Passport

[Fitnessmaniac]

My MIL just called and informed me that a friend of hers called RCCL to see what is needed to board Voyager of the Seas in March 2010.

They told her all she needed was birth certificate and a photo ID.

 

Isn't a PASSPORT required???

Thanks

[rageous]

U.S. citizens on closed-loop cruises (cruises that begin and end at the same port in the U.S.) will be able to enter or depart the country with proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate and laminated government issued picture ID, denoting photo, name and date of birth. A U.S. citizen under the age of 16 will be able to present either an original or a certified copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad issues by DOS, or Certificate of Naturalization issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/beforeyouboard/passportGuidelines.do;jsessionid=0000BO2imnjlpWWYA93HRHAXykP:12hdhubrs

[chiguypaul]

Valuable resource:

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html

[buckanear]

Previous posters are correct, a passport is not required.

 

Make sure that the birth certificate is a certified copy issued from the government, not the hospital. It should have a raised seal or a watermark on it. If it has feet print on it, it's no good.

[Cruzin-K]

My MIL just called and informed me that a friend of hers called RCCL to see what is needed to board Voyager of the Seas in March 2010.

They told her all she needed was birth certificate and a photo ID.

 

Isn't a PASSPORT required???

Thanks

 

 

Even though it's not required on "closed-loop" cruises, March 2010 is plenty of time to get a passport. I'd recommend having one with you since you never know what might happen on the cruise, and if you have an emergency and had to fly back from one of the islands, it would go a lot smoother with a passport.

[MrCruzeaddict]

I see this question a lot! I would suggest that you get the passport! It is soooo much easier and you will need one down the road anyway. They are good for 10yrs, so the cost per year is nominal.

 

 

Joe<---On my 4th one! :D

[Seminole876]

I just applied and recieved my passport in 3 weeks (even though it says 4-6 wks). Anyway, I did not necessarily NEED one because it is a closed-loop cruise, departs from and comes back to Miami, but make sure you check the requirements for the ports you will be going to. I heard that some ports require a passport. I'm going to Belize and the information online says they require a passport for cruisers, but was also told by MANY that they do not enforce that at all. So, although I did not NEED one, I got one anyway for peace of mind in the event anything were to happen in Cozumel or Belize where I needed to fly home, or if Belize truly enforced the passport rule. I just wouldn't feel comfortable without it. If you do not want to pay the money for the passport, then I'm sure you'd be fine with just the birth certificate.

[dougp26364]

I know I'm in the minority but why would anyone leave the country without a passport. I know that no one belives any odd thing might happen to them (miss the ship, injury, illness et....) but things can and do happen. IMHO, just get the passports and don't worry about it.

[lcguy]

My MIL just called and informed me that a friend of hers called RCCL to see what is needed to board Voyager of the Seas in March 2010.

They told her all she needed was birth certificate and a photo ID.

 

Isn't a PASSPORT required???

Thanks

It depends on the ports that you'll be visiting. For example, if you're itinerary will take you to Roatan, Honduras, a passport will be required.

 

Check with the cruise line yourself. Regardless, it's not too late to get a passport book. The advice given by the other posters here is pretty much spot on.

[mjldvlks]

As several others have said, RCI is telling you the truth. If everything goes as planned you do not need a passport. You do not have to have a passport to board the ship for closed loop cruises because you do not need it to re-enter the US from such trips. Also most [maybe all] nations you will visit in the Caribbean do not require passports for entry from cruise ships.

 

I would add, however, that there have been a couple of threads lately where folks, due to a variety of circumstances -- usually airline delays or other unavoidable circumstances-- have arrived at the port late and were denied boarding. While most nations do not require passports for entry from cruises, they may for air travelers, and since you will no longer be a passenger on a closed loop cruise, you will need a passport to re-enter the US. You will probably be denied board on flights without a passport. Since the folks who started these threads did not have passports, they did not have the option to fly to the next stop to catch the ship, meaning their entire cruise was lost for want of a passport.

 

So since you have plenty of time, I would strongly encourage you to get a passport.

