Will a cruise traveler need visas and a passport? The laws regarding the types of documents that travelers are required to carry with them on a cruise are changing. The laws regarding the types of documents...
The laws regarding the types of documents that travelers are required to carry with them on a cruise are changing, according to Emily Motycka, a travel agent with AAA Travel in Omaha, NE. Ms. Motycka, who considers cruises to be one of her specialties, said "as of January 1, 2007, all cruise line passengers will need a passport to embark on a cruise" regardless of the cruise destination.
Currently, cruise line passengers are able to sail with just photo identification and a state issued birth certificate, but the new guidelines will go into effect for all cruises leaving on or after January 1, 2007.
The new requirements have been put into place after recommendations from the 9/11 Commission and the 2004 Intelligence Reform Bill. The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State have recommended a two-phase phase-in of these new laws, with a passport required for all air or sea travel on January 1, 2007, and a passport required for US border crossings on January 1, 2008.
The International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL) has officially recommended that the deadline be extended until January 2008. The Council has released the following statement regarding these new documentation requirements:
"The International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL) is pleased that the government eliminated the initial December 2005 deadline for travel to the Caribbean, Bermuda and Central and South America. However, it would prefer implementation of all phases of the WHTI to be delayed until January 2008. There is no basis for treating travelers who travel by air or sea any differently from those who travel over land borders, and having two different sets of rules, depending on one's mode of travel, would be extremely confusing to travelers."
"In addition, having a unified implementation date of 2008 for all modes of travel will give much needed time to the federal government, the travel industry, and most importantly, the traveling public, to adapt to the new passport program. The Western Hemisphere includes the regions that are the most heavily visited cruise destinations in the world, accounting for approximately 70 percent of all cruise ship visits, or 7.6 million passengers. Currently, the State Department estimates that only 20 percent of all Americans have passports."
"The ICCL's highest priority is the safety and security of our passengers and crew, and we clearly understand that the government has a legitimate need to enhance the security at the borders. Requiring a standardized identification document, (e.g. passport) is an important aspect of that effort and it simplifies the process of border crossings to have a single recognized document in place. The members of the ICCL request that sufficient time be allotted to allow for the public to understand the new rules, and for the travel industry to be able to communicate the new requirements to their customers, and most importantly, for the public to obtain their passports."
It is unclear at the present time whether the federal government will change the current deadlines, so be sure to check with your travel agent or the cruise line for final details in advance of your sailing.
Very few cruise passengers will need a visa, though. "Unless you are traveling to an exotic destination like Asia or Australia," said Ms. Motycka, "you will not need a visa." If a visa is required for your cruise destination, she continued, "the cruise line in most cases will assist in obtaining the visas" for its passengers.
