Required documents needed to cruise into Bahamas

[mutt]

I am going on a cruise soon from Port Canaveral to Bahamas and wonder what documentation is required?? I have a valid U.S. Permanent Resident Card, an original Philippines birth certificate, a U.S. Drivers License and an expired Philippines Passport. I'm sure I can get onto the ship in Port Canaveral, but unsure what documents the Bahamas would require me to have to get on or off the cruise. Can anyone help me. I don't want to get off the ship and not be able to get back on.

Thanks, Mutt

[6rugrats]

No, if you don't have the required travel documents, you will be denied boarding, and lose all your money.


It appears as a citizen of the Philippines, you will be required to present your green card and a valid passport. You may want to start your search for information here:

http://bahamas.visahq.com/requiremen...United_States/

Note when you go to this page, you'll have to check you are a permanent resident and that you live in Florida.

More info here:

http://www.un.int/bahamas/tourist%20visa%20info.htm

[cb at sea]

The Bahamas don't require anything of cruise passengers...so you only need whichever ID's to board the ship.

[celle]

Originally Posted by mutt

I am going on a cruise soon from Port Canaveral to Bahamas and wonder what documentation is required?? I have a valid U.S. Permanent Resident Card, an original Philippines birth certificate, a U.S. Drivers License and an expired Philippines Passport. I'm sure I can get onto the ship in Port Canaveral, but unsure what documents the Bahamas would require me to have to get on or off the cruise. Can anyone help me. I don't want to get off the ship and not be able to get back on.

Thanks, Mutt

What 6rugrats said is correct.

Without a passport, you will not even get on to the ship.

It is only US citizens who are allowed to cruise without a passport. US Permanent Residents need a valid, current passport of their citizenship nationality and a US Permanent Resident Card. Your expired Philippines passport will not do.

Apply for a new Philippines passport straight away. I hope you have time to get this before your cruise.

[kitty9]

Originally Posted by cb at sea

The Bahamas don't require anything of cruise passengers...so you only need whichever ID's to board the ship.

Wrong. The OP is not a US citizen, and his Phillippine passport is expired. The US will require a passport for his return. No passport, no cruise.

OP, you won't be allowed to board the ship in PC because you'll need a valid passport. It doesn't matter what other documents you have, a non-US citizen needs a passport.

[SlingBlade]

I just inquired about this today & talked to a person from US customs. He stated all that is needed from a non US citizen is a Valid Permanent Resident Green Card & a US issued State ID. Its kinda odd how I just inquired about this EXACT same post today, Filipino expired passport & ALL !!

[celle]

Originally Posted by SlingBlade

I just inquired about this today & talked to a person from US customs. He stated all that is needed from a non US citizen is a Valid Permanent Resident Green Card & a US issued State ID. Its kinda odd how I just inquired about this EXACT same post today, Filipino expired passport & ALL !!

Yes, but the question you should have asked is: What regulations do the Bahamas have concerning admission of a Philippines citizen to the Bahamas? The OP may well be satisfying US requirements for re-entry into the USA, but he will not satisfy the Bahamas' regulations. Therefore, he will not be allowed to board the cruise ship.

I don't think that a person "from US customs" is the one best-qualified to answer this.

According to this web site:
http://www.thebahamasguide.com/travel/visa.htm
citizens of the Philippines are required to have both a current passport and a visa.

According to this web site (already supplied by 6rugrats above)
www.un.int/bahamas/tourist%20visa%20info.htm
"Permanent Residents of the United States and Canada do not require a visa to travel to The Bahamas. However, Please Note the following:
Permanent Residents of the United States are required to have an Alien Registration Card (Green Card) with a valid passport from the country of origin."

The OP urgently needs to get a new passport, or he/she will not be cruising.

[njhorseman]

Originally Posted by celle

Yes, but the question you should have asked is: What regulations do the Bahamas have concerning admission of a Philippines citizen to the Bahamas? The OP may well be satisfying US requirements for re-entry into the USA, but he will not satisfy the Bahamas' regulations. Therefore, he will not be allowed to board the cruise ship.

I don't think that a person "from US customs" is the one best-qualified to answer this.

According to this web site:
http://www.thebahamasguide.com/travel/visa.htm
citizens of the Philippines are required to have both a current passport and a visa.

