Just a reminder. Make sure you check with the cruise line for the document requirements for your specific cruise. Not all close loop cruises are the same and some ports may require a passport.

I have been on 11 cruises and have never used a passport. I have never had an issues with using just my license and birth certificate - no delays or any other problems. I just now got a passport because of all the covid craziness - I did not want to take a chance in a foreign country. I will say I recently cruised on the carnival Sunshine out of Charleston and the strange thing is we didn't even have to go through customs when when returned to port after our cruise. Got off ship and we went right to the parking lot. How strange - I've had to go through customs on my last 10 cruises so not sure why it changed.

I did a 5 night cruise on the Scarlet Lady without a passport back in September, and it was totally painless.. No line or delays..

Your production of this video is absolutely on-point. I like the style of your delivery and the amount of valuable content for the time invested to watch. Nice job, Tony.

22 cruises, no passport. No problems. That being said, I'm getting mine this year.

I commented earlier that I got my passport Pick Pocketed in Rome . It was a giant pain to go through the process of getting another. I did get a bit of information from the American Embassy that might be helpful to other travelers. We now take a photo copy of our passports and put them in our carryons, this makes the emergency replacement process much quicker if we misplace our original passport.

Long Beach Carnival DID take longer in line for Embarkation Day. Also, NO we didn't have a sticker stating that we didn't have a passport. We just had to follow the correct signs when the line split. But I can see the sticker being helpful

It is ridiculous here in the USA that your current passport is invalid once you apply for,the renewal. We should be able to keep it and use it until official expiration date or the new one arrives like a drivers license.

Thanks for the knowledge Tony!

Years ago I always traveled on closed loop cruises with a bc and thought nothing of it. It wasn’t til watching travel videos like yours that I learned about scenarios that could easily come up that would require a passport. Grateful for your content!

Good content! Thanks for covering this information.

Great show today. Thank you for the reminder.

Thanks for the information concerning passports. It is always good to be reminded of what we need. 👍❣️

Hi Tony. All good information to know. I always travel with my passport. You just never know what could happen. As always, thank you for all you do!

Good information Tony. I always have my passport but it's good to know that if I find myself in a similar situation as you I have an option on a closed loop cruise.

Good to know stuff. Thanks again

This was the first time my DH and I embarked and disembarked in New Orleans. We have nothing but praise for the whole set up. It was a very smooth process, and the workers were smiling and polite. We have been to a few other ports and let's just say you feel like herded cattle. It's nice to know what is entailed in cruising without a passport. As usual Tony, you explained it very well. Bottom line, if you do not have a passport then get one. It makes it easier and safer to do. Thanks for sharing!!

Thank you so much for the information. My first cruise is next month and didn't want to spend the money on a passport if I happened to find out I didn't like cruising. this video is super helpful! (to explain: I am usually a camper....out in the woods, isolated, etc. I have high anxiety and bipolar) so, if I do happen to enjoy cruising, I will get my passport......we shall see.....and btw, all your videos have been amazing and so helpful! thanks.

Great tips! I hadn’t thought of the possibility of needing to fly home from one of the ports of call.

Great informative show....! The pictures enhanced your points... Enjoyed it!

We've been on over 20 closed loop caa-ruzes and on all of them the cruise lines were pushing the use of passports. They seemed to discourage traveling without it so we took the path of least resistance and always use passports.

Great information Tony!

Grateful for this video! We are going on the Breakaway in March. This is our first time cruising. We didn’t have enough time to get our passports. Thought it would be okay for our first cruise, to see if we like it. We are only taking excursions with the cruise line, to ensure we don’t miss the ship. But I have been very anxious about it. This helped relieve some of that anxiety! Thank you! We will definitely be investing in passports in the near future.

Great info.on cruise travel - with or without a passport!! Who knew??!! Thanks, Tony!!

Here in Massachusetts we have the option to have a enhanced driver's license. Supposedly to be able to travel within the US ,Canada, Mexico and most of the Caribbean without a passport or birth certificate. I never trusted it. I always have my Passport for travel , the only exception is flying completely domestic. Very informative video. Thanks

We just returned on the Carnival Spirit from Princess Cays, Grand Turk and Amber Cove and our ship card was all we needed! We had our passports but never had to show them

Thank you for this! My brother is one who would only hear "no passport needed" and hear no more! That part about being stranded without one is what I need to persuade him otherwise! Thank you!!

