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Many cruise passengers
sailing from U.S. ports are exempt from new rules that take effect
today requiring U.S. citizens to have a passport when returning from
Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and Caribbean nations.
The final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative requires
Americans to have a passport or one of several new official
documents, in order to return from these nearby countries that
Americans could formerly visit with just a driver’s license.
Cruisers are exempt from the new rule if they travel on a
“closed-loop sailing” cruise, or any itinerary that begins and ends
from the same U.S. port.
So if you cruise from Miami to Los Angeles, you will need a
passport. But if you take a round-trip cruise from Los Angeles to
the Mexican Riviera, even thought you stop in Mexico, you don’t need
a passport.
Most US cruises do begin and end in the same place. Notable
exceptions are the Panama Canal cruises and some Alaska routes.
Cruisers on closed-loop itineraries however, will now need to have
two forms of identification - a valid, government-issued photo ID
and proof of citizenship. So you would need both a driver’s license
and a birth certificate even on a round-trip cruise from Miami.
Despite the loophole, we still recommend cruisers to get passports
as things can change and you never know if you may have to break
short your trip and return early.
For more information go to www.getyouhome.gov. |
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