Passport vs Driving License

[axd]

We are scheduled to take a round trip cruise from San Francisco to Hawaii. Is driving license good enough, or definitely passport needed?

Thanks in advance 

[rbelshaw]

You will be stopping in a foreign port, probably Ensenada, What you need is a drivers license and a certified copy of your birth certificate, assuming you were born in the USA.

[cr8tiv1]

Please keep in mind that those checking you in ARE NOT Princess employees.  What Princess allows (drivers license AND certified birth certificate may not be what the Port Agents want/know.  
 

Very important…you have to be born in the US with a US certified birth certificate.

Edited May 20 by cr8tiv1

[Kay S]

Get the passport.  It will be worth it.

[kiwimum]

9 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Please keep in mind that those checking you in ARE NOT Princess employees.  What Princess allows (drivers license AND certified birth certificate may not be what the Port Agents want/know.  
 

Very important…you have to be born in the US with a US certified birth certificate.

Our children have cruised with a US Certificate of Birth Abroad with absolutely no issues to Alaska and Hawaii and Mexico.

 

 

 

Edited May 20 by kiwimum

[PR-Texas]

Not having a passport can be a real problem if you are injured in Ensenada and can't get back on the ship.  Get the passport.  Much easier to travel with it unless ALL your travel is within the US on US flagged ships such as MCL Pride of America

[cr8tiv1]

19 minutes ago, kiwimum said:

Our children have cruised with a US Certificate of Birth Abroad with absolutely no issues to Alaska and Hawaii and Mexico.

Have you tried “just” a birth certificate as an adult?  
 

I know Hawaii is pushing hard to remind everyone that they need to get a Real ID before May 2025 to get off the island.  (In case of an emergency and need to fly out of Hawaii.)

 

While I was searching, I ran across another article that states that a Hawaii Driver’s License isn’t valid in Florida.  Something about their new immigration law.  (In case you are cruising out of Florida.)
 

Yes, I am a supporter of getting a passport.  My grandkids just got theirs.

[IndyKid]

I will second those that have recommended getting a passport. It will save you a lot of grief if you have to disembark at a foreign port due to an emergency.

[DallasGuy75219]

3 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

While I was searching, I ran across another article that states that a Hawaii Driver’s License isn’t valid in Florida.  Something about their new immigration law.  (In case you are cruising out of Florida.)

"My cousin's barber's brother said they saw on Facebook that...."

 

Please don't post misinformation if you dont know what you're talking about.

 

This was a specific type of Hawaii driver license (not all Hawaii licenses), and Florida dropped the restriction in 2023.

 

https://www.flhsmv.gov/driver-licenses-id-cards/visiting-florida-faqs/sb1718/

[DallasGuy75219]

4 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

What Princess allows (drivers license AND certified birth certificate may not be what the Port Agents want/know. 

The port agents are more than familiar with people cruising with birth certificates and photo IDs. They're considered acceptable identification for closed loop cruises out of the US, which represent probably 98% of Princess cruises out of the US.

 

Where port agents may become confused is for round-trip US cruises that go to non-WHTI countries that require passports (like partial Panama Canal transits) and with people with non-standard citizenship or residency status (like permanent residents).  But if people weren't born in the US and are here legally, they should have a Consular Report of Birth Abroad or a Certificate of Naturalization (both substitute for a birth certificate) or a passport already. Their documentation issues with port agents usually relate to not having the right visas or other additional documentation (like green cards fir permanent residents).

 

For 98% of US citizens on Princess cruises out of the US, the only concern with not cruising with a birth certificate is having to fly back from a foreign country in an emergency. And even that is not insurmountable; it will just take additional time and effort with the nearest US embassy or consulate to get temporary travel documents. 

[Cruise Raider]

My DH and I have traveled from San Francisco on a closed loop cruise in the past and it requires a certified copy of your birth certificate and a government issued photo ID.  It was a piece of cake.  We easily took the slight risk for a cruise where the only foreign port is Ensenada and would also do so for the only foreign port being Victoria or Vancouver, where you can easily get back into the US by land or sea in case of an emergency.  If the stop is in Mazatlan or south, I wouldn’t risk going without a passport.  But for Hawaii, your only foreign port is Ensenada, which would be an acceptable risk, in my opinion, to use your certified birth certificate and driver license.  

[latebloomer56]

Get the passport if possible. Told sons to get this done now because they need this to fly or the real ID license. Passport lasts longer and as far as Massachusetts renewal of your license renewal of the passport is a little cheaper.

[skynight]

You should get a passport. It is the best way to go.

