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Passport Info.

Sea Travel   

sun setting on the water - SEA

Beginning January 31, 2008, U.S. and Canadian citizens 19 years and older who enter the U.S. at land and sea ports of entry from within the Western Hemisphere will need to present government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license as proof of identity, along with proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or naturalization certificate, or a passport. Children age 18 and under will be able to enter with proof of citizenship. Verbal claims of citizenship and identity alone will not be sufficient to establish identity and citizenship for entry into the United States.  

Note: Children age 18 and under will need to present a birth certificate, naturalization certificate or a passport to enter the U.S.  


  •     FINAL Passport Rule Issued for Land and Sea Borders
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  • Effective June 1, 2009, the following rules take effect for cruise passengers:
    U.S. citizens on cruise voyages that begin and end at the same U.S. port (closed-loop itineraries) must show proof of citizenship* and government-issued photo ID (such as a driver’s license). A passport will not be required for passengers that fall into this category.
    *Documents include: Original or certified copy of birth certificate; Naturalization papers; Consular Report of Birth Abroad issued by Department of State
    All other passengers and/or itineraries (such as cruises which begin in one U.S. port and return to a different U.S. port or any cruise that begins or ends in a foreign port) will require a passport or other recognized document. For a list of accepted documents, see www.travel.state.gov.
    The good news for a majority of cruise passengers – American citizens that leave and return on their cruise from the same U.S. port – is that the travel document requirements will remain largely unchanged from how the industry is operating today.

   

Info from Carnival Cruise Line

 

 

 

May 26, 2009

There has been much attention on the new travel requirements for U.S. Citizens going into effect on June 1, 2009, and we would like to clarify this for you.  While the new Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) requires valid passports for land and sea travel, a final ruling was issued allowing leniency for “closed-loop” cruises, i.e., sailings that both originate and terminate in the same U.S. port.

U.S. citizens taking “closed-loop” cruises are not required to have a passport but will need proof of citizenship and a government-issued photo ID, such as an original or certified copy of a birth certificate and a driver’s license.  Children will also be required to carry a birth certificate and a photo ID if over the age of 15.

Although a passport is not required for “closed loop” cruises, we strongly recommend all guests travel with a passport (valid for at least six months beyond completion of travel), a passport card or an enhanced driver’s license (EDL). Having these documents will enable them to fly from the U.S. to a foreign port in the event they miss their scheduled embarkation or to fly back to the U.S. if they need to disembark the ship mid-cruise due to an emergency.  

If a cruise begins and ends in different U.S. ports or begins and ends in a foreign port, a valid passport or other recognized WHTI-compliant document is required. A valid passport is required if you are traveling on any of our Europe cruises.

For more information, a complete list of WHTI-compliant documents or to obtain a passport application, visit www.travel.state.gov

I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that ALL guests need proof of citizenship in order to travel and failure to present a valid document at check in will result in denied boarding and no refund will be issued.  

 

 
What is the required travel documentation for all ports (excluding Europe)?
Proper travel documentation is required at embarkation and throughout the cruise. Even though a guest has completed registration using FUNPASS, it is still the responsibility of the guest to bring all required travel documents.  Guest should check with their travel agent and/or government authority to determine the travel documents necessary for each port of call.  Any guest without proper documents will not be allowed to board the vessel and no refund of the cruise fare will be issued. Carnival assumes no responsibility for advising guests of immigration requirements.
CRUISE TRAVEL
U.S. citizens traveling on cruises that begin and end in the same U.S. port must show proof of citizenship (such as an original or certified copy of a birth certificate) and a government-issued photo ID (such as a driver’s license).  Effective June 1, 2009, U.S. citizens traveling on cruises that begin and end in different U.S. ports, or begin or end in a foreign port, must have a passport or other recognized document.  For a complete list of accepted documents, see www.travel.state.gov.  
U.S. Alien Residents need a valid Alien Resident Card.  Canadian citizens must present a valid passport.  Non-U.S. citizens need a valid passport and a valid, unexpired U.S. Multiple Re-entry Visa, if applicable.