One of the most common questions I receive from Americans is:
Am I required to have a passport to cruise?
In most cases, the answer is no. Why? Because the vast majority of cruises sailing from United States ports are closed loop cruises, meaning they depart from and return to the same U.S. port. United States citizens sailing on closed loop cruises, even if visiting foreign ports (which they all have to do by law), can usually sail with both a valid form of U.S. government I.D. (if under 16, this isn’t required) and a certified birth certificate (or certificate of U.S. naturalization) in lieu of a passport.
*Cruisers should ALWAYS double, triple, quadruple check the document requirements of their specific cruise line and itinerary!*
However, even if you can cruise without a passport, should you? While ultimately the decision is yours and you have to consider your unique circumstances and the level of risk you’re comfortable with, here are four reasons you should consider cruising with a passport, even if one isn’t required:
While nobody on a closed loop cruise from an American port expects to need to fly home from a foreign port, it does happen, probably more than you would expect. Here are four scenarios that would necessitate you fly home from a foreign port:
So, what happens if I get stuck in a foreign port on my cruise without a passport? In that situation you would need to contact the United States embassy. They would assist you in securing a passport, allowing your return to the United States. However, you may be waiting a long time and responsible for accommodations and additional expenses while you wait. Yes, getting a passport is an expense (especially for a large family) and a hassle, but by comparison it’s nothing!
*A note on Canada. While you can cross the Canadian/United States border with a passport card or enhanced driver’s license via car, bus, or train, United States citizens cannot fly into or out of Canada without a passport book. I mention this because of an unfortunate situation I witnessed on a one-way cruise itinerary my family did from Honolulu to Vancouver. A couple on our cruise had passport cards, but no passport books. They’d booked non-refundable return plane tickets from Vancouver to Iowa and were turned away at the airport. They had to scramble to book a bus from Vancouver to Seattle (which is where we met them) and then last minute (very expensive) plane tickets from Seattle to Iowa. This error cost them thousands of dollars and a great deal of stress and hassle. For those wondering about docking in Victoria, BC on a closed-loop cruise from Seattle or Los Angelos, you will be permitted to sail and visit Victoria with a government issued photo I.D. (for those 16 and over) and a certified birth certificate (but again, I urge everyone to travel with a passport for the reasons I discuss in this article).
While I love almost everything about cruising, there’s one big disadvantage to cruising over most land-based vacations. Lines. Lines to check in and board on embarkation day. Lines to disembark and re-board the ship at port. Lines for dining venues and onboard activities. And lines to disembark on the last morning. So why add another, unnecessary line to the list? Once off the ship on debarkation day, every passenger must be processed through customs, even on closed-loop cruises that depart and return to the same United States port. Those with passports will be directed to one area and, with new facial recognition technology, will usually sail right through very quickly (sometimes not even needing to show their passport). However, those without a passport will be directed to a (sometimes looooong) line to present their alternative documents.
I’ve become somewhat of an Alaska cruise expert, having cruised there dozens and dozens of times on every cruise line and itinerary and one of the questions I’m asked most often is: do I need a passport to cruise to Alaska? While all of the information I’ve presented so far usually applies to Alaska cruises (but please double check with your cruise line), there is one additional consideration. Even if you’re on a closed loop Alaska itinerary, many popular excursions from Alaska ports (especially Skagway) actually travel up into Canada and require a passport.
While most first-time cruisers choose a closed-loop cruise to the Bahamas, the Caribbean, or Mexico, having a passport will open up so many more itineraries. I rarely cruise to those three destinations anymore, instead opting for longer, more interesting one-way itineraries or itineraries departing from foreign ports. While it can be a bit intimidating to branch out, I strongly urge you to get a passport so you can try something outside your normal cruising comfort zone. Once you do it for the first time and see that it’s not as challenging or expensive as you expected, it literally opens up the whole world to you.
And with that…
Class Dismissed!
I always buy travel insurance to cover my cruises, but I never purchase it through my cruise line. It costs more (with the cruise line taking a cut) and usually covers less than policies you purchase on your own. I go through sites like travelinsurance.com* to compare plans and prices and get the best deal for the coverage I want. It’s a simple process – just enter your travel dates, total travel costs, and some basic information and you’ll see a list of options. Spend less on insurance and spend more on cocktails, excursions, special onboard cruise experiences, and…future cruises!
Homework (10 points): Do you cruise with a passport? Share your experience to the comments.
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View Comments
I always travel with a passport. You never know what can happen. Have had a passport since I joined the military. Gives you peace of mind.
Yes, I totally agree! And thank you for your service to our country!!!
We cruise and travel abroad a lot! Always have our passports and always have trip insurance. The first time we used it was on a trip to China. Nothing happened to us, but a close family member died unexpectedly. The insurance got us plane tickets home and reimbursed us for the part of the trip we missed. We’ve used it many times since then (cruising and hurricane diverted our embarkation to Louisiana from Florida, canceling a trip to Europe during Covid, stuck in AZ when flights got canceled, and having to cut short a trip to Disneyland because one of the kids got sick). It is just a life saver and totally worth just the peace of mind! But it has saved us thousands of dollars now too. You have to be careful not to over-insure on things that they won’t reimburse you for … but when your trip gets interrupted or canceled it is just so worth it.
Appreciate the tips! We take our passports with us every time we leave the ship. Would you recommend that, or is that going "overboard"?
What I always do is take a copy of my passport and leave the original in the safe on the ship. I worry a bit about losing it or having it stolen at port. In the event of an illness or injury that would require you stay at port for treatment and fly home, the ship will assist in getting your passports (and luggage) out of your cabin and to you. I also think it's fine to take the original with you if you can be sure it stays with you in a secure spot at all times. In that case, I'd have a copy of the passport back on the ship, just in case.
Good advice. However, the cruise line's package isn't necessarily more expensive than the third-party policies. When I was cruising with my late mother in her 80s and 90s, the third-party packages all had charged based on her age. In addition, I've found that collecting on the cruise line policies has involved an order of magnitude less hassle. Finally, my cruise line's policy had a few specific provisions that made it particularly attractive to me. My point on this is that you still need to check out both options, compare, and choose the one that's best for you.