You will not need a passport if your sailing starts at a United States port, travels only to certain locations (Canada, Mexico, Bahamas, or Caribbean), and returns to the same U.S. port. If your cruise originates from (or will end in) another country, you will need a passport.

If you are a U.S. citizen on a "closed-loop" cruise (one that begins and ends at the same U.S. port, such as Port Canaveral or Miami), you are legally allowed to board and disembark at ports of call using an original state-issued birth certificate and a government photo ID (for those 16 and older). This is allowed under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). However, Disney Cruise Line and the U.S. State Department strongly recommend a passport. If you were to miss the ship in a foreign port like Nassau or Cozumel, or if you had a medical emergency, you cannot board a flight back to the United States without a valid passport. Additionally, while the U.S. may allow you back in with a birth certificate, some individual destination countries may occasionally update their local laws to require a passport for all visitors, so it is vital to check your specific 2026 itinerary documents in the Navigator App.