Need help 😯

Ok.... So... This is my girlfriends and I first cruise. I've planned all of our vacations and everything so I'm no stranger to these things but I'm having information overload right now. We don't have passports (we've always just traveled inside of the US) and our cruise is in a few weeks. Now, we both have a birth certificates and I've already ran into an issue of a middle initial not being on my license so I'm having to fix that before the cruise. But then I started reading that some ports, even in the caribbean, still might require a passport and so you can't get off the boat or you can get off but can't get back on.... A bunch of stuff. So I'm asking, for Cozumel and Costa Maya can you get off/on those ports with your ID and birth certificate? Once we go on this cruise and if we decide we really like this kind of stuff then we're going to get our passports but for this one cruise will I be OK for those Ports? This is a closed loop cruise and we got all our documents for the cruise. But that line of "some ports still require a passport no matter what the cruise says" has me freaking out! Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

If you are both US citizens, then you will be fine at Cozumel and Costa Maya with just a certified copy of the BC and government issued photo ID.

From Celebrity:

https://www.celebritycruises.com/company/customer-support/help-and-faqs/pre-cruise/travel-documents

for Royal Caribbean

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/united-states-citizen-travel-documentation

If you are both US citizens, then you will be fine at Cozumel and Costa Maya with just a certified copy of the BC and government issued photo ID.

The cc iPhone app does not identify any particular cruise line associated with the OP's post.

That said, OP should recognize that pretty much every premium and luxury curt cruise line re United that all passengers on all itineraries present their passport at embarkation. For those lines, "closed loop" is irrelevant.

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I forgot to say we are cruising royal caribbean.

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

As long as you have Birth Certificates with Raised seals and official ID's like driver's licenses, you will be fine for your cruise.

I noticed that you said you will be cruising in a few weeks. If you don;t leave for at least 6 weeks you can still apply for a passport and have it expedited -- it will cost a little more but it is well worth the cost and ease of mind.

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

As long as you have Birth Certificates with Raised seals and official ID's like driver's licenses, you will be fine for your cruise.

I noticed that you said you will be cruising in a few weeks. If you don;t leave for at least 6 weeks you can still apply for a passport and have it expedited -- it will cost a little more but it is well worth the cost and ease of mind.

No my cruise is in 2 weeks :eek: (I already reordered my driver license that has the correct info and it should be here tomorrow) but reading off somewhere that some ports might still require a passport freaked me out! If me and my girlfriend love this trip then we're definitely getting our passports after this!

Don't worry - you'll love it! 😁

Make sure that your birth certificate is an official one with a raised seal.

Make sure that your birth certificate is an official one with a raised seal.

They don’t all have raised seals. It just needs an official seal. Kansas’ seal is not raised.

The only Caribbean port that I know that requires a passport is Cuba. Cozumel and costa maya will be fine without one.

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None of the ports in the Caribbean require you to take your passports or birth certificate with you getting off or back on the ship. Leave them in your safe! I don't know about Cuba but you're not going there. Years ago all ships took and kept all non US passports until the last evening. No one needed them.

You only need your ship's sign 'n sail card and a driver's license to get back on the ship.

Watch out, you're going to get hooked on cruising like we did in 1984!

Gosh, seems to be a simple question but answers are all over the board. :confused: