Passport needed, when ????

[DCDisney]

For U.S. citizens, do they need a passport for the Disney cruises (Caribbean) ??? And if, yes, are they needed only for adults? At what age is one required?

[BrerGnat]

As far as I know, no. They are not needed for closed loop Caribbean cruises. You should always double check with DCL though as they can change their requirements. If they are needed, everyone needs one (even babies). It is a good idea to have them as in case of medical emergency in port or on ship, in order to fly back to the USA, you would endure a lengthy process dealing with an Embassy. We got them for our family last year before our Dream cruise. I feel much more secure having them!

[1DisneyNut]

As far as I know, no. They are not needed for closed loop Caribbean cruises. You should always double check with DCL though as they can change their requirements. If they are needed, everyone needs one (even babies). It is a good idea to have them as in case of medical emergency in port or on ship, in order to fly back to the USA, you would endure a lengthy process dealing with an Embassy. We got them for our family last year before our Dream cruise. I feel much more secure having them!

^^^This is correct.

Passports are not required for cruises that return to the same port from which they departed.

As mentioned above, in the case of an emergency such as a family emergency at home, a medical emergency or some other situation, you will have a lot of trouble getting permission to fly back in and re-enter the country through an airport.

While not required, it is a good idea to have valid passports for everyone when on a cruise just in case the unexpected was to happen.

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

^^^This is correct.

Passports are not required for cruises that return to the same port from which they departed.

As mentioned above, in the case of an emergency such as a family emergency at home, a medical emergency or some other situation, you will have a lot of trouble getting permission to fly back in and re-enter the country through an airport.

While not required, it is a good idea to have valid passports for everyone when on a cruise just in case the unexpected was to happen.

Is this a completely true statement? I always thought the need for a passport was determined as much by which ports of call are made, not necessarily if you departing from and returning to the same port.

I haven't done any Disney cruises but have done 4 Royal Caribbean and each time we departed and returned to the same port and we needed passports. I thought it was pretty much dependent on whether or not your itinerary included ports that were outside the US.

So if you did a cruise that went from Miami to San Juan, St. Thomas, Key West and back, then I don't think you'd need a passport as technically you've never left or visited a country other than the US or its protectorates.

However, if you were to depart Miami and do say San Juan, then Jamaica, Grand Caymans, Cozumel and back to Miami, then I would have to believe a passport is required as you have left the US. I thought that for all air/sea reentries to the US, that a passport is required.

Is Disney's private island considered within the US or is it foreign.

Regardless if I'm right or not, I wouldn't go on a cruise without a passport. One story I recall hearing was a cruise to Alaska which departed the lower 48 and was only making stops within the US, so no passports required. However, due to an illness, some passengers had to be evacuated in Canada. Granted everything works out eventually, but if an emergency unexpectedly puts you in a foreign country, a passport will make things run much more smoothly.

To the OP, find out if you itinerary makes ports of call to any of the typical non-US islands (Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Aruba, St. Maarten, Cozumel, Curacao etc,.) If it does, I would think a passport is required, unless of course you never leave the ship, then you might not need one.

[1DisneyNut]

Is this a completely true statement? I always thought the need for a passport was determined as much by which ports of call are made, not necessarily if you departing from and returning to the same port.

I haven't done any Disney cruises but have done 4 Royal Caribbean and each time we departed and returned to the same port and we needed passports. I thought it was pretty much dependent on whether or not your itinerary included ports that were outside the US.

I am 100% positive. I just had to research it last summer because my son had an opportunity pop up last minute to go on a cruise with a friends family and he did not have time to get a passport. He used his birth certificate and driver's license and the visited and disembarked at a couple of Carribean ports during the cruise.


Here is the documentation requirements for US citizens going on cruises that embark from and return to a US port:


CRUISE TRAVEL

U.S. Citizens

Although a passport is not required for U.S. citizens taking cruises that begin and end in the same or a different U.S. port, travelling with a passport may help to expedite your CBP clearance upon return to the U.S. Additionally, passports are required in the event you need to fly from the U.S. to a foreign port should you miss your scheduled port of embarkation, or need to fly back to the U.S. for emergency reasons.

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) allows U.S. citizens (including children) sailing on cruises that begin and end in the same U.S. port to travel with one of the WHTI compliant documents, listed below. Additionally, the same document requirements apply when taking a cruise that begins and ends in a different U.S. port.
• Valid U.S. Passport

• Passport Card

• Original or suitable quality copy of a Birth Certificate (Issued by a government agency: state/county/city) and a government issued photo ID if 16 years of age and older.

• Original Certificate of Naturalization

• Trusted Traveler Program Membership Card, e.g., Nexus Card, Sentri Card or Fast Card

• Enhanced Tribal Card

• A Consular Report of Birth Abroad

• Enhanced Driver's License (EDL) - only acceptable at land and sea ports of entry. Cannot be used for air travel outside the U.S. Please check if your state issues EDLs.

