Cruising with Birth Certificate

[Scotico]

Has anyone ever had any issues cruising with a Birth Certificate instead of a passport.  Just found out my passport will not be valid 6 months after the cruise which forced me to get an expedited passport (should be here week before the cruise since I am 6.5 weeks out).  I also ordered a new birth certificate from the state since mine went missing (just received it).  The birth certificate is an official/certified copy from the state.  Reason why I am asking is due to some articles online stating RCCL being very strict when traveling with a birth certificate. 

[Foodluvr]

13 minutes ago, Scotico said:

Has anyone ever had any issues cruising with a Birth Certificate instead of a passport.  Just found out my passport will not be valid 6 months after the cruise which forced me to get an expedited passport (should be here week before the cruise since I am 6.5 weeks out).  I also ordered a new birth certificate from the state since mine went missing (just received it).  The birth certificate is an official/certified copy from the state.  Reason why I am asking is due to some articles online stating RCCL being very strict when traveling with a birth certificate. 

Where is your cruise departing and traveling to?

[Scotico]

Just now, Foodluvr said:

Where is your cruise departing and traveling to?

Leaving from Ft Lauderdale and going to southern Caribbean at end of February.  Goint to Haiti, Curacao and Aruba.

[not-enough-cruising]

15 minutes ago, Scotico said:

Has anyone ever had any issues cruising with a Birth Certificate instead of a passport.  Just found out my passport will not be valid 6 months after the cruise which forced me to get an expedited passport (should be here week before the cruise since I am 6.5 weeks out).  I also ordered a new birth certificate from the state since mine went missing (just received it).  The birth certificate is an official/certified copy from the state.  Reason why I am asking is due to some articles online stating RCCL being very strict when traveling with a birth certificate. 

As long as the name on your photo ID matches the name on your new BC, you will have no problems.

 

BTW, for most closed loop Caribbean cruises, you would have been fine with your old passport; as long as it is valid the day you return home, you are good.

[cruiseguy1016]

Make sure the birth certificate is the original. A photo copy will not be accepted.

[Scotico]

29 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

As long as the name on your photo ID matches the name on your new BC, you will have no problems.

 

BTW, for most closed loop Caribbean cruises, you would have been fine with your old passport; as long as it is valid the day you return home, you are good.

Thats what I thought until someone at customer service told me it has to be valid 6 months after the cruise.  

[Scotico]

Just now, cruiseguy1016 said:

Make sure the birth certificate is the original. A photo copy will not be accepted.

It's a copy from the state.  Had to order it

[retiredgram]

55 minutes ago, Scotico said:

It's a copy from the state.  Had to order it

My BC is also a certified copy of my states birth record.  I used it when I originally got my passport. 

 

Just to be safe, I will also be taking it with us, along with photo ID and marriage license on our next cruise because our pass ports will expire the month after we return. When I did our cruise check in, got a pop up saying RC recommends having 6 months remaining on passport when you return from your cruise.

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

2 hours ago, Scotico said:

Has anyone ever had any issues cruising with a Birth Certificate instead of a passport. 

Haven't done it, but saw plenty of people using BC and gov ID during our Thanksgiving week cruise out of Port Canaveral.  

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, Scotico said:

Thats what I thought until someone at customer service told me it has to be valid 6 months after the cruise.  

 

2 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

BTW, for most closed loop Caribbean cruises, you would have been fine with your old passport; as long as it is valid the day you return home, you are good.

Royal Caribbean specifies 6 months

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/what-travel-documents-i-need-for-boarding-day

 

[not-enough-cruising]

5 hours ago, Scotico said:

Thats what I thought until someone at customer service told me it has to be valid 6 months after the cruise.  

You were given bad information, but you seem to have all the right documentation to have a great trip 

[not-enough-cruising]

4 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

 

Royal Caribbean specifies 6 months

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/what-travel-documents-i-need-for-boarding-day

 

Boilerplate language that does not apply to the itinerary of the OP. 
 

If this were accurate information, then the following would be true. 
 

“You can use a passport (the ultimate ID) unless it expires in 6 months, then it’s worthless, but don’t worry just bring a birth certificate and a drivers license” 

 

nonsense 

[crzndeb]

Since you have a passport and a BC, take both. You should have no issue with passport, but you will be covered either way.

