any cruises where I wouldn't need a passport?

My passport is now running out - I need to renew as soon as possible. If I wanted to cruise before I got the new passport in the mail, are there any places RCI sails that are warm, but you don't need your passport to go???

my wife didn't change the name on her passport in the window when we got married, and now it's too late and she'd have to get a new passport. So every cruise we've been on, she takes her passport with maiden name, birth certificate, and marriage certificate. She's been ok so far, but if we missed the boat or something happened she'd be kinda screwed. So technically you can get away without a passport, but it's not something to make practice of.

My passport is now running out - I need to renew as soon as possible. If I wanted to cruise before I got the new passport in the mail, are there any places RCI sails that are warm, but you don't need your passport to go???

You do not need a Passport on ANY "closed loop" cruise that returns to the same US port it sails out of :) Highly recommended but not required.

A certified birth certificate and government issued drivers license or ID is fine........if your last name differs from your birth certificate than your drivers license, take your marriage certificate to provide them with a "bridge" document.

The problem with not having a passport is if you should have an emergency and need to fly home you will be in trouble. You need that passport to fly home from any non US port.

You do not need a Passport on ANY "closed loop" cruise that returns to the same US port it sails out of :) Highly recommended but not required.

 

A certified birth certificate and government issued drivers license or ID is fine........if your last name differs from your birth certificate than your drivers license, take your marriage certificate to provide them with a "bridge" document.

This is all very true, but just a word of warning: If your wife has previously been married, and the marriage certificate from when you and her got married has her previously married name on it, then you can have some problems.

We left on the 15th on a closed loop cruise out of Port Canaveral and had a couple of tense moments, and for a second thought we may not be able to get on.

We had her birth certificate, which had her maiden name, our marriage certificate, which had her previously married name, and her license, which had her current married name. We couldn't find the divorce papers before we left and I thought we'd be fine. Luckily, my stepson, who has her previously married last name was with us and since he is 17 he had his drivers license and birth certificate with him. The lady said that had we not had him with us my wife may not have been allowed to board.:eek:

After that, we vowed to all get passports. It's just much easier!

A closed loop Caribbean cruise does not require a passport for Americans. We routinely sail there with only DL and BC. Not a problem.

Passports are recommended but birth certificates will do.

This is all very true, but just a word of warning: If your wife has previously been married, and the marriage certificate from when you and her got married has her previously married name on it, then you can have some problems.

 

 

After that, we vowed to all get passports. It's just much easier!

My mother was in the same position before her first cruise and I learned on here that it would just be a whole lot easier for her to get a Passport.

Her and my father were divorced when I was very young. She remarried and her husband passed away back in 1991. She then got remarried again to the man she is still with.

The "paper trail" would have been almost impossible to come up with so she just went and got her Passport.

It really all boils down to how thorough the agent at the pier is I guess......Some of them dont even ask for a marriage license no matter how the last names differ from birth certificate to ID.