Is a passport required

[csoud68]

To cruise with carnival or just recommended..

 

I have one but my friend doesnt..we are just going to Bahamas and back from Norfolk

 

 

[sparks1093]

It's only recommended for US citizens, your friend can use a birth certificate (if born in the US) and a government issued photo ID. There is a small risk involved if one has to return early from the cruise and there would be a delay while the authorities and cruise line sorted everything out, so your friend needs to decide if the risk is low enough for him or her to tolerate.

Edited May 20, 2022 by sparks1093

[fuddrules]

Read this (don't let anyone tell you different)

 

https://www.carnival.com/awaywego/cruising-fun/how-to-plan/places-to-cruise-without-a-passport

[Guest BasicSailor]

BC's are fine.

[BallFour4]

Short answer = No.

 

Long answer = if you plan to do any international travel in the next decade or cruise a few times it remains a good idea. 

There will be at least ten posts about "if you get injured or something happens you can't get home" and those are not true.

Sure, some exceptions take a while, but we have personal experience with two couples that had a death in their immediate family while cruising with us and both were escorted from the ship in Cozumel and taken to the airport for a flight back home. It's not always that easy, but I still have a passport.

 

.

[tiffy0728]

once May 2023 come all passengers will need a passport or Real/Enhance ID

[dallasdan]

Real ID being extended to May 2023 doesn't apply to cruises.  Where does say closed loop cruises will need passports in May 2023?

[willyt25]

1 hour ago, tiffy0728 said:

once May 2023 come all passengers will need a passport or Real/Enhance ID

Just to make sure everyone knows there is a difference between a Real ID and Enhanced ID.  Gold Star equals Real ID and allows you to board domestic flights, enter some federal buildings and Military Bases.  If you do not have a passport (or passport card) you will still need a birth certificate to cruise with a Real ID (Gold Star).  Every state offers a real ID.  These do not prove citizenship.

 

The Enhanced Driver's Licence Has a hologram American Flag on it and is only offered by Five States (New York, Vermont, Washington State, Michigan, and Minnesota) for an additional.  These are designed to speed land and sea border crossings and prove identity and citizenship.  They are a combination of a Real ID Driver's Licence and a United States Passport CARD (not book).  They only allow travel on domestic flights and across land a sea borders.  They will not work for international flights. 

 

If you are on a Closed Loop Cruise (Departing and Returning to the same US Port) a real ID and Birth Certificate are all you need an enhanced driver's license (From one of the five listed States) or US Passport Card are also sufficient.  If an emergency should happen and you are traveling with only the above ID's additional steps will be needed to leave a cruise early for an emergency.  The cruise line will most likely assist.  As always, barring any unseen needs for Visa's, an US Passport Book is also allowed and acts as a fail safe against any possible travel issues.  

 

The one exception to cruising on a closed loop cruise without a passport from the United States that I am aware of is if the cruise visits some French Caribbean islands (Such as Guadeloupe or Martinique).  These require a US passport because of how flight to and from France are handled as domestic and do not clear customs upon arrival to France.  

[tiffy0728]

58 minutes ago, dallasdan said:

Real ID being extended to May 2023 doesn't apply to cruises.  Where does say closed loop cruises will need passports in May 2023?

Didn't mean to add passport to that . Just real/enhanced

[tiffy0728]

2 hours ago, tiffy0728 said:

once May 2023 come all passengers will need a Real/Enhance ID

 

[tiffy0728]

56 minutes ago, willyt25 said:

Just to make sure everyone knows there is a difference between a Real ID and Enhanced ID.  Gold Star equals Real ID and allows you to board domestic flights, enter some federal buildings and Military Bases.  If you do not have a passport (or passport card) you will still need a birth certificate to cruise with a Real ID (Gold Star).  Every state offers a real ID.  These do not prove citizenship.

 

The Enhanced Driver's Licence Has a hologram American Flag on it and is only offered by Five States (New York, Vermont, Washington State, Michigan, and Minnesota) for an additional.  These are designed to speed land and sea border crossings and prove identity and citizenship.  They are a combination of a Real ID Driver's Licence and a United States Passport CARD (not book).  They only allow travel on domestic flights and across land a sea borders.  They will not work for international flights. 

 

If you are on a Closed Loop Cruise (Departing and Returning to the same US Port) a real ID and Birth Certificate are all you need an enhanced driver's license (From one of the five listed States) or US Passport Card are also sufficient.  If an emergency should happen and you are traveling with only the above ID's additional steps will be needed to leave a cruise early for an emergency.  The cruise line will most likely assist.  As always, barring any unseen needs for Visa's, an US Passport Book is also allowed and acts as a fail safe against any possible travel issues.  

 

The one exception to cruising on a closed loop cruise without a passport from the United States that I am aware of is if the cruise visits some French Caribbean islands (Such as Guadeloupe or Martinique).  These require a US passport because of how flight to and from France are handled as domestic and do not clear customs upon arrival to France.  