[Ret MP]

4 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

 

Royal Caribbean specifies 6 months

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/what-travel-documents-i-need-for-boarding-day

 

Yes, it does.  But, it isn't a requirement of the U.S. Department of State.  Which doesn't matter as Royal has the final authority as to who can get on the ship or not.  I think Royal wants the 6 month rule because it's easier than say that X country requires it, Y country requires it, ...............  Just easier to generalize.  It makes sense that the Government doesn't require it because they don't even require a passport for closed loop cruises.  So, why make a 6 month requirement on something that isn't required.   JMHO

[Ret MP]

5 hours ago, Scotico said:

It's a copy from the state.  Had to order it

Raised seal?

[Starry Eyes]

6 minutes ago, crzndeb said:

Since you have a passport and a BC, take both. You should have no issue with passport, but you will be covered either way.

It sounds like the OP has already applied for an expedited passport renewal (which would mean the passport office now has the old passport, not the OP).

[crzndeb]

2 minutes ago, Starry Eyes said:

It sounds like the OP has already applied for an expedited passport renewal (which would mean the passport office now has the old passport, not the OP).

I see that, but seems like a total waste. Thousands of cruisers on all cruise lines, cruise with BC on closed loop cruises. To bad. And IMHO, I would never believe what a rep told me, unless I talked to at least 5. 😉 Better info here on Cruise Critic from experienced cruisers.

[Cigar King]

FWIW, my wife cruised with a passport that had less than 6 months before expiration.  No issues.  I do have other documentation just in case.  It was never asked for or needed.

[Ret MP]

Once again:

 

Regardless of your experience of this admiration or others in the past, this has virtually been the State Departments suggestion:

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/before-you-go/travelers-with-special-considerations/cruise-ship-passengers.html

 

[Starry Eyes]

Per the State Dept website, Haiti is among the countries that requires passports to have 6 months validity.  I do not know if that rule is enforced for closed loop cruises or not, but I understand why the OP decided to renew the passport and also get a new Birth Certificate.

[cruisinfanatic]

36 minutes ago, Starry Eyes said:

Per the State Dept website, Haiti is among the countries that requires passports to have 6 months validity.  I do not know if that rule is enforced for closed loop cruises or not, but I understand why the OP decided to renew the passport and also get a new Birth Certificate.

Thats to fly there, not cruise there

[Ret MP]

18 minutes ago, cruisinfanatic said:

Thats to fly there, not cruise there

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Haiti.html

Requirement for Entry: Passport valid for at least six months from date of arrival. Visit the Embassy of Haiti website for the most current visa information.

 

However:

 

https://cruisemaven.com/do-cruise-ship-passengers-need-u-s-passport/  <For what it's worth!

 

Caribbean nations that require cruise passengers to have a passport include: Barbados, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Martinique, St. Bart’s, and Trinidad and Tobago.  Note: Royal Caribbean’s private island, Labadee, though part of Haiti, does not require a passport.

[whitshel]

8 hours ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

Make sure the birth certificate is the original. A photo copy will not be accepted.

I've seen plenty of stories on here where the pax forgot or lost their passport and someone from home has emailed them a COPY of their BC and that was accepted.   FWIW....

[Ret MP]

16 minutes ago, whitshel said:

I've seen plenty of stories on here where the pax forgot or lost their passport and someone from home has emailed them a COPY of their BC and that was accepted.   FWIW....

That may be true.  People get away with a lot of things that you can find written rules/laws that are contrary to what actually happened.  That's not to say that it should be a suggestion, and I'm not saying that you are and I did note that you put FWIW!.   Every effort should be attempted to do what is written either as rule, law, custom, whatever.  I would never take as gospel what I was told on an social media Internet forum.  This copied BC issue is plainly and easily found in official websites.  Non-Certified or notarized Photo copies of BCs are not acceptable.

[mattg43]

11 hours ago, Starry Eyes said:

Per the State Dept website, Haiti is among the countries that requires passports to have 6 months validity.  I do not know if that rule is enforced for closed loop cruises or not, but I understand why the OP decided to renew the passport and also get a new Birth Certificate.

 

 

My wife and I have cruised 3 times before without passports and will again next week if the ones we ordered do not make it in time.  One of the cruises we took was to Labadee in 2018.  That is a RCCL private area so no issues.

 

Just make sure, which it sounds like the OP has, that they are originals from the state.  Also make sure any difference in names between the ID and the BC are linked by a legal document.  That means a wife needs to bring the marriage certificate if she took her spouse's name.

 

My wife and I were at the post office in November ordering passports 9 weeks from a cruise we had just booked.  I made the decision to just pay for standard 6-9 week service and if they made it in time, great.  If not, no big deal.  This cruise is just Nassau and Cococay.  Really wanted them for the Oct cruise to Mexico due to distance to the US Embassy. 

Edited January 14, 2023 by mattg43