You can travel without a passport on a "closed-loop cruise"

According to numbers cited by Newsweek, more than half of Americans don’t have a passport. Of course, you don’t need a passport to travel domestically, but a passport is a necessary part of international travel—right?

For the most part, the answer is yes. But especially if you like cruising, you should know that a “closed-loop cruise” offers an interesting exception. A “closed-loop cruise,” writes CruiseCritic in a story shared by USA TODAY, is “a round-trip sailing that leaves from and returns to the same U.S. port. For that, you need only a birth certificate and a driver’s license (or other acceptable, government-issued photo ID).”

The story then includes “7 places you can cruise to even if you don’t have a passport.” Alaska, Hawaii and New England are among them, which is nothing surprising, but the list also includes the following international destinations:

  • The Bahamas
  • Bermuda
  • Canada
  • A number of Caribbean countries
  • A number of Central American countries
  • Mexico

Writer Ashley Kosciolek adds that “some ports, including Martinique and Guadeloupe, will not allow cruisers to get off the ship and enter the country without a passport.” And the fact is that traveling with a passport is much safer and can help you avoid the trouble that these two passport-less cruisers found in late 2018. Still, if you don’t have a passport (see how to get one here), you may have more travel options than you thought.

More resources for anyone looking to travel without a passport

Many of the major cruise lines, like Carnival and NCL, have their own resources outlining how and where you can travel without a passport on their ships. And if you simply want to look into getting a passport (it will take a few weeks), the stories below may help:

 


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2 Comments On "You Can Travel Without a Passport on a "Closed-Loop Cruise""
  1. lesbeth|

    It is not a smart option. Should you need to fly home from a port for a emergancy you will run into a great deal of difficulty. Passports are not difficult to apply for,and are valid for 10 years.

    1. Johnny Jet|

      Agreed

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