Thank you because I didn't know the difference

[tiffy0728]

58 minutes ago, willyt25 said:

Just to make sure everyone knows there is a difference between a Real ID and Enhanced ID.  Gold Star equals Real ID and allows you to board domestic flights, enter some federal buildings and Military Bases.  If you do not have a passport (or passport card) you will still need a birth certificate to cruise with a Real ID (Gold Star).  Every state offers a real ID.  These do not prove citizenship.

 

The Enhanced Driver's Licence Has a hologram American Flag on it and is only offered by Five States (New York, Vermont, Washington State, Michigan, and Minnesota) for an additional.  These are designed to speed land and sea border crossings and prove identity and citizenship.  They are a combination of a Real ID Driver's Licence and a United States Passport CARD (not book).  They only allow travel on domestic flights and across land a sea borders.  They will not work for international flights. 

 

If you are on a Closed Loop Cruise (Departing and Returning to the same US Port) a real ID and Birth Certificate are all you need an enhanced driver's license (From one of the five listed States) or US Passport Card are also sufficient.  If an emergency should happen and you are traveling with only the above ID's additional steps will be needed to leave a cruise early for an emergency.  The cruise line will most likely assist.  As always, barring any unseen needs for Visa's, an US Passport Book is also allowed and acts as a fail safe against any possible travel issues.  

 

The one exception to cruising on a closed loop cruise without a passport from the United States that I am aware of is if the cruise visits some French Caribbean islands (Such as Guadeloupe or Martinique).  These require a US passport because of how flight to and from France are handled as domestic and do not clear customs upon arrival to France.  

Which one is better Real or Enhanced? I live in NY so I can get either

[Ferry_Watcher]

As someone who has checked in cruise passengers, I generally agree with the above post #8

 

One thing I would caution people about is misinterpreting any icon on their driver's Licenses (flags, star, trees, etc).  Each of our 50 sates have very different DL formats, and some icons may mean something, others not so much.  I can tell you that I have listened politely to passengers as I waited for my supervisor to arrive, who sincerely believe that their state's driver's license (on its own) that has a flag, star, tree or whatever is sufficient to get them on board.  Sadly, these passengers also do not have their passport or BC with them.   These passengers are then escorted to a special waiting area and are asked if they can get a copy of their US (gov't issued) birth certificated photographed and emailed to the pier.

 

FYI, Enhanced Driver's Licenses (available only from MI, MN, NY, VT & WA) are clearly printed with the words: Enhanced Driver's License.  As check-in agents, that is what we look for.

 

Best travel document is a passport, but if you don't have that, please make sure the documents that you are presenting meets the minimum closed loop travel requirements.

 

 

[Ferry_Watcher]

5 minutes ago, tiffy0728 said:

Which one is better Real or Enhanced? I live in NY so I can get either

Enhanced DL

[Moviela]

My spies (family members) inside the State Department tell me that enhanced Tribal ID is equal to a US passport and valid at all air and sea ports. 

[Ferry_Watcher]

1 hour ago, Moviela said:

My spies (family members) inside the State Department tell me that enhanced Tribal ID is equal to a US passport and valid at all air and sea ports. 

Yes, a Tribal ID card is a recognized form of accepted travel ID for a closed loop cruise.  It is rare to have a passenger present that as ID.  As someone who has checked in cruise ship passengers, I have only seen one Tribal ID Card.

[ontheweb]

3 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

Yes, a Tribal ID card is a recognized form of accepted travel ID for a closed loop cruise.  It is rare to have a passenger present that as ID.  As someone who has checked in cruise ship passengers, I have only seen one Tribal ID Card.

Did you have to call in a supervisor for the Tribal ID card, or did you immediately realize both what it was and that it was acceptable proof?

[Ferry_Watcher]

14 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Did you have to call in a supervisor for the Tribal ID card, or did you immediately realize both what it was and that it was acceptable proof?

Due to the training that we receive I knew theoretically that it was acceptable, but it is always better to have someone else look at it.  As I mentioned, it is rare to have a Tribal ID card presented, and it was the first one many of us had ever seen.  It used as kind of a teachable moment for us.

Another teachable moment was last season (2020) when we saw the first redesigned US passport with the hard plastic photo page.

[Ilovesailaway]

I would never travel outside the US without a passport and credit card. And regardless of what announcements I hear when we arrive in port I won't leave the ship without them either.

I know that the passport is not required for a lot of the cruises I take but can you imagine missing the ship in a foreign country and not having a passport and credit card?

no thanks

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

Due to the training that we receive I knew theoretically that it was acceptable, but it is always better to have someone else look at it.  As I mentioned, it is rare to have a Tribal ID card presented, and it was the first one many of us had ever seen.  It used as kind of a teachable moment for us.

Another teachable moment was last season (2020) when we saw the first redesigned US passport with the hard plastic photo page.

Thanks, that makes sense.