Cruises and Passports
Not all cruises require passports. Some only require a certified copy of your birth certificate plus a photo ID (for everyone over 18). Since I am not qualified to give legal advice, I will just direct you the DCL website that will give you more details:
https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/guest-services/passport-travel-documentation/
If you really want to get into the nitty gritty, here is what the US Customs and Border Protection has to say about it:
https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/1139/~/documents-needed-to-take-a-cruise
Even though some sailings don’t require a passport, many people feel more comfortable having them and get/bring them anyway. If there were to be an emergency that required you to leave the cruise and fly home early, from a foreign country, then a passport would be necessary to re-enter the US by air. It’s likely that, in a serious emergency, there would be a way to eventually get you on a flight back to the US without a passport, but I doubt it would be without a lot of time, stress and money. It really all just comes down to your own comfort level.
Before our first cruise, I decided to get passports for all of our kids (my husband and I already had them) even though they weren’t necessary. It was a significant expense, but I tend to be a worrier and I really needed the peace of mind. Plus, I knew we would eventually need them anyway for our Panama Canal cruise (trip report here).
Passports and Port Excursions
Another decision you must make, if you do cruise with your passport, is whether to take it with you when you leave the ship in port. Some ports require passports (check with DCL for which ones) but many do not. I cannot find official word from DCL on what they recommend, but I have heard that they recommend you leave it on the ship in your room safe. If this is indeed true, I think their reasoning is that it is more likely that your passport will be lost or stolen while in port than you having an emergency which would require you to fly back to the US. If your passport is lost or stolen, you will have one heck of a time going through customs upon disembarkation. DCL does advise all cruisers to take a copy of the daily Navigator with them when they leave the ship in port as it has the name and phone number of the ship’s agent in that port. If there is an emergency on shore, you are to call the ship’s agent who will work with DCL to handle the situation. Feasibly, this could be a way to get your passport off the ship and into your hands should an emergency arise on shore.
It seems as though people tend to be split pretty evenly on this topic. I would say about half insist on taking their passport with them on shore, and the other half leave them on the ship and just take their drivers license and possibly a photocopy of their passport. Once again, this is a personal decision and both options have pros and cons. We leave ours on the ship. But, we always make sure to return to the ship at least 1-2 hours prior to all aboard time.
Passports and Expiration Dates
Did you know that some countries will deny entry to those whose passports expire within the next 6 months? I have read about people not being able to board a cruise ship because their passport expired 5 months and 29 days later. Crazy, right? This is something that I find most people have no idea about. Here are some of the best links I could find on the subject:
http://www.uspassporthelpguide.com/six-months-validity-rule/
https://fastportpassport.com/blog/six-month-validity-passport-rule
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/09/231319.htm
So, before your next cruise or land vacation that requires a passport, make sure that you check the laws of the countries you will be visiting and renew your passport far enough in advance to avoid this.
Additionally, many of you have asked about my passport wallet in the above photo. You can see more details or purchase it by clicking here.
As always, don’t forget to like me on Facebook (click here) and follow me on Pinterest (click here) for all of the latest Disney Cruise Mom Blog updates!
.
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase through my links, the seller will pay me a small commission for it at no additional cost to you. I am grateful for your support of this site in this way, so thank you!
Coming from Canada we always cruise with a passport because we need it for entry to the US. my question to you is where did you get the passport holder in your picture?
Hi Marj! This is the passport holder in the photo: http://amzn.to/1ZRDZAF There are others available on Amazon as well. I like mine because it has lots of pockets both inside and out.
I always take my passport ashore with me. In many of our ports, we’ve needed it just to get back on the ship. I pack clothes with zipper pockets large enough to accommodate my passport. I zip it in place and forget it is there until I need it, so there is no constant stress of “keeping up with it.” It has worked out well for me in our six cruises so far.
That sounds like a really good plan! There is virtually no way it will get lost or stolen if zipped in a pocket. Thanks for the tip!
We are getting ready for our first cruise!
Your website is awesome!!
Thanks Keesa!!! So glad you are enjoying it!