Passport or Birth Certificate for a Cruise?

Closed-loop cruises

A closed-loop cruise begins and ends at the same U.S. port. On these sailings, U.S. citizens can re-enter the United States with a birth certificate plus a government-issued photo ID, under U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) rules. Citizens under 16 need only the birth certificate.

The countries your ship visits may still have their own requirements, and your cruise line's rules are what count at the pier.

What the cruise lines ask for

• Original or certified copies only. Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Celebrity don't accept photocopies or photos of a birth certificate. Hospital certificates and "baby feet" certificates don't count.
• Some sailings need a passport book no matter what. Norwegian requires one for one-way cruises, Panama Canal sailings, sailings that call in Panama or Colombia, and sailings from non-U.S. ports. Celebrity requires one on round trips that call in Panama, Colombia or Martinique.
• Not every sailing accepts a birth certificate. Royal Caribbean says most, but not all, U.S. sailings do, so check your specific cruise.

Why we still recommend a passport book

The U.S. State Department strongly recommends that all cruise passengers travel with a passport book. If you get sick or hurt and the ship leaves without you, or you miss the ship in a foreign port, you'll need a passport book to fly home. A passport card works for returning by sea from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean, but not for international flights.