Do we hVe to have a passport?

[Mrsdub]

My husband and I want to take a last minute cruise but do not have current passports. We would not be flying as hubby is terrified of it. We would be driving to Los Angeles and boarding a cruise to Mexican Riviera. Thank you!

 

 

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[Shmoo here]

My husband and I want to take a last minute cruise but do not have current passports. We would not be flying as hubby is terrified of it. We would be driving to Los Angeles and boarding a cruise to Mexican Riviera. Thank you!

 

 

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For most major cruise lines, the minimum ID requirement for US citizens on a closed loop cruise (begins and ends in the same US port, stopping at Western Hemisphere ports only), is a birth certificate, plus (for those 16 and over) a government issued photo ID.

 

That said, there are cruise lines that require a passport, regardless of what the law says.

 

Whether or not you plan to fly, you may not have a choice. If, for some reason (illness, ship fails to return to home port) and you have to fly home from a foreign port, you will have to have a passport. Yes, you can probably get an emergency one issued in that case, but it will take time, and add stress to an probably already stressful situation.

 

But it's your call.

[Grandma Dazzles]

Probably not. Might depend on the cruise line. Some lines require passports, others certified birth certificates - check with your cruise line.

 

I know you said you won't flying, but if an emergency should occur you would need a passport to fly. Personally would not travel without a passport but it is your choice.

[sloopsailor]

I would not leave the country without a passport regardless of if it's a closed loop cruise that doesn't absolutely require one. I prefer to be covered for all contingencies, such as an emergency in my family that requires me to fly back to the states or a failure of the ship that ends in a cruise cut short in an out of country port. Better safe than sorry.

[zqvol]

I would not leave the country without a passport regardless of if it's a closed loop cruise that doesn't absolutely require one. I prefer to be covered for all contingencies, such as an emergency in my family that requires me to fly back to the states or a failure of the ship that ends in a cruise cut short in an out of country port. Better safe than sorry.

 

Great non answer.

 

 

OP does not require a passport to do a closed loop cruise out of LA on a mass market line as long as she and her husband are US citizens.

[sloopsailor]

Great non answer.

 

 

OP does not require a passport to do a closed loop cruise out of LA on a mass market line as long as she and her husband are US citizens.

 

What is the problem with my comment? I clearly mentioned that closed loop cruises don't require passports. And then I added that I personally wouldn't leave the country without my passport, preferring to use it as it is designed to be used, and believing that such advice has merit.

 

BTW: your "non-answer"? Not so great. :rolleyes:

[sparks1093]

OP, millions of US citizens travel on closed loop cruises every year with something other than a passport with no issues at all. You have to decide for yourself how risky it is for you to travel without a passport. A 3 day cruise has less risk than a 14 day cruise. Strolling around the port has less risk than jet skiing. And at the end of the day the only real risk is that IF something happens you'll be delayed in returning to the US and this delay could be up to a day or two depending on why you need to return to the US (the DHS regulations contain provisions for the passport requirement to be waived for emergencies or for humanitarian reasons). What others choose to do has no impact on what you choose to do.

[sparks1093]

a failure of the ship that ends in a cruise cut short in an out of country port.

 

When that happened (Carnival ship in St Martin) those without passports were given letters from CBP authorizing them to board planes without a passport and they boarded the same planes at the same time as those with passports.

[Texas Tillie]

When that happened (Carnival ship in St Martin) those without passports were given letters from CBP authorizing them to board planes without a passport and they boarded the same planes at the same time as those with passports.

 

And you are sure that the same thing will happen next time? Past performance is guarantee of future.....

[Krazy Kruizers]

I am one of those people who would rather take my passport no matter how long or short the cruise is. You never know what can happen and I want to know that I am prepared.

We all have to decide what to do and what makes us feel comfortable. There are people who travel without passports and feel comfortable with that decision.

[sparks1093]

And you are sure that the same thing will happen next time? Past performance is guarantee of future.....

 

I have no reason to doubt that the same thing would happen next time. In any event, for me personally the risk of this happening is so slight as it would not factor into my decision. I obtained a passport when it was needed for the travel we were doing, which was in 2015. Prior to that the risks for us were low enough that we felt comfortable traveling on a closed loop cruise with one of the alternate forms of documentation.

[thinfool]

The OP asked a binary question...yes or no.

 

The OP did not ask for opinions.

[DirtyDawg]

The OP asked a binary question...yes or no.

 

The OP did not ask for opinions.

 

:D This is Cruise Critic. There are no binary questions here. ;)

[Z'Loth]

Define "last-minute" and on which cruise line. The first place to check is travel.state.gov followed by the cruise line policies. And, per the passport page, , the turnaround time for a US Passport is 4-6 weeks under normal circumstances, and 2-3 weeks expedited. Please note that a passport is good for ten years.

 

Is a passport required on a Mexican or Caribbean cruise? No, alternative documentation options are available. It just not recommended because of the possibility of having to fly back to the United States (e.g. Medical Emergency). A passport book is required for international air travel.

