Passport for Alaska

[cocacola]

I am going on a carnival alaska cruise that leaves out of Seattle in July with a stop in Victoria Canada, my passport expires in September, do i need a passport that has 6 months before expires or am I good with what I have.  I keep getting different answers.

[Matco]

I wouldn't chance it, you still have enough time to renew it so why wait

[sparks1093]

It is only a recommendation, not a requirement, for most cruises. If you think about it requiring it on this itinerary would be silly since there will be people on board with something other than a passport (I am presuming, of course, that this is a closed loop cruise).

[hapytobehr]

From Carnival's site:

Carnival highly recommends that all guests travel with a passport valid for at least six months beyond completion of travel. This will enhance the debarkation experience as delays may be expected upon return to the United States for those without one. Additionally, this will enable guests to fly from the United States to meet their ship at a foreign port should they miss their scheduled port of embarkation and allow guests who must disembark the ship before their cruise ends due to an emergency to fly back to the United States without significant delays and complications.

 

However, I do not know if a passport is even required for the Alaskan cruise since you leave from US and return to US.

[Oceansaway17]

9 minutes ago, hapytobehr said:

From Carnival's site:

Carnival highly recommends that all guests travel with a passport valid for at least six months beyond completion of travel. This will enhance the debarkation experience as delays may be expected upon return to the United States for those without one. Additionally, this will enable guests to fly from the United States to meet their ship at a foreign port should they miss their scheduled port of embarkation and allow guests who must disembark the ship before their cruise ends due to an emergency to fly back to the United States without significant delays and complications.

 

YES take the recommendation of the cruise line and have a passport.   

[GaHawkeye]

You will need a passport if doing one of train or bus excursions in Skagway that go into Canada. There are some train excursions that do not cross into Canada, therefore no passport required. 
 

Hank

[sparks1093]

57 minutes ago, Oceansaway17 said:

YES take the recommendation of the cruise line and have a passport.   

They have a passport and it is valid for the cruise. The issue is having 6 months remaining which is not necessary. If the US tacked on unused time onto the newly issued passport then I might feel different, but since they don't do that I wouldn't renew my passport before I was actually required to, even if that meant letting it expire. Of course that is just the way that I look at it and everyone will have to determine for themselves what they would do.

[Woody14]

1 hour ago, GaHawkeye said:

You will need a passport if doing one of train or bus excursions in Skagway that go into Canada.

Has this changed?  We did this several years ago and did not require a passport

[letstrythisplace]

As long as it's valid for the time you'll be in another country it should be fine that you have less than 6 months remaining on your passport. However, I can only speak from experience when flying to another country with less than 6 months left on a passport and didn't have issues.

 

The quote above is still just a recommendation and not a requirement, and the chances of you getting stuck in Victoria pass the expiration date of your passport is very low.

[GaHawkeye]

1 hour ago, Woody14 said:

Has this changed?  We did this several years ago and did not require a passport

This was in June 2019. 

[sparks1093]

1 hour ago, Woody14 said:

Has this changed?  We did this several years ago and did not require a passport

It is my understanding that there are two excursions, one goes all the way into Canada and that one requires a passport for the land border crossing. The other only goes part way and does not require one. That's what I've discerned from the boards over the years, so it could be wrong.

[Ferry_Watcher]

As someone who has check-in cruise passengers, as long as your passport is still valid at the end of your closed loop Alaska cruise (Seattle-Seattle), you will be fine.  The check-in programs that are used will only alert if the passport is expired.  The check-in agent will probably notice your expiration date and offer a friendly reminder to get your passport renewed,  As for Victoria, BC, you will not have to show your passport getting off during your port-of-call visit.  Just have your SeaPass card and photo ID (DL).

 

I do know that some of the Yukon train excursions have a passport requirement (it is plainly stated on the excursion booking site).  Whether the Canadians will care that your passport expires 2 plus months after your cruise, I can't speak to that.

 

If you are still a little worried about your passport expiration date, then I would bring along your gov't issued US birth certificate as your back-up ID.  But, honestly, I wouldn't worry.

[Lane Hog]

The "six months of validity" issue is for people flying into a country, not day tourists from a ship... Those countries are worried about people staying beyond the expiration of their passport.
 

If you're boarding in the US or Canada, get the passport renewed after your cruise.  You stand a bigger chance of having the renewal take too long (and be passport-less) than you do being denied entry or boarding on the cruise.

[knagl]

1 hour ago, Lane Hog said:

The "six months of validity" issue is for people flying into a country, not day tourists from a ship...

 

If that's the case, why does Carnival cruise line specifically mention it, as quoted by "hapytobehr" earlier in the thread?

 

6 hours ago, hapytobehr said:

From Carnival's site:

Carnival highly recommends that all guests travel with a passport valid for at least six months beyond completion of travel.

 

To the OP: if your cruise was stopping anywhere besides Canada I think I'd be a little more concerned about your passport issue.  With it being Canada and with you being on a closed-loop cruise that technically doesn't even require a passport, I don't think you have much to worry about.

 

If it helps you to rest easier about this, this page from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website contains a link to the U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual and Handbook which mentions that Canada, among other countries, has an agreement with the U.S. to extend the validity of U.S. passports for six months beyond the expiration date (9 FAM 403.9-3(B)(2)(U)(f)). Per that document, you'd actually be okay with a recently expired passport, not that I would recommend doing that. Your unexpired passport should be fine for this trip.

Edited March 31, 2022 by knagl

[Lane Hog]

8 minutes ago, knagl said:

 

If that's the case, why does Carnival cruise line specifically mention it, as quoted by "hapytobehr" earlier in the thread?

 

Probably because Carnival's lawyers love a good disclaimer as much as anyone else, and maybe due to the fact Carnival sails from more than just the US and Canada? 

That recommendation statement is in the generic Travel Document FAQ which isn't itinerary specific.  

If you fly into Spain, Portugal, Italy, Australia, UK, etc. the short validity on arrival might draw attention that's easily explainable for most people (e.g. with a return air ticket or cruise documents). 

If you're flying to one of these countries you'll need the six month validity to enter.  I don't think Carnival is currently sailing from any of these.  They will be sailing from China eventually, and that's one of those requiring the six months.

[sparks1093]

11 hours ago, knagl said:

 

If that's the case, why does Carnival cruise line specifically mention it, as quoted by "hapytobehr" earlier in the thread?

 

 

To the OP: if your cruise was stopping anywhere besides Canada I think I'd be a little more concerned about your passport issue.  With it being Canada and with you being on a closed-loop cruise that technically doesn't even require a passport, I don't think you have much to worry about.

 

If it helps you to rest easier about this, this page from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website contains a link to the U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual and Handbook which mentions that Canada, among other countries, has an agreement with the U.S. to extend the validity of U.S. passports for six months beyond the expiration date (9 FAM 403.9-3(B)(2)(U)(f)). Per that document, you'd actually be okay with a recently expired passport, not that I would recommend doing that. Your unexpired passport should be fine for this trip.

Some cruise itineraries do require one to have 6 months validity remaining, but none of them are in the  area covered by WHTI. St Petersburg comes immediately to mind. Canada is our neighbor and friend, they aren't going to hassle a US tourist on a cruise over an unexpired passport, regardless of how much time is left on it. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, if this is a closed loop cruise there will be many onboard who don't even have passports in the first place so arbitrarily enforcing a 6 month (which isn't enforced at the land border) would be silly indeed. I would not have any issues with cruising on any closed loop cruise with a passport set to expire 1 month after the cruise ends because it isn't a big deal at all. 

 

I read through the handbook that you provided a link to and I believe that the paragraph you cite only pertains to the passport of someone visiting the US and only pertains to their ability to return home with an expired passport. Some countries do afford reciprocity to US passport holders but Canada does not appear to be one of them. The handbook is dedicated to the issuance of non-immigrant visas (NIV) so likely doesn't contain any information that is useful to a US cruiser.

Edited April 1, 2022 by sparks1093

[Ferry_Watcher]

13 hours ago, knagl said:

If it helps you to rest easier about this, this page from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website contains a link to the U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual and Handbook which mentions that Canada, among other countries, has an agreement with the U.S. to extend the validity of U.S. passports for six months beyond the expiration date (9 FAM 403.9-3(B)(2)(U)(f)). Per that document, you'd actually be okay with a recently expired passport, not that I would recommend doing that. Your unexpired passport should be fine for this trip.

Edited 13 hours ago by knagl

I think that that exception would be for an emergency situation, not for everyday vacation travel.

 

Under this scenario, if you presented me with an expired passport (few months, or even a few days) for your Alaska cruise, the first question I would ask you is if you had your birth certificate with you.  Second question would be what state are you from in hopes that you may have an Enhanced Driver's License (MN, MI, NY, VT & WA).  If you had neither of these accepted alternate forms of travel ID for your closed loop cruise, a supervisor would become involved.  She would ask the same questions, then ask if there was someone at home who could get and send a copy of your gov't issued birth certificate to the office at the terminal.  

 

So, a just expired passport would not be accepted at the cruise terminal as your proof of citizenship.

[cocacola]

Thank you so much to all your answers. I think I am going with what I have and take along my MN enhanced drivers license and certified birth certificate.  We are not doing any shore excursion that goes into Canada and don’t even need to get off in Victoria.  My real problem might be making sure I have all the Covid things that might be needed 

[sparks1093]

44 minutes ago, cocacola said:

Thank you so much to all your answers. I think I am going with what I have and take along my MN enhanced drivers license and certified birth certificate.  We are not doing any shore excursion that goes into Canada and don’t even need to get off in Victoria.  My real problem might be making sure I have all the Covid things that might be needed 

That's the main reason that DW and I chose an EDL over a passport card, it is something we always have with us when we leave the house. I left our carryon bag at home on our last trip and it didn't have anything super important in it (other than my meds, but I made do) but had our passports been in it we still would have been able to board the cruise.

[Elaine5715]

The Six Month recommendation is also should you become injured during your cruise and remain behind pass your passport expiration 

[sparks1093]

4 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

The Six Month recommendation is also should you become injured during your cruise and remain behind pass your passport expiration 

Only in a roundabout way. Some countries have the requirement so visitors will be able to return home if something happens. Carnival recommends it because they visit some of those countries.

[Elaine5715]

3 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

Only in a roundabout way. Some countries have the requirement so visitors will be able to return home if something happens. Carnival recommends it because they visit some of those countries.

JH has stated the medical issue  as a reason it is recommended.  If the ship was going to a country that six months remaining on the passport was a requirement, then all guests would be required to have such a passport and not an alternative ID. 

[knagl]

15 hours ago, cocacola said:

I think I am going with what I have and take along my MN enhanced drivers license

 

Your EDL is valid for border crossing into Canada without a passport, so with that alone you'd be fine as far as being able to enter or exit Canada.

[sparks1093]

7 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

JH has stated the medical issue  as a reason it is recommended.  If the ship was going to a country that six months remaining on the passport was a requirement, then all guests would be required to have such a passport and not an alternative ID. 

Which came first, the chicken or the egg. At the end of the day it is only a recommendation and passengers may choose to follow it or not as their individual situation dictates.