Copies of U.S. passports and naturalization papers, hospital and baptismal certificates are not WHTI compliant documents, therefore, are NOT acceptable.

Birth certificates from Puerto Rico issued prior to July 1, 2010 are not valid forms of proof of citizenship that is accepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Guests from Puerto Rico either need to present a WHTI-compliant document or a government-issued photo identification with a validated birth certificate issued after July 1, 2010.



Photo Identification

In addition to proof of citizenship, a non-expired government-issued photo I.D is required of all guests 16 years of age and older. The following are acceptable:

• Driver’s License

• Driver’s Permit

• School/Student I.D (acceptable ONLY for guests under 19 years of age)

• Government-Issued identification card (city/state/federal)


You were not required to have a passport on your cruises. You could have used any of the documentation listed above. It was just quicker and easier to use passports since you had them and it is better to have them when cruising anyway.

[Katzateer]

We took a Disney cruise and I did not have a passport. I was told we HAD to have passports if we cruised again ( that was about 5 years ago). Because the laws had changed and passports are required for all cruises, even to Alaska. Would that be correct?

[BrerGnat]

We took a Disney cruise and I did not have a passport. I was told we HAD to have passports if we cruised again ( that was about 5 years ago). Because the laws had changed and passports are required for all cruises, even to Alaska. Would that be correct?

No, it's not true.

However, I do know that some cruise lines DO require a passport for all passengers on certain sailings. You really need to go by what is listed as the requirement for the particular cruise you will be on.

Having passports when leaving the country is always a good idea.

[VWL Mom]

This is from the DCL Caribbean website and is similar to 1DisneyNut's post:

Traveling to the Caribbean
The following guidelines are based on government regulations, which are subject to change at any time. It is your responsibility to check with your travel agent, government agency, embassy or consulate to ensure that you have all the proper documentation to board the ship and enter each of the countries on the ship's itinerary. If you're visiting any country other than the U.S., remember to contact the consulate of that country to ensure you have the documentation required to visit. Travelers can visit the U.S. State Department's website at http://travel.state.gov. Guests without proper documentation will be denied boarding.

The following information pertains to all guests, including children, who board a cruise ship within the United States, travel only within the Western Hemisphere, and return to the same U.S. port on the same ship.

Required Documents for U.S. Citizens
All Guests claiming U.S. citizenship must present one of the following as proof of U.S. citizenship:

• A valid U.S. Passport
• A valid U.S. Passport Card
• A valid state-issued Enhanced Driver's License - this is a special type of license that provides proof of identity and U.S. citizenship; not all states offer Enhanced Driver's Licenses - visit http://www.getyouhome.gov for the most up to date list of participating states
• A valid Trusted Traveler Card (NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
• Government-issued photo ID along with one of the following:
• Original or copy of their state issued birth certificate
• Puerto Rico birth certificates issued prior to 7/1/10 are not acceptable
• Original Consular Report of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State
• Original Certificate of Naturalization issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
  
  Guests under the age of 16 may present one of the following:
• Original or copy of their state issued birth certificate
• Original Consular Report of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State
• Original Certificate of Naturalization issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

With the exception of the state issued birth certificate, photocopies of the above documents are not acceptable. Hospital issued birth certificates are not acceptable proof of U.S. citizenship for purposes of traveling outside of the U.S.

Guests disembarking in a foreign port and not returning to the ship should be sure that they meet all of the documentation and entry requirements of that country. In addition, they may be assessed a fine or penalty according to local or national regulations.

U.S. citizens traveling by air to the United States must present a valid passport.

Having passports when leaving the country is always a good idea.

I totally agree, my boys both got their first passports as infants for Caribbean travel. You just never know.

[mickclub1955]

It depends on the cruise line. I traveled on an Alaskan Cruise round trip out of Seattle and we were required to have passports. So I would double check just to be sure. I am sure someone from Magical Journey's can answer the question definitively.

[1DisneyNut]

It depends on the cruise line. I traveled on an Alaskan Cruise round trip out of Seattle and we were required to have passports. So I would double check just to be sure. I am sure someone from Magical Journey's can answer the question definitively.

Cruise lines can set their own policies so it is definitely wise to check your particular cruise line's policy.

My previous post was purely based on current US laws on passport requirements for cruising. I personally wouldn't step foot on a cruise ship without a passport.

[mickclub1955]

Cruise lines can set their own policies so it is definitely wise to check your particular cruise line's policy.

My previous post was purely based on current US laws on passport requirements for cruising. I personally wouldn't step foot on a cruise ship without a passport.

Thank you for posting them. It is always good to have great info.