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Long known for delightful strands of beach and access to every imaginable form of water fun under the subtropical sun, the Bahamas are the ideal destination for easy and quick cruise vacations. Canada and New England are typically grouped together on itineraries that originate in Boston, New York City, and Cape Liberty, New Jersey. A stop in Victoria, British Columbia offers a whole new set of adventures.
Mexico
Passports are required for the islands in the South Pacific, which means they're required for the entire cruise. Quick three- to five-day hops to the Bahamas bring you to white-sand beaches and cruise lines’ private islands at an affordable price, with no passport required. If you are on a longer cruise that visits other Caribbean islands, you’ll want to check with your cruise line about any passport requirements. The cruises must be “closed-loop,” meaning they begin and end at the same U.S. port. A one-way cruise that boards in a U.S. port and disembarks in a different U.S. port does not qualify.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Passport Requirements for Cruises
When it comes time to renew, cards cost $30 as opposed to $130 for passport books. Department of State for the most recent passport book and card costs. Princess, Holland America and Celebrity all strongly recommend passport books, but they allow one of the WHTI forms of identification. Again, the passport card opens up one-way possibilities, assuming you aren't flying and your cruise only includes Canada and the U.S. Before we go further, let's clarify that when we talk about cruising without a passport, we're referring to pricey passport books that some travelers do not wish to purchase. Passport cards can also be used for identification when cruising in all the places we are about to discuss; these cards are a low-cost alternative to traveling with your driver's license and birth certificate.
Hawaii
Whether you seek warm beaches, cool drinks, water sports or cultural education, you can find a Caribbean cruise to fit the bill. Technically, if you have one of those forms of ID but not a passport book, you can take a one-way Alaska cruise — as long as you don't have to fly to or from Canada. 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.
There are plenty of wonderful sailings you can take that don’t require a passport, including to foreign countries.
Additionally, it's a good idea to check entry requirements of all individual ports in your itinerary, as you might need a visa as well. Some cruise lines also offer one-way cruises in both directions between Canada and New England. These itineraries, like Alaska cruises, might be possible without a passport book. This is the case as long as your plans don't include flying into or out of Canada and your cruise line allows you to cruise with either a passport card or other acceptable form of identification and proof of citizenship.
While international travel flexibility and cost are both important differences between a passport book and card, there are similarities. Either type of passport can be used on closed-loop sailings that call at foreign ports but depart and return to the U.S. Without either document, you’d need to provide proof of citizenship (such as a birth certificate) and proof of identification (such as a driver's license). Keep in mind that cruise passport requirements can change based on shore excursions, too. For example, any time you cross a land or sea border into a foreign country, you’ll need a passport, whether it's riding Alaska's White Pass and Yukon Railway or taking day trips to smaller Caribbean islands.
No Passport Needed to Visit Puerto Rico
You can buy travel insurance from your cruise line or from a third-party insurance vendor. Prices vary but third-party insurance coverage provides many more and a higher level of benefits than cruise line insurance and acts as primary insurance. Check with your state to see if it offers an Enhanced Driver’s License.
After you pull into port in the Big Apple, make sure to see a Broadway show, visit the Empire State Building and take a stroll through Central Park. Regardless of what the minimum requirements are for travel, we highly recommend everyone get a passport. Passports do have an additional cost to them (especially for children), but we feel the advantages of having a passport far outweigh the cost and work required to get one. You should check the passport requirements for any port you are visiting, as sometimes there can be a port that requires a passport to visit even if you do not need a passport to return to the United States.
Canada and New England
You'll need the passport book to return home whether you're flying in from Europe, Asia, Latin or South America, Africa or either of the poles. You'll also need to carry the passport book if you're flying in from one of the Caribbean islands. Belize and Honduras, which are sometimes included on these itineraries, also waive their passport requirements for cruise ship passengers. You can also cruise to the Mexican Riviera—destinations such as Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, and Mazatlán—without a passport.
