Open Loop (US->Can) Cruise with less than 6 Months on US Passport?

[Unicorniceskate]

TL;DR: Have you successfully boarded an open loop cruise from the US to Canada with a passport that had less than 6 months before expiration? More specifically, for minors aged 11 and 8? 

 

The Details:

Royal Caribbean kind of screwed us on this one.... we decided to book a cruise very last minute - only about 7 weeks in advance - from Seattle to Vancouver. My husband and I have valid passports expiring several years out. Our daughters, ages 8 and 11, have passports expiring Nov. 1 (cruise ends Oct. 6).

 

Before booking over the phone directly with Royal Caribbean, I asked the sales agent if this would be an issue, as I was familiar that with some travel, a 6 month passport rule might apply. I mentioned that I saw Canada allows *any* valid US passport for entry and does not require a 6 month rule, plus US citizens under the age of 16 traveling with both parents into Canada may also just use a birth certificate. The Royal Caribbean agent said "you should be fine, plus you're buying travel insurance if you have any issues."

 

I would not have booked the trip and would have planned something else for our vacation if he had said it would be an issue. Now we have our hearts set on it (and we've planned all the details, flights, rental cars, etc.). 

 

I saw a post in a group I joined where someone asked the same question...but they were given a very different answer, that 6 months was required and so they renewed. By the time I saw this, it was only 4 weeks ahead of departure, WAY too soon for even an expedited passport. I called RC and after speaking with several people about whether this is policy or law, they are still sticking with the 6 month rule (all the while still telling me to try at the pier, it might be okay). They acknowledged that the sales agent should never have told me anything other than their 6 month rule, and that their check in language of "a passport with 6 months of validity is strongly recommended" (vs required) is also misleading. 

 

Based on countless searches, I'm seeing a bit of ambiguity in this that is giving me hope. I specifically want to know if anyone from the US has been able to board an OPEN LOOP RC cruise without having 6+ months remaining on their passport. 

 

At this point, my options are: try to get one of the coveted 2-week international travel passport appointments, pay a private expeditor $500 per passport on top of the expedited passport fees, or cancel and try and get travel insurance to refund all the flights and hotels and other things. 

 

Has anyone been in our shoes? I'm pretty salty with RC right now....but I'm trying to figure out a solution. 

 

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! 

[Subman738]

I am not 100% certain but I thought that the 6 months expiration date from end of cruise was the requirement of some of the countries that RCI sails to and NOT an actual RCI requirement. Since you are headed to Canada and they don't care if your passport expires in 6 months or right after you get home it shouldn't be an issue. 

[Fouremco]

Neither the US nor Canadian governments require that your passport be valid for 6 months beyond the end of your cruise. That said, RCI can set any requirement it chooses: their ships, their rules.

 

A number of years ago, we were booked on a Boston - Montreal cruise with HAL. At the port, we were refused boarding with our NEXUS cards and told that we absolutely need passports to enter Canada. Fortunately, we never travel without our passports, so we were ok in the end. The silly thing was that the year before, we had no trouble at all in Vancouver boarding a HAL closed loop Alaskan cruise.

 

But in your discussions with RCI, are they also saying that state-issued birth certificates aren't sufficient for the children? Maybe if you called without even mentioning passports and simply confirmed that the children are ok with BC.

 

Good luck!

[middlehaitch]

@Ferry_Watcher, could you possibly pop in here with some advice, please. 

@Unicorniceskate, Ferry_Watcher works at the Seattle port and may be able to give guidance from his experience. 

 

Cheers, h. 

[Babr]

I’m not sure what the agent meant by saying you should be fine because you have insurance.  Insurance covers lost or stolen documents, not the failure to provide required documents. It will not cover trip interruption if you are denied boarding under those circumstances, and it may be too late to invoke CFAR at that point.

 

Better get clarification on that bit of advice.

[Unicorniceskate]

6 minutes ago, Babr said:

I’m not sure what the agent meant by saying you should be fine because you have insurance.  Insurance covers lost or stolen documents, not the failure to provide required documents. It will not cover trip interruption if you are denied boarding under those circumstances, and it may be too late to invoke CFAR at that point.

 

Better get clarification on that bit of advice.

