Are Passports Required to Go on a Disney Cruise?
With Summer 2020 itineraries opening up for booking this week with Disney Cruise Line, you may be thinking about planning a family adventure at sea. When it comes to setting sail with Disney Cruise Line, many of the itineraries do make stops at foreign ports of call. As a result, there are documentation factors that you must take into account before you set sail that you don’t have to worry about when planning a theme park visit. But don’t worry! We here at MickeyBlog are here to set you straight with our handy guide to cruise documents!
Do I need to get passports for my family before going on a cruise?
This is single-handedly the question I get asked the most by those thinking about a Disney Cruise! That’s because there are some grey areas when it comes to cruise documentation. Let’s start with the sailings that you 100% need a passport for these include:
- Transatlantic
- European (Norweigan, Northern Europe, Iceland, British Isles)
- Mediterranean (Spain, Rome, Greece, Croatia, France)
- Panama Canal
- River Cruises (With Adventures by Disney)
The Bahamas, Bermuda, Caribbean and Mexican Riviera Sailings
For families setting sail on one of Disney Cruise Line’s sailings to the Eastern or Western Caribbean, Bermuda, or the Bahamas the following iD is required:
- A valid US Passport
- A valid US Passport Card
- A valid Trusted Traveler Card (Nexus, Sentri, Fast)
Alternatively, you also have the option of travelling without a passport if you bring along a valid photo ID (like a drivers license) and one of the following:
- State issued Birth Certificate
- Consular Report of a Birth Abroad
- Certificate of Naturalization
On these sailings, children under the age of 16 don’t need to show photo ID but must present one of the three forms of documentation outlined above.
For Canadians, a passport or trusted traveller card is required. All other foreign citizens must meet the entry requirements for your country.
For U.S. Legal Permanent Residents a Legal Permanent Resident Card (aka “Green Card”) or Alien Resident Card (ARC) is required. Photocopies will not be accepted.
Alaskan Cruises
Alaskan Cruises can be a bit tricky because it depends on how you arrive in Canada. For those flying into Vancouver to board the ship, you MUST have a valid US passport. For those arriving into Canada by land or sea the following documentation is required:
- Original valid U.S. Passport
- Original valid U.S. Passport Card
- Original valid Trusted Traveler Card (NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
OR
- Original or copy of their state-issued birth certificate AND Government-issued photo ID
- Original Consular Report of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State AND Government-issued photo ID
- Original Certificate of Naturalization issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services AND Government-issued photo ID
Caribbean β One-Way Cruises
Disney will on occasion offer one-way sailings leaving from the U.S. mainland to San Juan ar vice versa. In these instances the following documentation is required:
- Original valid U.S. Passport
- Original valid U.S. Passport Card
- Original valid Trusted Traveler Card (NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
Guests who are legal permanent residents of the U.S. must provide a valid original Legal Permanent Resident Card, also known as a “Green Card,” or “Alien Resident Card (ARC).” Photocopies are not acceptable.
Pacific Coast, Canada or Hawai’i β One-Way Cruises
Occasionally Disney will offer one-way sailings from the U.S. to Vancouver, from New York to Quebec or Vancouver to Hawai’i in these instances the following documentation is required.
Citizens travel to or returning from Canada by Air:
- Original valid U.S. Passport
Traveling to Canada by Land or Sea:
- Original valid U.S. Passport
- Original valid U.S. Passport Card
- Original valid Trusted Traveler Card (NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
Social Security Cards and Global Entry are not acceptable proof of U.S. citizenship for purposes of traveling outside of the U.S.
Guests who are legal permanent residents of the U.S. must provide a valid original Legal Permanent Resident Card, also known as a “Green Card,” or “Alien Resident Card (ARC).” Photocopies are not acceptable.
Residents of Canada Traveling to the U.S by Sea:
- Original valid Canadian Passport
- Original valid Trusted Traveler Card (NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
- Canadian Permanent Residents must travel with a valid passport and their Permanent Resident Card, also known as a βPRC,β to travel outside of Canada
I’m Going on a Disney Cruise to the Bahamas. I Don’t Need To Get Passports for My Family, Do I?
Having to get your first U.S. Passport can be a daunting task for travellers. I get contacted by families all the time who would prefer to avoid the process. According to the documentation requirements I outlined above, it isn’t essential to have a valid U.S. Passport, you could get by with Photo ID as well as birth certificates. However, I ALWAYS encourage clients to travel with a passport whenever possible and here’s why. The ships in Disney Cruise Line’s fleet are flagged in the Bahamas which means once you board you are subject to Bahama and International Maritime Law. Let’s say you were planning on disembarking in a foreign port and an accident were to happen, Arranging for emergency travel home or medical care in a foreign country can suddenly become much more complicated without a passport. I also find when traveling with small children, having a Valid Photo ID does bring that extra peace of mind should you accidentally get separated.
So the long and short of it is that you may be trying to save yourself the cost of passports but in the long run you are much safer having them with you. I think its an extra expense worth including in your travel budget.
Passport Cards
I’m noticing a growing trend as of late where clients are being told they can avoid having to dole out for a full-fledged passport and instead get a passport card. Because this form of ID isn’t as prominent as standard passports it can raise concerns among travellers as to whether or not this is good enough when it comes to ID. For those unfamiliar, Passport Cards are wallet-size travel documents (like a driver’s license) that can be used to re-enter the United States at land border-crossings or ports of entry from the following:
- Canada
- Mexico
- The Caribbean
- Bermuda
If your cruise covers the following destinations than you should be okay with a Passport Cards. That being said if you plan on doing more traveling in the future getting full coverage with a Passport may be the better option.
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