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Proof of Citizenship/Proof of Identity
Don't leave home without proper identification. The cruise
lines have a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY regarding missing or
unacceptable citizenship documents. Make sure you have all
of the necessary documentation to travel. IF YOU DO
NOT, YOU WILL BE DENIED BOARDING, NO EXCEPTIONS. There is
no room for flexibility on this policy. Guests who fail to provide the
cruise line with proper proof of citizenship and photo ID
will be denied boarding and will not receive a refund.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER
The information
below is for reference purposes only and is subject to
change at anytime without notice. You are advised to
contact the cruise line for the latest requirements and if
necessary the appropriate consulate, U.S. Embassy or U.S.
Immigration office to inquire further about travel
documents. Do not rely on the information provided
below, as it could change. Check with your cruise line
about the specific requirements for your cruise before you
show up at the pier. Failure to have the proper
documentation could result in denied boarding. If you are
denied boarding you will not get a refund.
Cruise Direct Online assumes no responsibility for advising
guests of immigration, proof of Citizenship and Proof of
Identity requirements.
Don't Have a Passport? Time
to Get One!
Proof of Citizenship/Proof of Identity
Don't leave home without proper
identification. The cruise lines have a ZERO TOLERANCE
POLICY regarding missing or unacceptable citizenship
documents. Make sure you have all of the necessary
documentation to travel. IF YOU DO NOT, YOU WILL BE DENIED
BOARDING, NO EXCEPTIONS. There is no room for flexibility
on this policy. Guests who fail to provide the cruise
line with proper proof of citizenship and photo ID will be
denied boarding and will not receive a refund. Cruise
Direct Online assumes no responsibility for advising guests
of immigration requirements.
IMPORTANT: A VALID PASSPORT IS REQUIRED FOR A
CRUISE
Please be sure to read items numbered 1-4
1. If you FLY to and/or from your cruise
departing/returning port outside the United States
NEW... All citizens, regardless of age, including
infants will be required to show a passport to re-enter the
United States from Canada, Mexico, Panama, Bermuda, the
Caribbean and the rest of the World.
Guests sailing on or after January 23, 2007 will be required
to present a valid passport during ship check-in
formalities.
Passports
must be valid for at least 6 months after sailing.
Passengers who's Alaska cruise itinerary includes a port
call to a Canadian city, or begins or ends in a Canadian
port/city are required to have a valid Passport. You are
responsible for having the proper documenation with you when
you travel. In addition Visa's may be required to enter
certain countries while on a cruise. So, well in advance
of leaving home, check with the cruise line for the exact
documentation requirements for your cruise or cruisetour.
Failure to have the proper documentation ( Passport, Visa,
Health Vacination Certificates etc. ) as required will
result in denied boarding and you will not get a refund for
your cruise.
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2. If you FLY to and/or from your cruise
departing/returning port inside the United States
US Citizens: If you are flying to and
from your cruise ports of embarkation and
disembarkation in the United States Only, a
valid passport is highly recommended now AND REQUIRED
AFTER DECEMBER 31, 2007.
Up until December 31, 2007 In the absence of a
passport, a birth certificate (original or a certified
copy), plus a picture ID card issued by a federal, state
or local government agency is required. A voter
registration card or Social Security Card are not
considered to be proof of citizenship. Children under 16
years of age do not require a picture ID.
This only applies if your
cruise leaves and ends in the United States. If a
plane trip outside the United States is part of your
cruise itinerary anywhere in the world, you will need a
valid Passport. Passengers who's Alaska cruise itinerary
includes a port call to a Canadian city, or begins or
ends in a Canadian port/city are required to have a valid
Passport, regardless if you drive or fly. Failure to have
the proper documentation as required will result in denied
boarding and you will not get a refund for your cruise.
3. If you DRIVE to and from your cruise
departing/returning port inside the United States
US Citizens: If you are
driving and not flying to and from
your cruise ports of embarkation and disembarkation
in the United States Only, a valid
passport is highly recommended
now AND REQUIRED AFTER DECEMBER 31, 2007.
Up
until December 31, 2007,
In the absence of a
passport, a birth certificate (original or a certified
copy), plus a picture ID card issued by a federal, state
or local government agency is required. A voter
registration card or Social Security Card are not
considered to be proof of citizenship. Children under 16
years of age do not require a picture ID.
This only applies if you are
driving. If a plane trip outside the United States
is part of your cruise itinerary anywhere in the world,
you will need a valid Passport. Passengers who's Alaska
cruise itinerary includes a port call to a Canadian city,
or begins or ends in a Canadian port/city are required to
have a valid Passport, regardless if you drive or fly.
