Brain fart about passports on closed loop cruises

[Tapi]

Hi! 
 

I just messaged Holland America to get an answer on this question, but while I wait for an answer, I’d like to ask here as well! 😀

 

We are sailing on a closed loop Caribbean cruise on the Niew Statendam soon. All of us have valid US passports, but my son’s has a little less than 6 months left before it expires ( 5 months and 26 days on the day we return from the cruise to be exact). Is there a minimum 6 month requirement on these itineraries? I’m hoping that this is not the case (since passports aren’t technically required for this type of itinerary). I don’t want to be caught with my pants down on embarkation day. Worse case scenario, we’ll bring his birth certificate as a backup, but I wanted to ask for clarification anyway from the fine Cruise Critic community. Thanks for any information that you may provide. 

[cruiserchuck]

Here is a link to HALs website where ID requirements are discussed:

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/faq/know-before-you-go.html

 

Immigration Questionnaire & Online Check-In: Each individual guest is required to complete the questionnaire in Online Check-In to obtain Express Docs. Please go to our website at hollandamerica.com and complete the Online Check-In process prior to your sail date. After you complete the Online Check-In, your Express Docs including your Boarding Pass will be issued. Please do not forget to print them out prior to leaving home.

 

Please Note:

• Guests arriving at embarkation without complete and accurate documentation may not join the voyage and will not be entitled to a refund.
• Please complete the Online Check-In process at hollandamerica.com 72 hours prior to your sail date. Guests who wait to check in at the terminal risk being unable to sail even if they arrive at the terminal before the vessel leaves. You will be responsible for all costs you incur to join the vessel at the next port.
• If for some reason you have not completed your Online Check-in process at least 3 days prior to departure, you will still be able to print your Express Docs, including the boarding pass, up to the departure date. Guests who have not completed the required check-in prior to departure time are subject to denied boarding.

U.S. government security regulations require us to submit certain guest information to law enforcement authorities at least 60 minutes prior to departure. To meet this requirement, we must have the necessary information in our records at least 90 minutes prior to departure. If we do not have your information by this deadline, you will be unable to sail. Guests are urged to complete the Online Check-in process before leaving home. Guests who wait to check in at the terminal risk being unable to sail even if they arrive at the terminal before the vessel leaves. You will be responsible for all costs you incur to join the vessel at the next port.

 

PERSONAL TRAVEL IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

 

Holland America Line highly recommends that all guests carry a passport that is valid for at least six months beyond the completion date of your travel. Having a passport will enable you to fly from the U.S. to a foreign port in the event you miss your scheduled embarkation or to fly back to the U.S. if you need to disembark the ship mid-cruise due to an emergency.

 

PLEASE NOTE: It is your sole responsibility to obtain and have available the proper travel documents that are necessary for your travel, including all costs related to arrangements to obtain entry to countries you visit and re-entry to your destination country.

 

Boarding may be denied or fines may be levied against those guests without proper documentation. Payment of any fines levied is the responsibility of the individual guest.

 

For U.S. and Canadian Citizens Travel by Land or Sea:

 

Travel document requirements vary based on cruise itinerary and whether international flights are required. For voyages that are scheduled to end outside the U.S., a passport that is valid for six months beyond the completion date of your travel is required.

 

Passports or Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) compliant documents are required for cruises to Alaska, Bermuda, Canada, Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico and the Panama Canal. U.S. and Canadian citizens ages 16 and above may present one of the following valid WHTI-compliant documents:

• Passport (recommended travel document) (valid for travel by air, land and sea)
• Passport Card (valid for land and sea border crossings only)
• State Issued Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL) – (valid for land and sea border crossings only, not valid on Yukon Land+Sea Journeys due to air travel included in the Journey)
• Other documents approved by the Department of Homeland Security

For a list of approved documents visit:

 

travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/go/checklist.html

 

The EDL driver’s license, or non-driver photo identification, is offered in the U.S. states of Michigan, New York, Vermont and Washington and in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec, to applicants that can prove identity and citizenship. Please note the EDL is not the same as an Enhanced (or Endorsed) Commercial Driver’s License.

 

U.S. citizens on closed-loop cruises: U.S. citizens on cruises in the Western Hemisphere that originate and terminate in the same U.S. port are required to have proof of citizenship such as a valid U.S. passport or a government issued birth certificate combined with a government issued photo I.D. Other approved proof of citizenship documents such as a passport card, an enhanced driver’s license (EDL) or certificate of naturalization along with a government-issued photo ID are also acceptable. A passport is still the preferred document. PLEASE NOTE –WHTI-compliant documents are acceptable for entry or re-entry into the United States. You may be required to present additional or different travel documents when entering foreign countries, including some countries in the Western Hemisphere.

