Travel Documents

[moodme]

We just booked our first cruise in January on the Monarch. We do not have passports, but I know we just need our drivers license and birth certificate. I am wondering if I need my wedding certificate also, because of the name change. Do most people get passports?

[dolfandude]

We just booked our first cruise in January on the Monarch. We do not have passports, but I know we just need our drivers license and birth certificate. I am wondering if I need my wedding certificate also, because of the name change. Do most people get passports?

EVERYONE needs passports unless your just doing a New England fall colors cruise and are never leaving the US! ;)

Surely you knew this. Hopefully you're kidding or you just lost some money cause you're not going on a cruise in January! I doubt even with paying extra for expedited service you'll get a passport in time. Good Luck!

[robtulipe]

Yes, most people travel with passport these days even for a cruise that starts and ends in a US port. If you need to return early from a foreign port you will need a passport to fly into the US. Hopefully your cruise is in late January so you have time to get one before the cruise.

If you do go without a passport, I believe you will need your marriage license (wedding certificate) or a copy of it to link your maiden name to your current name on your other identification.

[sjb317]

It's probably best to have a passport whenever traveling outside the US but, technically, you do not need a passport to go on a closed loop (leaving and returning from the same US port) cruise. You do need your official birth certificate and your driver's license. For official confirmation just go to royalcaribbean.com and go to "before you board" and open up "passport requirements". Whether or not you need your marriage license depends on how strict the staff checking you in that day are. Sometimes you do and sometimes you don't. Have a great cruise in January!!

Sherri:)

[Retired LEO]

We just booked our first cruise in January on the Monarch. We do not have passports, but I know we just need our drivers license and birth certificate. I am wondering if I need my wedding certificate also, because of the name change. Do most people get passports?

 

Passports are a must for todays travel.

[RCFAN2210]

By laws effective at the beginning of 2009... at all times when traveling outside the borders of the US one must be in possession of a passport to be allowed passage by land, air, or sea...

 

Hope you can pull some strings and enjoy your first cruise!

[dolfandude]

It's probably best to have a passport whenever traveling outside the US but, technically, you do not need a passport to go on a closed loop (leaving and returning from the same US port) cruise. You do need your official birth certificate and your driver's license. For official confirmation just go to royalcaribbean.com and go to "before you board" and open up "passport requirements". Whether or not you need your marriage license depends on how strict the staff checking you in that day are. Sometimes you do and sometimes you don't. Have a great cruise in January!!

Sherri:)

Sorry Sherri but this is not true anymore. As of June 1, 2009 birth certificate and driver's licenses no longer are accepted. The closed loop cruise is no longer exempt.

 

This link shows the Western Hemisphere travel initiative acceptable documents.

 

 

http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/travel/vacation/ready_set_go/sea_travel/faqs/doc_reqs_poster.ctt/doc_reqs_poster.pdf

You can go to the Department of States website for more verification on this.

[nolimits]

A valid passport is a requirement for air travel to / from Canada, Mexico the Caribbean and Bermuda

 

Effective June 1, 2009 only a valid passport (unless otherwise noted below) or other WHTI compliant document will be accepted for entry or re-entry into the United States. For a list of all approved documents visit: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html#compliant_document

 

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 Service

 

 

 

You may not be able to get off ship in ports. Call RCI and ask. They suggest on ther web site passports in case of emergencies.Normaly U just get off with seapass card.If somthing happened to you U wouldnt be able to fly home to US

[sjb317]

Sorry Sherri but this is not true anymore. As of June 1, 2009 birth certificate and driver's licenses no longer are accepted. The closed loop cruise is no longer exempt.

 

This link shows the Western Hemisphere travel initiative acceptable documents.

 

 

http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/travel/vacation/ready_set_go/sea_travel/faqs/doc_reqs_poster.ctt/doc_reqs_poster.pdf

You can go to the Department of States website for more verification on this.

