Do we need a passport for Southern Caribbean cruise, starts/ends in FL or PR?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cruised last August and passport was mandatory!
Be careful, OP!

Which port did your cruise leave/end at? If it was closed loop from a US port (started and ended at same port), then a passport was not required.

Also, which ports did you visit, and which cruise line?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the PPs who responded, are you speaking as someone who has actually been on a Southern Caribbean cruise out of FL or San Juan? Because it sounds like you're speculating.

I need facts from people who actually KNOW. Thanks

Yes I have and yes you do. They won't let you on the cruise without one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the PPs who responded, are you speaking as someone who has actually been on a Southern Caribbean cruise out of FL or San Juan? Because it sounds like you're speculating.

I need facts from people who actually KNOW. Thanks

I left and returned from Miami. I had to show my passport for me and the kids before they would let us onto the ship.

+1

[Anonymous]

Above 2 PPs, which port did your cruise leave/end from? Which countries did you visit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is from my experience. I've been on 4 Caribbean cruises and have checked into this.

You are not required to have a passport for a closed loop cruise (one that originates and returns to a US port). Neither the US state department, nor the cruise line require this. That said, you would be well advised to bring your passport. Although most destinations in the Caribbean will allow you to deboard and reboard your ship with your cruise pass and photo ID, they are not required to do so and the security conditions can and have changed on a daily basis. Just like the US state department, various foreign island nations have security statuses that can change. If there is a heightened security situation, they can change the requirements. At virtually all of the cruise ports, when you debark there is a security checkpoint somewhere on the pier. The local security rarely stops you from leaving the port or "international" area. But if the security status is higher on that particular island and that particular day, you might need your passport to return to the secure International area. In 4 cruises, and about 14 ports of call, I've seen this happen twice. In both cases, we had an announcement from the captain the morning of our arrival that passports would be needed to return to the ship for any on-shore excursions.

Additionally, if you or your family has a medical emergency and need to deboard the ship and discontinue your cruise, you will need your passport. I've seen two incidents (one an accident and one a severe illness) where the families had to leave the ship mid-cruise in order to catch a flight home for medical attention. If you deboard the cruise outside the US, you will need your passport to return to the US even for medical attention. While most of the time our passports stay in the cabin safe, I would never travel outside the US, including on a closed-loop cruise, without my passport.

Since it was asked, I was on a Western Caribbean cruise (Ft Lauderdale, Key West, Costa Maya, Grand Cayman, Ft Lauderdale), Southern Caribbean cruise (San Juan, St Thomas, Dominica, Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua, San Juan), Western Caribbean (Galveston, Progresso, Cozumel, Galveston), and Western (Tampa, Roatan, Belize, Cozumel, Costa Maya, Tampa). I have definitely had a need for my passport while on a cruise. As I said, twice, we were alerted by the captain that we would need our passports to reboard the ship. Had we not had our passports, we might have lost money for shore excursions that we would not have been able to take. I tend to book our shore excursions privately based on recommendations I get on the cruisecritic.com boards. I usually get better deals (either a more comprehensive package, lower price or both) by booking privately than going through the Excursion desk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the PPs who responded, are you speaking as someone who has actually been on a Southern Caribbean cruise out of FL or San Juan? Because it sounds like you're speculating.

I need facts from people who actually KNOW. Thanks

Yes I have and yes you do. They won't let you on the cruise without one.

Wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the PPs who responded, are you speaking as someone who has actually been on a Southern Caribbean cruise out of FL or San Juan? Because it sounds like you're speculating.

I need facts from people who actually KNOW. Thanks

I left and returned from Miami. I had to show my passport for me and the kids before they would let us onto the ship.

+1

And wrong again.

[Anonymous]

On my weekend cruise out of Miami last weekend, I saw probably half the people using birth certificates as proof of citizenship to get on and off the ship coming in and out of Tampa. We went to Cozumel, and no passengers took passports off the ship. All you needed was your ship card and a picture ID, like a driver's license. I didn't need my even photo ID to get on the boat, just the ship card. The Mexican officials didn't even look at my driver's license, much less a passport.

This was on Carnival Cruise line.

[Anonymous]

Why risk it?

I can't find my original birth certificate and I was born in 1973. I would have to write out to my original registar and get another copy, when I have my Passport handy.

Why go through such hoops...

What happens if something goes wrong and you have to be air lifted to a local hospital and then you need to get back in to the country. Do you really want to go thru the hassle of just having a DL and BC?

I don't get these posts and the animosity. What happened with me might not happen with you...depends on who you get when you reach the counter. Maybe you have a saucy old crotchety guy who only wants to see a passport.

[Anonymous]

Is it okay if the passport expires a month AFTER the cruise?

Or does it need to be valid at least 6 months after cruise date?

[Anonymous]

Jeez, OP. Put out the money to get an expedited passport. Just because Carnival or some rando Caribbean island will allow you to move around without a passport DOESN'T mean it's a safe idea. NEVER leave the U.S. without a passport. A broken ankle or an ugly GI infection or a family emergency at home -- you won't be able to get back into the U.S. except from on the original boat at the originating port. What if you need to be medevac'd or need to get home ASAP? You'll be SOL.

Get the passport and its good for 10 years (for adults), so you won't need to worry about it again for a very long time.

[Anonymous]

OP, you also need to know that in most of the Caribbean and a Latin America the application of laws is rather arbitrary and discretionary. You could end up having to pay bribes if an Immigration officer from another country decides you need a passport to enter, or if you find yourself in any sort of legal trouble. The U.S. Embassies can't do much to help you besides visit you and provide a list of local attorneys.

[Anonymous]

Disney told us we needed to have one because of the stop in Nassau.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, you also need to know that in most of the Caribbean and a Latin America the application of laws is rather arbitrary and discretionary. You could end up having to pay bribes if an Immigration officer from another country decides you need a passport to enter, or if you find yourself in any sort of legal trouble. The U.S. Embassies can't do much to help you besides visit you and provide a list of local attorneys.

This is not remotely how it works on a cruise. You don't show any passport getting on and off the ship. Just a picture ID and your ship's card.