According to this web site (already supplied by 6rugrats above)
www.un.int/bahamas/tourist%20visa%20info.htm
"Permanent Residents of the United States and Canada do not require a visa to travel to The Bahamas. However, Please Note the following:
Permanent Residents of the United States are required to have an Alien Registration Card (Green Card) with a valid passport from the country of origin."

The OP urgently needs to get a new passport, or he/she will not be cruising.

It's even more complicated...you can't rely on these Web sites to have the correct information for cruisers. Cruisers are often granted a waiver of passport requirements because they are considered to be "in transit". For example, the site provided by 6rugrats clearly is wrong on passport requirements for US citizens who are cruise passengers. It says:

"There are no visa requirements for American and Canadian Citizens. However, they must possess a valid passport along with their tickets or cruise itinerary."

This is clearly wrong...US citizens are not required to have a valid passport to cruise to the Bahamas as long as they satisfy the US requirements for reentry, which on a closed loop cruise does not require a passport.

If this site is wrong about the simple example of the requirements for a US citizen, can it be trusted for anything else?

I have no idea whether the OP must have a valid Philippines passport...he very well may...but I know you can't trust what you may read on typical sites...sometimes even "official" government sites... giving such information because they are often wrong about requirements for cruise passengers.

The only way for the OP to be sure he has gotten the correct advice is for him contact the Bahamas embassy.

[celle]

Originally Posted by njhorseman

It's even more complicated...you can't rely on these Web sites to have the correct information for cruisers. Cruisers are often granted a waiver of passport requirements because they are considered to be "in transit". For example, the site provided by 6rugrats clearly is wrong on passport requirements for US citizens who are cruise passengers. It says:

"There are no visa requirements for American and Canadian Citizens. However, they must possess a valid passport along with their tickets or cruise itinerary."

This is clearly wrong...US citizens are not required to have a valid passport to cruise to the Bahamas as long as they satisfy the US requirements for reentry, which on a closed loop cruise does not require a passport.

If this site is wrong about the simple example of the requirements for a US citizen, can it be trusted for anything else?

I have no idea whether the OP must have a valid Philippines passport...he very well may...but I know you can't trust what you may read on typical sites...sometimes even "official" government sites... giving such information because they are often wrong about requirements for cruise passengers.

The only way for the OP to be sure he has gotten the correct advice is for him contact the Bahamas embassy.

And the sooner, the better! (Since there is so much room for confusion.)

If he does not need a passport, this will set his mind at rest. If he does need a passport, he needs to get it a.s.a.p. Whichever, he needs to find out in advance, and not get a nasty shock when he gets to the cruise port.

By the way, there is nothing simple about passport requirements for US citizens - the number of queries that start with "Do I need a passport to . . . ?" on Cruise Critic surely testifies to that.

[njhorseman]

Originally Posted by celle

And the sooner, the better! (Since there is so much room for confusion.)

If he does not need a passport, this will set his mind at rest. If he does need a passport, he needs to get it a.s.a.p. Whichever, he needs to find out in advance, and not get a nasty shock when he gets to the cruise port.

By the way, there is nothing simple about passport requirements for US citizens - the number of queries that start with "Do I need a passport to . . . ?" on Cruise Critic surely testifies to that.

I disagree...the passport requirements for US citizens are generally quite simple. The reason there are almost daily questions about them here is that the people asking the questions just don't know what the requirements are, or where to find the answers, usually because they're new cruisers...not because the requirements and answers are particularly complicated.

[6rugrats]

Originally Posted by cb at sea

The Bahamas don't require anything of cruise passengers...so you only need whichever ID's to board the ship.

I'm sorry, but do you even read the question before you respond?

Originally Posted by njhorseman

The only way for the OP to be sure he has gotten the correct advice is for him contact the Bahamas embassy.

Yes, and thus the link to the Bahamas Embassy was provided. Certainly agree OP needs to consult them directly, but I do think he will need a valid passport.

Good luck OP and I hope you start working on this ASAP.

Another useful link:

http://www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/wcm/co...f-3abf5d50b467

[njhorseman]

Originally Posted by 6rugrats

Yes, and thus the link to the Bahamas Embassy was provided. Certainly agree OP needs to consult them directly, but I do think he will need a valid passport.

Good luck OP and I hope you start working on this ASAP.