 

Birth certificates from Puerto Rico issued prior to  July 1, 2010 are not valid forms of proof of citizenship that is accepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Guests from Puerto Rico either need to present a WHTI-compliant document or a government- issued photo identification with a validated birth certificate issued after July 1, 2010.

 

Children: U.S. citizen children under the age of 16 traveling on a closed-loop cruise (a cruise in the Western Hemisphere which originates and ends in the same U.S. port) will be able to present their government issued birth certificate or other proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a naturalization certificate or citizenship card to sail. Birth certificates can be an original or certified copy.

 

PASSPORT REQUIREMENT WHEN MINORS TRAVEL WITH ONE ADULT ON VOYAGES GOVERNED BY U.S. WESTERN HEMISPHERE TRAVEL INITIATIVE (“WHTI”) (includes travel within BERMUDA, CANADA, CARIBBEAN, MEXICO, UNITED STATES)

 

When minors are traveling with only one adult 21 years of age or older, Holland America Line requires that all guests must  be in possession of a valid passport. Holland America Line has implemented this requirement so that you all remain together should an emergency arise that requires one or more in your party to be disembarked in a non-U.S. port. Holland America Line cannot guarantee that all members of your party will be allowed to disembark with only a WHTI-compliant document or birth certificate.

 

NOTE: If you are not the parent or Legal Guardian of any minor  child traveling with you, you must present an original letter signed by at least one of the child’s parents. The letter from the child’s parent must provide contact information and authorize the traveling adult to take the child on the specific cruise.

 

For more information regarding passports and WHTI compliant documents, please visit travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/go/checklist.html or call the National Passport Information Center toll free at 1-877-487-2778 or TDD/TYY at 1-888-874-7793.

 

Travel by Air: Passports are required for all international air travel to and from the United States, regardless of age or citizenship. This includes air travel to and from Canada, Bermuda, the Caribbean and Mexico.

 

For Non-U.S./Non-Canadian Citizens: For Non-U.S./Non-Canadian Citizens: You must have and carry a passport valid for six months beyond the duration of your travel. Please carefully verify the existing identification requirements for your particular travel situation, including all destinations. In addition, non-U.S. citizens who have previously been admitted to the United States for permanent residence must carry their Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551), commonly known as a Green Card. Resident aliens not in possession of this must obtain one at the nearest office of the U.S. Immigration Service. Note that while a passport for a Green Card holder is not required to return to the U.S., your destination country requirements may be different. Please verify your documentation requirements prior to sailing, but we highly recommend Green Card holders travel with their passport as an extra precaution.

 

Please Note: To allow us to expedite immigration clearances in the various countries you will be asked to surrender your passport to our staff upon check-in. Some clearances will require face to face inspections, details will be communicated to you onboard.

 

Rest assured that your passport will be fully secured by our staff. Regardless, it is always good practice, when traveling, to make copies of your passport pages before departing.

 

 

[Tapi]

58 minutes ago, cruiserchuck said:

Here is a link to HALs website where ID requirements are discussed:

Cruiserchuck:

 

Thanks for providing that link. I had already visited the Holland America website and read the section that you referenced. The statement that gave me pause is under the closed loop requirements, which states “valid” passport. For the purpose of a closed loop cruise,  do they define valid as having 6 month minimum left? 

[Earplug]

Read this again - not a "requirement"

 

"Holland America Line highly recommends that all guests carry a passport that is valid for at least six months beyond the completion date of your travel"

 

 

[Homosassa]

Tapi, you need to check your ports of call.

 

Martinique requires all cruisers to have a passport, as does Costa Rica and ports in Colombia.

 

I don't know if there is a six month requirement for those ports and if other ports have passport requirements.

 

Of course, there is always the problem of needing to fly home from a foreign port and the requirement of that country to enter and leave the country.

[RocketMan275]

46 minutes ago, Tapi said:

Cruiserchuck:

 

Thanks for providing that link. I had already visited the Holland America website and read the section that you referenced. The statement that gave me pause is under the closed loop requirements, which states “valid” passport. For the purpose of a closed loop cruise,  do they define valid as having 6 month minimum left? 

Did you see this:

When minors are traveling with only one adult 21 years of age or older, Holland America Line requires that all guests must  be in possession of a valid passport. Holland America Line has implemented this requirement so that you all remain together should an emergency arise that requires one or more in your party to be disembarked in a non-U.S. port. Holland America Line cannot guarantee that all members of your party will be allowed to disembark with only a WHTI-compliant document or birth certificate.

[ed01106]

The following Caribbean countries have a 6 month time requirement.  

 

Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, St. Barthelemy, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago.

 

https://thepointsguy.com/2017/08/six-month-passport-validity-rule/

 

The only need for the passport on a closed loop is in the unfortunate situation you need to leave the ship for an emergency. 

 

If you aren’t visiting those countries no big deal.  

 

Either way my recommendation would be try to renew the passport before the trip.  (you are going to need to do so pretty soon anyway) but if that is not possible, don’t sweat itt. 

