First Time Question

[GlitzyToes]

Hello to All,

We are going on our first cruise at the end of November. This is our first cruise and it's pretty last minute (booked it this week!) Anyways, our family won't  have passports in time for the vacation. NCL said that travelling with our state issued birth certificates is acceptable but, I was wondering about booking excursions outside of NCL's offerings. I saw on this board about a day trip and the representative explained they don't require passports but that our cruise would? Are we limited to excursions we can book via NCL or will we be able to book other excursions and not have to show a passport to get through a customs point somewhere? Thank you for your kind help,

[BirdTravels]

Where are you cruising?  BC are ok for closed loop trips leaving the US and the only time your BCs are looked at is at check-in and US customs when you return. None of your ports of call care. Therefore you are free to take any excursion. 

[shof515]

to get back on the ship at the port of call all you need is your ship card and sometimes a photo id like your driver license

[PTC DAWG]

As long as everything goes ok, you will be fine, BUT if something goes wrong and you need to get home from a foreign country, you will wish you had a passport...

 

you can easily get one by the end of November..I would pursue it. 

Edited October 16, 2019 by PTC DAWG

[rwmartin]

My son just got his first passport. Took only two weeks. So, if you’d feel better having them, you should have time. But the others and NCL are correct. If you’re leaving from and returning to the U.S., you’ll be ok with just the birth certificates for most ports on a closed loop cruise. There’s one port in the Caribbean that’s now requiring a passport but I don’t remember which port it is. 

[shof515]

6 minutes ago, rwmartin said:

There’s one port in the Caribbean that’s now requiring a passport but I don’t remember which port it is. 

that port is Martinique

 

https://cruiseradio.net/a-passport-is-now-required-to-visit-this-caribbean-island/

[Rsavtechcruise]

Well boils down to where you sailing to and from 

closed loop starts stops same USA port than technically no passport needed 

any other cruise that that vists a foreign port or Canada and start one port ends another than you need passport

 

now the technically 

 

if while in a foreign port anything happens you need our need to be flown home or fly to another port then guess what need passport

[Motegi]

I'd suggest getting passports.  It'll give you peace of mind in case something unforeseen occurs.