Failure to have the proper documentation as required will
result in denied boarding and you will not get a refund
for your cruise.
4. Our
recommendation
We strongly
recommend that all guests travel with a valid
passport during their cruise. This greatly assists guests
who may need to fly out of the United States to meet their
ship at the next available port should they miss their
scheduled embarkation in a U.S. port; guests entering the
U.S. at the end of their cruise; and guests needing to fly
to the U.S. before their cruise ends, because of medical,
family, personal or business emergencies, missing a ship's
departure from a port of call, involuntary disembarkation
from a ship due to misconduct, or other reasons.
Guests who cruise after January 23, 2007, who need to fly
to the United States before their cruise ends will likely
experience significant delays and complications related to
booking airline tickets and entering the United States if
they do not have a valid U.S. passport with them.
The Department of State, the agency of the Federal Government that issues passports, announced new rules for the issuance of the NEW Passport Cards.
- The application form for applying for a new passport has been amended so that applicants can check whether they are applying for a passport book (the traditional passport), a passport card or both. The new Application for Passport form DS 11, which is the same number as it has been previously, must be used for all persons applying after February 1, 2008.
- The passport card is not valid for travel by air. It is valid only for land and sea crossings between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean region. The passport card has the same validity as the passport book: 10 years for adults and 5 years for minors under 16.
- Passport cards can be used for identification for domestic flights. Remember: the passport card can be used as government-issued proof of identity and proof of citizenship. So, if you do not have a driver’s license and need identification for passing through security for domestic travel, you can use your passport card for proof of identity instead of presenting your driver’s license.
- Passport cards have the same validity as passport books – 10 years for adults 16 and over and 5 years for children under 16.
Citizens will be able to apply for a passport card at any acceptance agent on the same basis as a regular passport.
- The passport cards will be able to be scanned at U.S. borders when a person is in the vicinity of an electronic reader that will be operated by U.S. border control officials. The chip in the card contains only one item of information – a unique identifying number that has meaning only inside the secure database of the State Department and Homeland Security Department. There is no personal information such as name, date of birth, social security number, etc. stored electronically on the chip. So, if someone did pick up the signal, they would not be able to use the data to learn anything about the holder.
- The government may permit alternative documentation for land crossings such as driver’s licenses issued by states that have established methods for determining citizenship acceptable to the Federal government. Several states have already submitted proposals to the Federal government. This matter will be addressed in subsequent regulations issued by the Federal government.
- The execution fee for applying for a passport card is $25. The execution fee for applying for a passport book is also $25. If you apply for both at the same time, there is only one fee.
Effective February 1, 2008, there are new forms that must be used for passport applications.
The new fees for Passports effective February 1, 2008:
| Fee Type |
New Passport Fee
|
New Post Office Fee
|
New Total
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|
|
|
|
|
Passport Book 16 and over
|
$75 |
$25 |
$100 |
Passport Book 15 and under
|
$60 |
$25 |
$85 |
|
|
$75 |
N/A |
$75 |
Passport Card 16 and over
|
$20 |
$25 |
$45 |
Passport Card 15 and under
|
$10 |
$25 |
$35 |
|
Expedited Service Fee*
|
$60 |
N/A |
$60 |
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*Not available for cards
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The fees for obtaining a passport card for persons without a passport are as follows:
a. Adults: Total $45 -- $20 application fee, plus $25 execution fee
b. Children under 16: Total $35 -- $10 application fee, + $25 execution fee
Persons who have a valid passport book (Remember: a “passport book” means a person who has a “passport”) and who are applying for a passport card (in addition to holding a valid passport) are not required to pay the execution fee. Thus, persons with a valid passport who also want a passport card can apply for $20.
Change in the age for parental consent and issuance of passports to minor children:
Effective February 1, 2008, both parents must appear or sign consent forms for a child under 16 to apply for a passport. Formerly, the requirement for both parents to consent was for children under 14. It is now required for children under 16.
Effective February 1, 2008, a parent may request that their minor children’s (under 18) names be entered in the U.S. Passport name-check system. Once entered into the system, the program known as the Children’s Passport Issuance Alert Program (CPIAP) will notify the parent if a passport application is submitted in behalf of his/her minor child(ren), and will deny the issuance of a passport if there is an appropriate court order on file with the CPIAP.
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Benefits of Having
a Passport
If you don't already have a passport, now is a good time
to apply for one! There are many benefits to having a
passport:
- No more juggling birth certificates and driver's
licenses! A passport is a single document that provides
photo identification, as well as proof of citizenship.
- The convenience of not traveling with original birth
certificates. You'll no longer have to worry about losing
or damaging these precious documents.
- Expedited entry into the United States for U.S.
citizens and legitimate foreign visitors.