[TheWog]

I know I'm in the minority but why would anyone leave the country without a passport. I know that no one belives any odd thing might happen to them (miss the ship, injury, illness et....) but things can and do happen. IMHO, just get the passports and don't worry about it.

 

I'm with you. Official member of the Passport Pusher Society. I think you should have a passport because you are leaving the country. Call it over protective, but with my family, how do you explain we can't go to them? We each have our level of risk we can absorb. I'm just not willing to with this.

[lcguy]

If everything goes as planned you do not need a passport. Also most [maybe all] nations you will visit in the Caribbean do not require passports for entry from cruise ships.

Per phone call to Royal Caribbean just this Saturday...

 

If you're going to Honduras, you will need a passport.

 

If you're doing the Jamaica, Cozumel, Grand Cayman itinerary, then you will not.

 

I'd get the passport anyway and not the passport card, but the traditional book.

[cruznjan]

I know I'm in the minority but why would anyone leave the country without a passport. I know that no one belives any odd thing might happen to them (miss the ship, injury, illness et....) but things can and do happen. IMHO, just get the passports and don't worry about it.

 

I'm part of that minority. You never know what will happen.

[amybeth4]

I was told that when on a cruise, you don't need a passport for Belize. That better be the case since my friend will NOT have a passport with her on our Liberty trip in 2 weeks.

[Michuck]

I'd call RCCL or the Passport Agency. I'm just about 100% sure when I booked my cruise to Cozumel, the agent told me that only if I were going to Belize would I need a passport. Better to be safe, than sorry!

 

M.

[Michuck]

I'd call RCCL or the Passport Agency. I'm just about 100% sure when I booked my cruise to Cozumel, the agent told me that if I were going to Belize I'd need a passport. Better to be safe, than sorry!

 

M.

[Seminole876]

I was told that when on a cruise, you don't need a passport for Belize. That better be the case since my friend will NOT have a passport with her on our Liberty trip in 2 weeks.

I saw the information on another website recently, but this is from the U.S. Dept. of State website:

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1055.html

 

There, it states that you must have a passport, but I saw on this board that people said all they really needed to show was there sailing pass. I'd start a thread on the "Belize port of call" area and ask recent cruisers if they needed to show a passport.

 

Again, I did not have a passport but ordered one just because I wouldn't feel comfortable traveling there without one or just in case anything happens.

[Michuck]

From the Department of State website (I used Belize and Cozumel for comparison of wording):

 

Belize: ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS : All U.S. citizens must have a U.S. passport valid for the duration of their visit to Belize. U.S. citizens do not need visas for tourist visits of up to thirty days, but they must have onward or return air tickets and proof of sufficient funds to maintain themselves while in Belize. Visitors for purposes other than tourism, or who wish to stay longer than 30 days, must obtain visas from the government of Belize. All tourists and non-Belizean nationalities are required to pay an exit fee of U.S. $35 (payable in U.S. dollars only) when leaving Belize. Additional information on entry and customs requirements may be obtained from the Embassy of Belize at 2535 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008, Tel. (202) 332-9636 or at their web site:

 

Mexico: ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS : All Americans traveling by air outside of the United States are required to present a passport or other valid travel document to re-enter the United States. This requirement was extended to sea travel (except closed-loop cruises), including ferry service, on June 1, 2009.

 

Hope this helps....

[MMastell]

From the Embassy of Belize website

 

"Cruise Tourism visitors disembarking in and departing Belize as part of a cruise tourism group are not required to have visas to enter Belize. Visas are required only if the visitor is a national of a country needing a visa, and that person intends to remain in Belize for more than one day."

The Link is: http://www.embassyofbelize.org/cruisevisitors/

Even though you "don't" need a Passport it is ALWAYS best to have one. If you became ill in Belize, or any other country, and had to remain for more than one day, or fly home, you could and probably would have problems.

Take care,

Mike

[Michuck]

From the Embassy of Belize website

 

"Cruise Tourism visitors disembarking in and departing Belize as part of a cruise tourism group are not required to have visas to enter Belize. Visas are required only if the visitor is a national of a country needing a visa, and that person intends to remain in Belize for more than one day."

