Is traveling with birth certificate still ok for closed loop cruise?

[OneParticularHarbour 71]

Ok, I am getting a little nervous and hope you all can help!

 

We booked a last minute cruise to the Bahamas and are checked in and received our e-tickets.  I was just reading on the MSC and it says our passports must be valid for at least six months.  My son’s passport expires in 3 months.  Can he travel with his birth certificate and driver’s license?  It is a closed loop cruise from the US and we are US citizens.  In years past we have at times traveled with birth certificates and IDs, is this still acceptable?

 

Has anyone traveled recently with MSC specifically with just a birth certificate and ID?  I have made an appointment at a passport agency but it is over 2 hours away and only a few days before the cruise and it will ease my mind to know that if something goes wrong there, he could use his BC and ID to get on the ship.

 

I will also call MSC tomorrow to see what they say.

 

Thank you!

 

[gizfish]

The info at MSC's site does not say passports must be valid for six months.  It says that is preferred.  https://www.msccruisesusa.com/manage-booking/before-you-go/travel-documents-visas 

 

 

"Domestic Cruises Only for United States Citizens, U.S. Residents and Canadian Citizens:

U.S. Citizens sailing on cruises departing and returning to the same U.S. port will be able to enter or depart the country with proof of citizenship such as a passport, US birth certificate or US naturalization certificate, along with a valid, un-expired government issued ID. Traveling with a passport that is valid for at least 6 months after the cruise ends, is preferred. This travel document will provide the best embarkation and disembarkation experience, while also providing guests the ability to travel by air to or from the United States, if needed."

 

[morpheusofthesea]

4 hours ago, gizfish said:

while also providing guests the ability to travel by air to or from the United States, if needed."

This is the most important point. Also if one takes out travel insurance will the policy cover the extra time one will have to spend outside the country waiting for proper documentation to fly back home? Might be considered negligence on part of traveler?

[gizfish]

The passport not expiring within 6 months rule is specific to foreign countries. It is not a U.S. regulation.  The countries requiring this don't want you sticking around long, and if your passport were to expire while you were there, they fear the issues of the U.S. not letting you back in. U.S. customs will accept you back in the country as long as your passport has not expired. So as long as your passport is current through your cruise there should be no problem. 

 

And if for some reason you are stuck in a foreign country long enough for your passport to expire, I'm thinking you have problems more major than that issue.  The only reasons I can think of that would make someone be detained for any amount of time in a foreign country are legal issues (which would probably negate travel insurance kicking in), and a medical issue.  With the medical issue, travel insurance would most likely have you expedited home before a passport were to expire.  And if you were so ill that you couldn't be flown home for so long that your passport expired, again, your issues are more major than that, and that certainly wouldn't be your fault.  I have yet to see a travel insurance plan that requires a passport not expire within six months of a trip.

 

These issues do speak to the fact that when traveling out of the country a passport is a good idea even if it's not required.  It makes entering the U.S. by air that much easier should one have an emergency.