There are a lot of reasons to take a cruise without a passport. If there is an opportunity and you don't have a passport, what would you do? Did you forget to renewed yours when it expired? What if the passport application fee is less than the cruise fare? Maybe you don't want your child to get a passport now that they are only valid for five years?
You have choices. The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative allows U.S. citizens to travel on certain itineraries in North America with government-issued identification and proof of citizenship. A passport is required for round-trip or closed-loop sailings from U.S. ports to foreign countries.
We mean the passport book when talking about passports. A low-cost alternative to providing a driver's license and birth certificate for cruising in all the places we are about to discuss is a passport card.
It's got it? If you don't have a passport, you can take a cruise without one.
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One of the easiest ways to visit Alaska is by cruising. You will have opportunities to see glaciers and wildlife, stroll the streets of charming coastal towns, eat your fill of local crab legs and salmon, and get out in nature on a kayak or hike.
If you want to travel to Alaska without a passport, look for itineraries that start in Seattle, San Francisco or southern California ports such as Los Angeles or Long Beach. Seven nights is the most common length for these cruises. Cruises early or late in the season can be as short as four or five nights and trips from Los Angeles can be as long as 14 nights.
If you want to go from Canada to Alaska, what do you do? If a person has proper identification and proof of citizenship, they don't need a passport book. The U.S. requires one of the following forms of identification to enter: passport card, enhanced driver's license, American Indian card or trusted traveler program IDs.
If you have one of those forms of ID, but not a passport book, you can take a one-way Alaska cruise.
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There are more problems for non-passport holders who book shore excursions. White Pass is a good example. WP&YR allows cruise passengers to go on the train excursion without a passport, but they can't take any of the longer routes. They do not have a legal requirement for that.
One time when the passport card is a good alternative to an ID card and a birth certificate is when Alaska cruises are.
It's the best Alaska cruise for everyone.
The Caribbean is a great place to go on a cruise ship. Whether you seek out warm beaches, cool drinks, water sports or cultural education, there's a Caribbean cruise to fit the bill
You can cruise without a passport in the Caribbean. You can book a sailing departing from a U.S. port. Cruises that range in length from three to 15 nights are offered by most major cruise lines.
It is always a good idea to check the details of the ports of call on your itinerary. Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix are U.S. territories.
There are the best Caribbean cruises for everyone.
The British Overseas Territory ofBermuda is located off the coast of North Carolina. The island has many famous beaches and golf courses. The best times to visit are in the spring and summer.
It's easy to travel toBermuda without a passport. There are no one-way cruises to confuse the situation, apart from a few isolated cruises stopping in the island. If you're going to sail without a passport, be careful. They're likely to be point-to-point cruises that includeBermuda.
There are five to 10 night cruises from the East Coast ports of Baltimore, Boston, and Manhattan. There are occasional itineraries departing from Norfolk, Virginia; Charleston, South Carolina; and the Florida ports of Miami, Port Canaveral and Jacksonville.
Is it worth taking a short cruise toBermuda?
The destination of choice for easy and quick cruise vacations is the Bahamas, which is known for its delightful beach and access to every type of water fun.
Most of the major cruise lines from the eastern Florida ports of Jacksonville, Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale and Miami offer three to five-night Bahamas cruises that don't require a passport.
On their way into the Caribbean, some itineraries stop in the Bahamas. Sailings from New Orleans, New York, Baltimore and Charleston will often lead to weeklong trips to the Bahamas.
There are tips for first-timers and repeat visitors.
The southern neighbor has two coastlines. Like most tropical cruise destinations, the top draws are the beaches and the ocean, but cruise ports in Mexico also offer an abundance of land activities.
The Caribbean and Pacific coast of Mexico are accessible to people who do not have a passport. Three- to 15-night cruises can be found to Costa Maya, Cozumel and Progresso. You can find sailing itineraries from New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama.
Cabo San Lucas is one of the ports that make up the Mexican Riviera. There are three to five night sailings on Disney and seven to 10 night sailings on Holland America, Princess and Norwegian Cruise Line. Norwegian sails from Los Angeles' San Pedro port for three to 10 nights. Similar routes from Long Beach are used by carnival.
There are the best Mexico cruises for everyone.
There are many things to see and do on a Hawaii cruise. You can sample the flavors of each island as you hop from island to island.
There are two different types of closed-loop Hawaii cruises. The only large cruise ship allowed to operate within the Hawaiian Islands without visiting a foreign port is Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America. Seven-night, inter-island Hawaiian sailings are offered by UnCruise Adventure. The American-flagged ships only travel to and from U.S. ports, so no passport is required.
There are 14 to 18 night round-trip sailings from San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The cruise lines that offer those cruises are Carnival, Princess and Holland America. You don't need a passport for these closed-loop sailings, but you do need to be prepared for a number of days at sea.
There are 20-plus-night cruises on Holland America, Princess and even Viking that are round-trip sailings from the West Coast and would seem to fit the bill for closed-loop cruises that don't need passports. The majority of these cruises don't work because they include stops in French Polynesia that aren't in the agreement. The entire cruise requires a passport for the islands in the South Pacific.
Cruises up North America's East Coast allow you to take in historical sights of early Americana, stand atop rugged cliffs on the coast of Nova Scotia or enjoy the culture of Quebec.
There are cruises along the U.S. and Canadian coast that don't require a passport. They leave from the ports of Baltimore, Boston, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and sometimes Norfolk. Most of the New England and Canada cruises are weeklong, fall sailings, but a few depart at other times of the year.
Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Carnival, Princess, Holland America, and small-ship operator American Cruise Lines are some of the cruise lines that sail in Canada and New England.
One-way cruises are offered between Canada and New England. If your plans don't include flying into or out of Canada and your cruise line allows you to cruise with either a passport card or other acceptable form of identification, you can do these itineraries.
We looked at a few lines for you. Princess, Holland America and Celebrity all recommend a passport book, but allow one of the forms of identification. If you aren't flying and your cruise only includes Canada and the U.S., the one-way possibilities are open.
It's not required by law for a person to cruise with a passport. U.S. citizens can travel on closed-loop cruises from U.S. ports that visit Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico. Proof of U.S. citizenship is required for government-issued identification.
Carrying an ID and a birth certificate is not an option with a passport card. If you want to travel by air into or out of Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean, you must have a passport book.
Many travelers do not have to worry about passport issues when they travel without a passport. If you don't have a passport, you'll be in an awkward position if you have to fly home from a foreign country.
Longer, point-to-point and overseas trips are possible if you have a passport. Even if you don't have a passport, you should register for one.
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