You can travel with a driver's license and an original birth certificate, the one with the embossed seal, under the WHTI requirements. See site below. Note that the DL has to meet certain requirements.

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/western-hemisphere-travel-initiative

[JamieLogical]

I agree with what everyone else is saying. While only a certified birth certificate and government-issued ID are required for closed-loop cruises out of the US, a passport provides the security and peace of mind of being able to get home to the US if you are disembarked in a foreign port. It's not only the risk of getting hurt in the foreign port... if you are injured or ill *on the ship*, they may medically disembark you at the next port stop.

[Potstech]

The Travel gold standard is the Passport. The heart ache of getting refused at the port is not enjoyable. If you have one you do not have to worry at all.

[Cruise Raider]

8 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Please keep in mind that those checking you in ARE NOT Princess employees.  What Princess allows (drivers license AND certified birth certificate may not be what the Port Agents want/know.  
 

Very important…you have to be born in the US with a US certified birth certificate.

The port agents definitely know about the documentation requirements, as do the CBP agents.  The customer service reps on the phone or chat line at Princess are less informed.  
There is an area in the app to enter this info so, when they scan your medallion at the terminal for check in, they are just looking for a match to the documentation you’re using.  For cruises where you need a passport, it won’t allow you to complete your pre-cruise check in on the app if there is no passport number in your app.  
 

For the OP:  definitely check out the pre-cruise FAQ’s on the Princess website.  It lists all your documentation requirements and many other helpful pearls of info.  
 

[kiwimum]

20 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Have you tried “just” a birth certificate as an adult?  
 

I know Hawaii is pushing hard to remind everyone that they need to get a Real ID before May 2025 to get off the island.  (In case of an emergency and need to fly out of Hawaii.)

 

While I was searching, I ran across another article that states that a Hawaii Driver’s License isn’t valid in Florida.  Something about their new immigration law.  (In case you are cruising out of Florida.)
 

Yes, I am a supporter of getting a passport.  My grandkids just got theirs.

Our children are adults.

[DCThunder]

There is no downside to having a valid passport.  The scare stories of last summer about how long the processing of the application takes are long gone, so just get the passport.

 

 

[wcook]

9 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

While I was searching, I ran across another article that states that a Hawaii Driver’s License isn’t valid in Florida.  Something about their new immigration law.  (In case you are cruising out of Florida.)

Too many people were using this id

 

[Jnsplace1]

With RealID now live, I've been using my Passport to fly until renewal.   It's worth it.

[wcook]

12 minutes ago, DCThunder said:

There is no downside to having a valid passport. 

Other than the time and cost. Which for a family can be pricy if this is there only intended foreign travel. And let’s be realistic, the risk is very low. 

[DallasGuy75219]

11 minutes ago, Jnsplace1 said:

With RealID now live, I've been using my Passport to fly until renewal.   It's worth it.

REAL IDs aren't required for air travel until May 7, 2025.

[cr8tiv1]

59 minutes ago, kiwimum said:

Our children are adults.

Did your adult children use a certified birth certificate only? Or was it backed up with a driver’s license too?  
 

If both, then I am glad it works. 
 

I still stand by my comfort zone to have a Passport.

 

[Teechur]

I am currently getting passports for my 3 adult grandsons even though we will be on a closed loop from Seattle to Alaska and back. We have one 4-hour stop in Victoria, for which no passport is necessary, but I am reluctantly going to spend $600+ to get them for possible future travel.

Sucks! 🤑

[memoak]

6 hours ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

The port agents are more than familiar with people cruising with birth certificates and photo IDs. They're considered acceptable identification for closed loop cruises out of the US, which represent probably 98% of Princess cruises out of the US.

 

Where port agents may become confused is for round-trip US cruises that go to non-WHTI countries that require passports (like partial Panama Canal transits) and with people with non-standard citizenship or residency status (like permanent residents).  But if people weren't born in the US and are here legally, they should have a Consular Report of Birth Abroad or a Certificate of Naturalization (both substitute for a birth certificate) or a passport already. Their documentation issues with port agents usually relate to not having the right visas or other additional documentation (like green cards fir permanent residents).

 

For 98% of US citizens on Princess cruises out of the US, the only concern with not cruising with a birth certificate is having to fly back from a foreign country in an emergency. And even that is not insurmountable; it will just take additional time and effort with the nearest US embassy or consulate to get temporary travel documents. 

I have to question the 98%   Almost every cruise I take is not a closed loop cruise or go to countries that do require a passport. For those people who just take closed loop cruises that is ok but for all of us who do one way cruises such as  Panama Canal a passport is required