What travel documents are required to board?

Table Of Content

• What travel documents are required to board a Royal Caribbean cruise?
• What about the passport card?
• Accepted Identification for Canadian Citizens
• Accepted Identification for Other Nationalities
• Travel document requirements for sailings from Southampton, England
• Travel document requirements for sailings from Seward, Alaska
• Travel document requirements for sailings from Central & South American homeports
• Do You Need a Passport for Caribbean Cruises?

It was an amazing adventure, on the forrest portion we were climbing up a trail and all of a sudden we heard some screaming coming from the group about a tenth of a mile behind us. Come to find out once we got to the end someone in the group behind us slipped on the trail and went over the side of the trail and fell about 30 feet. Something that I guarantee you nobody in his group planned on!

What travel documents are required to board a Royal Caribbean cruise?

On closed-loop cruises, a birth certificate and government-issued photo ID are all that's required. However, while many cruise lines may not require passengers to bring their passports, plenty recommend it, as does the U.S. It can come in handy if you need an emergency medical evacuation or the ship has to schedule an emergency docking at a different port that's not on your itinerary. If you miss your ship at a port, you will need to find a way to catch up to the cruise or return home. This will be challenging if you don’t have your passport.

What about the passport card?

Yes, a passport is required for Royal Caribbean cruises departing from foreign ports. If you’re a citizen of the United States, you’ll also need a valid driver’s license or other government-issued photo identification to board the ship. A passport is necessary for Royal Caribbean cruises leaving from foreign ports.

Accepted Identification for Canadian Citizens

Be aware you can not fly internationally without a passport so if something happened mid-cruise and you needed to fly home, you couldn't. Everyone will need to present an accepted form of identification to board the ship. We strongly recommend that all guests present a passport as their form of ID on boarding day, and for some guests a passport is required. One of the most accessible tropical islands from the U.S. East Coast, Bermuda is a popular destination for closed loop cruises.

Otherwise, it may result in delay or possible denial of boarding. So, for example, you can board a cruise ship in Miami, Florida, stop at least one foreign port in places like Mexico, the Bahamas or the Caribbean, and return to the port of Miami afterwards. As a U.S. citizen, you will not need a valid passport to leave and re-enter the United States this way. These kinds of one-way cruises require all passengers to have a valid passport. Yes, Children do require passports for Royal Caribbean cruises departing from foreign ports. As mentioned before, children under 16 can present either an original, notarized, or certified copy of their birth certificate.

Travel document requirements for sailings from Southampton, England

Also, it is advisable to always travel with some form of identification. Passengers should also note that for some ports, you may require a passport to gain entrance. You must remain on the ship if you don’t have your passport. Therefore, always make sure to know whether you need your passport or not before going on your cruise.

Additionally, visas or travel permits may be required to enter some countries. If you aren’t sure, please ask your cruise line about this in advance. A closed loop cruise refers only to U.S. immigration regulations and passport requirements for U.S. citizens. It does not reflect those of the destinations on the closed loop cruise. The general wisdom for US Citizens is an original raised seal birth certificate and government issued ID is adequate.

Travel document requirements for sailings from Central & South American homeports

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Do You Need a Passport for Caribbean Cruises?

Additionally, vacation planning for guests booking round-trip flights is also made easier. For cruise passengers driving to their port, their vehicle will be available when they disembark. Passports can be used as your form of identification but the fact that they aren’t mandatory is why closed-loop cruises are popular. These types of cruises are becoming more common with cruise lines. It provides simpler logistics for a cruise line by using the same port. Certainly many guests will cruise without a passport and likely not run into any issues.

To remember, keep in mind that all visitors, including citizens of the United States and Canada, who enter or re-enter the United States by air, land, or water are required to have passports. Canadian and U.S. children under 16 must only present birth certificates (notarized, original, or certified copy), Consular Reports of Birth Abroad, Certificates of Naturalization, or proof of citizenship. Social Security Cards and Voter Registration cannot be used as a form of citizenship.

Royal Caribbean emphasizes that Baptismal papers and hospital certificates of birth are not acceptable. Voter registration cards or Social Security cards are not considered proof of citizenship. Note, however, that this does not necessarily mean that the countries on your itinerary, especially in the Caribbean, won’t still require you to have a passport to enter. If that’s the case, your cruise line might already require you to have a passport to board the ship—even if U.S. Non-citizens must have a current passport and, occasionally, a visa. You will also want the original copies of your immigration documentation, such as a green card or work permit if you reside in the United States.

Flagged ships must make at least one stop at a foreign port. For this reason, Alaskan itineraries include visits somewhere in Canada, and there aren’t a lot of Hawaii cruises. Passports and Visas.com is based in Miami, Florida and assists travelers going on a cruise with obtaining an expedited passport, passport renewal, or other passport or visa services. Passports are required for all travelers, including citizens of U.S. and Canada, who enter or re-enter the United States by air, land or sea.

The concern without having a passport is if an emergency occurs, only an official passport will allow you to easily and quickly fly from a foreign port to another port and/or back home. If you're concerned about the cost of the passport, see if the places you're travelling to accept the passport card instead of the book. The birth certificate contains details about you that could be used to steal your identity more readily than the passport. Combine those details along with your drivers license number or ID number... I'm not saying that it WILL happen, but identity theft is real.

Passport cards cannot be used on cruises from international homeports. You might be wondering if you should get the passport card vs book. The passport card is an option the United States government provides that is a lower cost alternative to the passport book. It is for travelers who are not going to leave the country by airplane, and plan to only leave the United States via land or sea. This is longer than any other ID in the USA and it proves both identity AND citizenship. I've used my passport before for employment to satisfy both requirements in one document rather than the usual social security card and drivers license.

However, it is important to check the visa requirements and any additional entry requirements for the countries you will be visiting during the cruise. Check with your cruise line before departure to see what documents are needed instead of a passport. Many require a state-issued ID and an original birth certificate if you don't have a passport.

An example would be one that starts in Florida and ends in the Bahamas. The peace of mind of having the passport is worth far more than the effort to getting it. I'm a travel writer and content creator who loves to explore new places.