If you’re among the 52% of Americans without a passport, you might think that taking a cruise is out of the question for you.
But that’s not true—and we’re not only referring to sailings within U.S. waters (though, of course, passengers without passports can absolutely board cruises on U.S. rivers and coastlines as well as to Hawaii and Alaska).
Depending on the destination and the type of cruise, there are many options for ocean journeys that don’t require a passport even though they go to international destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Canada.
We’ve rounded up some of your best bets for passport-free cruises at home and abroad.
How to Cruise Internationally Without a Passport: Book a "Closed-Loop" Cruise
A “closed-loop” cruise is a round-trip voyage that begins and ends in the same U.S. port. As U.S. Customs and Border Protection explains, U.S. citizens do not need a valid passport to take a closed-loop cruise, even if the ship makes stops at foreign ports of call along the way, provided those stops are in the Western Hemisphere.
For an example, the federal agency states that if you board a cruise ship in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and, after visiting, say, Bermuda or Mexico’s Caribbean coast, the ship returns to Fort Lauderdale, you’ve taken a closed-loop cruise. No passport required.
“However,” the agency continues, “if you board a cruise ship in San Diego, California, sail through the Panama Canal (stopping at a foreign port during the cruise), and end the cruise in Miami, Florida, you have not taken a closed loop cruise.” Every passenger on board will need a valid passport, even though the voyage starts and ends in the United States.
For the closed-loop option, however, a passenger needs only proof of U.S. citizenship, such as an Enhanced Driver’s License or a certified copy of a government-issued birth certificate along with a photo ID, such as a state-issued valid driver’s license. Passengers under age 16 can get by with an “original, notarized or certified” birth certificate.
Keep in mind that these are the policies of U.S. Customs and Border Protection only. It’s possible that a foreign destination on your itinerary may still require a passport to enter, even on a closed-loop cruise. Always confirm entry requirements with your cruise line and destination country before you book a trip.
And if you do have a passport, it’s smart to bring it along on a cruise with international stops even if you won’t need to produce the document. After all, a passport will come in handy if there’s an emergency and you need to fly back into the U.S. from a foreign country.
(Cruise ships in Nassau, Bahamas | Credit: Ihor Koptilin / Shutterstock)
The Best International Destinations for Closed-Loop Cruises from the U.S.
Here are a few examples of itineraries where you can sail without a passport on a closed-loop cruise.
The Caribbean
Round-trip voyages to Caribbean destinations such as the British Virgin Islands, the Dominican Republic, and the Cayman Islands are available from many ports in the U.S., including New Orleans; Galveston, Texas; and several cities in Florida. Departing from Miami, you can reserve a stateroom on one of the larger vessels from the likes of Celebrity Cruises, MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line, Virgin Voyages, and Holland America Line.
Some Caribbean itineraries might be for just 4 or 5 days in length, but there are longer weeklong voyages, too. To hit a pretty wide range of foreign ports without a passport on a single trip, consider one of Royal Caribbean’s 7-day Western Caribbean round-trip sailings from Miami, with stops in Cozumel, Mexico; Belize City, Belize; Roatán, Honduras; and Costa Maya, Mexico.
If the cruise line has its own private island, like MSC’s Ocean Cay, the sailing might include a stop there as well. For example, MSC’s round-trip Eastern Caribbean and Bahamas cruise departs from Miami and stops at Ocean Cay as well as Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Nassau, Bahamas.
Other cruise lines with private islands include Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Disney, Princess, and Holland America.
Remember that since Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are part of the United States, you won’t need a passport to go there, even if your ship isn’t on a closed loop (provided the departure city and return city are both in the U.S., of course).
Mexico
Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Princess Cruises offer round-trip voyages from Los Angeles that visit popular Pacific Coast and Baja destinations such as Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, and Mazatlán. You’ll also find Baja Peninsula itineraries sailing round-trip from San Diego with Holland America.
If you prefer to sail from ports in Florida or Galveston, Texas, consider Caribbean itineraries that include destinations in Mexico, such as Royal Caribbean’s Western Caribbean voyage from Miami mentioned above. Some lines, like Carnival, also include the town of Progreso, near the Yucatán capital of Mérida, on departures from Galveston.
