Anybody who is planning to travel overseas after June 1st, 2009, will need to make sure they have a valid passport in hand. Formerly January, then delayed until June 1, the active date is coming up quickly for the required document.

If you are planning a cruise trip to a country that requires a visa, plan ahead and obtain your visa. You may not be allowed to board the ship, even if you did not intend to go ashore. This happened to a number of passengers sailing to South America from Miami recently.

Carnival denied boarding because many passengers had not obtained a visa for Brazil. Brazilian visa does not come cheap to the American traveler. This visa fee is $131. That’s the way it is for now.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) does it again, they have come out with an innovative and personalized approach to pre-cruise information with the debut of its "Welcome Aboard" booklet.

This is a 21-page booklet customized cruise guide for you the passenger. The front cover features your name, ship and sailing date, stateroom number and the name of your travel agency. On the inside you will find shore excursion information pertaining to the specific itinerary, personalized luggage tags with your name and stateroom number pre-printed, deck plans for the specific ship and cruise advice.

What Travel Documents and Identifications do you require?

U.S Passport link: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html
(make 3 copies of the following documents and leave one with someone at home; one in your checked luggage and one in your carry-on)
- Passport with necessary visas
- Cruise documents
- Airline tickets or e-ticket confirmation
- Vaccination certificate (if required)
- Credit Cards (also note down the numbers to call if stolen. Don’t forget to note
- Driver’s license (in case you need to rent a car)
- Travel Insurance Documents

Cruise lines require a valid passport that should not expire within 6 months of the travel date. Please check with immigration office if any other proof of citizenship can be used in place of a passport as laws change frequently.

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Washington, D, C, & You: Cruise Travel Document Requirements

On March 27th, the Department of State released its 151 page (in PDF) Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) detailing that “travelers present a passport or other approved secure document denoting citizenship and identity for all land and sea travel into the United States.” Cruise travel documents requirements have, as of yet, been hypnotically difficult. Presently, required travel cruise documents are just shy of the more strict conditions for air travel.