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Sims, for her part, was able to easily get off the ship at ports like Nassau with just her Sail & Sign card, she said, which acts as both a room key and means of charging items to your onboard account. After showing her birth certificate and photo ID during the initial boarding process, she kept them in a suitcase. Regent Seven Seas Cruises, for example, requires passports for all voyages no matter the ports of call or countries visited, and destinations may call for them as well. Every voyage on a ship that’s not U.S. flagged, departing from and returning to a U.S. port must, according to maritime law, visit one foreign port of call. This is why you’ll find Alaska cruises stopping in Vancouver, or Western Caribbean cruises calling in at Cancun.
Accepted Identification for European Citizens
Any cruises where you need to fly to or from a foreign country, including Canada, will necessitate a passport. For instance, the document gives travelers who don't board their cruise in time more flexibility to meet the ship at its next stop. As a U.S. citizen, you can take advantage of the convenience of what’s called a closed-loop cruise—with no passport required.
The Caribbean
In the Eastern Caribbean, find dream destinations like Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic and Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos archipelago. In Amber Cove, you can tour the Dominican outback, soak up the sun on Coconut Cove Beach, or ride the Waterfalls of Rio de Damajagua. On Grand Turk, enjoy swimming with stingrays, riding horses along the coast, or touring the island by ATV. One of the closed itineraries growing in popularity in Europe is a cruise to Iceland. Departing and ending at Rotterdam, in The Netherlands, you’ll get to explore this true wonder of the world.
If a Cruise Starts and Ends in the United States but From Two Different Ports, is it a Closed-Loop Cruise?
If that’s the case, your cruise line might already require you to have a passport to board the ship—even if U.S. U.S. Customs and Border Protection defines a closed-loop cruise as one that both begins and ends at the same U.S. port. As long as these cruises return to the place they started, they can cruise to destinations such as islands and territories that are within proximity to the continental United States. These destinations often include Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean. Some of this market growth can be attributed to the cruise industry's commitment to customized sailing. Travelers have more options than ever when it comes to themed cruises designed to focus on health, adventure, or family fun.
Do You Need a Passport for a Bahamas Cruise? - NerdWallet
Do You Need a Passport for a Bahamas Cruise?.
Posted: Thu, 11 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
So, while a passport may not always be necessary for a cruise, it’s a good idea to carry one for maximum flexibility. If you're a U.S. citizen and don't have a passport, you actually have quite a few cruise options. Charge your champagne glass and raise a toast to Lady Liberty on this seven-night voyage from Cape Liberty, New Jersey to chic Bermuda and back. You’ll have three full days at sea on this itinerary to soak up the Pacific sunshine and enjoy Celebrity Millennium. You’ll enjoy a luxurious suite and dine in the beautiful, fine dining Luminae restaurant, exclusive to guests of this tranquil enclave. You’ll visit pretty Ketchikan, from where you could join a bear-spotting tour, try kayaking, join an expedition to fish for king crab, or just explore the colorful town.
However, if you don't have a passport, or don't wish to get one, you can still cruise — you're just limited to North American cruises sailing round trip from U.S. departure ports. If your cruise begins and ends in the same U.S. port -- for example, sailing roundtrip Miami to Miami -- then you are embarking on what is considered a closed loop cruise, according to the WHTI. If you begin your cruise in one U.S. port (e.g. San Diego) and end your cruise in a different U.S. port (say, Fort Lauderdale), it will not count as a closed loop.
What are some of the best closed-loop cruise itineraries?
That’s why we stress how imperative it is to read the detailed information below about identification requirements. Ships within this category must satisfy strict regulations to achieve closed-loop status. Once they do, it's a cruise option that can be a viable solution for those who aren't passport holders. Instead, it determines whether a person can travel from the U.S. through various means to their destination of choice. When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
If there is a passport requirement, each person in your party needs to have a passport, including infants and toddlers. All cruises throughout the world that sail in destinations outside the United States and that are not closed-loop cruises require a passport. A closed-loop cruise is a cruise that departs from and returns to the same U.S. port and remains in the Western Hemisphere.
Card Type
To qualify as closed-loop cruises, the places these itineraries can include must be contiguous territories of the United States. That includes Mexico and Canada, because both share land borders with the U.S., and several of the islands of the Caribbean. An Enhanced Driver's License (EDL) allows you to re-enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. However, an EDL is only accepted at land and sea border crossings, not for air travel. Imagine, for instance, that something goes awry, and you need to fly back to the United States from a foreign country for a medical emergency.
The absence of a passport could lead to significant issues and delays. Passport books should be valid for at least 3 months or 6 months after the end of the cruise, depending on the destination countries’ requirements. Disney Cruise Lines also suggests travelers carry a second government-issued photo ID while in port. Additionally, if an unforeseen situation arises where guests have to take a flight to or from the U.S. during their cruise, not possessing a valid passport book could result in substantial delays and challenges. Keep in mind that cruise passport requirements can change based on shore excursions, too.
We created this mega-resource not because we love getting a passport, but because we grew tired of standing in long lines at the passport agencies. We also want our users to focus on traveling the globe not loosing hair. The process of going on a cruise brings along with it a wide variety of different implications that many people don’t think about. When you go on a cruise, you are typically doing so through various types of international waters worldwide. As a result, the United States Customs and Border Patrol will treat the voyage the same way you would if you traveled internationally by plane, for example – and you will have to go through the same process. If neither of these two choices fits your short timeline, we recommend using a trusted professional passport expeditor to get your new passport in as few as 24 to 48 hours.
Trundle through the sugarcane fields on a scenic train journey, or hike Mount Liamuiga, a dormant volcano at the island’s center. Visit neighboring Nevis and see the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the U.S. Sail to the sun on Celebrity Apex, departing Fort Lauderdale, Florida for vibrant Puerto Rico, where an afternoon and evening in port mean you’ll see two faces of charismatic San Juan. Explore the chunky fortress, Castillo San Felipe del Morro, and the brightly colored streets of Old San Juan, or visit the Bacardi distillery to learn about and sample the famous rum. This cruise also visits the beach paradise of Cozumel, for all manner of watersports, shopping, and sizzling Mexican cuisine. From Ensenada, you could snorkel over underwater rock formations at Todos Santos island, or join a wine tasting tour to Calafia Valley, Mexico’s wine-growing region.
However, it is important to know that another proof of citizenship will be required instead. For closed-loop cruises (those starting and ending at the same U.S. port), U.S. citizens can enter the U.S. with a birth certificate and government-issued photo ID. However, a passport may still be needed to enter the countries visited during the cruise.
The spectacle of this vast river of ice meeting the sea is a highlight of the day. After a day at sea to enjoy the ship and its magnificent Resort Deck, you’ll arrive at Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico. A vast array of choices beckons here, like relaxed tubing at the freshwater Bacalar Lagoon, where you’ll drift over cenote-fed water that’s an astonishing shade of aquamarine. Additionally, without a U.S. passport, getting home or catching up with the trip could be challenging if you miss the ship in one of the ports. Rather, you’ll see terms like “return trip cruise” or “two-way cruises.” Check each itinerary very closely.
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