Explore without a passport: What to know about closed-loop cruises
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You can, of course, use your passport or passport card as an ID if you have one. But in the case of closed-loop cruises, U.S. citizens are allowed to enter or depart the country with proof of citizenship. U.S. citizens booked on those sailings can leave and enter the country with proof of citizenship such as a birth certificate and – if 16 or older – a government-issued photo ID, according to U.S. As luck would have it, you’ve suddenly got a few open days in your schedule and a yearning to travel somewhere exotic. If you take closed loop cruises (meaning your trip begins and ends at a U.S. port), you can sail to a variety of dreamy destinations as a U.S. citizen without a passport. However, valid identification to board the ship is required; you must also show that identification upon reentry to the US.
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These depart from the ports of Bayonne, Baltimore, Boston, Manhattan, Brooklyn and occasionally Norfolk. The majority of these New England and Canada cruises are weeklong fall sailings; however, a handful depart at other times of the year or are a touch longer, ranging from eight to 10 nights. This loophole, if you want to call it that, is the result of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative designed to allow travel to and within North American countries on a cruise ship.
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Three-day cruises aboard Carnival Conquest depart Miami for the Bahamas, but return back to Miami. This means U.S. passengers don't need a passport for this closed-loop sailing. Additionally, there must be a destination to a foreign location to qualify as a closed-loop cruise.
Closed-Loop Cruises: Popular Port Cities from the United States
You’ll enjoy a luxurious suite and dine in the beautiful, fine dining Luminae restaurant, exclusive to guests of this tranquil enclave. At Cabo San Lucas, there’s more whale-watching along the wild, rocky coast, or watersports ranging from kayaking to snorkeling. Explore the Art District and old adobe buildings in nearby San Jose del Cabo, or explore the Baja desert on a 4×4 off-road adventure. You’ll also visit Juneau, the perfect spot for whale-watching, hiking, and thrilling flightseeing trips over snow-covered mountains.
Home to beaches, water sports, casinos and the famed Atlantis resort, cruising to the Bahamas is great for traveling without a passport. If you’re 16 or older, you will also need a valid government-issued driver’s license or picture ID that contains your photo, name and date of birth. 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. If you are age 16 and up, and without a passport, you will also need to present a photo I.D. If you’re dreaming of a cruise vacation but don’t have a passport, don’t despair!
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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. If there is a passport requirement, each person needs to have one, including infants and toddlers. Scrambling for a temporary passport can create mounds of paperwork and plenty of headaches, and the time it takes to process is never guaranteed. Isolated incidents have left passengers stranded for longer than anticipated. Celebrity Cruises emphasizes a modern luxury experience, combining sophisticated design, contemporary décor, and a focus on culinary excellence.
This policy helps ensure that, in case of emergencies that necessitate flying back to the U.S. from a foreign port, passengers can do so without legal complications or delays. Belize and Honduras, which are sometimes included on these itineraries, also waive their passport requirements for cruise ship passengers. So while you don't need a passport of passport card to cruise to Alaska from Seatlle or other U.S. ports, you will need this idenfitication as the cruise must stop in Canada on its way. Without these required documents, you will not be able to board your cruise or get back into the United States. 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.
Pacific Cruises Without a Passport
In stark contrast, should you not have a passport, you may be stuck in a foreign port and need to apply for a temporary passport to fly back home. There are also several cruise lines, like Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Carnival, Holland America, and Princess cruises, that also offer East Coast routes, so you can compare their rates to get a great deal. Although, if you are planning on traveling with WHTI documents, tread with caution regarding 20-night closed-loop cruises to Hawaii with the likes of Viking, Princess, and Holland America. With its outstanding natural beauty, pristine tropical islands, and laid-back coastal living, exquisite Hawaii offers visitors a plethora of fun and cultural family excursions. Many major cruise line operators like Carnival and Royal Caribbean, offer Mexican Riviera cruises departing from Los Angeles ports all year round. A cruise is an easy way to visit many new places without having to unpack and pack again.
New England and Canada
Princess Cruises offers a seven-day Mexican Riviera with La Paz voyage that includes Ensenada, Cabo San Lucas, and La Paz. 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. Yes, you can cruise to the Bahamas without a passport, as long as your voyage starts and ends at the same U.S. port with a Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) compliant document. However, it's advisable to check the specific policies of your cruise line, as some might require a passport, regardless. Remember that if an emergency arises that requires you to fly back to the U.S., not having a passport will cause complications. Traveling with a valid passport is always recommended for convenience and unexpected situations.
On Grand Turk, enjoy swimming with stingrays, riding horses along the coast, or touring the island by ATV. Those sailing to the Bahamas and Caribbean don’t need to be concerned with fulfilling this requirement. It has already been taken care of, including stops at foreign locations. Today, the majority of cruises that are closed-loop and you don’t need a passport for as a US citizen are within the Western Hemisphere only.
Even if you plan to stick to a closed-loop cruise, we still recommend you invest in a passport or passport card before your cruise. Though you can cruise without a passport and still get home if you get stranded in port, the hassle of obtaining a temporary passport on top of making arrangements for last-minute travel is rarely worth it. In our minds, investing around a dollar per month for 10 years of security is a steal. 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.
Whether you should cruise without a passport is another matter (there are some risks that we’ll get into below). No, you will need a passport to fly to the departure port of your closed-loop cruise. However, you can fly back to the United States from the departure port of your closed-loop cruise without a passport, as long as you have a government-issued photo ID.
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 don’t want to be turned away at the pier for lack of proper identification. To cruise without a passport, you need to stay in the Western Hemisphere and sail from the United States on a “closed-loop” itinerary, which means you leave from and come back to the same U.S. port. The rules for sea travel were established under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. Cruises to the Caribbean, Bahamas, Alaska, Canada, New England, Mexico, Bermuda, and Hawai‘i all fit these criteria. If you’re not a U.S. citizen, you will need a passport to take any cruise, regardless of the destination.
From buzzing Puerto Vallarta, you could join a whale-watching tour, browse the arty stores, or kick back at the beach to enjoy the soft sand and azure waters of the Pacific. Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. If travelers get stuck at a port of call, there will be “a lot of red tape you have to get through” to make it home without one, Daly said. The State Department encourages having one "in case of an emergency, such as an unexpected medical air evacuation or the ship docking at an alternate port," according to its website. Starting and ending in Seattle or San Francisco, an Alaskan cruise takes you to charming waterfront cities and villages like Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan.
The cost for a first-time passport holder is $165, plus the photo fee; the steep fee alone is why many Americans choose to go without one. The good news is that an adult passport is valid for 10 years – and you can travel to most places in the world with just a passport and no visa. No matter which documents you bring, it's a smart idea to take copies of them (either paper ones or photos on your phone) when you leave the ship, in case something happens while you're ashore. Always carry some type of photo identification, like a driver's license, when you head into port. For small-ship fans, other options include sailings that do not leave Alaska, such as those of UnCruise Adventures, Lindblad Expeditions, and Alaska Native–owned Alaskan Dream Cruises. If you don’t have a passport, you will also run into problems should you miss boarding your ship at the correct time and need to fly home or to the next port of call.
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