Carnival Cruise Lines: New Passport Requirements
06/04/09 09:16 Filed in: Cruise Lines
June 02, 2009 – UPDATED - Dear Travel Partner,
There has been much attention on the new travel requirements for U.S., Canadian and Bermudian
citizens that went into effect on June 1, 2009. While the new Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
(WHTI) requires valid passports for land and sea travel, a final ruling was issued allowing leniency
for U.S. citizens traveling on “closed-loop” cruises, i.e., sailings that both originate and terminate in
the same U.S. port.
Recent guidance received from the Department of Homeland Security indicates the documentary
requirements under WHTI for “closed loop” cruises are not limited to cruises that travel only to
contiguous territories or adjacent islands. This means U.S. citizens calling on ports in Honduras,
Panama, Costa Rica and Belize will also be exempt from the passport requirement.
U.S. citizens taking “closed-loop” cruises are not required to have a passport but will need proof of
citizenship such as an original or certified copy of a birth certificate, a certificate of naturalization, a
passport card, an enhanced driver’s license (EDL) as well as a government-issued photo ID.
Children are also required to bring proof of citizenship and if 16 and over, a photo ID is also
required. Canadian and Bermudian citizens are required to have a passport for air, land and sea
travel, including all Carnival cruises.
Although a passport is not required for U.S. citizens taking “closed loop” cruises, we strongly
recommend all guests travel with a passport (valid for at least six months beyond completion of
travel). Having a passport will enable guests to fly from the U.S. to a foreign port in the event they
miss their scheduled embarkation or to fly back to the U.S. if they need to disembark the ship mid-
cruise due to an emergency.
If a cruise begins and ends in different U.S. ports or begins and ends in a foreign port (such as our
Alaska and Hawaii cruises), a valid passport or other recognized WHTI-compliant document is
required. A valid passport is required if you are traveling on any of our Europe cruises.
ALL guests need proper proof of citizenship in order to travel and failure to present a valid
document at check in will result in denied boarding and no refund will be issued.
Thank you for taking the time to share this important information with your clients.
Lynn C. Torrent
Senior Vice President of Sales and Guest Services
Carnival Cruise Lines