Galveston cruise, 2 stops in Mexico: passport required or recommended?

[Kellie in Texas]

Looking at a cruise beginning and ending in Galveston (Adventure of the Seas) in early 2023.  Ports are Costa Maya and Cozumel. One person does not have a passport. Can she go on the cruise with a certified birth certificate and official ID (driver's license)?  I know it's recommended to always have a passport, but is it required?  Personally I'll encourage her to get one and she's got time, but I just wanted to clarify whether it's required.  I think the answer is no, it's not required.  

[S.A.M.J.R.]

1 minute ago, Kellie in Texas said:

Looking at a cruise beginning and ending in Galveston (Adventure of the Seas) in early 2023.  Ports are Costa Maya and Cozumel. One person does not have a passport. Can she go on the cruise with a certified birth certificate and official ID (driver's license)?  I know it's recommended to always have a passport, but is it required?  Personally I'll encourage her to get one and she's got time, but I just wanted to clarify whether it's required.  I think the answer is no, it's not required.  

I'm pretty sure it's not.  But know if she does use the BC & DL, if the names don't match, she'll need paperwork showing the transition. 

[OCSC Mike]

Just now, Kellie in Texas said:

Looking at a cruise beginning and ending in Galveston (Adventure of the Seas) in early 2023.  Ports are Costa Maya and Cozumel. One person does not have a passport. Can she go on the cruise with a certified birth certificate and official ID (driver's license)?  I know it's recommended to always have a passport, but is it required?  Personally I'll encourage her to get one and she's got time, but I just wanted to clarify whether it's required.  I think the answer is no, it's not required.  

 

You have it right, better to have one but not required as it is a closed loop US cruise (i.e. leaves from and returns to the US).

[S.A.M.J.R.]

2 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

You have it right, better to have one but not required as it is a closed loop US cruise (i.e. leaves from and returns to the US).

Picking nits, but a "closed loop cruise" means it leaves from and returns to the same US port, not just the US. 

[OCSC Mike]

20 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

Picking nits, but a "closed loop cruise" means it leaves from and returns to the same US port, not just the US. 

 

Pick away. You are of course correct.

[GJustice]

AND, in the event you have to come home on transportation OTHER than the ship, you likely will have a difficult time getting home, unless you walk across our porous Tex/Mex border.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

11 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

Pick away. You are of course correct.

I figured that's what you meant, didn't want others to be confused.

 

[Lane Hog]

Still not required.  

[c-leg5]

25 minutes ago, Lane Hog said:

Still not required.  

For whst?

[FamilyCruiserUK]

Now being british i dont really understand american passport laws, but i thought if you went to any different country you would need a passport? I know you dont have to show it everytime you go on and off the ship but still its a different country. 

 

I rememeber a Caribbean cruise where when we stopped at st Thomas non US passengers had to get up early to get passport checked by US Customs. It was a round trip from Barbados. Sure that was ST Thomas. 

[sjb317]

I had to use my birth certificate and DL  in early May as my passport was in the process of being renewed.  I assumed it would slow down checkin but found it did not.  I took our wedding license as a “bridging” document and no one asked to see any such document.  
 

I also thought it would be a slower process getting off the ship but that, too, turned out to be easy.  My husband went through the passport line to do the facial recognition, I had to present my docs to a real agent, there was no line.  The agent seemed really bored and barely looked at my docs and I was done before my husband.😂

 

Sherri🙂
 

 

[Biker19]

4 hours ago, FamilyCruiserUK said:

Now being british i dont really understand american passport laws, but i thought if you went to any different country you would need a passport?

For closed loop cruises out of the US, there's a bit of leeway to sail without one.

[matj2000]

17 hours ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

I'm pretty sure it's not.  But know if she does use the BC & DL, if the names don't match, she'll need paperwork showing the transition. 

Not true.  

 

They do not need all that paperwork.

[rudeney]

 

40 minutes ago, matj2000 said:

18 hours ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

I'm pretty sure it's not.  But know if she does use the BC & DL, if the names don't match, she'll need paperwork showing the transition. 

Not true.  

 

They do not need all that paperwork.

 

A person with a name change where the BC does not match the DL might not be able to board unless proof of the name change can be shown.  It  may not be an issue, or the port employees might make a bid deal out of it - it's a crapshoot chance I would not want to take. 

 

On our first cruise (DCL), my wife did not have a passport and used her BC & DL, and of course her name was different.  Her DL only had her middle initial (which was the same first letter as her maiden name on the BC).  The first port employee told us she would not be able to board.  After two supervisors, they finally give us permission to sail.  They clearly stated that next time, she needed to bring a marriage certificate, and if there were any previous marriages, then those certificates and divorce decrees. 

 

Granted, this was nearly 20 years ago so maybe things have changed, but all of this hoop-jumping and anxiety can be eliminated by spending an hour at the post office and $130 once every 10 years for a valid passport.  

[Lane Hog]

16 hours ago, c-leg5 said:

For whst?

Read the question from the OP, which was "is it required or recommended"...

 

[DCPIV]

On 7/13/2022 at 2:41 PM, Kellie in Texas said:

Looking at a cruise beginning and ending in Galveston (Adventure of the Seas) in early 2023.  Ports are Costa Maya and Cozumel. One person does not have a passport. Can she go on the cruise with a certified birth certificate and official ID (driver's license)?  I know it's recommended to always have a passport, but is it required?  Personally I'll encourage her to get one and she's got time, but I just wanted to clarify whether it's required.  I think the answer is no, it's not required.  

 

Indeed, lean on her to get it done.  She has plenty of time, and it's very little trouble, but you know that.

 

It's very recommended.  It's much more difficult to lose, and it's virtually impossible to accidentally destroy.  If you do happen to lose it while outside the country, it can be replaced via a consulate (that ain't gonna happen with a birth certificate).  Again, I imagine I'm telling you what you already know.

 

Happy cruising!