Passports

[Nancy53]

If someone is going on a cruise and are leaving from Tampa, Florida and returning to Tampa, Fl. at the end of August, do they to have a passport.

I have seen conflicting stories about this and thought as of June 1, 2009 everyone need a passport. Loophole cruises seem to be the only exception. Is anyone really clear on this. The cruise is going to Mexico, Belize, Grand Cayman and Routan.

All they have is a certified copy of their birth certificate. Is that enough or do they definitely need a passport. Help:confused:

[CruiseMark]

Here's what travel authority Arthur Frommer just posted today on his blog:

http://www.frommers.com/blog/?plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a3ec3ac40-db8a-4d10-a884-acf9ccad0879Post%3ac08d5c93-723b-4694-af71-e4d224089e26

 

You don't need one yet.

[cantstopcruising]

If someone is going on a cruise and are leaving from Tampa, Florida and returning to Tampa, Fl. at the end of August, do they to have a passport.

I have seen conflicting stories about this and thought as of June 1, 2009 everyone need a passport. Loophole cruises seem to be the only exception. Is anyone really clear on this. The cruise is going to Mexico, Belize, Grand Cayman and Routan.

All they have is a certified copy of their birth certificate. Is that enough or do they definitely need a passport. Help:confused:

As long as you are returning to the same port a birth certificate will do but you should check with the cruise line. Also keep in mind if something should happen and you need to return from one of the ports that may be a problem.

[paul929207]

You do not need a passport, as long as you have a certified copy of your birth certificate and a government issued photo ID.

[RickEk]

If someone is going on a cruise and are leaving from Tampa, Florida and returning to Tampa, Fl. at the end of August, do they to have a passport.

I have seen conflicting stories about this and thought as of June 1, 2009 everyone need a passport. Loophole cruises seem to be the only exception. Is anyone really clear on this. The cruise is going to Mexico, Belize, Grand Cayman and Routan.

All they have is a certified copy of their birth certificate. Is that enough or do they definitely need a passport. Help:confused:

 

Do check with the cruise line!! My understanding is that the country has to be a "contiguous territory" (ie. a country bordering the US) or an "adjacent island" in the Caribbean/Atlantic. See this webpage: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/inspections_carriers_facilities/closed_loop_faq.xml

 

Under these rules, Belize and Routan are not eligible for closed-loop status. Now, would it be possible to take the trip and just stay on the ship when in those ports? Dunno... again, check with the cruise line!

[leavitt1]

Am I correct in reading this to mean that the same would hold true for a Canada/New England cruise leaving out of NY or Boston? My mom is thinking about cruising, and she does not have a passport.

[RickEk]

Am I correct in reading this to mean that the same would hold true for a Canada/New England cruise leaving out of NY or Boston? My mom is thinking about cruising, and she does not have a passport.

 

Yes, no passport as long as the cruise begins and ends in the same US port... no New York to Quebec one way cruises without a passport!

[Colo Cruiser]

Why not get one anyway, its going to be needed eventualy?

[caribill]

Am I correct in reading this to mean that the same would hold true for a Canada/New England cruise leaving out of NY or Boston? My mom is thinking about cruising, and she does not have a passport.

 

As long as there is no emergency need to return from Canada by air or by land.

[Schplinky]

If you have an incident during your cruise (or someone dies back home and you need to return suddenly) and you need to return home, the lack of the passport will complicate this and add stress during what most would already consider a stressful situation. Getting a passport is a fairly straightforward thing to do and will cost you little compared to the aggravation of not having one. If you fall ill or have an accident during a cruise and cannot be cared for on the ship (i.e., too serious an ailment), you will wish you had one.

 

Not meaning to lecture but you may not have considered needing to return suddenly.

[Stevesan]

If someone is going on a cruise and are leaving from Tampa, Florida and returning to Tampa, Fl. at the end of August, do they to have a passport.

I have seen conflicting stories about this and thought as of June 1, 2009 everyone need a passport. Loophole cruises seem to be the only exception. Is anyone really clear on this. The cruise is going to Mexico, Belize, Grand Cayman and Routan.

All they have is a certified copy of their birth certificate. Is that enough or do they definitely need a passport. Help:confused:

 

Everything you ever wanted to know about passports, but were afraid to ask is right here:

 

http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

 

The best part is it's devoid of personal opinions and interpretations. :D

[cherylandtk]

Do check with the cruise line!! My understanding is that the country has to be a "contiguous territory" (ie. a country bordering the US) or an "adjacent island" in the Caribbean/Atlantic. See this webpage: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/inspections_carriers_facilities/closed_loop_faq.xml

 

Under these rules, Belize and Routan are not eligible for closed-loop status. Now, would it be possible to take the trip and just stay on the ship when in those ports? Dunno... again, check with the cruise line!

