Carnival highly recommends that all guests travel with a passport valid for at least six months beyond the completion of travel. In addition to required documents stated below, guests must contact the appropriate embassy or consulate of the countries they will be visiting for specific travel documentation requirements.

For Carnival Cruise Line in 2026, the ability to sail with a passport expiring in three months depends heavily on your specific itinerary. If you are a U.S. citizen on a "Closed-Loop" cruise (one that begins and ends at the same U.S. port, like Miami or Galveston), you are technically permitted to sail with just a birth certificate and a government-issued photo ID, meaning a passport with short validity is not an immediate disqualifier for boarding. However, Carnival—and the U.S. State Department—strongly recommend having at least six months of validity beyond your travel dates. This is because certain ports of call, such as those in Panama, Bermuda, or various Caribbean nations, may enforce their own six-month entry requirements. Furthermore, if an emergency occurs and you need to fly home from a foreign port, you would be unable to board an international flight with a passport expiring in three months. If your cruise is "Open-Loop" (starting in one city and ending in another) or visits international hubs with strict entry laws, you will likely be denied boarding if your passport does not meet the six-month rule.