 

 

 

[Tapi]

31 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

Tapi, you need to check your ports of call.

Thank you. We will be visiting the Dominican Republic, Turks & Caicos and The Bahamas. 

[Tapi]

9 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Did you see this:

When minors are traveling with only one adult 21 years of age or older, Holland America Line requires that all guests must  be in possession of a valid passport. 

I did read that as well. There will be two adults and two children. Everybody has a US passport. 

[knittinggirl]

I'd check the requirements at state.gov too.

 

Depending on how soon you cruise, you should be able to order an expedited passport.  Back in 2015, mine took about 7 weeks,  and I paid for expedited return shipping.

Edited February 14, 2020 by knittinggirl

[ed01106]

Just now, Tapi said:

Thank you. We will be visiting the Dominican Republic, Turks & Caicos and The Bahamas. 

To the best of my knowledge those countries only require that the passport be valid for the length of your stay.  (But you should verify that, and not trust some guy you don’t know on the internet)

[RocketMan275]

1 minute ago, Tapi said:

I did read that as well. There will be two adults and two children. Everybody has a US passport. 

Except one child will have less than six months.  Is that a 'valid' passport?

[ed01106]

1 minute ago, RocketMan275 said:

Except one child will have less than six months.  Is that a 'valid' passport?

In some countries yes.  For some countries having a passport that will expire tomorrow is fine as long as you are only visiting for the day.  Others won’t let you in unless you have 6 months left.  Panama splits the difference and requires 3 months.

 

[Tapi]

4 minutes ago, ed01106 said:

The only need for the passport on a closed loop is in the unfortunate situation you need to leave the ship for an emergency. 

 

If you aren’t visiting those countries no big deal.  

 

Either way my recommendation would be try to renew the passport before the trip.  (you are going to need to do so pretty soon anyway) but if that is not possible, don’t sweat itt. 

Thank you for your words.

 

We are a bit too close to departure to renew his passport, but I believe that we will be just fine, specially since passports aren’t technically required for this cruise

 

Last year we took an international vacation by airplane, and my wife’s passport only had 4 months left on her passport. But we checked with the airline before booking it and the requirement for our destination was “valid on the date of travel”, so we were able to travel without issues. 

[Tapi]

8 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

 Is that a 'valid' passport?

That’s the big question without a simple  “yes/no” answer. 😂

 

If this cruise didn’t allow traveling just with a birth certificate, I’d be sweating a few bullets. But I’ll bring his passport along with his birth certificate as a backup.  

 

[Alberta Quilter]

I hope it works out for you!  Hopefully, we'll meet you onboard.

[Roxymax]

13 hours ago, Homosassa said:

Tapi, you need to check your ports of call.

 

Martinique requires all cruisers to have a passport, as does Costa Rica and ports in Colombia.

 

I don't know if there is a six month requirement for those ports and if other ports have passport requirements.

 

Of course, there is always the problem of needing to fly home from a foreign port and the requirement of that country to enter and leave the country.

Good to know! Going to two of those ports leaving in 11 days.  I heard they are scanning all passports to see if traveled to area of concern for Corona Virus.  I was wondering what happens if just using birth certificate.  We have passports and used them to check in online.

[Tapi]

Greetings from Grand Turk! Just a heads up. Worrying about a passport having less than 6 months left on this closed loop itinerary was absolutely unnecessary. HAL didn’t care one bit. They said that as long as the passport is valid for the duration of the cruise (meaning not expired), it’s a completely acceptable proof of citizenship. Check in went without a hitch. 

 

Having a wonderful time on the Niew Statendam! I’ll write a bit mor when we get back, but it’s been fantastic! Loving HAL’s Pinnacle class!

[hal2008]

 

Tapi,

 

This is lesson for all of us.

 

CC is great help but sometime you also get misdirection. (unintended)

 

Passport requirements are often misreported on many websites

 

a) At time of applying visa if you need one (6 months is pretty much standard)

b) At the time of entry into country (which can be very different. Many countries like UK and India need only valid passpor through your stay)

c) Closed loop cruise out of USA are special case any way - it is treated as if you never left usa - but must double check requirements of ports you are visiting (also take into consideration emerency case when you have to fly home)

You really need only proof of US citizenship and state photo id (you can cruise without passport)

d) Whatever the cruise line itself require (again recomendation is different from the requirement)

 

Highly recommend renewing passport with 7 months remaining on the passport

 

All of the above is based on first hand experience having travelled to 8 countries in Asia/Europe as well as a closed loop cruise - all with less than 1 to 2.5  months remaining on passport

(no actual issues but lot of hassels at airports)

 

 

Edited February 19, 2020 by hal2008

[LocoLoco1]

What's the EXPIRATION date? If yer not waylaid with a broken leg or a Virus quarantine on a 'No-name Island you'll be A-OK.