Thanks for the video!

We just got off the carnival breeze out of Galveston Thursday, and with our passports, we were ushered around several hundred people waiting in a birth certificate line. 😳 it seemed the vast majority of people had birth certificates. So much faster getting off the boat with a passport.

Thanks. Great info.

Thanks for the cruise news

Great information Tony.

Just sailed out of Jacksonville on Carnival Elation, both passport and non passport cruisers used the same lines to re enter the port after the cruise, but passport holders were prioritized through customs ahead of the non passport cruisers.

They did do the facial recognition in New Orleans as we got off the Breakaway for us with passports. It was super easy.

My wife & I cruised are Platinum cruisers. We cruised without a passport for 20 years. Just got our passport last year

I have a enhanced drivers license and use on closed loop it’s basically us passport card . It’s perfect when your waiting on your passport renewal.

Great info for all. I'm as old as dirt..on my 5th passport..I will NEVER travel without it. The passport is cheap if you think about it, however the peace of mind is priceless!

Good advice. Thanks

😢great news …! Thank you

Very informative. Thank you

Not all states use a raised seal. Another KZfaqr ran into an issue a few months ago trying to board I think it was the Margaritaville ship. His BC was official, but didn't have a raised seal and they initially denied him boarding. WA for example, has a color changing stamp. Mine from CA also isn't a raised seal, but it's still an official copy.

Good information. Suggestion for a future video.... a review of the New Orleans Cruise Terminal. Very difficult from bag drop off up until the actual cruise check in. It appears that taxis and ride share drivers drop off at a different location and people have to walk a long distance in traffic and across rail lines - then it is quite confusing after you cross the tracks to figure out which line, etc. I felt bad for people with mobility issues navigating through that mess. For me... once in Norwegian's check in line - all was good.

Thank you. Great info as I’m taking a first timer who or may not get around to getting a passport (card).

I got a passport back in the 1990s and used it a couple of times and then didn't do much traveling after that. Over the years and moving, I had no idea where it was. I went on my first cruise to Bermuda on NCL last year and used my birth certificate & state ID. I did decide to apply for a new passport after that. I thought I might have trouble because I didn't have my old one but it was easy. I had an extra form to fill out. I didn't ask for rush processing and got it 5-6 weeks later. I'm going on my second cruise in April and it will definitely be easier dealing with one piece of ID rather than 2.

Thank you for this video. We're going in this week to update our passports since they expired.

Another possible travel document is an enhanced license. My wife and I left passports at home. Forunately we have enhanced license and that worked without birth certificate. We went on the Breakaway canadian trip last fall with no problems.

Good show!!

Yes totally agree!!! I have clients traveling on cruises all the time and I let them know upfront if something happens you can not fly back. What you went through with NCL i never heard of other lines doing that. Its Definitely not what others are doing. And virgin does close loop cruises and still require a passport to cruise.

Thank you. This video answers questions I had about cruising without a passport. Still waiting for it to be renewed; 6 to 9 weeks seems very long.

Tony, you covered it well. In fact, you did better than your cruise line did as they didn't mention the ability to get an emergency passport thru the State Department. The benefits of traveling on a passport, even when not required, are huge. You don't see it until/unless something goes wrong. We don't travel nearly as much as you do, but we still play the game of "when can we renew the passport without messing up travel plans." Fortunately, we found that the time estimates on the web site are very generous. We renewed my daughter's passport in 2022. The web site said 11 weeks, but the new one arrived in 6!

Good info!

My wife and I were on the Breakaway week before you, got off the day you got on. Yes N.O. uses the face recognition system at the NCL/RCL terminal. Although the process at the N.O. CCL terminal is much easier.

We got stranded on a closed loop cruise out of Ft lauderdale 4 yrs ago. The ship broke down in St. Maarten so we got a flight out the next morning with our passports. Our friends did not have passports and it took 3 days and alot of red tape to get home!