RickEk, this has been clarified, finally, by the cruise lines who went directly to DHS with the question. The link you provide is specifically a subsection of CBP processing for visa waiver foreign nationals returning to the US via cruise ship. It does not apply to US citizens. The entire 'adjacent and contiguous definition' is NOT part of the WHTI for US citizens.

 

It is my personal opinion that when this link and definition was first posted here on CC (by a user who googled 'closed loop' and simply landed on that CBP page not realizing it was a subsection of visa waiver foreign nationals), it became a hot topic and many cruisers started hounding Carnival with the question as Carnival has many of these ports in their itineraries. Carnival went to DHS, and has since posted the following clarification on their information pages.

 

Recent guidance received from the Department of Homeland Security indicates the documentary requirements under WHTI for “closed loop” cruises are not limited to cruises that travel only to contiguous territories or adjacent islands. This means U.S. citizens calling on ports in Honduras, Panama, Costa Rica and Belize will also be exempt from the passport requirement.

[Fabian52]

I am actually checking for my daughter who is booked on a caribbean cruise out of Tampa. Her husband doesn't have a passport yet so I called Carnival (who they are booked with) and told them the itinerary and they

do not need a passport yet for r/t Tampa going to Cozumel, Belize, Isla Roatan, & Grand Cayman.

They strongly suggest you get one but as of this time as long as it return to the same port in the U.S. you do not need a passport.

Hopefully he will get one soon. :p

[Colo Cruiser]

Once again, why take the chance?? :confused:

[Devil Dog]

What happens if you show up at the terminal and they tell you that you can not embark since you will be going to another country and you do not have a passport? I say by all means get the passport and then no worries. Our passports expire in June 2010 and we are getting them renewed because I had read somewhere that you can be denied travel if you passport is less than 6 months away from expiration. I don't know the specific reason but we will not take a chance for our Panama Canl trip in March. We will get updated passports. I think Keith and RickEk stated the same thing and I see they post frequent and Keith has over 40 cruises so I would get the passport for sure. I am just trying to encourage you so you don't have an awful experience of being denied embarkation.

[MacThespian]

Everything you ever wanted to know about passports, but were afraid to ask is right here:

 

http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

 

The best part is it's devoid of personal opinions and interpretations. :D

 

Exactly. No matter how knowledgeable the folks on Cruise Critic are, we are not the ones who make or interpret the laws. First check the State Department web site (as above), then call the cruise line (since the cruise line can have more stringent requirements for boarding than the ones followed by the State Department).

[Pam in CA]

They strongly suggest you get one but as of this time as long as it return to the same port in the U.S. you do not need a passport.

This is correct. The cruiselines strongly suggest a passport but the US Government doesn't require it. The reason cruiselines strongly recommend it is because they know that something can happen that would require a passenger to remain in port or have to fly back to the US, which presents considerable problems. Things happen all the time on cruise ships from broken ankles to death.

[caribill]

Our passports expire in June 2010 and we are getting them renewed because I had read somewhere that you can be denied travel if you passport is less than 6 months away from expiration. I don't know the specific reason but we will not take a chance for our Panama Canal trip in March.

 

Many countries require that a passport have 6 months left in its life before they will admit you into that country. Reason is they want to make sure you will not be in the country when the passport expires.

 

It is one rule fits all, so the fact that a cruise ship passenger will normally be out of the country in less than 24 hours does not alter the requirement.

[Mom33]

You can get passports quickly now. In 2007, there was a horrific wait for passports that ruined many a vacation. I almost didn't go on my Caribbean cruise because my passport was held up by an "old " birth certificate. I had to send them a new certified copy from the state I once lived in. I was afraid to cruise and have a problem that would make it necessary to fly home.

I went, but could only relax when my neighbor e-mailed me to let me know it finally arrived. At least if I had a problem, she would overnight it to me.

 

The crush is over and passports can be gotten in a couple weeks time. Whether or not you can sail with a birth certificate (make sure it is certified), there is no reason not to go ahead and get the passport. It is good for 10 years and gives great piece of mind. Cost should not be a consideration if you can afford to travel.

[Nancy53]

Good news my son-in-law applied for his passport last week so he should get it in the next couple of weeks.

Their cruise isn't leaving until the end of August so they should have plenty of time.

Yeah now I won't have to worry about that.:p

[TracieABD]

My son received his within three weeks of application. This was NOT expedited!:)

[Nancy53]

Good news my son-in-law got his passport in the mail on Saturday.

It didn't even take two weeks.

Yeah....;)

[FLACRUISER99]

What everyone is forgetting is that the rules can change at any time!!

[Colo Cruiser]

My son received his within three weeks of application. This was NOT expedited!:)

 

They are moving along well now I agree. ;)

[Mom33]

Good news my son-in-law got his passport in the mail on Saturday.

It didn't even take two weeks.

Yeah....;)

 

 

Great news!