Passports for Cruises

Table Of Content

• Do you need a passport for a Bahamas cruise?
• View all flight deals from your city.
• Closed-Loop Cruises: The One Passport-Required Exception

Packages such as “Renewal of Vows,” “Happy Anniversary,” “Romantic Voyage” and “Just for Us” include a variety of services and mementos to commemorate your special occasion. Gift orders must be prepaid and received two weeks in advance of sailing. Some last-minute gift orders may be charged to your Holland America Line Rewards Visa Card, VISA®, American Express®, MasterCard® or Discover® card up to two working days before sailing. Holland America Line assumes no responsibility for the items listed above. Holland America Line's baggage policy is further detailed in the baggage section of your Cruise Contract.

Do you need a passport for a Bahamas cruise?

The videos can be seen on the stateroom TV guest channel for 24 hours after departure. In addition to watching the Safety Video, please read the Safety information located on the back of your stateroom/suite door. It provides information on what to do in case of an emergency, as well as the routes to your Muster Station.

View all flight deals from your city.

Our dedicated section on the CIBTvisas website can be found at /hollandamericaline. You also will need a passport for any shore excursions that cross a land or sea border into a foreign country. 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. Some cruisers take a middle-of-the-road approach, and bring a photocopy of their passport ashore (or have a photo of it on their phone), but leave the actual book on the ship. This way, if something does go wrong, it’s easier to prove your identity and citizenship.

Closed-Loop Cruises: The One Passport-Required Exception

Please note that fees and visa requirements are subject to change without notice. Tourist/visa requirements are determined by passport nationality, not by country of residence. A customary fee will be charged for services and medications dispensed. If you become ill or injured during the voyage and your diagnostic and/or care requirements exceed the capabilities of the Medical Center, you will be transferred to medical facilities ashore.

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. The rules also apply to Caribbean islands that are U.S. territories. For instance, you won't need a passport to fly to and cruise out of San Juan, Puerto Rico, or St. Thomas in the U.S.

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You’ll also be glad you have a passport if you encounter other unforeseen circumstances such as a family emergency or a sailing cut short due to bad weather or technical issues. If you are age 16 and up, and without a passport, you will also need to present a photo I.D. If you’re trying to fly to an international cruise port without a passport, you won’t get past airline check-in. Americans do not need to cruise with a passport on select sailings out of U.S. homeports, though they will have to show proper identification. If you are sailing out of one U.S. homeport and disembarking at the end of your voyage in a different one, you also need a passport for your cruise.

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Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs before booking a trip. For a one-week small ship experience, book UnCruise Adventures, from Moloka‘i to the Big Island, stopping on the island of Lāna‘i and Maui. If cruising from California, with most sailings 14 nights or longer, your choices expand to such lines as Holland America, Celebrity, Viking Cruises, and Seabourn.

Fortunately, Royal Caribbean International offers a simple guide explaining what you must do to address this issue. For example, if you were an American who booked a cruise where you would depart from and return to Fort Lauderdale, USA, but that same cruise also had a scheduled port-of-call stop in the Bahamas, you would need a passport. If you had an emergency and were forced to disembark due to illness or other reason in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, the Bahamas, Bermuda or Canada you would need a passport to return home by plane. On the rare occasion of a ship evacuation or a diversion to another country to disembark, a passport would also be essential for getting home. An enhanced driver's license is another alternative that you can use for land and sea port crossings, but not for international flights.

We will provide disembarkation information shortly before the end of your cruise, which will outline important procedures regarding customs formalities, luggage handling, travel arrangements, disembarkation and other information. If you do not want to use a credit or debit card, on the day of boarding, you will need to visit Guest Services and deposit $30 cash per person per cruise day. Any excess deposit will be refunded to you at the end of the cruise. All onboard purchases and services are charged to your account by using your stateroom keycard. Cash is not accepted for individual transactions, e.g. bars, the shops, spa, shore excursions. Upon embarkation, please make sure you watch the Safety Video on your stateroom/suite TV.

Closed loop cruises are similar to domestic ones, but the voyage will always start and finish in the same port. If you book a closed loop cruise in your home country, you will not need a passport. If your cruise is listed as domestic, you will not need a passport, as you will not be disembarking into a foreign country during the voyage. Instead, you will be boarding the ship in a domestic port and returning to a domestic port, even if they are not the same.

