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Many cruise passengers
sailing from U.S. ports are exempt from new rules that take effect today
requiring U.S. citizens to have a passport when returning from Canada,
Mexico, Bermuda and Caribbean nations.
The final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative requires
Americans to have a passport or one of several new official documents,
in order to return from these nearby countries that Americans could
formerly visit with just a driver’s license.
Cruisers are exempt from the new rule if they travel on a “closed-loop
sailing” cruise, or any itinerary that begins and ends from the same
U.S. port.
So if you cruise from Miami to Los Angeles, you will need a passport.
But if you take a round-trip cruise from Los Angeles to the Mexican
Riviera, even thought you stop in Mexico, you don’t need a passport.
Most US cruises do begin and end in the same place. Notable exceptions
are the Panama Canal cruises and some Alaska routes.
Cruisers on closed-loop itineraries however, will now need to have two
forms of identification - a valid, government-issued photo ID and proof
of citizenship. So you would need both a driver’s license and a birth
certificate even on a round-trip cruise from Miami.
Despite the loophole, we still recommend cruisers to get passports as
things can change and you never know if you may have to break short your
trip and return early.
For more information go to:
Closed Loop Q&A |