For Guests 16 years of age or older, a passport is valid
for 10 years, and passports for Guests 15 years of age or
younger are valid for 5 years -- so there's plenty of time
to use your passport again and again when you cruise with
Cruise Direct Online.
Travel Direct Corporation ( Cruise Direct Online and other
related companies ) assumes no responsibility for advising
guests of immigration requirements. The information
below is for reference purposes only and is subject to
change without notice. You are advised to contact the
cruise line for the latest requirements and if necessary
the appropriate consulate, U.S. Embassy or U.S.
Immigration office to inquire further about travel
documents.
SPECIAL NOTE: Alaska,
Hawaii and Canada/New England Cruises: Due to stricter
Canadian entry requirements, immigration officials have
advised that citizens from certain countries will require
a visa in order to visit or transit Canada. Guests who are
not US or Canadian citizens may check the following web
site for a listing of restricted nationalities, to
determine if a visitor visa is necessary:
www.cic.gc.ca.
Subsequently, all guests
belonging to nationalities that require a visa to enter
Canada may be denied boarding in if they do not possess
such a visa. If you are a holder of a US Alien Resident
Card or holder of a Canadian Residency Permit you may be
exempt. Please note, visa requirements vary by country and
are subject to change. As always, guests traveling abroad
are urged to contact their local immigration office and/or
respective embassy or consulate to determine the entry
requirements for their cruise destinations. You and only
you are responsible for having the proper documentation.
MACHINE-READABLE PASSPORTS
Effective June 26, 2005,
travelers from the 27 countries participating in the
United States' Visa Waiver Program (VWP) must have a
machine-readable passport to enter the United States.
If you are
in possession of a passport issued by any of the 27
countries listed below, please contact the passport
issuing authority to ensure that you are in possession of
a machine-readable passport. Please note that boarding
will be denied to travelers from VWP countries that do not
have machine-readable passports.
The 27
countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program
include: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei,
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the
Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino,
Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the
United Kingdom.
Additional
information regarding the Visa Waiver Program is available
on-line at
www.dhs.gov.
For information on
obtaining a passport, click here:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html
Your
exact legal name (first and last) must be shown on cruise
documents. This must match the name shown on your
passport. Middle
names alone and nicknames are not allowed.
Guests
are urged to read
the information provided in the cruise lines brochure to
see
if a passport and/or visa is required and to check with
the
US passport office to determine the proper and current
requirements.
**You
are responsible for checking with your Cruise Line
before leaving home for specific documentation
requirements based on your ship’s Itinerary .
In
addition to the above,
Proof of Identity
must be presented.
No matter what your status is: United
States or Canadian Citizen, resident Alien or Alien, or a
citizen of any country, an official proof of identity is
required.
Proof of
Identity consists of one of the following and is required
of everyone:
-
Valid
driver's license with photograph, ages 16 and above.
-
Government identification card including photograph and
physical description.
A photo
ID such as a driver’s license must be presented at
check-in at the pier and if flying to the port of
embarkation, as most airlines require them at check-in. In
some cases you may also need a visa. Canadian citizens
in the
U.S. on a work-related visa, will also need a
valid
I
-94 and/or copy of
I
-797.
an unexpired U.S. multiple
re-entry visa (B-2 Visitor’s Visa) or a visa waiver.
Resident aliens need both a passport and an
alien resident card.
Guests will need to contact the consulates of the
islands/countries they will be visiting, to inquire about
necessary travel documentation. Immigrations determines
the proper documents which guests must have available in
order to sail.
For cruises that visit or transit in Canada, citizens of
some countries may require a Visa.
Guests
must check with the Canadian Consulate for documentation
requirements. This includes cruises to Canada (from New
York) and Alaska cruises .
As of
the effective dates above, holders of non-machine-readable
passports will need a valid passport and a valid U.S. visa
to enter the U.S. for cruises
departing the U.S., or a valid multiple-entry visa for
cruises that depart and return to the U.S.
New U.S. Entry Visa Requirements
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will begin a
new high-tech registration system on January 5, 2004 to
fingerprint and photograph foreign visitors, who are
required to have visas, as they enter through designated
U.S. airports and seaports. The program will exempt
permanent U.S. residents and foreign visitors from 21
countries who do not generally need visas to enter the U.S.
Those exempted countries include Andorra, Austria,
Australia, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France,
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein,
Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway,
Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
If you come from countries not included in the above list,
besides holding a visa, you will now have digital
photographs and electronic fingerprints taken or verified
upon entering or exiting the U.S.