A stop in Victoria, British Columbia offers a whole new set of adventures. Visit castles, take a ride on a horse-drawn trolley, stroll through beautiful Butchart Gardens or get your fill of shopping and dining downtown. When you arrive back in Seattle or San Francisco, take time to explore those cities for even more vacation fun. A dedicated team of youth professionals invite kids and teens to join their friends in arts and crafts, sports, video game competitions, scavenger hunts, challenging team games and themed parties. For specific arrival instructions applicable to your itinerary, please consult your Travel Documents.

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. 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. This is because the majority of cruises that you’ll find taking off from the U.S. and heading down to the Bahamas operate on a closed loop.

If you’re looking for a different kind of cruise, explore parts of New England and Canada with New York City as an exciting starting and ending point. Spend a day soaking up history in Boston, Massachusetts, and tour the Charles River aboard an amphibious duck vehicle. Experience lighthouses, lobster bakes and craggy sea cliffs in Portland, Maine, and enjoy a trip to Saint John, a beautiful city on the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, Canada. A stop in the charming fishing village of Halifax, Nova Scotia offers beautiful gardens, more delicious seafood and double-decker bus tours. After you pull into port in the Big Apple, make sure to see a Broadway show, visit the Empire State Building and take a stroll through Central Park.

A passport book may be required in foreign ports on your itinerary and is mandatory for international flights (in case of an emergency). Therefore, a valid passport book is the most recommended and dependable form of identification in all cases of cruise travel. Cruise passport requirements vary depending on the type of cruise you take as well as where the cruise will be sailing. Generally speaking, however, for most international cruises you’ll need either a passport book (valid beyond at least six months from departure date and containing at least two blank pages for entry stamps) or a passport card. The passport book is more expensive, but meets more of the cruise passport requirements for a larger set of destinations and circumstances, including air travel in case of an emergency. Keep in mind that cruise passport requirements can change based on shore excursions, too.

Do You Need a Passport for a Bahamas Cruise?

Table Of Content

• Uncompromizing Commitment to Safety
• What Do You Need to Remember About International Cruise Trips?
• Shore Excursions
• Learn About Credit Cards
• Certain repositioning cruises
• The risks of not bringing a passport on an international sailing

Be aware that requirements on closed-loop cruises can still change in certain countries, so be sure to check the entry requirements of the specific cruise ports on your itinerary. Some Caribbean nations still require passports or passport cards, like Martinique and Guadeloupe. Guests who are unable to care for their own basic needs (e.g., dressing, eating and attending safety drills) MUST have a capable traveling companion. The medical staff on board is not available for daily care unless an individual is hospitalized in the ship’s Medical Center. If you are on a closed-loop cruise that begins and ends in the U.S. and visits Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean, all you need to do is prove you are a U.S. citizen, and this applies to everyone in your party.

Uncompromizing Commitment to Safety

U.S. departure ports for enjoyable Hawaiian cruises include San Francisco, San Diego, Long Beach and Honolulu. In order to coordinate transfers and luggage handling with post- cruise arrangements, a disembarkation form will be distributed to guests for whom we have no disembarkation information or guests for whom we have no flight schedule. Please fill out the form and return it to the Guest Services as soon as possible.

What Do You Need to Remember About International Cruise Trips?

Be sure to bring the original birth certificate, and not a photocopy. Impact on your credit may vary, as credit scores are independently determined by credit bureaus based on a number of factors including the financial decisions you make with other financial services organizations. Immigration and border authorities must be very strict about checking documents for validity, so a photocopy will never be sufficient, even if it is just for a child or senior in your care. If you have changed your name for whatever reason, you must also bring proof of name change. Also, remember that children (even infants) will need a birth certificate to leave and enter the United States, but kids under 16 do not need to show a second form of identification. If you are unsure if your cruise is domestic, consult the cruise line, as they can quickly tell you what type of cruise it is and your specific I.D.

Shore Excursions

As Britain’s oldest colony, Bermuda offers wonderful historic attractions and plenty of opportunities for fun in the sun. Pink-sand beaches, beautiful blue waters and colorful coral reefs deliver the perfect recipe for sunning, swimming, sailing and snorkeling. Cap off a day of adventure in Bermuda with a sunset rum-tasting cruise.

Guests may bring Wine and Champagne onboard, however a corkage fee of USD $20.00 (which is subject to change without notice) will be applied to each bottle (max 750 ml in volume or less). Wine brought in quantities deemed to be excessive by the vessel or security will be refused. As long as you're on a closed-loop cruise, you’ll be able to skip the passport in favor of other government-issued IDs. You’ll also need a passport for cruises that begin and end in different ports, even if they’re both in the United States. Be aware that these requirements only dictate reentry into the United States.

