Passport

First timer, going on a cruise on Carnival Paradise in January 2019 from Tampa to Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. I have been reading conflicting info. Do we need a passport to go on this cruise? Do we need a passport to do private excursions? We currently don't have passports and getting them would tack on almost $300 to our spending to get them.

Read your cruise documents. Many times a birth certificate and a photo id will work. Depends on where you live.

BUT, those documents will delay you if you have any sort of emergency. Passports will get you home much faster if you have to fly home from a foreign port. Say like family emergency on or off the ship. Many travel without one but I couldn't take the chance.

okay, the only thing in our cruise documents/contract is to check with travel agent or government authority for required travel documentation.

If you are US citizens, you can do this cruise with driver's license and official government issued birth certificates.

Yes, passports will add $300, but open the doors to traveling the world, which makes them worth every penny.

If you thoroughly read the Carnival website, you will find out what documents are needed. EM

For US Citizens, your single source of truth is travel.state.gov .

For US Citizens' date=' your single source of truth is travel.state.gov .

Actually not, on at least two counts:

(1) Some cruise lines (admittedly not Carnival) have documentation requirements that exceed those mandated by our government. Upscale and luxury cruise lines such as Oceania and Regent Seven Seas require all passengers to have a passport with at least six months remaining validity even on a closed loop Western Hemisphere cruise that can be legally taken by a US citizen using an official birth certificate and government-issued photo ID.

(2) Travel.state.gov. does not accurately identify numerous Western Hemisphere countries that permit US citizens to take closed loop cruises using a birth certificate and photo ID.

As mentioned, cruise line policies for travel documentation can vary from company to company. If you are not finding the information clearly on the website then call the cruise line and ask directly, or if you booked through a Travel Agent, contact them and ask.

We have never been required to have a passport for any private excursions we have done in Grand Cayman or Cozumel - or anywhere in the Caribbean for that matter.

If you are US citizens, you can do this cruise with driver's license and official government issued birth certificates.

 

Yes, passports will add $300, but open the doors to traveling the world, which makes them worth every penny.

Carnival actually states that a clean photocopy of your BC will suffice

If you are US citizens, you can do this cruise with driver's license and official government issued birth certificates.

 

Yes, passports will add $300, but open the doors to traveling the world, which makes them worth every penny.

Only if one actually has the pennies (and the time) to actually travel the world.:)

OP, we've used birth certificates and government issued photo ID several times with no issues. Of course if something happens you will face some red tape in order to get home, so you have to determine what your risk factors are and how comfortable you are with those risks (which for most passengers is very low). The only time you would need a passport for an excursion would be if the excursion were crossing a border as happens on some Alaska excursions and US Virgin Island excursions.

Actually not, on at least two counts:

 

(1) Some cruise lines (admittedly not Carnival) have documentation requirements that exceed those mandated by our government. Upscale and luxury cruise lines such as Oceania and Regent Seven Seas require all passengers to have a passport with at least six months remaining validity even on a closed loop Western Hemisphere cruise that can be legally taken by a US citizen using an official birth certificate and government-issued photo ID.

Good to know

For US Citizens' date=' your single source of truth is travel.state.gov .

On the CBP website the large majority of references to exiting and re-entering the USA by sea give the rules for doing so on private vessels, not common carriers such as cruise ships. There is one very brief section regarding closed-loop cruises but in most cases the cruise line websites elucidate what documents are acceptable under what circumstances much more clearly and accurately and are more representative as to what you have to present when checking in for your cruise. Remember it is the cruise line personnel you will be facing in the terminal, not an ICE agent (until you disembark at the end).

On the CBP website the large majority of references to exiting and re-entering the USA by sea give the rules for doing so on private vessels, not common carriers such as cruise ships. There is one very brief section regarding closed-loop cruises but in most cases the cruise line websites elucidate what documents are acceptable under what circumstances much more clearly and accurately and are more representative as to what you have to present when checking in for your cruise. Remember it is the cruise line personnel you will be facing in the terminal, not an ICE agent (until you disembark at the end).