Your cruise ship agency should be able to tell you whether this is the case. What if something happens to the ship or to someone in your party and you have to fly home? It's best to check the requirements not just for each island that you'll be sailing to, but also to additional destinations you may visit on a port call.
Regent Seven Seas features the Wonders in the Caribbean cruise that departs from Miami with stops in the Cayman Islands, Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and Key West. Royal Caribbean’s seven-night Southern Caribbean Holiday cruise embarks in San Juan and visits Barbados, Trinidad, Tobago, St. Vincent, and St. Maarten. Florida’s ports of Miami, Port Everglades (in Fort Lauderdale), and Port Canaveral (about an hour east of Orlando) offer the majority of closed-loop cruises to the Bahamas. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix—are U.S. territories that are passport-free for U.S. citizens. St. Croix, the largest of the islands, has two major towns (Christiansted and Frederiksted), a rainforest, and preserved historic plantation homes.
If you don't have a passport, these documents may also be sufficient to show customs officials in some Caribbean islands. There are two ways to cruise to the volcanoes, tropical forests, whales, and surfing beaches of Hawai‘i without a passport. One is on a cruise where you fly in and spend your entire vacation in and around the islands. The other is a long slog, closed-loop sailing from a California port or Seattle, with a stop in Ensenada, Mexico, and several days at sea getting to and from Hawai‘i. The good news is that you can cruise to quite a few popular destinations without a passport, including Alaska, the Bahamas, Mexico, Bermuda, Hawaii, the Caribbean, Canada, and New England. Just be sure that your cruise begins and ends in the same U.S. port, and double check your identification and proof of citizenship documents.
If your ship is not returning to the same port—for instance, if you are eyeing a one-way Panama Canal sailing from Los Angeles to Miami—you do need a passport. You will also be limited on some Caribbean itineraries, as select islands such as St. Bart’s and Martinique do require a passport, which means your cruise line will require a passport before you board the ship. You might be surprised to know that certain U.S.-based cruises allow you to cruise without a passport. But just because some cruise passport requirements allow for “no passport cruises” doesn't mean you should sail without one. We break down closed-loop cruises, what happens in an emergency if you cruise without a passport, and what passport rules are for Alaska, the Bahamas and other popular cruise destinations. Passport Card as something falling between a Passport and a government-issued photo ID.
Those taking a cruise around the Caribbean might find gathering the required documentation easier than they think. If you don't have a passport and your ship stops at one of these islands, you'll have to stay on board. If you want to cruise without a passport, choose itineraries where you know you can get off the ship and enjoy your day in port.
Carnival Cruise Line warns passengers of scam it can't stop - TheStreet
Carnival Cruise Line warns passengers of scam it can't stop.
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You can visit Alaska on a round-trip Seattle cruise without a passport. But if you wish to book a rail journey excursion on the White Pass & Yukon Route, which takes you from Alaska into Canada, choose the shorter White Pass Summit tour; you'll need a passport for the longer trips. The rules also apply to Caribbean islands that are U.S. territories. For instance, you won't need a passport to fly to and cruise out of San Juan, Puerto Rico, or St. Thomas in the U.S. You may be surprised to learn that U.S. citizens don't need a passport to sail on "closed-loop" cruises with lines like Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises and others.
If you are a U.S. citizen and your cruise embarks or disembarks in a foreign country, including Canada, you will always need your passport for the cruise (in some cases a passport card will suffice). You'll also need a passport for a cruise that begins and ends in different U.S. ports. When it comes to domestic cruises, nothing beats a trip to Hawaii. Explore beautiful spots spread across Maui, Kauai and the Big Island, and drink in the natural beauty only Hawaii delivers. On this exciting trip, you can deep sea fish for marlin, explore forest caves and waterfalls, soak up the sun on a black-sand beach and attend a traditional luau. U.S. departure ports for enjoyable Hawaiian cruises include San Francisco, San Diego, Long Beach and Honolulu.
