A closed-loop cruise is a cruise that departs and ends in the same U.S. port, for example, Fort Lauderdale to Fort Lauderdale, or round-trip to Alaska from Seattle.
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A closed-loop cruise is a cruise that departs and ends in the same U.S. port, for example, Fort Lauderdale to Fort Lauderdale, or round-trip to Alaska from Seattle.
Cruises that don't begin and end in the same port are not considered closed-loop cruises. An example would be one that starts in Florida and ends in the Bahamas. Typically, closed-loop cruises may leave from Miami, Florida, and travel to Bermuda before returning to the same port in Miami.
Most ports have a special desk or office for tourists where you get your passport stamped. Sometimes you can get an official immigration stamp. In other places, you may get a souvenir stamp made just for cruise visitors. It's usually free to get a stamp.
If you are on a closed-loop cruise that begins and ends at the same port in the United States and visits Canada, Mexico, or much of the Caribbean, you do not need a valid passport. According to CBP, all you need is documentation proving you are a U.S. citizen.
First and foremost, if a United States citizen chooses to do a closed-loop cruise without a passport, they'll still be required to show a government-issued photo ID (such as a driver's license) and proof of citizenship (a certified copy of your birth certificate).
In the United States, anyone on a cruise ship whose last port of call was outside the US is required to pass through US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), unless if the last port of call was equipped with US preclearance facilities (in which case the ship will be treated as a domestic arrival).
If you plan to use your mobile phone on a cruise ship, it is important to know that once you sail away, your phone will go into roaming mode, which means you get higher rates and extra fees. When you're in port, your mobile signal will typically switch to a carrier from the country or island you're visiting.
When your cruise ship arrives at its disembarkation port, local immigration officials need to clear the ship before anyone can disembark. Ships that terminate in U.S. ports may require passengers to fill out Customs forms and show their passports to border control in the cruise terminal.
A traveller crossing the IDL eastbound subtracts one day, or 24 hours, so that the calendar date to the west of the line is repeated after the following midnight. Crossing the IDL westbound results in 24 hours being added, advancing the calendar date by one day.
A cruise line may keep your passport for the duration of your cruise or certain segments to make it easier for immigration to check passports when travelling between different countries.
A cruise line may keep your passport for the duration of your cruise or certain segments to make it easier for immigration to check passports when travelling between different countries.
The Bahamas, Mexico, Bermuda, the Caribbean and Canada are all foreign ports, which means they only qualify for the passport exception if they are a stop along your cruise itinerary. If the cruise originates in any of these countries, it is likely you will need your passport.
Birth Certificate InformationA clear, legible copy (photocopy) of a birth certificate that was originally issued by a government agency (state/county/city) or the Department of Health and Vital Statistics. The copy does not need to be notarized or certified. Birth Certificate Card. A Consular Report of Birth Abroad.
If you don't need to take your passport ashore, then don't! Leave it locked securely in your safe within your stateroom. There is no point risking loss or theft.