For more information, please visit
www.dhs.gov/us-visit
Minors
For Minors
(under the age of 18) traveling without parents,( say, going
with a friend and his/her parents ) they must possess a
notarized parental/guardian consent letter that authorizes
the minor to travel, and that further authorizes medical
treatment in case of an emergency. If only one parent
is going on the trip, the other parent must sign a release
form. If neither parent is going, then BOTH parents must
sign. For example,
Mexico
requires a notarized affidavit signed by ANY parent not
accompanying the minor. Furthermore,
Canadian Entry Requirements stipulate that minors
under the age of 18 traveling into Canada without both parents must have in their
possession a notarized letter of consent that includes the
actual dates of travel and signatures of both parents as
authorization to do so.
Your
Responsibility
Without
exception, it is the responsibility of the individual
traveler to obtain passports, birth certificates, visas and
other documents required for entry into a foreign country,
for embarkation and re-entry into the United States. Simply
put: If you find yourself being turned away for a lack of
documentation, your options for recourse are nil. You
will not get a refund if you are denied boarding for lack of
proper documentation. Always contact the embassy or
consulate of any country you'll be visiting and request a
copy of its entry requirements. For information on obtaining a
passport, click here:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html
United States
Passport Agency Offices
BOSTON Passport Agency
Thomas P. O'Neil Federal Building
10 Causeway Street, Suite 247
Boston, MA 02222-1094
(617) 878-0900
Region: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island,
Upstate New York, & Vermont
CHICAGO Passport Agency
Kluczynski Federal Building
230 S. Dearborn Street, 18th Floor
Chicago, IL 60604-1564
(312) 341-6020
Region: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, & Wisconsin
CONNECTICUT Passport Agency
50 Washington Street
Norwalk, CT 06854
Region: Connecticut and Westchester County (New York)
Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., local time, M-F, excluding
Federal holidays
Automated Appointment Number: (203) 299-5443
HONOLULU Passport Agency
Prince Kuhio Federal Building
300 Ala Moana Blvd.
Suite 1-330
Honolulu, HI 96850
(808) 522-12713
Region: American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam,
Hawaii, & Northern Mariana Islands
HOUSTON Passport Agency
Mickey Leland Federal Building
1919 Smith Street
Suite 1400
Houston, TX 77002-8049
(713) 751-0294
Region: Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, & Texas
LOS ANGELES Passport Agency
Federal Building
11000 Wilshire Blvd.
Suite 1000
Los Angeles, CA 90024-3615
(310) 575-5700
Region: California (all counties South of an including San
Luis Obispo, Kern and San Bernardino), and Nevada (Clark
County only)
MIAMI Passport Agency
Claude Pepper Federal Office Building
51 SW First Avenue
3rd Floor
Miami, FL 33120-1680
(305) 539-3600
Region: Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, & US
Virgin Islands
NEW ORLEANS Passport Agency
One Canal Place
365 Canal Street
Suite 1300
New Orleans, LA 70130-6508
(504) 412-2600
Region: Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and
Virginia (except D.C. suburbs)
NEW YORK Passport Agency
376 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
(212) 206-3500
PHILADELPHIA Passport Agency
US Custom House
200 Chestnut Street
Room 103
Philadelphia, PA 19106-2970
(215) 418-5937
Region: Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, & West Virginia
SAN FRANCISCO Passport Agency
95 Hawthorne Street
5th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105-3901
(415) 538-2700
Region: Arizona, California (all counties North of and
including Monterey, Kings, Oulare, and Inyo), Nevada (except
Clark Co.), & Utah
SEATTLE Passport Agency
Henry Jackson Federal Building
915 Second Avenue
Suite 992
Seattle, WA 98174-1091
(206) 808-5700
Region: Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska,
North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, & Wyoming
WASHINGTON Passport Agency
1111 19th Street, N.W.
Room 300
Washington, D.C.20524
(202) 647-0518
Region: Maryland, Northern Virginia (including Alexandria,
Arlington County, and Fairfax County), and the District of
Columbia
SPECIAL ISSUANCE Agency
1111 19th Street, N.W. Suite 200
Washington, D.C. 20036
Applications for Diplomatic, Official, and No-Fee passport
In a Hurry?
Passport & Visa Expeditors
Note: these are private companies that charge hefty fees for
their services.
We do not endorse nor recommend
any of them.
G3 Visas
3240 Wilson Blvd., Suite 150
Arlington, VA 22201
http://www.g3visas.com/
(888) 883-8472
A Briggs Passport and Visa Expeditors
1422 K Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
(800) 218-6284
http://www.passportsvisas.com/
Travisa
2122 P St. NW
Washington, D.C. - 20037
Travisa at (800) 222-2589
http://www.travisa.com
Visa Advisors
1806 T Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 797-7976
http://www.visaadvisors.com/
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