Documentation Needed to Cruise

Do I Need a Passport to Cruise?

This question tops my list of frequently asked questions by prospective cruisers.

The image to the right was a Carnival Triumph itinerary in 2013.  The ship had mechanical issues and passengers had to disembark in Mexico.  If you were on Carnival Triumph that week and had to get home from Progresso, Mexico by air - could you? 

Do you have a valid U.S. Passport? 


If you are unsure of the answer to the first question, then you should read on. If your answer to the second question is no, you too should read the rest of this article. Getting home to the United States could depend on this information and your actions in response.

Don't Leave Home Without It

We recommend that all guests carry a passport that is valid for at least six months beyond the completion date of your travel.

Having a passport will enable you to fly from the U.S. to a foreign port in the event you miss your scheduled embarkation or to fly back to the U.S. if you need to disembark the ship mid-cruise due to an emergency.  

Rules that went into force in 2009 mandate that  U.S. citizens entering the country by land, sea, or air must establish both identity and citizenship and therefore must possess one of the following: passport, passport card or other travel document approved by the Department of Homeland Security.

Travel by Land or Sea (for U.S. and Canadian Citizens):

Travel document requirements vary based on cruise itinerary and whether international flights are required. For voyages that are scheduled to end outside the U.S., a passport that is valid for six months beyond the completion date of your travel is required. Passports or Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) compliant documents are required for cruises to Alaska, Bermuda, Canada, Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico and the Panama Canal. U.S. and Canadian citizens ages 16 and above may present one of the following valid WHTI-compliant documents:

• Passport (recommended travel document) (valid for travel by air, land and sea)
• Passport Card (valid for land and sea border crossings only)
• State Issued Enhanced Driver’s License (valid for land and sea border crossings only)
• Other documents approved by the Department of Homeland Security

The other travel documents include: Lawful Permanent Resident Cards; certain Native American tribe member cards; North American trusted traveler program cards, such as NEXUS (Northern Border program), SENTRI (Southern Border program), or FAST (Free and Secure Trade program); military ID with official travel orders; U.S. Merchant Mariner Documents; or enhanced driver's licenses (EDLs).

U.S. citizens taking “closed-loop” cruises are not required to have a passport but will need proof of citizenship and a government-issued photo ID, such as an original or certified copy of a birth certificate and a driver’s license.  It is still highly recommended that you travel with a valid passport.

See the Department of Homeland Security's Know Before You Go for more information on the changing travel requirements.

PLEASE NOTE: it is the passenger's sole responsibility to obtain and have available the proper travel documents that are necessary for your travel, including all costs related to obtaining proper documentation and costs to obtain entry to countries you visit and re-entry to your destination country. You’ve planned for this trip and want to be sure you aren’t denied boarding, nor do you want  problems when entering or exiting any country during your trip.

Entry Requirements of Foreign Countries

So far we have focused on getting on your cruise and getting back home to the United States.  Each foreign country has their own entry requirements.   Passports are still the best option there, but additional documentation, such as Visas, are often needed.  You place of residency dictates the documentation required as well.

• Consult Entry Requirements for the Destination(s)  - see Foreign Entry Requirements 
• View the “Entry/Exit Requirements” section of the State Department’s U.S. Visa Wizard for each country you plan to visit.
• See all Travel Alerts & Warnings

If a visa is required by the country you will visit, obtain it from the appropriate foreign consular representative before proceeding abroad.  Allow sufficient time for processing your visa application, especially if you are applying by mail.

We have an entire page devoted to these topics and more.  Please click on the International Travel tab.

 

National Plan A Cruise Month Promotions 

Cruise lines are offering special promotions and pricing on popular cruises to encourage consumers to plan their next cruise vacation now. We'll be featuring promotions on our website and social media.

A Cruise Can Take You There (click for mini-series)

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Disclaimer:   Information provided on this page is provided as guidance to the official government information which is contained on referenced websites.  

Links are accurate at time of publication and are subject to change.     Consult the home page of the appropriate governmental agency if the link cannot be found.

More to See at Sea Than Ports

Click images to enlarge

Look Beyond the Destination

Seeing Cruising in a New Light

Exploring the world by cruise ship is a passion that we've had for more than 30 years.  On our first cruises, each destination was a new adventure.  We had not been to the ports of call before, so everything was brand new.

After all those years, we still do have some new ports to explore, but more often than not, we find ourselves visiting some of the same destinations.

Keeping Cruising Exciting

How does one keep cruise vacations exciting? Several ways come to mind, such as cruising to new destinations, booking brand new ships, or trying different shore excursions.

Learning to See at Sea

The image above is the view that the captain has on Caribbean Princess.  What a marvelous view it is, especially on a beautiful day.  In this image, there are some beautiful clouds above the horizon just off the bow of the ship.   There isn't any island in sight - you can look for miles, but all that you'll see is ocean and clouds.   You can become one with nature in these peaceful surroundings.

We often give ourselves a photo shoot assignment during our cruise.  In this series of photos, which we used for a past #FriFotos Twitter chat, the theme was #Sky.