Clearly this man wanted to get the sale. Now I’m just left trying to figure out a way forward. Crown and Anchor customer service has already said they would issue me a refund but I am going to wait until I exhaust all my options before going for that.

[Jussabitconfused]

Even Royals own site is contradicting.

The first part is for all travelers and then the second part is for minors. They don't match up on the answer. For "all passengers" it says if it departs from the US you only need a birth certificate and says nothing about round trip.  For "minors" it says if it is not round trip it requires a passport.

 

 

Accepted Forms of Identification

All guests will also need a form of identification to board the ship. Accepted forms of identification vary based on nationality, departure port and disembarkation port.

Please note that hospital Birth Certificates (baby feet Birth Certificates), as well as photocopies or images of any required travel documents are not accepted for boarding.

Accepted Identification for U.S. Citizens

U.S. Passport book that is valid at least 6 months after your cruise ends. A U.S. Passport book is required for sailings that depart from homeports outside of the U.S.

For sailings departing from U.S. homeports, an official US state-issued Birth Certificate is also accepted. Guests age 16 and older that present an official US state-issued Birth Certificate will also need to provide a valid Driver’s License or picture ID issued by the government.

What forms of ID are required for minors traveling on Royal Caribbean?

A

 

 

For U.S. citizens:

Royal Caribbean strongly recommends that all guests travel with a valid passport.

For Round Trip cruises from the U.S. that DO NOT include Panama or Colombia, U.S. citizens 17 and under will be able to present either an original, notarized or certified copy of their birth certificate, or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad issues by DOS AND a valid Government Issued ID. Guests age 15 and under are NOT required to have a photo ID, just the birth certificate. Note: Baptismal papers and hospital certificates of birth are not acceptable. Voter registration cards or Social Security cards are not considered proof of citizenship.

For all other sailings, all U.S. citizens (17 years and under) will be required to present a valid passport.

It is important that the name on your reservation be exactly as it is stated on your passport or other official proof of nationality. If your name has changed since your document was issued (e.g., marriage or divorce), it is required that you update the document with the new name or provide an official supporting document (e.g., a state, county or province issued marriage license, divorce decree or legal name change document) of the name change. All documents must be the original or a notarized copy. Additionally, if you are using an identification (e.g., driver's license) and a citizenship document ( e.g., birth certificate), then BOTH documents must match the name on your reservation. Otherwise, it may result in delay or possible denial of boarding. 

 

 

[GimmeOcean]

I would try to make an appointment at a US passport agency within the 14 day window for urgent travel applications. You could try either LA or San Diego offices. 

 

I've been able to get my passport renewed same day by doing this (had to drive 3 hours to VT), this was in 2015 & I needed it renewed fast for a business trip.

[vswan]

Why don't you just take their birth certificates. Just did the Alaska cruise with a 14 yr old and only needed a birth certificate. Not an issue. No one asked for his pass port.

[Ourusualbeach]

10 minutes ago, vswan said:

Why don't you just take their birth certificates. Just did the Alaska cruise with a 14 yr old and only needed a birth certificate. Not an issue. No one asked for his pass port.

I'm guessing that your sailing was a closed loop cruise departing and returning from Seattle.  That's a big difference from the OP's cruise which is an open loop cruise starting in the US and ending in Canada. 

[Unicorniceskate]

3 hours ago, GimmeOcean said:

I would try to make an appointment at a US passport agency within the 14 day window for urgent travel applications. You could try either LA or San Diego offices. 

 

I've been able to get my passport renewed same day by doing this (had to drive 3 hours to VT), this was in 2015 & I needed it renewed fast for a business trip.

Good news! I had been waiting until we hit the 2 week mark to try and get an appointment, but today I decided to try my Congressman to see if he was able to make an appointment on my behalf within that 2 week period. I’m excited to share that his office was able to!! So if anyone in the future is reading this, try your local congressional office in advance of when your two week window opens. I was even able to provide dates that were better for our schedule. I’m so relieved to have the appointment on the books in about a week and a half. I was actually pretty amazed at how quickly they were able to schedule it for us. 

[jcl410]

That's good news.... But it was not required...... I went straight to the Canadian immigration web site, and there is no mention of a 6 months requirement for passports.(Nor do US citizens require visas.)

