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You have options to cruise without a passport because not every sailing requires them. You can cruise to quite a few destinations without a passport, as long as you have proof of citizenship and a government-issued photo ID. A variety of documents are accepted as proof of citizenship, including a state-certified U.S. birth certificate.
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Bustling Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas is the most popular cruise port and shopping destination in the Caribbean, while two-thirds of St. John is preserved as a tropical national park. The one exception to closed-loop cruises is if one of your port stops is in Cuba. If you are visiting Cuba on a cruise, then a passport IS required for that cruise. Certainly many guests will cruise without a passport and likely not run into any issues.
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At the south end of the island of Eleuthera, Princess Cays offers island resort living at its finest. You can still cruise to the Caribbean without a U.S. passport if you are a U.S. citizen, but only if you take what is known as a "closed loop" cruise. That means that your cruise ship needs to start and end at the same U.S. port. The good news is that most cruises originating in the U.S. operate as closed loops (the exception would be something like a Panama Canal cruise that starts in Miami, for example, and ends in San Diego). If you have a medical emergency and you’re not traveling with a U.S. passport, you must contact the local U.S. The same applies if your ship has mechanical failure and you’re stuck in a foreign country.
What happens in case of an emergency if I don't have a passport?
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Passport cards are an affordable and unquestionable alternative to carrying an ID and birth certificate. While cruising with a passport is always recommended, it's not required by law in certain circumstances. Closed-loop cruises from U.S. ports that visit Bermuda, Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico are part of an international agreement that allows U.S. citizens to cruise without a passport. In these cases, government-issued identification and proof of U.S. citizenship are acceptable alternatives to a passport book.
You Need a Passport for Cruises To and From Foreign Ports
So, if you have the option, pack your passport and enjoy your cruise. While the answer is no in many cases, it's a good idea to bring it along, just in case. While not related to an ID, it's also a good idea to consider purchasing travel or cruise-specific insurance before departing. However, it doesn't hurt to apply for one if you don't have one yet and have the time and funds. For more information, check out the links to visitor-submitted questions below.
Cobranded Cards
Some lines always require a passport for all travelers, no matter the itinerary, including Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Azamara, Windstar Cruises, Silversea Cruises, Oceania Cruises and Seabourn. Even if you're on a closed-loop sailing, certain islands in the Caribbean – Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Barts, Barbados and others -- require a passport for entry. It's your responsibility (not your cruise line's) to learn the requirements of each of the destinations you're visiting before you go. You won’t run into any passport requirements on tried-and-true routes from U.S. ports such as those that visit Puerto Rico and the U.S. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John—which are all part of the United States. You can also fly in to embark on cruises from these destinations.
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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. On closed-loop cruises, a birth certificate and government-issued photo ID are all that's required. Plus, as much fun as simple round-trip cruises are, passports open up additional vacation possibilities in the form of longer, point-to-point and overseas trips. Don't dismiss registering for a passport, even as you consider where you can cruise without one. Like most tropical cruise destinations, the top draws are the beaches and the ocean; however, cruise ports in Mexico also give you access to ancient Mayan ruins, delicious cuisine and an abundance of land activities.
Canada and New England
If you find yourself without a passport but in need of one, you would need to contact and locate the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate and request an emergency limited validity passport in order to fly home. The process requires explaining your urgent situation, completing an application, and showing your travel documents, photo identification and proof of citizenship. As luck would have it, you’ve suddenly got a few open days in your schedule and a yearning to travel somewhere exotic.
A Passport Can Make the Situation Easier in an Emergency
Closed-loop Hawaii cruises that don't require passports come in two varieties. The short option is to fly to Honolulu and take a seven- or 10-night cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America. This is the only large cruise ship allowed to operate entirely within the Hawaiian Islands without visiting a foreign port. After 9/11, the United States government tightened the regulations about flying into the country. Anyone taking a plane into the country must be carrying a valid passport (with a passport photo for identification) from their home country, and that includes Americans.
This will make the processing time quicker and easier and if the rules ever do change again and you need to have a passport you will be all set. Keep in mind that you will need a passport if you have to do any air travel outside the United States. This way, in case your ship leaves without you, or you have to fly home from the Caribbean unexpectedly, you will have the means to do so. You need more than just a passport card, you need an actual passport pamphlet. Not having a passport means you will need to travel to a U.S. embassy or consulate in a foreign country to apply for a temporary visa to re-enter the country. Not all embassies/consulates are located near the cruise ports and moreover, the time it takes for the entire process to occur is not quick.
At TPG, we always recommend cruising with a passport, but there are many reasons why you might want to set sail without one. If you're arriving in the U.S. by sea from another country, you generally also need a passport. It can take eight to 11 weeks (expedited wait times are five to seven weeks) for a routine passport to be issued, so you always want to plan ahead. If you're a U.S. citizen and don't have a passport, you actually have quite a few cruise options. If you're planning a cruise and have questions about where you can travel without a passport, here's everything you need to know before you go.
Norwegian Cruise Line offers a seven-day Hawaii inter-island cruise that boards in Honolulu and visits Maui, Hilo and Kona on the Big Island, and Kauai before returning to Honolulu. The Hawaiian islands are about 3,700 miles from the West Coast, so cruises from the mainland to Hawaii and back involve four or five days at sea in each direction. Closed-loop cruises depart from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and San Diego. There are also cruises that originate in Honolulu and tour the other islands. Some Caribbean countries—Barbados, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Martinique, St. Barths, St. Martin (but not Dutch St. Maarten), and Trinidad & Tobago—will require you to have a passport to enter or exit. Always check with your cruise line first to see if this applies to any of your ports of call unless you want to be stuck on the ship.
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