Passport question

[DEBBO1012]

We are looking at two different cruise destinations. Which need a passport? (1) A cruise which begins and ends at Galveston, but goes to Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Jamaica as ports. (2) An Alaskan cruise (are there any that begin and end in Alaska or do they all begin and end in Vancouver?)

[hallasm]

I’ll need a passport for all cruises. 

[DEBBO1012]

I read in the us government website if a cruise begins and ends in a domestic port (Galveston) no passport is needed.

[Nic6318]

Hi Debbo

 

You won't need a passport for a cruise that begins and end in Galveston.

 

There are cruises that begin and end in Seattle, you wouldn't need a passport for a cruise like that cruise. If you took a cruise that began or ended in Canada, you would need a passport.

 

hope this helps

 

[leaveitallbehind]

In general, US citizens who are on closed loop itineraries that begin and end in the same US based port do not need a passport.  They will need a government issued picture ID along with a birth certificate  -or-  a passport.  However you need to check with your individual cruise line to confirm their requirements as there are some that require a passport as their policy regardless.

[wheezedr]

Alaska cruises can begin and/or end in Vancouver, Seattle, and even San Francisco. If a closed loop out of a US port then no passport is necessary.  If from Vancouver , whether a loop or a one way then you will need a passport.

There is also a scenario on a closed loop where a passport will be necessary, and that is if you cross over into the Yukon on a land tour from Skagway. A passport is then required to return to the US.

[Flatbush Flyer]

OP: All of the above answers do not address a most important consideration: Whatever may be the governmental passport requirements may be different than the requirements of the cruise line(s).

Pretty much every premium/luxury cruise line requires a passport for ALL passengers on ALL itineraries.

[sparks1093]

5 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

OP: All of the above answers do not address a most important consideration: Whatever may be the governmental passport requirements may be different than the requirements of the cruise line(s).

Pretty much every premium/luxury cruise line requires a passport for ALL passengers on ALL itineraries.

Post #5 address this.

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

Post #5 address this.

I stand corrected!

[SRF]

It can also depend on where the cruise goes.

 

Cruises to Cuba require a passport.

 

[donaldsc]

1 hour ago, SRF said:

It can also depend on where the cruise goes.

 

Cruises to Cuba require a passport.

 

 

What cruises to Cuba.  Trump has cancelled them all.

 

DON

[mammajamma2013]

6 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 

What cruises to Cuba.  Trump has cancelled them all.

 

DON

Then I guess the one we were on from Miami on Norwegian was a figment of my imagination.

[CPT Trips]

7 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 

What cruises to Cuba.  Trump has cancelled them all.

 

DON

 

19 minutes ago, mammajamma2013 said:

Then I guess the one we were on from Miami on Norwegian was a figment of my imagination.

 

Operative word. Was.

 

Don is corrrect.  Don, the other Don, once again triggered his disrupter

[mammajamma2013]

1 minute ago, CPT Trips said:

 

 

Operative word. Was.

 

 

 

Thank you.

[mammajamma2013]

donldsc, my apologies for my snarky response to your comment. I had not kept up with any news this entire week and was unaware of the change. That's still no excuse for my attitude.

 

mammajamma13

[kira5]

In Nassau, Bahamas I went off the ship a short way without a passport for a look around.  I was still very close to the ship at an area of little shops.  After about 20 minutes I was done but  I was refused re-entry without a passport and had to wait at a booth (after awhile there were a dozen of us) until an officer escorted us directly back to the ship.

[sparks1093]

35 minutes ago, kira5 said:

In Nassau, Bahamas I went off the ship a short way without a passport for a look around.  I was still very close to the ship at an area of little shops.  After about 20 minutes I was done but  I was refused re-entry without a passport and had to wait at a booth (after awhile there were a dozen of us) until an officer escorted us directly back to the ship.

Maybe it's different for Canadian citizens but generally all one needs to re-enter the port area is a photo ID.

[BaumD]

On 6/8/2019 at 5:55 PM, DEBBO1012 said:

We are looking at two different cruise destinations. Which need a passport? (1) A cruise which begins and ends at Galveston, but goes to Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Jamaica as ports. (2) An Alaskan cruise (are there any that begin and end in Alaska or do they all begin and end in Vancouver?)

