Do I need a passport to go on a cruise to St. Maarten?

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Barkley Hound

Stephen K

The Western hemisphere Travel Initiative is causing the problems.

1) Do whatever the crusie lines states, BUT

2) Many cruiselines have decided to require passports, even though the rules are not fully in place

3) It will be a requirement anyway, so apply now and you won't have to worry at all

Richard K

S. Maarten is a Dutch island so itisn't up to the U. S. A. to decide on that but since it is a foreign country you will definitely need a passport. Enjoy, great shopping in Philipsburg and St. Thomas.

Amanda

In this day and age, I do not recommend you ever leave the country without a passport. You never know what can happen out there anymore and it's better to be safe than sorry.

Betrayed and Insane

yes you do.

Clevelanding?

Yes, I do believe you're supposed to take one of the government's expensive new RFID-chipped passports

EDIT: Interesting . . .

If you plan on getting married...

"The couple must be on the island for at least a week before they can get married."

I just thought that was a bit funny

tootsiebrownie

Yes You do need a passport because it is not a territory of the U.S. I think that it became effective 1/1/07

Jane

yes.

timon_3

yes

bi2unicorn

AIR TRAVEL

Implemented on January 23, 2007, ALL PERSONS traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean region are required to present a passport or other valid travel document to enter or re-enter the United States.

LAND AND SEA TRAVEL
The following summarizes information available on the Department of Homeland Securityâ€™s website.

JANUARY 31, 2008
U.S. and Canadian citizens will need to present either a WHTI-compliant document, or a government-issued photo ID, such as a driverâ€™s license, plus proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate. DHS also proposes to begin alternative procedures for U.S. and Canadian children at that time.

SUMMER 2008
At a later date, to be determined, the departments will implement the full requirements of the land and sea phase of WHTI. The proposed rules require most U.S. citizens entering the United States at sea or land ports of entry to have either a U.S. passport; a U.S. passport card; a trusted traveler card such as NEXUS, FAST, or SENTRI; a valid Merchant Mariner Document (MMD) when traveling in conjunction with official maritime business; or a valid U.S. Military identification card when traveling on official orders.

The implementation date will be determined based on a number of factors, including the progress of actions undertaken by the Department of Homeland Security to implement the WHTI requirements and the availability of WHTI compliant documents on both sides of the border. DHS and DOS expect the date of full WHTI implementation to be in the summer of 2008. The precise implementation date will be formally announced with at least 60 days notice.
Note: The passport requirement does NOT apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or returning directly from a U.S. territory.

U.S. PASSPORT AND OTHER TRAVEL DOCUMENTS

U.S. Passport: U.S. citizens may present a valid U.S. passport when traveling via air, land or sea between the U.S. and the aforementioned Western Hemisphere countries.
The Passport Card: This limited-use, wallet-size passport card is not yet available and is under development. When available it will only be valid for land and sea travel between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean region (includes Bermuda).
Other Accepted Travel Documents: SENTRI, NEXUS, FAST and the U.S. Coast Guard Mariner Document. Members of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty traveling on orders are exempt from the passport requirement. DHS has more information on these travel documents. This information may be seen at www.dhs.gov.
ABOUT WHTI

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is a result of the Intelligence Reform and Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA), requiring all travelers to present a passport or other document that denotes identity and citizenship when entering the U.S.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on February 22 its intent to propose, as part of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), significant flexibility regarding travel documents required for U.S. and Canadian children as part of WHTI requirements for U.S. land and sea border entry in 2008.

The goal of the initiative is to strengthen U.S. border security while facilitating entry for U.S. citizens and legitimate foreign visitors by providing standardized documentation that enables the Department of Homeland Security to quickly and reliably identify a traveler.

stella39

Some cruise lines require a passport but the major of the cruiselines don't if you depart from a USA port and return to a USA port. The rules will probably change sometime next year 2008.

Just to be on the safe side check with your cruise line.

If you have time take a ferry to St John from St Thomas and go to Trunk Bay. (it's only 20 minutes away) They also have some nice duty free shops in St John)

Have a enjoyable cruise)

â™¥Martini Shakeâ™¥

My husband and I just went there on a cruise also this past spring and were not asked for a passport. If you have time to get one, get it for the future. If you don't have one you shouldn't worry. All you should need is your license and cruise ship card to get on and off the boat. I've been there three times, if you would like any advice on what to do please let me know!! St. Maarten is lovely, I hope you enjoy it!

charmed4life64

u may..

yarrrrhoo

Not if you live there.

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