The Bahamas
For cruises to the Bahamas, one appealing option is to embark in Port Canaveral, Florida, where you can book shorter 3- and 4-night cruises with several lines, including Norwegian. That company’s 4-night itineraries visit the Bahamas ports of Nassau, Freeport, and Great Stirrup Cay, Norwegian’s private island.
Disney fans with kids in tow can book a 6-day Bahamas voyage with Disney Cruise Line that goes from Port Canaveral to both of the company’s private islands: Castaway Cay and the new Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point.
Bermuda
Set sail to see Bermuda’s famed pink sand beaches from Atlantic Coast ports including New York City; Bayonne, New Jersey; Boston; Baltimore; and Port Canaveral, Florida. Seven-day sailings from New York operated by MSC and Norwegian feature time at sea as well as 3 days moored at the Royal Naval Dockyard in Bermuda’s West End.
With 3 days in port on an island that’s just 21 miles in length, you’ll have plenty of time to explore iconic Horseshoe Bay beach, go diving in the shipwreck capital of the Atlantic, and stroll among the pastel-colored buildings in the capital city of Hamilton.
Atlantic Canada
In the fall, leaf peepers can depart round-trip from several East Coast ports, including New York City, Baltimore, and Boston, for cruises showing off the seasonal splendor of New England as well as Nova Scotia and other parts of Maritime Canada. Princess, MSC, Norwegian, and Carnival are among your best bets for these popular itineraries.
If you book your cruise for earlier in the season (through October), keep an eye out for several species of whales, including humpbacks and minkes, when sailing through the Bay of Fundy. No matter when you sail, you’ll have plenty of chances to sample local seafood specialties such as clam chowder, Maine lobster, and Prince Edward Island mussels.
(Cruise ship in Juneau, Alaska | Credit: Heather Shevlin on Unsplash)
The Best U.S. Cruise Destinations—No Passport Required
Alaska
Travelers in search of unforgettable landscapes, remote wilderness areas, abundant wildlife, and once-in-a-lifetime adventures (such as dog-sledding on a glacier), can book a cruise to Alaska from the Port of Seattle. Seven-day Inside Passage voyages are available with several lines, including Holland America, Norwegian, Celebrity, and Royal Caribbean. If you want to go with a line that’s an expert in the region, Holland America has been sailing to Alaska for more than 75 years. Princess is a close second with 65 years of experience.
Ports of call and scenic cruising day locations vary, depending on the line, but voyages typically include stops in Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, and Victoria, British Columbia. For longer 10- or 11-day cruises, opt for a round-trip itinerary departing from San Francisco.
Hawaii
A few cruise lines, including Celebrity and Norwegian, operate round-trip itineraries from Honolulu. If you’d prefer not to fly to Hawaii, you can set sail on a longer cruise from the West Coast.
Princess’s 16-day voyages depart from either Los Angeles or San Francisco and include stops in four islands in Hawaii as well as the port of Ensenada, Mexico. Carnival has a similar 14-day voyage from Los Angeles.
For the ultimate Hawaiian cruise, Holland America’s 18-day Circle Hawaii itinerary from San Diego visits five ports of call on four Hawaiian Islands, plus Ensenada, before returning to San Diego.
(American Cruise Lines' American Eagle ship | Credit: American Cruise Lines)
U.S. Rivers and Coastal Waters
In the Lower 48, travelers have plenty of options to travel the country’s waterways aboard a small-ship river or coastal cruise.
American Cruise Lines maintains a portfolio of more than 50 itineraries plied by a fleet of riverboats, coastal cruise ships, and classic paddlewheelers accommodating 90 to 180 guests at a time. You can sail the Lower or Upper Mississippi River, head for the Pacific Northwest’s Snake and Columbia rivers, take a fall cruise to see the foliage along the Hudson River Valley in New York State, and more.
You can even travel between several national parks on a land-and-sea adventure that includes visits to Yellowstone, Glacier, and Grand Teton national parks. For a coastal cruise, the line features itineraries in New England, the Southeast, Florida, Alaska, along the Chesapeake Bay, and in Washington State’s Puget Sound to visit the San Juan Islands. None of the voyages from American Cruise Lines requires a passport.
Viking has 10 river cruise options along the Mississippi, ranging from 8 to 22 days in length and running from New Orleans to the Midwest. And UnCruise Adventures offers passport-free voyages that sail exclusively within the U.S., too, with itineraries in Hawaii as well as Alaska voyages that do not sail into Canadian waters.
