When U.S. cruise passengers may sail without a passport

U.S. Customs and Border Protection says passports are not required for qualifying closed-loop cruises that start and finish at the same U.S. port and operate within the Western Hemisphere.

On those sailings, U.S. citizens may be able to travel with an Enhanced Driver’s License. They may also use a government-issued birth certificate, accompanied by government-issued photo identification for passengers age 16 and older.

For U.S. citizens younger than 16, CBP says acceptable documents may include an original, notarized or certified copy of a birth certificate, a State Department Consular Report of Birth Abroad or a Certificate of Naturalization issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

However, CBP notes that a cruise line may still require a passport to comply with entry rules at one or more ports on the itinerary, even when U.S. regulations permit other documents. Passengers should therefore check their cruise line’s requirements for the specific sailing.

Travel adviser Lainey Melnick also cautioned that travelers without passports could encounter delays and extra costs if they miss the ship, have a medical emergency or otherwise need to fly home from another country. In those circumstances, she said, a birth certificate and driver’s license would not be sufficient for an international flight, potentially requiring an emergency passport from a U.S. embassy or consulate.