While this type of passport can be issued within as little as a day, it could take up to a week to receive it. If you are cruising with kids under age 16 on a closed-loop cruise, you'll need to bring a certified copy of their original birth certificate for identification. If you don't have a passport and your ship stops at one of these islands, you'll have to stay on board.

When you book on board, you have a much better opportunity of receiving the stateroom or suite that best suits your traveling style; this includes preferred accommodations on our most popular and unique itineraries. That’s because your Future Cruise Consultant has immediate access to Holland America Line’s reservation system and can view all availabilities on all sailings. Immigration and administrative rules may require the vessel to collect and safeguard guest passports and guests to complete landing cards prior to some ports of call. It’s important to understand the information provided above is limited to either land or sea border crossings. This means that if you’re heading to the Bahamas by air, you’re going to need to bring your passport to reenter the U.S. Passports are required for all travelers, including citizens of the U.S. and Canada, who enter or re-enter the United States by air, land, or sea.

The only big ship line with the fly-in option is Norwegian Cruise Line’s 2,186-passenger Pride of America, which is U.S.-flagged, a requirement for operating to and from a U.S. port without stopping in another country. (Foreign-flagged lines are not allowed to sail between U.S. ports without visiting another country under the Jones Act.) You can do a week on the ship from Honolulu and visit five Hawaiian Islands. There are two ways to cruise to the volcanoes, tropical forests, whales, and surfing beaches of Hawai‘i without a passport. One is on a cruise where you fly in and spend your entire vacation in and around the islands.

Trips

Otherwise, you'll be denied boarding and the cruise will be cancelled without a refund. Here are more questions about cruising with a passport you might be wondering. Regardless of what you decide, you should always bring some form of official photo I.D. So, if you have the option, pack your passport and enjoy your cruise. While not related to an ID, it's also a good idea to consider purchasing travel or cruise-specific insurance before departing.

Any cruises where you need to fly to or from a foreign country, including Canada, will necessitate a passport. Explore beautiful spots spread across Maui, Kauai and the Big Island, and drink in the natural beauty only Hawaii delivers. On this exciting trip, you can deep sea fish for marlin, explore forest caves and waterfalls, soak up the sun on a black-sand beach and attend a traditional luau.

Please remember that many other countries have a similar policy when going ashore and you will be subject to their currency allowances at the current exchange rate. Any additional information concerning currency restrictions, please contact the customs agency in their country. Children’s passports are issued for 5 years, adult passports for 10 years. However, depending on your cruise’s itinerary and the destinations you’ll visit, you may be subject to different regulations. Always be sure to double-check before departure to ensure you have everything you need. In general, it is preferable to have a passport with you — especially in the event you need emergency medical care and have to stay in a foreign country, for example.

Place them in a carry-on bag or keep them with you so you can access them easily. You should have it available at the gangway when disembarking so please DO NOT pack it in your tagged luggage. If you’re not a U.S. citizen, do you need a passport to cruise to the Bahamas? Some people prefer to bring their passports in addition to other forms of identification, as it ensures they have covered all of their bases.

Rest assured that your passport will be fully secured by our staff. For guests who have made independent flight plans and purchased any of Holland America Line’s transfers, you must advise Holland America Line of your air schedule at least 14 days prior to arrival. If Holland America Line does not receive the flight information, you will not receive the transfer and will be ineligible for reimbursement of this service.

Here’s some useful information to consider before you depart from popular ports like Miami, Boston, New York, New Orleans, Los Angeles or Seattle. Expert travel tips, dream destination inspiration, and timely travel news delivered to your inbox daily. Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us.

If you want to cruise without a passport, choose itineraries where you know you can get off the ship and enjoy your day in port. These voyages sail round trip from U.S. ports to destinations in North America such as the Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Mexico, Central America, Alaska and Hawaii. They depart from such home ports as Miami, Seattle, Los Angeles, Galveston, Texas and New York City. Each Holland America Line ship has an onboard Medical Center staffed by licensed physicians and critical care nurses. While not a full-service hospital, the Medical Center is well equipped to handle most emergencies, as well as routine medical procedures. The time to reserve your desired stateroom, suite and dining preference is now.

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Please note that this is a U.S. government regulation over which Holland America Line has no control. Please note the EDL is not the same as an Enhanced (or Endorsed) Commercial Driver’s License. To meet this requirement, we must have the necessary information in our records at least 90 minutes prior to departure. Guests who wait to check in at the terminal risk being unable to sail even if they arrive at the terminal before the vessel leaves. Once you’ve completed Online Check-In at , retrieve your digital boarding pass via the app to expedite embarkation at the pier. You can also complete your health assessment and book shore excursions prior to your cruise.