[sanger727]

If you are US citizens on a round trip sailing from LA to Mexico on a mass market cruise line (ie carnival, royal Caribbean, norwegian, etc); you can board with a birth certificate and driver’s license.

 

Many many many people cruise each year without passports. If something goes wrong and you have to fly back from Mexico, you may be delayed; but you will make it back to the US.

 

 

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[SRF]

You don't need a passport. Until you NEED one.

 

BTW, you could drive to LA a day early and get a passport same day. It will cost you a bit more, but doable.

 

For the cruise mentioned, no passport is required for most cruise lines.

 

Up to you how comfortable you are in traveling without one.

 

And realize, if you have to leave the ship at many ports, you will have to make your way to another city to find a US Consulate or Embassy to get an emergency passport.

[sloopsailor]

The OP asked a binary question...yes or no.

 

The OP did not ask for opinions.

 

Then why didn't you answer the yes or no question instead of posting an opinion? :confused:

Edited September 11, 2018 by sloopsailor

[sparks1093]

you will have to make your way to another city to find a US Consulate or Embassy to get an emergency passport.

 

Before doing that I would be checking with the port agent who will be able to tell you exactly what you need to do. I've read two posts recently where the passenger was directed to go to the airport and there they boarded a plane for the US. One of the passengers had experienced a minor medical emergency in port and the other had a family member emergency back home. Getting home doesn't appear to be the big issue, however without a passport you would not be able to fly to meet up with the ship if you missed the ship at the port.

[SantaFeFan]

Before doing that I would be checking with the port agent who will be able to tell you exactly what you need to do. I've read two posts recently where the passenger was directed to go to the airport and there they boarded a plane for the US. One of the passengers had experienced a minor medical emergency in port and the other had a family member emergency back home. Getting home doesn't appear to be the big issue, however without a passport you would not be able to fly to meet up with the ship if you missed the ship at the port.

 

Interesting. I always thought the purpose of having a passport was to get into a country, not leave one. Leaving Mexico without a passport might not be a problem. It's getting past US Immigration Control to enter the country where problems would happen.

[sparks1093]

Interesting. I always thought the purpose of having a passport was to get into a country, not leave one. Leaving Mexico without a passport might not be a problem. It's getting past US Immigration Control to enter the country where problems would happen.

 

It's actually CBP and yes, you would have to go to secondary inspection for a bit in order for them to verify that you are a US citizen, but once that is done you'll be sent on your way (if you have a grumpy CBP officer he or she might make some remarks about the situation).

[sanger727]

Interesting. I always thought the purpose of having a passport was to get into a country, not leave one. Leaving Mexico without a passport might not be a problem. It's getting past US Immigration Control to enter the country where problems would happen.

 

 

 

Yes, Mexico will be happy to see you leave whether you have a passport or not. The problem is that delta doesn’t want you to board a flight without being sure you can disembark; because if you can’t, they have to take you back. If you are a US citizen, you will be permitted to return. You may just have to jump through extra hoops if you don’t have a passport. The passport is just the quickest and easiest way for delta to know you are a US citizen and will be allowed back in.

 

 

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[sparks1093]

Yes, Mexico will be happy to see you leave whether you have a passport or not. The problem is that delta doesn’t want you to board a flight without being sure you can disembark; because if you can’t, they have to take you back. If you are a US citizen, you will be permitted to return. You may just have to jump through extra hoops if you don’t have a passport. The passport is just the quickest and easiest way for delta to know you are a US citizen and will be allowed back in.

 

 

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And I'm sure that Delta or any other airline will have a waiver for you to sign promising to pay for the return airfare if for some reason the US doesn't admit you.

[sanger727]

And I'm sure that Delta or any other airline will have a waiver for you to sign promising to pay for the return airfare if for some reason the US doesn't admit you.

 

 

 

I’m not in any way saying delta won’t allow a US citizen to board in circumstances without a passport. Just that that’s the only reason that it’s needed to fly. Everyone involved wants you to return home at the end of your trip. So if you board a plane without a passport, Mexico won’t let you in since you can’t show them where you are a citizen. So delta would have to fly you back to the US. Therefore delta checks passports before they let you board.

 

 

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[Z'Loth]

I actually did some research on this for a Toastmasters speech. The airlines do check to make sure you have a valid passport before boarding an international flight, because they can face a severe penalty (~$3,500 per passenger) if you admission to the foreign country is refused and they have to fly you back. It doesn't matter if you have any restricted airfare, those restrictions are waived and you will be flown back at the airline's expense, and then you have to pay back the airline.

[sparks1093]

I actually did some research on this for a Toastmasters speech. The airlines do check to make sure you have a valid passport before boarding an international flight' date=' because they can face a severe penalty (~$3,500 per passenger) if you admission to the foreign country is refused and they have to fly you back. It doesn't matter if you have any restricted airfare, those restrictions are waived and you will be flown back at the airline's expense, and then you have to pay back the airline.[/quote']

 

Which is undoubtedly spelled out in the terms of carriage with the airline.