Passport questions - expiration date

[lesliejaykat]

Hi! We are going on a cruise mid Februrary with stops in Mexico and our kids passports expire mid June. Are we still good to use them?  I have gotten mixed info. that if less than 6mo from expiration date we should get new ones. Thanks so much! 

Edited January 2, 2020 by lesliejaykat

[MistyRo76]

16 minutes ago, lesliejaykat said:

Hi! We are going on a cruise mid Februrary with stops in Mexico and our kids passports expire mid June. Are we still good to use them?  I have gotten mixed info. that if less than 6mo from expiration date we should get new ones. Thanks so much! 

I think for a general closed loop Caribbean cruise, you are fine with passports that expire less than six months after the sailing date. Technically, you don't even need passports for these types of cruises; you can still sail with just a regular state issued ID. 

 

When Carnival sailed to Cuba, you were required to have passports and VISA's for Cuba and the passports had to be valid for at least six months past the cruise. But normal Caribbean destinations do not have this requirement. 

[GradUT]

If you use a US passport as proof of citizenship for a closed-loop cruise (as yours is), then it need only be valid for the duration of the cruise.  You will not be required to show your passport to disembark in Mexico, but even if you were so required, a US passport need only be valid at that time—not for 6 months beyond the dates of travel.  (Not all countries have a 6-month validity requirement and you can always check through the US Department of State website.) 

 

So the bottom line is...you’ll be fine.  
 

For more info, see:  https://mx.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/passport-services/passport-frequently-asked-questions/

[sparks1093]

Agree with the previous responses, there will be folks onboard who don't even have a passport so it would be silly for them to deny boarding for someone with a valid passport.

[coevan]

1 hour ago, MistyRo76 said:

But normal Caribbean destinations do not have this requirement. 

 

 

several Caribbean islands do require a 6 month rule for land based trips, not cruises