But as I already noted, that page has incorrect information on the most simple of cases...whether a US citizen needs a passport to cruise to the Bahamas, so we already know it can't be trusted.

Again...here's the clearly incorrect information from that page:

"There are no visa requirements for American and Canadian Citizens. However, they must possess a valid passport along with their tickets or cruise itinerary."

Government web sites often fail to state the "in transit" waiver for passport or visa requirements for cruise passengers.

[6rugrats]

Originally Posted by njhorseman

But as I already noted, that page has incorrect information on the most simple of cases...whether a US citizen needs a passport to cruise to the Bahamas, so we already know it can't be trusted.

Again...here's the clearly incorrect information from that page:

"There are no visa requirements for American and Canadian Citizens. However, they must possess a valid passport along with their tickets or cruise itinerary."

Perhaps you will like the link provided in the post above yours, which has the correct information!

[njhorseman]

Originally Posted by 6rugrats

Perhaps you will like the link provided in the post above yours, which has the correct information!

No, because it's still not correct for US citizens. You don't need a WHTI-compliant document...which are passport cards, enhanced drivers licenses and certain trusted traveler program cards, any more than you need a passport. A birth certificate and drivers license are not WHTI-compliant documents...they are exception documents allowed for the sole purpose of taking closed loop cruises.

[6rugrats]

Originally Posted by njhorseman

No, because it's still not correct for US citizens. You don't need a WHTI-compliant document...which are passport cards, enhanced drivers licenses and certain trusted traveler program cards, any more than you need a passport. A birth certificate and drivers license are not WHTI-compliant documents...they are exception documents allowed for the sole purpose of taking closed loop cruises.

It doesn't say WHTI compliant documentation. It says WITH compliant documentation, which is correct.

[njhorseman]

Originally Posted by 6rugrats

It doesn't say WHTI compliant documentation. It says WITH compliant documentation, which is correct.

Please...it's onbviously a typo. "WITH" is in all caps while "compliant document" isn't. "WITH" is supposed to be WHTI.

[celle]

Originally Posted by njhorseman

I disagree...the passport requirements for US citizens are generally quite simple. The reason there are almost daily questions about them here is that the people asking the questions just don't know what the requirements are, or where to find the answers, usually because they're new cruisers...not because the requirements and answers are particularly complicated.

Compared to the rules for most other countries, the rules concerning US passports are complicated.

For most countries, the rule is simple - travel outside your own country and you will need a passport. I am aware of some exceptions for people of Schengen-country nationality travelling between countries within the Schengen area.

The US, on the other hand, has several alternatives:

• Passport book for travelling to most countries;
• Passport book or passport card for land travel to Canada or Mexico (but the passport card is not acceptable for travel by air);
• No passport for cruise ship travel to countries where the WHTI applies (but you can use a passport if you wish. If you choose not to use a passport, you need an official birth certificate and some official photographic ID.)

It's no wonder people get confused!

[mutt]

OMG, so many different answers - I'm more confused now than I was before.

I do know for a fact that U.S. residents can get on a cruise ship without a passport as long as they have a certified birth certificate and a valid state I.D. like a drivers license.

Now assuming that I need to update my expired Philippines passport ASAP, does anyone know how to do that?? I am hearing stories that I have to go to Washington to do that, is that correct??

HELP - thanks.

[sail7seas]

The point that seems to be eluding is that you cannot get on the ship if you do not have the travel documents to satisfy every port where the ship will be calling. It doesn't matter whether you are getting off or not. The check in people at the pier will not permit you to board if you do not have the proper travel documents.

This is not the place to learn what those documents are for You.
The place is the cruise line and Bahamas Officials.

[sail7seas]

Originally Posted by mutt

OMG, so many different answers - I'm more confused now than I was before.

I do know for a fact that U.S. residents can get on a cruise ship without a passport as long as they have a certified birth certificate and a valid state I.D. like a drivers license.

Now assuming that I need to update my expired Philippines passport ASAP, does anyone know how to do that?? I am hearing stories that I have to go to Washington to do that, is that correct??

HELP - thanks.

I would think you can renew your passport at a Philipines Consulate.
I did a quick google and while I cannot verify this info is current and correct, it appears there is a Phillipines Consulate in Wash, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Oregon...... maybe some others.

Do a search and see if you find relatively near you.

Good luck.