Does an American need a passport to go on a cruise to the Bahamas?

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Tivogal

no passport needed until june of 2009. The cruiselines are ALL highly recommending them though.
Call your cruiseline for more info.

have a good day
cruisecritic.com

Lew

You don't officially need a passport, until June next year, however some cruise lines require you to have one or a passport card. Others will accept a birth certificate with a raised seal (not a photocopy) and some photo ID.
It is best to phone the line you are cruising with for verification of what exactly they will accept, or get your TA to do it.

Charlie

Passports will not be needed for sea travel until June 1, 2009, and even then "loop" cruises which begin and end in the same port in the U.S. will probably be exempted from the passport requirement. However, some cruise lines WANT their passengers to have passports, so it is wise to call and ask them.

Stephen M

As noted by Charlie, they will not be required until June 1, 2009. However, if something happens while you are in the Bahamas (or other Caribbean island) and you need to fly home, you are in trouble without a passport, as they are already required for air travel.

Note that you can also use the new passport card for travel to the Bahamas and the Caribbean as well.

1Cheapcruise

No, not until June 2009.

Camille

Passports aren't needed until 2009. If you are going before then, all you need is a birth certificate and id. But it is a good idea to have one anyway. The line to get on the ship is usually faster if you have a passport. But yeah you will need something to go to the Bahamas.

Cheryl G

Go ahead and get the passport, whether it's imperative or not. It is a universally accepted identification and it is good for 10 years. After next June you'll need one to go anywhere outside the US. The Bahamas are a British possession.

Pancake

Yes, you are leaving the US.

trvlmngr

At the present time you do not need a passport for a cruiseship to the Bahamas. However, be forewarned. If for ANY reason you need to fly out of the Bahamas back to the USA (ie death in the family) in order to fly you will need a passport. They are still trying to enforce a passport for Bahama travel on a cruiseship, but the dates are always pushed back. There will come a day soon however, (I believe) that you will need a passport for cruise travel to the Bahamas as well.

drip

Ask the cruise line. When I have searched for a cruise most stated if you needed a passport or not.

Penny B

No. you only need Birth certificate and photo id.

It is best to have a passport though in case you miss the ship and need to return home by air.

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