 

No VISAS are required - different from PASSPORTS.......

[negc]

From the Department of State website (I used Belize and Cozumel for comparison of wording):

 

Belize: ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS : All U.S. citizens must have a U.S. passport valid for the duration of their visit to Belize. U.S. citizens do not need visas for tourist visits of up to thirty days, but they must have onward or return air tickets and proof of sufficient funds to maintain themselves while in Belize. Visitors for purposes other than tourism, or who wish to stay longer than 30 days, must obtain visas from the government of Belize. All tourists and non-Belizean nationalities are required to pay an exit fee of U.S. $35 (payable in U.S. dollars only) when leaving Belize. Additional information on entry and customs requirements may be obtained from the Embassy of Belize at 2535 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008, Tel. (202) 332-9636 or at their web site:

 

Mexico: ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS : All Americans traveling by air outside of the United States are required to present a passport or other valid travel document to re-enter the United States. This requirement was extended to sea travel (except closed-loop cruises), including ferry service, on June 1, 2009.

 

Hope this helps....

 

In most instances, cruise passengers whose ship stops in any of those foreign ports for a day are considered to be "in transit" and as such are exempt from requirements to have a passport. Note that even the language referring to Mexico explicitly exempts those who are on a closed-loop cruise.

I have had a passport for decades and strongly recommend them to everyone but for closed-loop cruises that visit most Caribbean and Mexican ports they are not required. For our upcoming Jewel of the Seas repositioning cruise from Boston to Miami with port calls in San Juan, St. Croix, St. Thomas and Aruba, a passport WILL BE REQUIRED, because it is not a closed-loop cruise. The subsequent 3 night cruise to Nassau and Key West WILL NOT REQUIRE a passport because it begins and ends in Miami.

[amybeth4]

In most instances, cruise passengers whose ship stops in any of those foreign ports for a day are considered to be "in transit" and as such are exempt from requirements to have a passport. Note that even the language referring to Mexico explicitly exempts those who are on a closed-loop cruise.

I have had a passport for decades and strongly recommend them to everyone but for closed-loop cruises that visit most Caribbean and Mexican ports they are not required. For our upcoming Jewel of the Seas repositioning cruise from Boston to Miami with port calls in San Juan, St. Croix, St. Thomas and Aruba, a passport WILL BE REQUIRED, because it is not a closed-loop cruise. The subsequent 3 night cruise to Nassau and Key West WILL NOT REQUIRE a passport because it begins and ends in Miami.

 

First, MMastell, thanks for helping but a VISA is not a passport. :)

 

Negc, I'm very aware of all the rules of the closed-loop cruise. (That sentence was NOT meant to sound snarky at all, btw.) I just became concerned when I read the rules of the whole Western Hemisphere Initiative thing (whatever the hell it's called, haha) and Belize was not on that list. I was all over a bunch of Belize sites and every single one of them said a passport is required and NONE of them said, "Except if you're on a cruise." Unfortunately they didn't mention cruises at all, much to my dismay.

 

I reread the Western Hemisphere thingy tonight and it actually says if you're going ANYWHERE in the western hemisphere on a closed-loop cruise you're okay without the passport...so I'm hoping for the best. I can't imagine there haven't been people on CC who've cruised to Belize without a passport.

 

Unfortunately my friend said she didn't want to spend the $100 on the passport that she knows she'll never use (she used her last one in 1999) and I 100% convinced her she doesn't need it for this cruise. THAT'S why I'm so concerned. If she ends up needing it because of stoopid Belize, I'll be in HUUUUUUUGE trouble!

[negc]

First, MMastell, thanks for helping but a VISA is not a passport. :)

 

Negc, I'm very aware of all the rules of the closed-loop cruise. (That sentence was NOT meant to sound snarky at all, btw.) I just became concerned when I read the rules of the whole Western Hemisphere Initiative thing (whatever the hell it's called, haha) and Belize was not on that list. I was all over a bunch of Belize sites and every single one of them said a passport is required and NONE of them said, "Except if you're on a cruise." Unfortunately they didn't mention cruises at all, much to my dismay.