 

Sorry, but I believe you are mistaken, if you go to :

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/beforeyouboard/passportGuideline.do

I think you will find that it says effective June 1, 2009, a passport is needed for air travel outside the United States but if you continue to read it says for US citizens on a closed loop cruise, a birth certificate and a laminated government issued ID with picture are required. Friends just returned from a Caribbean cruise using only their birth certificate and driver's license, they were not required to have a passport.

Sherri:)

[mariaw8889]

YOU DON'T NEED A PASSPORT IF YOU ARE ON A CLOSED LOOP CRUISE THAT STARTS AND ENDS IN THE UNITED STATES AND YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GET OFF THE SHIP AT THE PORTS WITH JUST YOUR SEA PASS AND DRIVERS LICENSE. YOU WILL BE FINE. Have a wonderful time.

[sjb317]

YOU DON'T NEED A PASSPORT IF YOU ARE ON A CLOSED LOOP CRUISE THAT STARTS AND ENDS IN THE UNITED STATES AND YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GET OFF THE SHIP AT THE PORTS WITH JUST YOUR SEA PASS AND DRIVERS LICENSE. YOU WILL BE FINE. Have a wonderful time.

 

Exactly!!

Sherri:)

[moodme]

Thanks everyone. Reading the first few posts got me a little nervous. Our TA said we did not need one, just the license and birth certificate. We go on a cruise on Jan 22nd, so I do not believe we have enought time for passports. I will pick up a marriage certificate also.

[Terre]

I recommend passports in today's times; however, I saw many on our Thanksgiving cruise who only had birth certificates and driver's licenses. In my opinion, a passport is much easier to keep up with since it's the only ID you will have to present. If you have have time to get your passports, I'd certainly try. If not, get them for your next cruise. I got mine in about 3 weeks just after 9/11, so you may have time for a Jan. 22nd cruise if you put a rush on them.

[cb at sea]

You don't need a Marriage Certificate at all. Your BC and DL are fine.

[cruisinfanatic]

EVERYONE needs passports unless your just doing a New England fall colors cruise and are never leaving the US! ;)

Surely you knew this. Hopefully you're kidding or you just lost some money cause you're not going on a cruise in January! I doubt even with paying extra for expedited service you'll get a passport in time. Good Luck!

Wrong. Get your facts straight.

[DetroitMark]

EVERYONE needs passports unless your just doing a New England fall colors cruise and are never leaving the US! ;)

Surely you knew this. Hopefully you're kidding or you just lost some money cause you're not going on a cruise in January! I doubt even with paying extra for expedited service you'll get a passport in time. Good Luck!

 

 

Just...wow...that's all.

[Sue L]

Passports are a must for todays travel.

 

By laws effective at the beginning of 2009... at all times when traveling outside the borders of the US one must be in possession of a passport to be allowed passage by land, air, or sea...

 

Hope you can pull some strings and enjoy your first cruise!

 

Sorry Sherri but this is not true anymore. As of June 1, 2009 birth certificate and driver's licenses no longer are accepted. The closed loop cruise is no longer exempt.

 

This link shows the Western Hemisphere travel initiative acceptable documents.

 

 

http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/travel/vacation/ready_set_go/sea_travel/faqs/doc_reqs_poster.ctt/doc_reqs_poster.pdf

You can go to the Department of States website for more verification on this.

 

 

 

These above are all incorrect, if a cruise is leaving and returning to the SAME US port and you are a US citizen you do NOT need a passport as this is a closed loop cruise and are exempt from the regulations that took place earlier in the year. Now saying that IF you have an emergency and have to fly home from a non-us island (Puerto Rico, St Thomas and St Croix) then while not impossible is much more of an issue so just be aware.

 

At this point you really don't have time to obtain a passport ( would be nervous evenexpediting it, with the holiday time period) Just make sure you have the state certified copy many with a raised seal and a valid ID like a license and you are good to go. Take your marriage certificate as it can't hurt to have.

