Passports and Visas

What ID is Required for My Trip?

The information below is correct currently but can and does change!  Be sure to check http://www.Travel.State.gov  for current regulations concerning identification required for domestic and foreign cruise travel.

Cruises

Almost all cruises require US citizens to present either a valid passport OR a certified copy of birth certificate (with raised seal) together with a government issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license.

The only exception to this rule currently is if you take a Norwegian Cruise Lines 7-day Hawaii cruise which includes only Hawaiian ports, including the embarkation and disembarkaton ports.   For these sailings, a driver’s license required for the flight is all you need for the cruise as well.  Norwegian’s Hawaii ships are US flagged and are the only cruise ships currently allowed to sail only theUS.

Most cruise lines (including Norwegian’s ships sailing in other regions) have registered their ships in foreign countries and as such are not allowed to sail ONLY in the US.  This is why Alaska cruises departing and returning to Seattle always include one Canadian port.  Hawaii cruises departing from and returning to Southern California will make one stop in Mexico.   New England cruises departing and returning to New York will have at least one port in Canada.

Because these mostly domestic cruises have one port in a foreign country, more identification is required for the passengers.   These itineraries will require a valid passport unless they are closed-loop sailings.

Closed-Loop Sailings.  

As of this writing, passports are not required on closed loop sailings to Mexico, Canada, Bermuda and the Caribbean which depart and return to the same US port.  For example, a Mexican Rivera cruise departing from Los Angeles, visiting Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas and returning to Los Angeles, is a closed-loop sailing.   A passport is not required.  An official birth certificate, with raised seal, along with government issued ID, like a driver’s license, for all those 16 and over, will suffice to get you onboard.  However, it is still highly advisable to travel with a valid passport in case of emergency!  If you were detained in port because of accident, illness or just missing the ship, you would have a heck of a time flying to catch up with the ship or back into the US without a passport!   So even though, in some cases, you could get on the ship without one, it is prudent when traveling outside the country to always carry a passport!!   This ruling could change at any time.  It’s best to have a passport!

Your Passport Should Be Valid for Six Months Past Your Return Date.

Most countries require that your visa be valid past your travel date, usually six months.  These requirements change so it is prudent to make sure your passport will be valid for six months past the last day of your trip.  You will then be assured that your passport will always be valid for any country that you visit.

How Do I Apply for a Passport?

Click on this link to find out where you can apply for a passport in your home town.  Allow at least 6 weeks for regular processing and three weeks for expedited processing.   The regular cost is currently $135 (including fees) for adults and the passport is valid for ten years.  First time passports for children under sixteen years of age are $105 and are valid for only five years.

http://iafdb.travel.state.gov/

If you need even faster processing you might try using a professional agency which can turn your application around in 24 hours for a extra fee.

Where Are Visas Required?

One advantage to cruising is that there are some countries which require visas for US citizens to enter the country, but not if you are “in transit” on a cruise ship.  Other countries will allow the ship to obtain a “group visa” for all onboard.   And then some allow the cruise line to purchase the visa for you and the cruise line will add the nominal fee to your reservation. 

The following is a list of current requirements at the time of this writing.  These things can change, so always check current information.

Currently, these “easy entry” visa countries include Turkey, Egypt, Bahrain, Cambodia, Indonesia, Jordan, Oman, Papua New Guinea and Vietnam.

You will need to get your own visa for Australia, but it is an easy one to acquire.  You can apply for it on-line at this link http://www.eta.immi.gov.au/ and the cost is around $65 with fees.

Russia

      Cruise.  Russia does not require pre-application and purchase of a visa if you arrive by cruise ship for up to 72 hours.  If you wish to go ashore you may do so without a visa, provided youare with an organized tour at all times and acompanied by a tour operator who ahs been duly licensed by Russian authorities.   If you don’t book a tour through an authorized tour company you will need to purchase your visa before travel. 

     Land Tour or River Cruise.  You will need to apply for your visa prior to arrival for anything but a cruise ship short stay.   Total cost through Visa Service is about $85.

Brazil and China require expensive pre-purchased visas whether you arrive by land or sea.  They both require that the visa application be handed in person at one of their embassies in the US.  Unless you reside in one of these embassy cities, you will need to go through a passport and visa service which will end up costing around $200 per person for the embassy and service fees.  You may want to keep this in mind when thinking about taking a cruise which embarks or debarks in either of these countries.  Both are fascinating places, but if you can only spend one day there you’ll need to decide whether it is worth the expensive visa.   We forked out the $200 per person for Brazilian visas even though we could only be there for a day and a half.   The city was Rio de Janeiro and was well worth it!  They also gave us a 5-year visa so that gave us some time to get back to Brazil without purchasing another visa.

When you apply for a regular visa (not the kind that the ship can get for you) you will need to send the embassy your passport.  They will return it with the visa.  Be sure to plan this for a time when you will not need your passport.  Also note that the visa will only be good for a certain window of time, sometimes as little as 90 days from the issue date.  You cannot apply too early. 

Check Visa Requirements:

You can get information on entry and exit requirements for US citizens to foreign countries at the following US State Department Travel website.  All sorts of other useful information can be found there as well.    

http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_4965.html

Some countries require that your visa application is delivered in person to the foreign embassy in the US.  If you don’t live in an embassy city (or have a really good friend who lives there), you will need to use the services of an agency, such as CIBT - The Global Visa and Passport Professionals http://us.cibt.com/. 

CIBT is a very reliable and well-established document service firm (important when sending your passport off to someone you don't know!).  This is important as there as many online visa services  with professional looking websites, but are not always as reputable as they might appear.   When you book with Global Journeys, we'll give you our account number with CIBT so you can get a big discount on the service fee.  ($55, regular price is $99).   You will need to complete the application, which you can get on their website and mail it to them with your passport.  They will check it over for accuracy, hand deliver it to the embassy, pick it up when it’s completed and mail it back to you with the visa.  

Be sure to make two to three copies of the first two pages of your passport and your visa.  Leave one copy with someone at home.  Put a copy in each piece of your luggage.  Consider scanning it and email it to yourself.  If you lose your passport, it will be much easier to get a new one from the US embassy in your foreign country if you have a copy to show them.