(For those that don't know:  #FriFotos is a weekly Twitter photo forum by @Frifotos_ https://twitter.com/frifotos_We even had the chance to co-host in the past.)

There are many Twitter travel chats, so get a stock of photos and join in with some or your personal favorites.

Stormy Skies

Sea days are a favorite time during a cruise for us.  It gives us time to really relax and unwind.  When in ports, we tend to be "on" since we have easy access to the internet and our always-connected life style (checking on our guests needs for example).

It is a little more difficult when at sea, we have to go to our cabin and get connected.   Even on stormy days, one can enjoy the view - especially if the storm is in the distance.

Painting the Sky With Color

Our favorite time of day is dusk when Mother Nature puts on a light show for all to see.   This image, captured off the coast of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, has the sky on fire.

We highly recommend being on your balcony or up on the open decks when the evening is approaching so that you can experience this magical light and, if you want to, capture your own memorable images.


So Much More Than Ports


Hopefully this shows you that even if your ship is sailing to familiar ports, there is so much more to See at Sea.   Make some time during your cruise to lay out on deck and watch the clouds go by.

Do you remember trying to figure out what shapes could be seen in the clouds when you were young?  Why not do that again now, or even share that experience with other family members or friends?

If you like Travel & Photography join us each Friday!  If you like Travel & Food join us for #FoodTravelChat each Wednesday!

 

National Plan A Cruise Month Promotions 

Cruise lines are offering special promotions and pricing on popular cruises to encourage consumers to plan their next cruise vacation now. We'll be featuring promotions on our website and social media.

A Cruise Can Take You There (click for mini-series)

Follow Us On

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers

Where have you explored? 

#FoodTravelChat

Join us every Wednesday evening at 8pm EST for lively conversation about food travel brought to you by @FoodTravelist It's a tasty world & we're dishing it up!

5 Ways to Enhance Your Cruise Ship Dining Experience

click on images to enlarge

Cruise Dining Tips

Reflecting on one of our recent trips, a fabulous 7 Night Eastern Caribbean cruise on Carnival Magic, we'll focus on 5 tips that will enhance your dining experience.   We employed these tips during our cruise and thought we'd share them with our readers.   Even though we'll use the Carnival Magic for examples, the principles can be applied to most contemporary cruise lines.

This is not an exhaustive list, but it's a good start to enhancing your cruise dining.




Navigating the Buffet

Entering the ship's buffet restaurant you may be thinking that you just died and went to heaven or perhaps you are just overwhelmed by the scene in front of you.  

Tip:   Don't just Dive In

One of the main entrances to the buffet is often from the Lido (pool) deck on your ship.  You will notice that shortly after entering, there's a serving station which has a long line.   Do not stop here, but continue further into the restaurant.   On most ships, there are several identical serving lines, many of which may have shorter lines.

Besides the identical lines, take notice of the unique stations.  For example at breakfast, there is usually an omelet station where you can get made to order eggs & omelets.   This line may be long, so be ready to wait.   Check out the signs overhead to help navigate through the maze of stations.
Walk around the buffet to decide on the options that interest you for this meal, and take note for later in the week, when you may want something different.

Instead of waiting in the long serving line one morning, we opted for the much shorter continental breakfast line and then added some bacon from the omelet station (there was a waiter serving bacon and ham - you didn't need to wait in the omelet line).

Poolside Dining

Getting some sun or shade on loungers is one of our favorite relaxing things to do during a cruise.  We typically have breakfast in the buffet and then search out a good spot to camp out for a few hours.    Since prime locations (such as those right by the pool or in a shady location) get taken first, another option is to divide your group and eat in shifts.  (Most lines frown on you just leaving something on the lounger to reserve the chair and they may remove the items if you aren't back within a stated period of time - so be aware of the rules on your ship).

Tip:  Dine by the Pool

Lunch is a great time to eat poolside.  On Carnival cruises you can dine at Guy's Burger Joint or Blue Iguana right by the pool.  While there may be a line, it usually moves quickly, and you can get back to relaxing by the pool in no time.   There is also a 24 hour pizza station by the aft pool.  Most cruise lines have similar options. 

Sea Day Only Options

The reason we selected Carnival Magic for our latest cruise was to try Guy's Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse which is only open for limited hours on sea days.  Many cruise lines have similar restaurant venues, so be sure to plan your dining schedule ahead of time.

Tip:  Try the Unique Dining Options

Due to the limited serving hours, you can expect dining venues like these to be busy.  Plan to arrive when they open, or even shortly before that.   In order to keep our poolside loungers,  one person went on a food run for the two of us.   Check out the menu ahead of time so that you know what you want to order.

Anytime Dining

We've been cruising for over 30 years and grew up on traditional dining where you were assigned a dining time and table in the main dining room.  Every night you went to dinner at the same time with the same people.   Nowadays there are many more dining options and we encourage you to select an option that has some flexibility.

