Loading Page...

Does a child under 2 need a passport for a cruise?

If you are departing from a U.S. port and returning to the same U.S. port, passports are not required for U.S. citizens. All children 15 years of age or younger need only an original or copy of their state-issued birth certificate.



People Also Ask

If the child does not have a photo ID, the following will be accepted: Original birth certificate. Certified copy of the birth certificate. Medicare card*

MORE DETAILS

Minimum Age to Sail Babies must be six months old to cruise. For Atlantic and Pacific crossings, world cruise segments and many of the exotic itineraries, children must be at least one year old. Children younger than two who sail as the third or fourth passenger in a cabin generally cruise for free.

MORE DETAILS

No Guest younger than the age twenty-one (21) will be assigned to a stateroom unless accompanied in the same stateroom by an adult twenty-one (21) years old or older. A guest's age is established upon the first date of sailing.

MORE DETAILS

Infants sailing on a cruise must be at least 6 months old as of the first day of the cruise and/or CruiseTour. HOWEVER: For transatlantic, transpacific, Hawaii, select South American and other selected cruises and/or CruiseTours, the infant must be at least 12 months old as of the first day of the cruise/CruiseTour.

MORE DETAILS

Adult Focused Cruise Options and Amenities
  • Carnival Serenity Adult-Only Retreat.
  • Silversea All-Inclusive Ultra-Luxury Cruises.
  • Seabourn Luxury Cruises.
  • Windstar Small Ship Cruises.
  • Oceania Cruises.
  • Azamara Luxury Cruises.


MORE DETAILS

As long as your cruise departs and returns to a U.S. port, you won't need to bring a passport.

MORE DETAILS

If you are departing from a U.S. port and returning to the same U.S. port, passports are not required for U.S. citizens. All children 15 years of age or younger need only an original or copy of their state-issued birth certificate. They will not need any government-issued photo ID.

MORE DETAILS

Children under 16 can also travel to the Bahamas on a cruise with an original birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or certificate of citizenship.

MORE DETAILS

The notarized letter from the child's parent must authorize the traveling adult to take the child on the specific cruise, must authorize guardian to sign legal documentation/waivers for participation in any activities requiring them (i.e. Rock Climbing, Flowrider, Bungee Trampoline, Inline Skating, or Ice Skating) and ...

MORE DETAILS

If you're a U.S. citizen age 16 or older on a closed-loop cruise without your passport, you will need a government-issued photo ID like a driver's license that has your photo, name and date of birth. In addition to a driver's license, you must also present a document that proves your U.S. citizenship.

MORE DETAILS

Under the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, for the purposes of determining the obligations under the convention, a birth on a ship or aircraft in international waters or airspace shall be treated as a birth in the country of the ship or aircraft's registration.

MORE DETAILS

You will want some kind of stroller or baby carrier for taking your child around the cruise ship and in port. Some cruise lines, like Carnival, have rentals available; MSC offers loaners. You will need to store strollers in your cabin, so we recommend bringing a small umbrella stroller, rather than a large baby jogger.

MORE DETAILS

Cruise fares are per person which includes children and infants. When traveling with 2 full fare guests, additional guests in the same stateroom pay a discounted cruise fare. Children less than 2 years of age are not required to extend gratuities.

MORE DETAILS

Why do Some Cruise Lines Charge the Same Rate for Babies as Adults? Though babies and toddlers clearly do not consume nearly as much food and drink, nor partake in the same activities as their parents, babies still create extra cleanup and housekeeping work that the ship's crew ultimately must take care of.

MORE DETAILS

The notarized letter from the child's parent must authorize the traveling adult to take the child on the specific cruise, must authorize guardian to sign legal documentation/waivers for participation in any activities requiring them (i.e. Rock Climbing, Flowrider, Bungee Trampoline, Inline Skating, or Ice Skating) and ...

MORE DETAILS