 

Note, however, that they do take a close look at minors crossing the border. It would not hurt to have their birth certificates with you to prove you and your husband, are in fact, the parents. 

 

Aloha,

 

John 

[Ferry_Watcher]

9 hours ago, middlehaitch said:

@Ferry_Watcher, could you possibly pop in here with some advice, please. 

@Unicorniceskate, Ferry_Watcher works at the Seattle port and may be able to give guidance from his experience. 

 

Cheers, h. 

I do work at Pier 91 in Seattle (Royal / Celebrity) and can tell you that we do not enforce the 6 month passport expiration requirement/guidance date for cruises that stop or end in Canada.  I would not worry - enjoy your cruise!

[middlehaitch]

Thanks @Ferry_Watcher, I knew neither the USA, Canada, nor the cruise line require 6month on a passport but I knew you would know how it was interpreted on site. 

 

You are always the logical guy. 

 

Cheers, h. 

[Fouremco]

15 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

I'm guessing that your sailing was a closed loop cruise departing and returning from Seattle.  That's a big difference from the OP's cruise which is an open loop cruise starting in the US and ending in Canada. 

As Canada and the US have essentially the same entry requirements for children, and as either an open loop or closed loop cruise would require entry into both countries, I'm not sure what the difference would be. As the OP seems to have resolved her issue now, it's rather a moot point now, but I am curious.

[ONECRUISER]

22 hours ago, Jussabitconfused said:

Even Royals own site is contradicting.

The first part is for all travelers and then the second part is for minors. They don't match up on the answer. For "all passengers" it says if it departs from the US you only need a birth certificate and says nothing about round trip.  For "minors" it says if it is not round trip it requires a passport.

 

 

Accepted Forms of Identification

All guests will also need a form of identification to board the ship. Accepted forms of identification vary based on nationality, departure port and disembarkation port.

Please note that hospital Birth Certificates (baby feet Birth Certificates), as well as photocopies or images of any required travel documents are not accepted for boarding.

Accepted Identification for U.S. Citizens

U.S. Passport book that is valid at least 6 months after your cruise ends. A U.S. Passport book is required for sailings that depart from homeports outside of the U.S.

For sailings departing from U.S. homeports, an official US state-issued Birth Certificate is also accepted. Guests age 16 and older that present an official US state-issued Birth Certificate will also need to provide a valid Driver’s License or picture ID issued by the government.

What forms of ID are required for minors traveling on Royal Caribbean?

A

 

 

For U.S. citizens:

Royal Caribbean strongly recommends that all guests travel with a valid passport.

For Round Trip cruises from the U.S. that DO NOT include Panama or Colombia, U.S. citizens 17 and under will be able to present either an original, notarized or certified copy of their birth certificate, or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad issues by DOS AND a valid Government Issued ID. Guests age 15 and under are NOT required to have a photo ID, just the birth certificate. Note: Baptismal papers and hospital certificates of birth are not acceptable. Voter registration cards or Social Security cards are not considered proof of citizenship.

For all other sailings, all U.S. citizens (17 years and under) will be required to present a valid passport.

It is important that the name on your reservation be exactly as it is stated on your passport or other official proof of nationality. If your name has changed since your document was issued (e.g., marriage or divorce), it is required that you update the document with the new name or provide an official supporting document (e.g., a state, county or province issued marriage license, divorce decree or legal name change document) of the name change. All documents must be the original or a notarized copy. Additionally, if you are using an identification (e.g., driver's license) and a citizenship document ( e.g., birth certificate), then BOTH documents must match the name on your reservation. Otherwise, it may result in delay or possible denial of boarding. 

 

 

Though it's Different if Cruise is Open Loop or Closed Loop. For a Decade I just used my Enhanced DL and BC for all my Open Loop Cruises. Finally got my Passport in Jan2020

[Ourusualbeach]

1 hour ago, Fouremco said:

As Canada and the US have essentially the same entry requirements for children, and as either an open loop or closed loop cruise would require entry into both countries, I'm not sure what the difference would be. As the OP seems to have resolved her issue now, it's rather a moot point now, but I am curious.

The difference is what the cruise line sets as requirements which they can do.  

[Fouremco]

8 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

The difference is what the cruise line sets as requirements which they can do.  

