traveling without a passport

I will be in Phillipsburg last month, and I remember reading that the French side of the island requires a passport, while the Dutch side doesn't. If I am going to be entering from the Dutch side, will I be alright to travel to the French side without a passport?

I will be in Phillipsburg last month, and I remember reading that the French side of the island requires a passport, while the Dutch side doesn't. If I am going to be entering from the Dutch side, will I be alright to travel to the French side without a passport?

If you blink you will not even notice (the sign) where one starts and the other begins..no passport necessary.

No passport required. Ashland is so right...you'll probably not notice you've crossed the border.

I will be in Phillipsburg last month, and I remember reading that the French side of the island requires a passport, while the Dutch side doesn't. If I am going to be entering from the Dutch side, will I be alright to travel to the French side without a passport?

Are you saying that you do not need a passport to enter the Dutch part of the island from the US? If so, I don't think that this is accurate. I believe that you need a passport to enter the island, but not to pass from the Dutch side to the French side and back. If I have misunderstood your question, I apologize.

Are you saying that you do not need a passport to enter the Dutch part of the island from the US? If so, I don't think that this is accurate. I believe that you need a passport to enter the island, but not to pass from the Dutch side to the French side and back. If I have misunderstood your question, I apologize.

If you're on a cruise all you need to enter any destination is your sea pass. It's only if you miss the boat that life starts getting complicated.

I will be in St Marteen in March for my cruise. We wanted to do at least one day on the beach when we are docked. do you recommend beaching it in St Marteen or selecting an excursion.

our itinerary contains these ports

Nassau Bahamas-which my husband already planned a tour

St Marteen-

St Thomas-

which one of these 2 are the better beaches. we will stop there, and the other we will do our excursion

Thanks;)

I will be in St Marteen in March for my cruise. We wanted to do at least one day on the beach when we are docked. do you recommend beaching it in St Marteen or selecting an excursion.

 

our itinerary contains these ports

Nassau Bahamas-which my husband already planned a tour

 

St Marteen-

 

St Thomas-

 

which one of these 2 are the better beaches. we will stop there, and the other we will do our excursion

 

Thanks;)

Both St Maarten and St Thomas make for Great Beach days but if snorkeling from the beach is something that you want to do then choose St. Thomas as your beach day.

If you're on a cruise all you need to enter any destination is your sea pass. It's only if you miss the boat that life starts getting complicated.

Yes I do know that. I guess that I misunderstood the original question. I thought that the OP was asking if he could travel to St Martin without any passport, get off the ship on the Dutch side and then travel to the French side.

Yes I do know that. I guess that I misunderstood the original question. I thought that the OP was asking if he could travel to St Martin without any passport, get off the ship on the Dutch side and then travel to the French side.

Apparently you can travel without a passport as a US citizen on a closed loop cruise that departs from the US. If you have a medical emergency or miss the ship and need to fly home from say St. Maarten, then the issues about not traveling with a passport rear their ugly head. If you fly directly to St. Maarten from the US you do need a passport. Passing from the Dutch side to the French side is seamless like driving from one town at home to the next. There is a welcome to... sign and that's it.

That is what I have gathered on here over the years anyway.

I am just curious, why would you not have a passport if you are leaving main land U.S.A.

Because as a US citizen I don't need one on a closed loop cruise beginning and ending in a US port. Neither my girlfriend or I have one and the added expense could be use for other purposes.

I am just curious, why would you not have a passport if you are leaving main land U.S.A.

It's probably the same in the caribbean like "we" in Europe have it for the Schengen-area; as a citizen living in a country which belongs to Schengen you don't need a passport to travel; an ID-Card is enough.

To OP:

If a passport would be required then your booking agent or cruise company had to inform you about it.

So no passport required if you're arriving by cruise; just your Seapass and in some port a picture ID, as

in some ports the security people will check, before you're allowed on the pier. I was there in March and I never had to show my passport.

Enjoy I will be there end of December...

I personally would never travel out of my country without a passport because if I needed to get back in an Emergency saving a few bucks would never be worth the hassle to me.

It's probably the same in the caribbean like "we" in Europe have it for the Schengen-area; as a citizen living in a country which belongs to Schengen you don't need a passport to travel; an ID-Card is enough.

 

To OP:

If a passport would be required then your booking agent or cruise company had to inform you about it.

So no passport required if you're arriving by cruise; just your Seapass and in some port a picture ID, as

in some ports the security people will check, before you're allowed on the pier. I was there in March and I never had to show my passport.

 

Enjoy I will be there end of December...

It's not the same thing. If a US citizen flys to St. Maarten they need a passport. If they are on a closed loop cruise from a US port and returning to a US port they can visit St. Maarten on that cruise. It is a cruise specific rule ( law?).

It's not the same thing. If a US citizen flys to St. Maarten they need a passport. If they are on a closed loop cruise from a US port and returning to a US port they can visit St. Maarten on that cruise. Is it a cruise specific rule ( law?).[/QI'DTE]

 

Yes, you are correct. If I were to fly to St. Maarten I would need a passport, although I wouldn't need one to fly to San Juan (another port of call on my itinerary). However, if a cruise leaves and arrives in the SAME US port, then all that is needed is State issued ID AND a birth certificate.

It's not the same thing. If a US citizen flys to St. Maarten they need a passport. If they are on a closed loop cruise from a US port and returning to a US port they can visit St. Maarten on that cruise. Is it a cruise specific rule ( law?).[/QI'DTE]

 

Yes, you are correct. If I were to fly to St. Maarten I would need a passport, although I wouldn't need one to fly to San Juan (another port of call on my itinerary). However, if a cruise leaves and arrives in the SAME US port, then all that is needed is State issued ID AND a birth certificate.

 

Interesting that it needs to be the SAME US port. What happens if a hurricane damaged say MIami and the ship needed to dock in Ft Lauderdale. Would this actually create a problem?

 

Interesting that it needs to be the SAME US port. What happens if a hurricane damaged say MIami and the ship needed to dock in Ft Lauderdale. Would this actually create a problem?

 

That has happened due to weather and also instances such as when Carnival had the power issues and ended the cruise other than as scheduled. CBP Officials granted exceptions, scrutinized the manifest and gave waivers for those guests without passports to enter for that time only. Those with passports smoothly went on their way by whichever method they chose.

 

 

That has happened due to weather and also instances such as when Carnival had the power issues and ended the cruise other than as scheduled. CBP Officials granted exceptions, scrutinized the manifest and gave waivers for those guests without passports to enter for that time only. Those with passports smoothly went on their way by whichever method they chose.

 

 

Since its all the US it's weird to me that it would matter that the passengers without a passport disembarked in a different city or even a different state. Thanks for the info.:)

 

Since its all the US it's weird to me that it would matter that the passengers without a passport disembarked in a different city or even a different state. Thanks for the info.:)

 

It's just a case of effective lobbying: the cruise industry wanted to make it easy and inexpensive for US citizens to cruise. Congress decided to go along with the request, but did not want to run afoul of legislation designed to protect the U.S. maritime industry - which forbids non-US flagged ships transporting passengers between different U S ports. Accordingly, you will see closed loop cruises.

 

It's not the lack of passport which requires the closed loop.