10 Share Posted October 8, 2015 You really should get a passport. If you were to become ill on the cruise and have to be hospitalized in a foreign country, you will need it to fly back to the states. Pay the expedited fee and get one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveOKC Posted October 8, 2015 #11 Share Posted October 8, 2015 You really should get a passport. If you were to become ill on the cruise and have to be hospitalized in a foreign country, you will need it to fly back to the states. Pay the expedited fee and get one. Agree 100%. Plus let me add - what if the cruise ship has problems (like Carnival did last year) and has to let her passengers off in a foreign port (like Mexico)? It would be a real hassle for you to get back into the states without a passport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Itasca Posted October 8, 2015 #12 Share Posted October 8, 2015 I tried the reference above and got the dreded 404 error This maybe more helpful http://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/western-hemisphere-travel-initiative Birth certificate AND government issued photo ID. Check the requirements on the BC, it may need to be government issued also. I use a passport so this is all second hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Himself Posted October 8, 2015 #13 Share Posted October 8, 2015 I have been told you need a passport for the Caribbean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boytjie Posted October 8, 2015 #14 Share Posted October 8, 2015 (edited) I have been told you need a passport for the Caribbean. For most closed loop cruises to the Caribbean you don't but there are exceptions, like St. Barts, for which you need a passport. Edited October 8, 2015 by Boytjie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kruizers Posted October 8, 2015 #15 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Agree 100%. Plus let me add - what if the cruise ship has problems (like Carnival did last year) and has to let her passengers off in a foreign port (like Mexico)? It would be a real hassle for you to get back into the states without a passport. I remember that. Just one more reason to have a passport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexus138 Posted October 8, 2015 #16 Share Posted October 8, 2015 I just cruised that itinerary. You dont need one. A license and birth certificate is sufficient..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb at sea Posted October 8, 2015 #17 Share Posted October 8, 2015 No American citizen needs a passport for a closed loop cruise to the Caribbean. Your DL and BC is fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtl513 Posted October 9, 2015 #18 Share Posted October 9, 2015 It may be too late to apply for a passport. You may have enough time by paying the "expedited" fee. You should try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boytjie Posted October 9, 2015 #19 Share Posted October 9, 2015 (edited) No American citizen needs a passport for a closed loop cruise to the Caribbean. Your DL and BC is fine. Until you need to leave the cruise early at a non-Us port to fly home due to some emergency. And if your ship doesn't go to St. Bart. Edited October 9, 2015 by Boytjie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammiedawg Posted October 9, 2015 #20 Share Posted October 9, 2015 A raised seal on the birth certificate is not a requirement. Disney requires a raised seal birth certificate which our two youngest family members travel with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dakrewser Posted October 9, 2015 #21 Share Posted October 9, 2015 Until you need to leave the cruise early at a non-Us port to fly home due to some emergency. And if your ship doesn't go to St. Bart. Which this cruise doesn't, so why bring it up..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boytjie Posted October 9, 2015 #22 Share Posted October 9, 2015 Which this cruise doesn't, so why bring it up..... I was responding to a blanket statement that American citizens did not need passports on closed loop Caribbean cruises. Which is not always true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Keith1010 Posted October 9, 2015 #23 Share Posted October 9, 2015 As long as you are a USA citizen, departing and arriving to the same port in the USA you do not need a passport. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 3rdGenCunarder Posted October 9, 2015 #24 Share Posted October 9, 2015 Get a passport. Save yourself the worry about raised seal/no raised seal on the birth certificate, what if you go to St Bart's, what if you get sick and have to leave the ship mid-cruise, what if the ship has problems and the cruise ends early. I hope you don't get sick and I hope your itinerary doesn't get changed. But having a passport eliminates any of that "what if" worry. As Karl Malden used to say "Don't leave home without it." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boytjie Posted October 9, 2015 #25 Share Posted October 9, 2015 Get a passport. Save yourself the worry about raised seal/no raised seal on the birth certificate, what if you go to St Bart's, what if you get sick and have to leave the ship mid-cruise, what if the ship has problems and the cruise ends early. Another argument for getting a passport that I have not seen mentioned before (and brought to my attention by another thread): if you miss the ship's departure and need to catch up, you would not be able to fly to a non-US island (e.g. St. Maarten) without a passport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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