Passport question

[dmr073173]

Has anyone taken the Eastern Carribean cruise on the Freedom of the Seas from Port Canaveral using a birth certificate and driver's license instead of a passport?

[cruisead]

As long as that cruise starts and ends in the same US port, all anyone needs is a birth certificate and government issued photo ID. The ship makes no difference---the only variable that counts is what I said above about starting and ending in the same US port.

[Shmoo here]

Has anyone taken the Eastern Carribean cruise on the Freedom of the Seas from Port Canaveral using a birth certificate and driver's license instead of a passport?

 

I would hazard a guess that many people have.

 

Not everyone gets a passport.

[Shmoo here]

As long as that cruise starts and ends in the same US port, all anyone needs is a birth certificate and government issued photo ID. The ship makes no difference---the only variable that counts is what I said above about starting and ending in the same US port.

 

All any US citizen needs.

[sparks1093]

All any US citizen needs.

 

Wellllll, any US born citizen anyway;). Those who are naturalized would need their naturalization certificate and those born abroad need their consular report of birth abroad certificate. I recall a thread where someone who had been born abroad read "all you need is your birth certificate" and that is what he took- but it was issued by the country he was born in. Of course someone shouldn't use CC as the primary source for their info and should rely on the cruise line's info (since some cruise lines do require passports for all passengers on all sailings).

[sparks1093]

Has anyone taken the Eastern Carribean cruise on the Freedom of the Seas from Port Canaveral using a birth certificate and driver's license instead of a passport?

 

While millions of people travel on closed loop cruises with documentation other than a passport without a problem you must keep in mind that if you have to leave the ship for some reason (illness, injury, or emergency back home) that there will be a delay in returning since you will need to get the Consulate to issue an emergency travel document in order to enable you to fly back. You have to analyze your risk of anything happening and decide if you are comfortable with assuming that risk (and making sure that you don't miss the ship by a controllable reason, such as being overserved at Senor Frogs). Make sure it's a government issued birth certificate (original is best and I think RCCL requires the original in their FAQ) and that your drivers license has not expired.