passport for toddlers

going on a disney cruise with the only island being castaway cay in the Bahamas. Do I need to to get passports for a three and four year old? Thanks!!!!

If they are US Citizens and it is a "Closed Loop" cruise they can use a Certified Birth Certificate. BUT for the ultimate clarification please contact your cruiseline for exact information.

going on a disney cruise with the only island being castaway cay in the Bahamas. Do I need to to get passports for a three and four year old? Thanks!!!!

I wouldn't unless Disney required it.

Age really does not effect the law. If it is a closed loop cruise (which is what it is) you can cruise without a Passport as long as you have an acceptable Birth Certificate (an official copy with seal is best) and picture ID (for those over 16). To avoid any doubt here is the details for children:

"U.S. Citizens on closed-loop cruises will be able to enter or depart the country on the cruise with proof of citizenship, such as an original or copy of his or her birth certificate (issued by the Vital Records Department in the state where he or she was born) and, if 16 or older, a government issued photo ID. If the child is a newborn and the actual birth certificate has not arrived from the Vital Records Department, we will accept a Hospital issued birth certificate. The United States does not require you to have a passport. (A Consular report of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State or a Certificate of Naturalization is also acceptable.) "

There are always some major advantages to having a valid Passport, namely that if you had to leave the cruise while out of the country (such in the Bahamas) for an emergency, you would need a Passport to get back into the US. But in your situation most would probably be comfortable accepting that risk and just using a Birth Certificate.

Hank

the two above grandsons have been on a total of 11 cruises with no passports to the Bahamas and Bermuda.

Thanks fo reveryones input! We have passports but the children and grandchildren don't. I presumed that the adullts needed passports too. Am I understanding this correctly, even the adults do not need passports? Thanks!!

For closed looped cruises sailing from to same U.S. port, U.S. citizens do not need a passport to cruise to Bermuda, Caribbean, Canada and Mexico. You DO need a passport to fly anywhere internationally. Should you have an emergency and have to leave the ship to fly home, you would have a problem without a passport.

Seeing you have them, why wouldn't you bring and use them as your I.D?

If you travel without passport, be certain to have your drivers license or other government issued photo ID in addition to your birth certificate.

Marianne,

Guessing that the 'children' you refer to are your adult children? Any US citizen may travel on a RT cruise in the Western Hemisphere from a US port with just proof of citizenship and government issued ID for anyone 16 or over. Proof of citizenship is usually a government issued BC, ID is most often a driver license. If any of your family have special situations (not born in the US, for example) they will need different documents. If any destination country has passport requirements, they would need a passport; but your cruise and 99% of all Caribbean cruises do not require passports.

If Castaway Cay is your only stop, it's the cruiseline's island...so it's just like being on the ship.

You don't need a passport if you are an American citizen, and leave and return from the same US port.

However. If the ship has a problem and you end up having to fly home or it ends up in a us port other than the one from which you originated, not having a passport is going to cause a problem. Mine has had a passport since he was 1.5 just in case.

However. If the ship has a problem and you end up having to fly home or it ends up in a us port other than the one from which you originated, not having a passport is going to cause a problem. Mine has had a passport since he was 1.5 just in case.

If the ship ends up in a different port they will take care of getting everyone home. Last time it happened CBP issued a letter to all non-passport holders allowing them to fly back without a passport. They made it back within the same time as those that had passports.

Nice that they were accommodated. But there isn't a guarantee of that. If you extrapolate to other situations, it also seems wise to have one. Maybe a parent has a medical emergency and all parties need to fly home.

They aren't expensive or hard to obtain. I figure it's better safe than sorry. But to each his/her own, obviously. ;)

Nice that they were accommodated. But there isn't a guarantee of that. If you extrapolate to other situations, it also seems wise to have one. Maybe a parent has a medical emergency and all parties need to fly home.

 

They aren't expensive or hard to obtain. I figure it's better safe than sorry. But to each his/her own, obviously. ;)

In the OP's case there's no place to fly home from (unless Castaway Cay has an airport, but it is Disney so maybe it does, I've always heard that their private island has more things than anyone else;)).

I wouldn't unless Disney required it.

it's not Disney you need to worry about. It is Customs/Immigration.

it's not Disney you need to worry about. It is Customs/Immigration.

Some cruise lines have requirements that go beyond those imposed by CBP regulations (for example Regent Seven Seas requires a passport for all itineraries...even closed loop), so you do have to worry about your cruise line and should always check their requirements.

it's not Disney you need to worry about. It is Customs/Immigration.

Some cruise lines have requirements that go beyond those imposed by CBP regulations (for example Regent Seven Seas requires a passport for all itineraries...even closed loop), so you do have to worry about your cruise line and should always check their requirements.

Yep.