 

I reread the Western Hemisphere thingy tonight and it actually says if you're going ANYWHERE in the western hemisphere on a closed-loop cruise you're okay without the passport...so I'm hoping for the best. I can't imagine there haven't been people on CC who've cruised to Belize without a passport.

 

Unfortunately my friend said she didn't want to spend the $100 on the passport that she knows she'll never use (she used her last one in 1999) and I 100% convinced her she doesn't need it for this cruise. THAT'S why I'm so concerned. If she ends up needing it because of stoopid Belize, I'll be in HUUUUUUUGE trouble!

 

I'm almost positive you are safe. We stopped in Belize when we sailed on the Navigator last Spring, and while I have a passport so the issue never arose, there was no announcement during the cruise and no notice in the daily Cruise Compass that indicated that passengers would be required to have passports for the visit.

While it may have been ten years since she last used a passport, doesn't she realize that after this cruise she will become addicted and will want to take more cruises, some of which WILL require having a passport?:D

[amybeth4]

I'm almost positive you are safe.

 

OY!

 

 

We stopped in Belize when we sailed on the Navigator last Spring, and while I have a passport so the issue never arose, there was no announcement during the cruise and no notice in the daily Cruise Compass that indicated that passengers would be required to have passports for the visit.

 

My fear isn't what happens in Belize. If that were the case she'd just stay onboard. My fear is in Miami when we board and they say to her, "You're going to Belize...where's your passport, stupid?"

 

 

While it may have been ten years since she last used a passport, doesn't she realize that after this cruise she will become addicted and will want to take more cruises, some of which WILL require having a passport?:D

 

Unfortunately she doesn't think like us NORMAL people. I've been trying to get her to cruise since 1992 when I first got addicted! She has ZERO interest in this cruise. She doesn't read anything I tell her about the ship. She has NO summer clothes that fit her so she's gonna look like a freak on the pool deck in black leggings and t-shirts. And the other day she said, "I don't give a ^#%! where we're going or about even going on this cruise. I just need to get away from everything for a week." (She's had a bad few years!) (And she's a bit of a drama queen.) So we're approaching this cruise with two different mindsets. I think I'll be alone a lot, lol!! Thank god for alcohol (which she doesn't even freakin' drink)!

 

:)

[madforcruising]

First, MMastell, thanks for helping but a VISA is not a passport. :)

 

Negc, I'm very aware of all the rules of the closed-loop cruise. (That sentence was NOT meant to sound snarky at all, btw.) I just became concerned when I read the rules of the whole Western Hemisphere Initiative thing (whatever the hell it's called, haha) and Belize was not on that list. I was all over a bunch of Belize sites and every single one of them said a passport is required and NONE of them said, "Except if you're on a cruise." Unfortunately they didn't mention cruises at all, much to my dismay.

 

I reread the Western Hemisphere thingy tonight and it actually says if you're going ANYWHERE in the western hemisphere on a closed-loop cruise you're okay without the passport...so I'm hoping for the best. I can't imagine there haven't been people on CC who've cruised to Belize without a passport.

 

Unfortunately my friend said she didn't want to spend the $100 on the passport that she knows she'll never use (she used her last one in 1999) and I 100% convinced her she doesn't need it for this cruise. THAT'S why I'm so concerned. If she ends up needing it because of stoopid Belize, I'll be in HUUUUUUUGE trouble!

 

I have really no idea if you need a passport to go to Belize or not, but wanted to comment on one thing.

The WHTI (Western hemisphere Travel Initiative) is a US regulation, mostly regulating the entry / re-entry to the US.

However even if the US allow entry/re-entry to the US without a passport it´s up to each country to decide if they want you to have a passport to enter their country or not. In other words any of the countries you are visiting during your cruise can decide (even at a moments notice) that you will need a passport to visit. I´m not saying it will happen or is likely to happen, but it can happen. In many of these passport discussions it´s often mostly the US regulations looked at, but that´s only part of the deal.