Closed Loop Question (out of US) - Port in Victoria BC

[Buckscuffle]

Going on a closed loop out of Seattle (we are both US citizens), my husband can not find his passport (recently moved - its here somewhere), if we sail on our birth certificates and state issued ID, can we disembark/embark in Victoria, BC?  We know we need to fill out the AriveCAN app etc.  We leave next week.  

 

I have scoured the Canadian Tourism site and it says if traveling by sea that you need a passport or in some cases travel documents.

[Ferry_Watcher]

Not a problem assuming that his birth certificate is a gov't issued, not a hospital issued copy.

He will just need that and his gov't issued photo ID (driver's license).

 

And visiting Victoria will not be an issue.  Enjoy!

 

Have a great cruise!

Edited May 16, 2022 by Ferry_Watcher

[leaveitallbehind]

It depends on cruise line.  Some require a Passport, others do not.  As suggested by @Ferry_Watcher, the current ID requirements for RCCL and Celebrity, as example, for US based closed loop itineraries is a Passport -or- a valid picture ID and Gov't issued birth certificate. That would be valid for all ports of call within that itinerary.  I believe that is the same with NCL and Princess, but I would check with your cruise line to be sure.

 

Edited May 16, 2022 by leaveitallbehind

[Buckscuffle]

Thank you both!  Yes, we are cruising with RCCL.  

[Shmoo here]

3 hours ago, Buckscuffle said:

(we are both US citizens),

Just to put the information out here:  the birth certificate must be a US birth certificate to work.

[leaveitallbehind]

1 hour ago, Shmoo here said:

Just to put the information out here:  the birth certificate must be a US birth certificate to work.

That actually is a good point.  The current ID requirements I referenced for US based closed loop itineraries are for US citizens. 

 

Clearly, other nationalities traveling on this type of itinerary would have to have whatever ID is required to enter the US for the departure port to then board the ship.

Edited May 16, 2022 by leaveitallbehind

[Ferry_Watcher]

1 hour ago, Shmoo here said:

Just to put the information out here:  the birth certificate must be a US birth certificate to work.

Yes, after I posted my reply I was hoping that "US citizen" didn't mean a naturalized citizen.

Thanks @Shmoo here

[Shmoo here]

29 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

The current ID requirements I referenced for US based closed loop itineraries are for US citizens. 

Someone can be a US citizen, but not have a US birth certificate.

[njhorseman]

16 minutes ago, Shmoo here said:

Someone can be a US citizen, but not have a US birth certificate.

Absolutely right. A naturalized citizen can take a closed loop cruise using their Certificate of Naturalization plus a government-issued photo ID and a US citizen at birth who was born abroad can use a Consular Report of Birth Abroad plus the photo ID.

[jsn55]

The problem could be if you need to fly home from a non-US port in case of emergency.  That is something I learned just recently ... having never thought about it before.  Just like travelling independently all over Europe for 20 years not knowing that my health insurance was invalid outside the US. 

[LHT28]

probably need this as well

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19/arrivecan.html

[sparks1093]

9 hours ago, Shmoo here said:

Someone can be a US citizen, but not have a US birth certificate.

 

9 hours ago, njhorseman said:

Absolutely right. A naturalized citizen can take a closed loop cruise using their Certificate of Naturalization plus a government-issued photo ID and a US citizen at birth who was born abroad can use a Consular Report of Birth Abroad plus the photo ID.

Absolutely right. DW was born in Germany and has a naturalization certificate. Her German birth certificate is no more than a souvenir and gets her nothing. We traveled with her nat cert several times, but a warning- it costs about $550 to replace one of those bad boys so if you do use it for travel be very careful with it. Once I found out how expensive they are I looked for an alternative for cruising and since Vermont does issue Enhanced Drivers Licenses we decided on those (since at the time travel to Europe was still on the bucket list). 

[sparks1093]

6 hours ago, jsn55 said:

The problem could be if you need to fly home from a non-US port in case of emergency.  That is something I learned just recently ... having never thought about it before.  Just like travelling independently all over Europe for 20 years not knowing that my health insurance was invalid outside the US. 

"Could be" is right because the regulations contain provisions that allow the passport requirement to be waived for emergencies or for humanitarian reasons. IF someone had to return home without a passport there would be a delay while the cruise line and the authorities sorted things out but they would get home eventually. 

[Ferry_Watcher]

11 hours ago, njhorseman said:

and a US citizen at birth who was born abroad can use a Consular Report of Birth Abroad plus the photo ID.

 

As someone who has checked in cruise ship passengers, I have found that the folks who were born abroad to an American parent, and have as proof of citizenship a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, have grown up being very aware of the importance of their birth document.  They are on their game when it comes to cruise travel, and I don't worry about these folks at all.  In fact, it's usually a super easy check-in process with them.     :  )