As I've said many times before, their ships, their rules, but I was hoping that you might have some insight into why they might view a difference between open and closed loop cruises within the context of this thread.

[Unicorniceskate]

15 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

I do work at Pier 91 in Seattle (Royal / Celebrity) and can tell you that we do not enforce the 6 month passport expiration requirement/guidance date for cruises that stop or end in Canada.  I would not worry - enjoy your cruise!

Thank you for this!! We were able to get a passport appointment, so we might as well do it since clearly we like to be spontaneous with trips, but I bet anyone else searching for this in the future will be so grateful for your insight. 
 

I had a feeling that there may be an opportunity to board given we meet immigration guidelines, but Royal (with the exception of our initial salesperson) really tows the 6 month line. I understand- there are too many potential combinations of foreign passport rules to manage, and a blanket statement is easier to enforce, but they sure did give me heartburn for the past 2 weeks while I awaited a passport appointment. 
 

I should have been waiting 1 extra week to even try for it - grateful to my congressman for getting me in line ahead of that date. 
 

maybe we’ll see you in Seattle! 
 

(my fave place to ferry watch there is Columbia Tower Club. I use it as a venue for hosting corporate events and the ferry watching is spectacular from up there 🤩)

[not-enough-cruising]

2 hours ago, Fouremco said:

As I've said many times before, their ships, their rules, but I was hoping that you might have some insight into why they might view a difference between open and closed loop cruises within the context of this thread.

Well for one closed loop cruises, technically, do not transport people from one country to another, whereas an open loop cruise does. 

[Jussabitconfused]

43 minutes ago, Unicorniceskate said:

Thank you for this!! We were able to get a passport appointment, so we might as well do it since clearly we like to be spontaneous with trips, but I bet anyone else searching for this in the future will be so grateful for your insight. 
 

I had a feeling that there may be an opportunity to board given we meet immigration guidelines, but Royal (with the exception of our initial salesperson) really tows the 6 month line. I understand- there are too many potential combinations of foreign passport rules to manage, and a blanket statement is easier to enforce, but they sure did give me heartburn for the past 2 weeks while I awaited a passport appointment. 
 

I should have been waiting 1 extra week to even try for it - grateful to my congressman for getting me in line ahead of that date. 
 

maybe we’ll see you in Seattle! 
 

(my fave place to ferry watch there is Columbia Tower Club. I use it as a venue for hosting corporate events and the ferry watching is spectacular from up there 🤩)

Hope to see you on that cruise. 

[Fouremco]

14 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Well for one closed loop cruises, technically, do not transport people from one country to another, whereas an open loop cruise does. 

Yes, that's one of many differences between the two types of cruises, but it still doesn't explain why they might have a different approach to documentation. Both start in the US, then enter Canada at some point. Canada's entry requirements are the same whether you get back on the ship and sail back to the US or whether you stay for a week and then hop a train back to the US.

 

In any event, as I said, I was just curious, and I fully recognize that RCI can set document requirements as they see fit. 

[not-enough-cruising]

30 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

Yes, that's one of many differences between the two types of cruises, but it still doesn't explain why they might have a different approach to documentation. Both start in the US, then enter Canada at some point. Canada's entry requirements are the same whether you get back on the ship and sail back to the US or whether you stay for a week and then hop a train back to the US.

 

In any event, as I said, I was just curious, and I fully recognize that RCI can set document requirements as they see fit. 

I am pretty sure the Canadian requirements are different if you are staying in the country VS cruising in and cruising right back out.

[Fouremco]

18 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

I am pretty sure the Canadian requirements are different if you are staying in the country VS cruising in and cruising right back out.

There's no difference in entry requirements between a one day port visit and a tourist visit up to 180 days. Other types of entry - to study, to work, etc. - require a visa.

[Charles4515]

5 hours ago, Fouremco said:

As I've said many times before, their ships, their rules, but I was hoping that you might have some insight into why they might view a difference between open and closed loop cruises within the context of this thread.

Closed loop cruises don't require a passport if from one US port and returning to the same US port.They don't require a passport. A birth certificate can be used. A cruise that leaves from a US port and does not return to the same US port requires a passport.whether it ends in the US or Canada That is not a ship rule that is a US rule enforced by CBP. 

Edited September 9, 2023 by Charles4515