Is a passport needed when taking an Alaskan Cruise, since the ship will be in international waters?

Question

Is a passport needed when taking an Alaskan Cruise, since the ship will be in international waters?

Answer 1

If the cruise begins in San Francisco or Seattle, or in Alaska going south through the inside passage, you will not need a passport unless your cruise begins after January 1, 2008.  At that time everyone leaving the country by land or air, or ship will need a passport.  The reason you will need a passport is because on the Alaska cruise the ship will make one stop in Canada to comply with the Jones Act or 1930.

If your cruise begins in Vancouver, Canada and you fly there you will need a passport to get back into the US after your cruise.  If you drive across the border to Canada, from Washington or any other US State, after January 1, 2008 you will need a passport to return to the US.

Check out the passport requirement on the passport office web site:

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

Answer 2

If you need a passport for a cruise. You don't need to waste time. There is a serious back log on passport due to the increase in applications this year. A friend of a friend has been waiting 11 weeks for hers and still hasn't received it. She was told worst case scenario would be 10 weeks.

Answer 3

Check with the cruise line.  You probably don't *need* your passport for the cruise, as a passport is not required for the US and Canada (most Alaskan cruises stop in Canada) if arriving by ship.  However, if an emergency occurs and you have to depart the cruise in Canada, you will have problems returning to the U.S. by plane if you do not have a passport.

Answer 4

you should certainly check with the cruise line if you do not already have a valid passport.  They will recommend it, but may not require it.

if you do have one, you should take it along.

If I were you, i would get / take one for anything you are doing in Canada, otherwise it will take forever to get through a checkpoint with a birth certificate, but follow up with the cruiseline to know for sure.

Answer 5

You will need a passport to enter Canada.  Most Alaskan cruise start or end in Vancouver.  If not, then they have to stop at a Canadian port to comply with the Jones Acts.  Either way, you need a passport because of the Canadian port.

Answer 6

If you are cruising after December 2007 yes it is. Prior to Jan 08 a birth certificate is good enough.

Answer 7

If you fly into Vancouver, the answer is Yes. If you leave out of Seattle, a birth certificate will do until Jan 1, 2008 - then everyone will need a passport.