[SCUBADOO414]

The first few posts had me sweating! The representatives I've talked with have clearly stated that since we are going to the Bahamas we didn't need a passport, only picture id and birth certificate. Now, for clarification, did they mean that since we're leaving from Florida and returning to Florida we don't need passports? Does this mean that if we were to visit the Caribbean we wouldn't need a passport either; assuming our port was in the U.S.?

Thanks for the help!

[robtulipe]

Sue, your post above is unclear. I believe you meant to add that flying back to the US mainland from PR and USVI is not a problem since they are US islands.

[readytolose]

As others have said you do not need the passport. How you booked your cruise would determine if you need your marriage certificate or not.

 

The name that is on your reservation needs to match your documents. If your DL and BC are in your maiden name and the reservation is in your married name then bring your marriage certificate. You just need to make sure you have a paper trail proving you are the person named on the reservation.

[Sue L]

Sue, your post above is unclear. I believe you meant to add that flying back to the US mainland from PR and USVI is not a problem since they are US islands.

 

Yes, sorry that is exactly what I meant,

 

 

Scubadoo414

 

There is no closed loop cruise that goes to Bahamas, Caribbean, or Mexico that you need a passport if you leave from a US Port and are a US citizen. If you were to fly to any of the islands except Puerto Rico, St Thomas or St Croix you MUST have one. Very confusing

[robtulipe]

The first few posts had me sweating! The representatives I've talked with have clearly stated that since we are going to the Bahamas we didn't need a passport, only picture id and birth certificate. Now, for clarification, did they mean that since we're leaving from Florida and returning to Florida we don't need passports? Does this mean that if we were to visit the Caribbean we wouldn't need a passport either; assuming our port was in the U.S.?

Thanks for the help!

If the Caribbean island that is port stop requires a passport then you need one but there are only a few that come to mind, Cuba, Margarita Is. (Venezuela), Trinidad-Tobago and San Andres (Colombia). These typically aren't on the itineraries of cruises from US ports. Most Caribbean islands don't require a passport so you don't have to have one on a close loop cruise from a US port but IMO it's a good idea to have one in case of emergencies that require a flight to return to the US.

[SCUBADOO414]

Yes, sorry that is exactly what I meant,

 

 

Scubadoo414

 

There is no closed loop cruise that goes to Bahamas, Caribbean, or Mexico that you need a passport if you leave from a US Port and are a US citizen. If you were to fly to any of the islands except Puerto Rico, St Thomas or St Croix you MUST have one. Very confusing

 

Great, thanks! See, we recently cancelled a cruise that was scheduled to go to the Western Caribbean because we thought we needed six passports ( 2 adult, 4 children ) ~ which would have cost nearly as much as the cruise itself! :D

Thanks for the clarification on the passport 'issue'... I appreciate it!

[Sue L]

If the Caribbean island that is port stop requires a passport then you need one but there are only a few that come to mind, Cuba, Margarita Is. (Venezuela), Trinidad-Tobago and San Andres (Colombia). These typically aren't on the itineraries of cruises from US ports. Most Caribbean islands don't require a passport so you don't have to have one on a close loop cruise from a US port but IMO it's a good idea to have one in case of emergencies that require a flight to return to the US.

 

All Caribbean islands except US territories (Puerto Rico, St thomas and St Croix) REQUIRE a passport to fly there if you are a US citizen. There are NO caribbean island or Mexican port that require US citizens who are on a closed loop cruise to have one.

[amybeth4]

The first few responses to this thread really got me irritated, but thank God they were corrected.

 

You do NOT need a passport on ANY closed-loop cruise that goes to the Carribean, Canada or Mexico. Sure you need one if you have to fly home from the port, but good Lord the chances of that happening are VERY slim.

 

On my Nov. '09 Costa Maya/Belize/Cozumel cruise I went with a friend who had never cruised and she had nothing but a driver's license and birth certificate.

 

Her BC was quite old so I suggested she get a new one from the NY board of health just to make sure it was the right one. She had ABSOLUTELY no problem boarding.