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

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.

Cruise companies generally accept a federal or state issued ID—such as a driver’s license—and birth certificate as verification for citizenship. However, most companies strongly recommend that passports be used. These companies are ahead of the June 1, 2009 travel cruise documents deadline. Caribbean cruise travel and Bahamas cruise travel are, of course, always considered international. If your Caribbean or Bahamas cruise travel plans begin at one of these locales, you’ll need a passport to fly there from the US nonetheless.

Required documents for cruise travel are the same as overland travel. Currently, if you voyage to Mexico, travel by Caribbean cruise or enter Canada, you can get through without a passport. This likewise holds true for Bahamas cruise travel. As long as the US traveler starts and ends in his homeland, he will not be required to hold a valid passport.

If this same US traveler, on the other hand, sails one-way and finishes in Vancouver or Mexico, for example, he will be required to have a passport (or other pre-approved and thus required travel cruise documents proving citizenship). If the said traveler starts in the US and ends in the same location, he is considered a lower security risk than those individuals launching from foreign ports.

The Star-Telegram Staff Writer Carolyn Poirot writes in “Travelers Urged to Get Passports Now,” quotes Pam Kempen of Travel Service Everywhere:

“This is a good time to apply for new a new passport because passport offices were geared up to meet the new requirements, and it’s only taking about three weeks…you risk having alternative identification questioned or rejected at the last minute.”

Documents requirements for cruise travel are only going to become more stringent. The later individuals wait there is a chance that more hoops will be in place for US citizens to travel by cruise ship. Getting Caribbean holiday cruise or Bahamas cruise travel plans ready now saves anxiety later.

Find the latest requirements for cruise travel documents at www.travel.state.gov/travel