 

No cruises that begin AND end in Alaska

Most cruises that start in Alaska either end in Vancouver or Seattle (some may go to SF)

 

[lisiamc]

2 hours ago, kira5 said:

In Nassau, Bahamas I went off the ship a short way without a passport for a look around.  I was still very close to the ship at an area of little shops.  After about 20 minutes I was done but  I was refused re-entry without a passport and had to wait at a booth (after awhile there were a dozen of us) until an officer escorted us directly back to the ship.

 

That’s interesting, and you’re not the first Canadian to mention that they needed a passport to get back onto the ship in the Caribbean.  I’m not sure if the other poster was in the Bahamas or elsewhere.  Did you show other photo ID first, and then they asked you for a passport?  I have always shown my British driving licence, and never been asked for any other ID (which is good, because unless the country requires it, or the cruise line specifies that I’ll need it in a particular port, I don’t take my passport ashore).

Edited June 10, 2019 by lisiamc

[DisneyDorkhead]

While technically as an American one doesn't need a passport for an Alaskan cruise, I would get one in the event of an emergency and you had to fly in/out of Canada while on the cruise. This from personal experience from my aunt and uncle who took an alaskan cruise last year when they had to disembark in Victoria due to my aunt needing an emergency surgery. As a result they ended up having to fly home out of Canada back to California and having already having passports made flying home without a hassle much easier. One never knows when the unexpected will happen but best to be prepared and not need a passport than need it and not have it.

[sparks1093]

3 minutes ago, DisneyDorkhead said:

While technically as an American one doesn't need a passport for an Alaskan cruise, I would get one in the event of an emergency and you had to fly in/out of Canada while on the cruise. This from personal experience from my aunt and uncle who took an alaskan cruise last year when they had to disembark in Victoria due to my aunt needing an emergency surgery. As a result they ended up having to fly home out of Canada back to California and having already having passports made flying home without a hassle much easier. One never knows when the unexpected will happen but best to be prepared and not need a passport than need it and not have it.

This is, to me, a stronger argument for good travel insurance. The authorities are used to dealing with emergencies and that includes dealing with folks that don't have a passport. In fact, the regulations were written with that in mind since it contains provisions for waiving the passport requirement for emergencies or humanitarian reasons. 

[broberts]

On 6/10/2019 at 10:22 AM, kira5 said:

In Nassau, Bahamas I went off the ship a short way without a passport for a look around.  I was still very close to the ship at an area of little shops.  After about 20 minutes I was done but  I was refused re-entry without a passport and had to wait at a booth (after awhile there were a dozen of us) until an officer escorted us directly back to the ship.

 

Did you have any sort of valid government issued photo id? 

[kira5]

No, I don't think I had any photo id with me on this cruise, just my passport.     I could have tried my driver's license had I brought it but I wasn't planning to drive on this cruise.    I don't like to carry my passport when I'm out and about on vacation.   Maybe it was my experience being pickpocketed in Prague many years ago.   My passport is the one document which, If it was lost or stolen, would cause me serious consequences.    The fact that within 20 - 30 minutes there were a dozen people waiting with me, including a couple who had brought colour photocopies of their passports, consoles me that I wasn't the only one.  

 

I sound like a naive and inexperienced traveller but I have taken maybe 8 cruises and travelled to many destinations in Europe and Central America.   It hasn't been my practise to bring my passport when I'm out for the day.      Thinking of my last cruise in February from Miami through the Panama Canal and up to Los Angeles,  in addition to the Bahamas, we got off in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Acapulco and Cabo San Lucas.   We showed our cruise ship card but I didn't show my passport, nor bring it, at any of these ports.     The only country for which  I brought my passport on an excursion was Russia, when  heading to St. Petersburg.  I knew ahead of time I would need it plus the voucher from an authorized tour provider.

 

I'm going on a cruise around Japan in August so I will have to reconsider my practise.

[broberts]

2 hours ago, kira5 said:

No, I don't think I had any photo id with me on this cruise, just my passport.

 

So the issue could well have been a lack of any government issued photo id, not specifically the lack of a passport.

 

Photocopies are not legal id which probably accounts for the couple with the photocopies joining the group.

 

I used to always take my passport ashore in the Caribbean. After foolishly trusting it to a "waterproof" pouch while snorkeling, I stopped. Now I use the same id I carry at home, my driver license.

[njhorseman]

5 hours ago, broberts said:

So the issue could well have been a lack of any government issued photo id, not specifically the lack of a passport.

I agree that was the problem. Nassau is a port that requires cruise ship passengers to show a photo ID when returning to the cruise terminal.