passport requirement for panama canal partial cruise

Has anyone traveled on the Coral Princess to the Panama canal without a passport or passport card? I have received two different answers from Princess staff about requirements. We are sailing on 2/16 and our passports expire in July. We have been told we will not be allowed to board by one agent and told all we need is drivers license by another. Confused!!!:confused:

You need, at minimum, an official birth certificate with raised seal and a state issued photo ID, like a Driver's license. Don't think the passport card will work. Princess would be requiring a 6 month period available on your passport. Some foreign governments also require that 6 month availability as well.

Why not just get your passport renewed? It is easy and you should have a new one in plenty of time for your cruise. Fill out application on line, print it out, add picture, check and old passport and mail it. Should get new one in 3-4 weeks.

.... Don't think the passport card will work. ...l.

Yes, it will. I've used mine repeatedly.

Has anyone traveled on the Coral Princess to the Panama canal without a passport or passport card? I have received two different answers from Princess staff about requirements. We are sailing on 2/16 and our passports expire in July. We have been told we will not be allowed to board by one agent and told all we need is drivers license by another. Confused!!!:confused:

To get back into the US see http://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/documents/whti_state_factsheet.pdf

Most ports of call in the Caribbean area accept the same documents from cruise visitors. However, you should check regulations of the various countries on your itinerary.

Valid when entering the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda at land border crossings or sea ports-of-entry. Not valid for international travel by air. From State Department Web Site. This is important because if anything happens on your cruise and you need to fly back, it will be a problem.

Getting back on the ship you should be ok. But that does not speak to the Panama side of things.

I use to work out of Panama. I always needed my passport whenever I flew in or out. When I was given permanet residence I still needed a passport, but went through the shorter line and they did not always stamp it.

My two cruises were a different story. I did not need a passport to leave the ship on excursions, but remember the ship has all that information. I check the department of state web site. Anytime entering Panama you must have a passport. What you do not need is the tourist card or visa if you are on acruise ship if you are traveling the canal. That includes if you get off the ship for an excursion. If you are on a private ship you must have visa before you enter Panamanian Waters.

Just remember my experience ended about four years ago.

Has anyone traveled on the Coral Princess to the Panama canal without a passport or passport card? I have received two different answers from Princess staff about requirements. We are sailing on 2/16 and our passports expire in July. We have been told we will not be allowed to board by one agent and told all we need is drivers license by another. Confused!!!:confused:

It's a closed loop cruise so you should be fine with a birth certificate and a govt picture ID.

Don't bring the one from the hospital. Use the one you used to get your passport.

Bill

You should be ok, technically your passport would still be valid to get you back by air in case of an emergency, and you will still be outside the 6 month window some countries require.

Because it is a closed loop cruise a passport is not required, but as has been discussed ad nauseum, if you do have an issue and have to leave the trip early, matters will be far more difficult without them.

Personally, I agree, just renew the darn things, you have plenty of time and you don't want to let them expire anyway!

You should be ok, technically your passport would still be valid to get you back by air in case of an emergency, and you will still be outside the 6 month window some countries require.

February 16 is less than 6 months to the end of July.

Personally, I agree, just renew the darn things, you have plenty of time and you don't want to let them expire anyway!

February 16, 2015, is three weeks from tomorrow... *probably* doable, but *possibly* not. If it were me, at this point, I would use the existing, non-expired passport... I think it *should* be accepted for this closed-loop cruise. I might also bring my birth certificate and (of course) state ID/driver license, in case there is any question at port check-in because of the less-than-six-month aspect.

Has anyone traveled on the Coral Princess to the Panama canal without a passport or passport card? I have received two different answers from Princess staff about requirements. We are sailing on 2/16 and our passports expire in July. We have been told we will not be allowed to board by one agent and told all we need is drivers license by another. Confused!!!:confused:

Yes you will need a valid passport. Bring the one you have.

Has anyone traveled on the Coral Princess to the Panama canal without a passport or passport card? I have received two different answers from Princess staff about requirements. We are sailing on 2/16 and our passports expire in July. We have been told we will not be allowed to board by one agent and told all we need is drivers license by another. Confused!!!:confused:

Is your passport expiring in July 2015 or 2016?

If 2016 then you have no problem whatsoever. The 6 month rule some countries have does not apply to cruise pax as they are considered in transit.

Bill

Yes you will need a valid passport. Bring the one you have.

Why do you need a valid passport? I'm probably missing something here .:confused:

Bill

Sorry, I read it wrong. I was thinking they were cruising Feb 2016....

I still think technically you are ok. Birth certificate (original) and DL are sufficient for customs, and in the event of an emergency, dealing with the 6 month window will be easier than dealing with no passports and the ones you have will be ok for US entry.

You should be able to use the DL/BC to board and the passport at customs when you return.

The 6 month rule/policy is a cruise line thing, your passport is valid up to the day it expires.

Per this website: http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country/panama.html

"U.S. citizens traveling by air, road, or sea must present a valid passport that has a remaining validity of at least three months. U.S. citizens attempting to enter without a valid passport will be returned to their point of departure in the U.S. on the next available flight. Panamanian immigration strictly enforces this law."

Your BC and DL will be fine...it's all you NEED.

The Panamanian govt never sees your US ID, whether a passport or BC. You are an 'in transit' visitor to the country and are accorded limited visiting privileges for your excursions and days visit to Panama.

This is basically true for all Caribbean ports that US citizens visit.

The ID/Passport regulations that US passengers must comply with are for entrance INTO the US when they return from their cruise.

You can use a valid passport or BC/photo ID. Any requirement for passport validity beyond the end of a cruise is strictly the rules of the cruise line.

To the OP....welcome to the world of Cruise Line Customer service who think their job requires them to make up answers instead of admitting that they do not know the answer.

Per this website: http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country/panama.html

 

"U.S. citizens traveling by air, road, or sea must present a valid passport that has a remaining validity of at least three months. U.S. citizens attempting to enter without a valid passport will be returned to their point of departure in the U.S. on the next available flight. Panamanian immigration strictly enforces this law."

Even with 1 month 2 months etc to expiration passport I doubt you will be denied entrance to the US.

The issue is not entry into the US. If you need to disembark early, customs and immigration of the country of entry is where the issue could be. If you have to disembark and do not have a valid passport by their rules, they need to get clearance, etc. Now in the case of a medical emergency, clearance is always granted, but if you just missed the ship not having a valid ....

To re-enter the US by air, you need 1 day left on passport so that's not an issue.