| As of January 23, 2007, passports are required for all
travelers, including citizens of the U.S. and Canada, who enter or re-enter
the U.S. by air. The passport requirement will be extended
to include entries into the U.S. by land and by sea
as early as Summer 2008.
Until passports are required, citizens of the U.S. and Canada may use an
original or certified copy of their birth certificate AND a
government-issued photo ID (such as a driver's license), in lieu of a
passport, for cruises that sail roundtrip from U.S. ports (including Puerto
Rico) and visit the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, the Caribbean, Central America
and Mexico. Children under the age of 16 are not required to present a photo
ID in addition to their birth certificate. Photocopies of required
documentation are not acceptable.
Children under the age of 16 who are citizens of the U.S. or Canada will
be exempt from the passport requirement for land and sea border crossings
when the rule goes into effect. In lieu of a passport, children will be able
to continue to use a birth certificate as proof of citizenship for entry
into the U.S. by land or by sea. Children entering or re-entering the U.S.
by air are still required to have a valid passport.
Even though passports are not required at this time for U.S. and Canada
citizens who sail roundtrip from the U.S. on cruises to the above
destinations, we strongly recommend that all cruise passengers
travel with a valid passport anyway. This is because guests who
need to fly to or from the U.S. unexpectedly during their cruise will likely
experience significant delays and complications related to booking airline
tickets and entering the U.S. if they do not have a valid passport with
them. For example, a passenger missing a cruise departure due to a late
inbound flight to Miami would need a passport to fly to meet the ship at the
next port. Similarly, guests needing to fly to the U.S. or Canada (via the
U.S.) before their cruise ends because of medical, family, personal or
business emergencies, missing a ship's departure from a port of call, or a
mechanical problem of some sort with the ship, would need a passport. Of
course, situations like these are rare, but they can happen.
Passports are not required for U.S. citizens traveling to or returning
directly from Hawaii or a U.S. territory, including Guam, Puerto Rico, the
U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Commonwealth of
the Northern Mariana Islands.
Passports are required for cruise travel to all International
destinations not mentioned above, and for cruises that involve air travel
that begins or ends outside of the U.S. Passports must be valid for
at least six months after the last day of travel.
For information about obtaining a passport for the first time, or about
renewing a passport, click
here
to visit the U.S. Department of State's Web site.
Legal U.S. Residents (Non-Citizens)
Legal permanent residents of the U.S. must have a valid passport from
their country of citizenship and a valid Alien Registration Card (Green
Card) to enter or re-enter the U.S.
Non-U.S., Non-Canada Citizens
The following countries participate in a visa waiver program with the
U.S., and citizens of these countries must have a machine-readable passport
for entry into the U.S.:
Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France,
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco,
Slovenia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom
Citizens of the countries listed above who do not possess
machine-readable passports, and citizens of countries not listed above must
present a valid passport and a valid United States visa upon entry into the
U.S. For those whose travel plans include multiple entries into the U.S.,
such as a cruise that begins and ends in a U.S. port, a multiple-entry visa
is required.
Visas
All travelers, including U.S. and Canada citizens, are
responsible for verifying visa requirements with consular officials, and
obtaining visas where required, for every country visited during their trip,
including countries visited via connecting flights.
Always check with your Vacations To Go cruise counselor at the time of
booking to verify the documentation requirements for your vacation. |
