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How Much Does a Passport Cost? What Does the Passport Card Cost?
A passport book can get you to so many more places internationally, and in the case of an emergency on a cruise, having a passport book allows you to make unexpected travel arrangements significantly easier. But if you have the money to spare or anticipate traveling more frequently (and internationally), a passport book is always the best choice. In addition to being mandatory for air travel, it can offer peace of mind for emergencies. You never know when you might need to get off the ship because of an injury or illness, and arranging an unexpected flight home is much easier with a passport in hand.
Cruise Destinations That Don’t Require a Passport
Royal Caribbean International strongly recommends that all guests travel with a valid passport during their cruise. If you only have a U.S. passport card and plan on visiting countries outside of North American and the Caribbean, you'll have to purchase a passport book. In that case, you'll wind up having both (and spending more cash). The cruises that you don't need a passport for are closed-loop sailings, which depart from and return to the same port within the U.S. One-way sailings from one U.S. port to another or from a U.S. port to a foreign one would require a passport. However, you may need a passport to set foot on some of the Caribbean islands.
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We are a nationally recognized US Passport and visa service by the Washington Post, New York Times and USA Today. Regarding Royal Caribbean Cruises to destinations in Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Bermuda, there is a notable exception to this US passport rule, pertaining to land and sea crossings for US Citizens. Western Mexico, often referred to as the Mexican Riviera, includes the ports of Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Ensenada, among others. Cruises with several major lines depart San Diego, San Pedro port in LA and Long Beach for voyages lasting anywhere from three to 10 nights. More complications arise for non-passport holders who book shore excursions that involve crossing from Alaska to Canada.
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Keep in mind that some Caribbean countries on your closed-loop cruise might require a U.S. passport to enter. If this is the case, without a passport booklet you will not be allowed to cruise or go ashore on those islands. Passports are required for all travelers, including citizens of U.S. and Canada, who enter or re-enter the United States by air, land or sea. This means that Alaska cruises are one instance when the passport card would be a handy alternative to traveling with both an ID card and a birth certificate. However, if you don't have a passport, or don't wish to get one, you can still cruise — you're just limited to North American cruises sailing round trip from U.S. departure ports. Princess Cruises and Holland America require that at least one parent carry a passport, even if you're on a closed-loop sailing.
Passport Not Required
Cruising is back after a few years of rough seas, figuratively speaking. Cruise lines worked behind the scenes during the pandemic, planning for their return to the world’s waterways. New ships, creative amenities, engaging shore excursions, a wide range of itineraries, and meticulous health protocols are now attracting first-time cruisers as well as long-time cruise fans. From mega-ships to smaller expedition vessels, there’s a voyage for every type of traveler. The answer to all of these questions for U.S. citizens is no -- as long as you’re taking a closed-loop cruise.
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Departures from Bayonne, Manhattan, Baltimore and Charleston will often get you weeklong Bahamas itineraries, as will sailings from Tampa, Galveston and New Orleans. If you had an emergency and were forced to disembark due to illness or other reason in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, the Bahamas, Bermuda or Canada you would need a passport to return home by plane. On the rare occasion of a ship evacuation or a diversion to another country to disembark, a passport would also be essential for getting home. Caribbean cruises to the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico are a safe bet for those who don’t have a passport. You can cruise Alaska either on closed-loop sailings from Seattle that stop in Canada along the way, or fly to Alaska and take a cruise that remains within the state.
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In fact, doing so would mean spending more money than is necessary. A U.S. passport book provides all of the benefits as a passport card, but also works as identification to enter nearly every other country on Earth (not just those in North America and the Caribbean). As we've shown, you have plenty of options for where to cruise without a passport, and many travelers do so without incident. However, anything from engine trouble on your cruise ship to bad weather or an accident in port might necessitate a flight home from a foreign country. This would put you in an awkward position if you didn't have a passport.
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You might be wondering if you should get the passport card vs book. The passport card is an option the United States government provides that is a lower cost alternative to the passport book. It is for travelers who are not going to leave the country by airplane, and plan to only leave the United States via land or sea. Mostly, whether or not a passport is required depends on your itinerary. If you are going on what’s called a “closed-loop” cruise (for example, leave from Ft. Lauderdale then visit a foreign county (ex. Caribbean islands) and return to Ft.
It's the best way to prove your identification and citizenship and is an essential item if you unexpectedly get stranded abroad. It's also less cumbersome than carrying the required documents and papers with you wherever you go. The U.S. Customs & Border Protection agency states that if you're cruising without a passport, you'll need proof of identity and U.S. citizenship in the form of a state-issued birth certificate. It also requires a government-issued driver's license or a photo ID with your name and date of birth. Closed-loop cruises to Mexico depart from Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, and Galveston. From East Coast ports, cruise ships visit the Yucatan Peninsula’s Costa Maya and the island of Cozumel in the Caribbean Sea.
Customs and Border Protection, and their recent publication also explains the requirements for taking a cruise without a passport. Note that enhanced driver’s licenses are issued in very few states at this time, so it’s important not to assume that yours qualifies as identification and proof of citizenship. The purpose of a U.S. passport card is to allow U.S. citizens to travel by land or sea to Mexico, Canada, over a dozen Caribbean Island nations and Bermuda. Passport cards do not allow you to travel by air to any foreign destination, and cannot be used to enter a majority of the world’s countries.
The cost for a first-time passport holder is $165, plus the photo fee; the steep fee alone is why many Americans choose to go without one. The good news is that an adult passport is valid for 10 years – and you can travel to most places in the world with just a passport and no visa. You will also need to have a passport size photo taken and pay the required fees. While this type of passport can be issued within as little as a day, it could take up to a week to receive it. To make things even more confusing, you can get off the ship in port in Vancouver, British Columbia during an Alaska cruise without a passport, but to cross over into the Canadian province by rail, you'll need one.
When traveling outside of the U.S. a passport is always recommended, but cruises are the exception to the rule. As long as you book a closed loop cruise, you can travel to certain destinations without a passport. Because international cruises in Europe and Asia require air travel, these vacations also demand a passport. When embarking on adventures by sea that don’t require a passport, make sure you have the proper cruise documentation. For travelers on tight budgets, who cruise roundtrip from the U.S. and don't plan to leave the country by air, it can be cost efficient and convenient to carry a U.S. passport card. A passport card also could be useful for Alaska cruises, as long as all border crossings into Canada are done by land or sea.