Tip:  Select Flexible Dining

Some people prefer to eat early and others late.  That is why traditional dining over the years had two choices.   There are others, that for health reasons, must eat at a certain time each day.   The good news is that even with flexible dining plans of today's cruises, any of the above schedules can be accommodated.

One big advantage of flexible dining is that you can select your dining time based on evening activities that you want to do.   Some days, after touring, you might be tired and don't want to rush to dinner. The choice is completely up to you each evening during your cruise.

We still enjoy the traditional dining experience because the wait staff gets to know you, making for an enjoyable experience.   On our Carnival Magic cruise, we had the best of both worlds.   The first couple of evenings we arrived for dinner, signed in, and took whatever table they escorted us to.  Then we found the wait staff of Singsoong and Posy.   We really enjoyed them, their service, the hot food, etc., so every night after that, we asked for a table in their section.  They would greet us by name and take care of all our needs very efficiently.

Specialty Dining

One big draw for cruise vacations is the inclusive dining options.  When we think about dining on a cruise ship we compare it to dining at home.  Some days you opt for fast food while others you want a more relaxing dinner.   For special occasions, you may opt for your favorite steak or seafood restaurant which usually comes with a higher price tag as well.   On a cruise, you can enjoy any or all of the above choices throughout the voyage.   The choice is up to you.

Tip:  Specialty Dining for Lunch

Are you celebrating a special occasion during your cruise?   Why not make at least one night a little extra special by dining in one of the many specialty dining venues on your ship?

Sometimes you can dine at a specialty restaurant at lunch for a reduced price or even complimentary.   The menu might be simpler than in the evening, but you still get to experience that extra ambiance.  On Carnival cruise ships that have Cucina del Capitano, there is a pasta bar option for lunch which allows you to taste their Italian specialties for no cost.

 

National Plan A Cruise Month Promotions 

Cruise lines are offering special promotions and pricing on popular cruises to encourage consumers to plan their next cruise vacation now. We'll be featuring promotions on our website and social media.

A Cruise Can Take You There (click for mini-series)

Follow Us On

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Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat 

How Have You Enhanced Your Cruise Ship Dining? 

Hopefully this article gives you some ideas about options you have when on your cruise vacation.  We'd love to hear from you about your best experiences.   Feel free to contact us via social media or our contact information if you have questions.

#FoodTravelChat

Join us every Wednesday evening at 8pm EST for lively conversation about food travel brought to you by @FoodTravelist It's a tasty world & we're dishing it up!

Now Trending: River Cruising

Click here for River Cruising Guide

Discover the Beauty of River Cruising

See more than you could ever imagine on a river cruise. Get up-close and personal to destinations larger ships only dream to go and become one with history, culture and refined grace. River cruising is becoming really popular and several cruise lines are ramping up to meet the demand.


Viking River Cruises Adds 2 Longships

This past March, Viking River Cruises launched the 190-passenger Viking Herja and Viking Hild "longships". The longships feature some of the largest suites on river ships in Europe, as well as cabins with balconies, made possible by offsetting the main corridors. In just six years, 48 Viking longships have been built — an unprecedented number in the history of river cruising.

Adventures by Disney & AMAWaterways 
Continues Family River Cruising

Up until AMAWaterway's announcement in 2016, river cruising was predominantly a couples-only cruise vacation option. The narrow, long, 3 deck ships have cabins that were designed for double occupancy. There were a few exceptions, such as some single occupancy cabins on some AMAWaterways vessels, made possible when additional stairways had to be added for safety.

Adventures by Disney® will offer sailings in 2018 along the Rhine River aboard the all-new 156-passenger AmaKristina introduced in 2017 or AmaStella introduced in 2016. These river cruise ships were custom built by AmaWaterways with families in mind. New family-friendly design elements include specific room configurations, including sets of connecting staterooms, as well as some rooms and suites that accommodate three- and four-person families, and other unique details that lend themselves to luxury family vacations.

Sister ships AmaViola introduced in 2016, and AmaLea launching in 2018, will take families to 8 unforgettable destinations in 4 countries on an all-inclusive adventure along the Danube River through the heart of Europe.

Enjoy exclusive sailings with AmaWaterways, a leader in luxury river cruising, as well as exciting activities for every member of your family. Plus, for Adventurers setting sail on a 2018 Rhine River Cruise, you’ll find special experiences inspired by Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.


   

Viking River Cruises has advanced public awareness about river cruising with their unprecedented expansion.  Now, with the partnership of AMAWaterways & Adventures by Disney, river cruising has been taken to yet another level as families can be introduced to this great way to explore Europe.

TIP:  As with all cruises, you'll want to speak with a professional to determine which cruise is right for your particular vacation situation.   While all the river cruise ships look alike, they all have something different to offer.

 

National Plan A Cruise Month Promotions 

Cruise lines are offering special promotions and pricing on popular cruises to encourage consumers to plan their next cruise vacation now. We'll be featuring promotions on our website and social media.

A Cruise Can Take You There (click for mini-series)

Follow Us On

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers

Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat