PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS - UPDATED

Dear Travel Partner,

There has been much attention on the new travel requirements for U.S., Canadian and Bermudian citizens that went into effect on June 1, 2009. While the new Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) requires valid passports for land and sea travel, a final ruling was issued allowing leniency for U.S. citizens traveling on “closed-loop” cruises, i.e., sailings that both originate and terminate in the same U.S. port.

Recent guidance received from the Department of Homeland Security indicates the documentary requirements under WHTI for “closed loop” cruises are not limited to cruises that travel only to contiguous territories or adjacent islands. This means U.S. citizens calling on ports in Honduras, Panama, Costa Rica and Belize will also be exempt from the passport requirement.  

U.S. citizens taking “closed-loop” cruises are not required to have a passport but will need proof of citizenship such as an original or certified copy of a birth certificate, a certificate of naturalization, a passport card, an enhanced driver’s license (EDL) as well as a government-issued photo ID.  Children are also required to bring proof of citizenship and if 16 and over, a photo ID is also required.  Canadian and Bermudian citizens are required to have a passport for air, land and sea travel, including all Carnival cruises.

Although a passport is not required for U.S. citizens taking “closed loop” cruises, we strongly recommend all guests travel with a passport (valid for at least six months beyond completion of travel).  Having a passport will enable guests to fly from the U.S. to a foreign port in the event they miss their scheduled embarkation or to fly back to the U.S. if they need to disembark the ship mid-cruise due to an emergency.  

If a cruise begins and ends in different U.S. ports or begins and ends in a foreign port (such as our Alaska and Hawaii cruises), a valid passport or other recognized WHTI-compliant document is required.  A valid passport is required if you are traveling on any of our Europe cruises.
ALL guests need proper proof of citizenship in order to travel and failure to present a valid document at check in will result in denied boarding and no refund will be issued.  

Thank you for taking the time to share this important information with your clients.