Pasports For Cruises Is Now Mandatory
Going on vacation is something that everyone looks forward to doing. Going on a cruise raises that level of excitement even more, as it is often the first and only time that people are going on a boat this large and actually leaving the country. However, anyone doing this should know the new travel laws that require expedited U.S. passports for cruises.
The best indicator of the necessity of passport applications for a cruise is whether or not the cruise is international. In short, passports are needed for international travel and are not needed for domestic travel. Passports are never mandatory for domestic travel, but passport laws can vary for different types of international travel.
First, it is important to stay up to date on passport law. As of June 1st, 2009, passports are required for all border countries. This is applicable to air, land and sea travel. However, there are different laws that relate specifically to cruise ships.
Obviously, passports are required for any cruise that has an international final destination. This also applies to all border countries. For example, a passport would be necessary for a one-way cruise from Miami to Cancun, although round-trip cruises have different laws.
Additionally, people who are traveling to a different country to start their cruise are going to need a passport. For instance, someone taking a cruise to Italy would not be leaving out of Miami. Because they may have to travel to Spain or Greece from the outset to get on their ship, a passport would be required to get into the other country and of course, to return home.
Currently, there are cruises available that are known as "closed loop." Basically, this means that the cruise starts at one point and returns to the very same point. This is actually what most of us would end up going on, unless we were taking a ship to move to another country. Because these voyages start and end in the same port, there are rules in place that pertain to only this type of travel.
Passports for closed loop voyages may not always be required. This break in passport regulations pertains to very few places when traveling from a United States port and it recommended that you double check before traveling to make sure that you can get on and off the boat without a valid passport. However, even though they may not be required, it is always a safe bet to have it, just in case.