Even at disembarkation you won't see an ICE agent, you'll deal with a CBP officer. Two different agencies within DHS and two different missions. The CBP website used to be helpful but it has been rewritten and is not as helpful as it used to be.

If you don't want to get a passport you can always get the ID card offered that is accepted at the Canadian border, at a minimum it is a document that identifies you and your citizenship. In reality if you plan to do any travel beyond a US border you should get the ID card or a passport it only makes sense.

If you don't want to get a passport you can always get the ID card offered that is accepted at the Canadian border, at a minimum it is a document that identifies you and your citizenship. In reality if you plan to do any travel beyond a US border you should get the ID card or a passport it only makes sense.

The Enhanced Drivers License/ID is an option for citizens of 5 states- Vermont, New York, Minnesota, Washington state and Michigan. For citizens in the remaining states a passport card is an option. Since neither of these cards will allow you to fly back from an international country most people feel that they are only worthwhile if one lives close enough to a border to help justify getting it (I for example live 8 miles from the Canadian border and use my EDL to foray up to Canada from time to time, leaving my passport in my safe deposit box). What makes sense for one traveler may not make sense for another traveler.

If you don't want to get a passport you can always get the ID card offered that is accepted at the Canadian border, at a minimum it is a document that identifies you and your citizenship. In reality if you plan to do any travel beyond a US border you should get the ID card or a passport it only makes sense.

What ID card would that be?

If you are talking about an Enhanced Drivers License, they are only available to residents of a few border states.

(The Real ID driver license is not acceptable for international travel, only domestic flights).

If you are talking about a Passport Card, the application process is identical to that of the Passport Book, just saves a few dollars. And is not good for international flights so inexplicable to me why anyone would not just pay the difference for the Passport Book.

Other than those two I am clueless as to what you may be referring to.

(And welcome to Cruise Critic, by the way)

I actually have both a passport card and a passport book.

What ID card would that be?

 

If you are talking about an Enhanced Drivers License, they are only available to residents of a few border states.

(The Real ID driver license is not acceptable for international travel, only domestic flights).

 

If you are talking about a Passport Card, the application process is identical to that of the Passport Book, just saves a few dollars. And is not good for international flights so inexplicable to me why anyone would not just pay the difference for the Passport Book.

 

Other than those two I am clueless as to what you may be referring to.

(And welcome to Cruise Critic, by the way)

The passport card is a good option if an individual frequently crosses the border by land since the passport card is smaller.

You *can* go to the Caribbean with a government issued photo ID and birth certificate, but the question is *should* you go to the Caribbean with a government issued photo ID and birth certificate (assuming US citizenship)?

IMO, absolutely not. I would never dream of leaving the country, even on a cruise ship, without a passport in my hand. 1. Passports are good for 10 years (5 years, for children under the age of 16), so the cost/year is actually quite low. 2. The cruise line and/or local governments could change that rule at any time for political reasons, requiring passports for travel. 3. If the absolute worst happens, and you need to fly out of a port for whatever reason (medical emergency, missed ship, whatever....it's happened before), having your passport with you will make that process MUCH easier.

Yes, $300 sounds like a lot of money, but trust me....if you're either standing in an international airport because something went wrong, or at the pier while the ship leaves because rules have changed, you'll wish you had spent the money. For what it's worth, I don't even get on a plane without mine, even if it's a domestic flight.

Mass cruise lines are opposed to requiring a US passport since it is a barrier to a cruise. Passport required cruises are usually more expensive and provide a different type of vacation.

The lack of passengers with passports is the reason Carnival had a shipped towed from near Mexico to New Orleans when the ship lost power.

You *can* go to the Caribbean with a government issued photo ID and birth certificate, but the question is *should* you go to the Caribbean with a government issued photo ID and birth certificate (assuming US citizenship)?

