Can you enter another country from America by sea without a passport?

Question

I'm a class officer, and a cruise is being considered for our senior trip. We almost scratched out a cruise when we heard we needed a passport, but I just spoke to Carnival representative, and they said all we would need is a photo ID and/or birth certificate. She said that passport requirement doesn't go in to effect until June. Can anyone confirm this? Internet sources would be really helpful! They would help convince my other officers it's the truth.

Answer 1

Why would Carnival lie to you about that deadline?

Answer 2

Carnival Cruiseline may not have lied to you.

They have pushed back deadlines on passports because it is taking so long for the goverment to get the passport to people and the new deadline is Jan 2008 but it also may be pushed back again.

I'll include some sites for you to checkout.

The best thing to do is contact your state goverment international travel department

http://www.independenttraveler.com/resou...

http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc...

Answer 3

Carnival did not lie to you, the Department of Homland Security has pushed back the deadline from January for pthe passport requirements.

According to the first document in my links below they will stop allowing Oral Declarations as of January 31, 2008 but they do not state a date that they will require Passports, only that it will be implimented at a later date.

Several of the articles I was able to find to cite a date in June 2008.

So, Enjoy your Senior Cruise!

Answer 4

Go to the website below and read  the firsrt paragraph and the second to the last paragraph.  Looks like if you go on a cruise that begins and ends in the U.S., you will not need passports.  This is is an official announcement from the U.S. passport service and the Dep't. of  Homeland Security.

Answer 5

I have been on many cruises and rarely do you have to show your passport other than at check in time when you first board the ship.

The information that you received from Carnival does not appear to me to be correct.  Every thing that I have read on the US Passport office site and on cruise line sites points to an absolute requirement to have a passport to re-enter the US by air or cruise ship starting on January 1, 2008.  But you can look for yourself at the Passport Office web site:

http://travel.state.gov/passport/passpor...

I know that there have been some intermediate bulletins issued,and I do keep track because I have several cruises book myself, but I have never heard mention of a date in June 2008.

The passport office has all of the information you will need and it is relaible.