 

IMO, absolutely not. I would never dream of leaving the country, even on a cruise ship, without a passport in my hand. 1. Passports are good for 10 years (5 years, for children under the age of 16), so the cost/year is actually quite low. 2. The cruise line and/or local governments could change that rule at any time for political reasons, requiring passports for travel. 3. If the absolute worst happens, and you need to fly out of a port for whatever reason (medical emergency, missed ship, whatever....it's happened before), having your passport with you will make that process MUCH easier.

 

Yes, $300 sounds like a lot of money, but trust me....if you're either standing in an international airport because something went wrong, or at the pier while the ship leaves because rules have changed, you'll wish you had spent the money. For what it's worth, I don't even get on a plane without mine, even if it's a domestic flight.

It's up to each traveler to figure out what they are comfortable doing. Millions travel every year on closed loop cruises without an issue. In theory yes, requirements can change but chances are they won't and if they do it likely won't be quickly (it took what, 9 years following 9/11 for the changes to be implemented). To me how long the passport was valid was irrelevant, if I wasn't going to be using it for international air travel then to me it was nothing but wasted time. There are provisions in the regulations that allow the authorities to waive the passport requirements for emergencies and for humanitarian reasons. There may be a bit of a delay in making arrangements if one doesn't have a passport but as long as one is okay with that (in the slight chance that it happens) that's all that matters.

Mass cruise lines are opposed to requiring a US passport since it is a barrier to a cruise. Passport required cruises are usually more expensive and provide a different type of vacation.

 

The lack of passengers with passports is the reason Carnival had a shipped towed from near Mexico to New Orleans when the ship lost power.

They might be opposed to requiring US passports but that had little to nothing to do with the regulations included an exception for closed loop cruises (and FWIW there are 9 exceptions for passport requirements if memory serves). DHS determined that a US citizen on a closed loop cruise poses a low risk to the national security and it is risk to the national security that is the key in requiring passports. If the Carnival ship is the one that I was thinking of it had drifted closer to the US and that was the deciding factor in towing it to the US.

A better example for this discussion is the Carnival ship that developed some sort of trouble and let all of the passengers off in St Marten. Those without passports were given a letter from CBP allowing them to board planes without a passport and they all got home at the same time as those with passports.

They might be opposed to requiring US passports but that had little to nothing to do with the regulations included an exception for closed loop cruises (and FWIW there are 9 exceptions for passport requirements if memory serves). DHS determined that a US citizen on a closed loop cruise poses a low risk to the national security and it is risk to the national security that is the key in requiring passports. If the Carnival ship is the one that I was thinking of it had drifted closer to the US and that was the deciding factor in towing it to the US.

The Carnival Triumph departed Galveston and drifted close to the Yucatan peninsula which was one of the destinations. Carnival decided to tow the Triumph for 5 days to Mobile. The ship was towed to the closet US port of Mobile. Lack of passports among the 3000 passengers was a reason given for the multi day tow.

Cruise lines have associations and lobbyist in Washington. Exceptions don't just happen in Washington given the number of lobbyist in Washington.

The Carnival Triumph departed Galveston and drifted close to the Yucatan peninsula which was one of the destinations. Carnival decided to tow the Triumph for 5 days to Mobile. The ship was towed to the closet US port of Mobile. Lack of passports among the 3000 passengers was a reason given for the multi day tow.

 

Cruise lines have associations and lobbyist in Washington. Exceptions don't just happen in Washington given the number of lobbyist in Washington.

You are of course free to believe what you want but the regulations weren't written by congressmen, they were written by DHS bureaucrats. I have read the regulations (including the proposed ones) and the exception was there from the beginning and the reason for it as well- the low risk to the national security. Yes, lack of passports was given as one of the many reasons for towing to the US, the main reason was because the ship was closer to the US by the time the tow ships reached it. And again, for the purposes of this discussion what happened to the passengers off-loaded in St Marten is more recent and on point.

While governments set requirements for entry, ultimately cruise line policy governs who may board. See https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/category/~/travel-documentation-and-online-check-in/~/travel-documents/c/406 for Carnival's requirements.