Yes, they did facial recognition for passports in NOLA. It was my first experience with it. #vloggerextravaganza

Thanks for the info our passports are expiring in 2024. Now I know when I get back from my May trip this year I need to re-apply for my passport. Also being from Rhode Island kudos for using a picture of our statehouse

I always bring my Passport Tony. On my Mexico cruise I brought it. It made it so easy to return to the US with my Global Entry at Long Beach. I just pulled my mask down and used the Biometrics to reenter

Cruised NOLA in Nov/Dec '22. Yes, they have facial recognition at the NOLA terminal (at least for Carnival they did)

Interesting about the NO PASSPORT Tony . Great information ❤

Yikes! I am in the exact same situation... Waiting for a passport renewal that may or may not arrive! Did the expedited, in person service at my local USPS on Jan 25 for a cruise that departs Mar 4 (NCL). So delighted to learn about the closed loop thing. (Who knew?!) Calling NCL to make sure I can do my cruise just in case my renewal is not back. Whew... Once again, La Lido Loco saves the day! (Or at least a lot of angst.) Thanks!!

When we returned to Baltimore on Carnival Legend. The line to disembark with a Birth certificate was a mile long. But with the passport we walked right through.

Yet another good reason to use a passport: Just got off the Valor this weekend, and oh my, that bc/id line was LONG. Like all the way back to the escalators. I felt sorry for those folks! No line at all for a passport, and you don't even have to show it to them with the facial recognition (yes, the do have it in NOLA). A couple of people in my roll call got off the ship at about 9:30 and didn't make it through that line until after 11.

We live Michigan where we can get a enhanced license. There's a few states that offer enhanced license since they are connected to Canada.

Thanks for sharing

In July New Orleans used facial recognition for customs. It was super easy

You have the passport line and document line such as Birth Certificate, State or Government Issued I D and the passport card which will get you thru easier than the said fourth documents. However you are absolutely correct when cursing always have a valid passport document readily available. 👍🏼

Thanks Tony

thanks so much for this video! awaiting my online renewal to be completed as well for a cruise the end of april. hope that gives them plenty of time. such a great thing reminding everyone about what happens if you get stranded or sick in a foreign place...thanks for all the great info. how long exactly did it take for you to get yours using the online process....

Just got off new orleans yesterday and facial was easy. There was no one I saw in the birth cert line so I doubt it too long.

Tony, you made me go check our passports 😂 We’re good!

We just Renewed Our Pass Ports , That expired in 7 months ...We always take Our P.P. Just to be Safe every where We go , Just to be Safe ..Great Tip Tony ...

Tony, Matt had to use his birth certificate on the breakaway as well! He had to send his passport to China for approval for an upcoming work trip, and we did not get it back in time. It made me a little nervous, but everything went smoothly. although we did not get one of those documents stickers! 🤔

Very timely information

Good Afternoon Tony

Tony, we lost our passports after our Alaska cruise. Bob from Jenny's office told us we could use our birth certificate. We have another trip soon that will require our passport. We made a video about the process. We posted it just before we left for the Vlogger's Extravaganza. Let's just say we do NOT recommend losing your passport! It was quite an expensive learning experience.

You know...My father always said that I was born a woman because I was born in Japan and my Birth Certificate says US Citizen born...abroad...Yes Folks I will be here all week! Try the Veal! But True story! Our first two cruises we did with birth certificates. Actually when I travel in the US I only us my passport. It is just easier to me. Great show as always Tony!

I'm in a similar situation. I have a valid passport that expires in August of this year (2023) and had planned on renewing when I returned in early January from our Panama Canal trip. However, my global entry also was expiring this year in April and I was able to get a renewal appointment for end of January and needed my passport for that appointment. I'm cruising on Feb. 25 on a 7 day closed loop cruise on Princess out of Ft. Lauderdale. My passport, while still valid, won't be valid for the full 6 months beyond the last date of the cruise, so I'm taking my certified birth certificate just in case. I plan on renewing my passport as soon as I return. Hard to schedule the renewal of the passport when you travel a lot!

There are exceptions to this rule also, you can travel on a greencard and State ID if you don't have a valid passport from a your own country.

We were on the Breakaway the week after you. Yes, NOLA had facial recognition for those of us with passports

I did this same thing on a recent cruise while my passport was being renewed. When I got to customs the officer said- but you have a passport. I told him I had just done an online renewal and my passport was canceled-it apparently wasn’t canceled until they mailed out my new one.

I have cruised all my life on closed loop cruises and I just applied for my 1st passport in florida.

I do not own a passport just an enhanced driver's license. We do close loop. No issues, although last time I was sent to secondary, the CBP Officer chuckled and sent me on my way as I was fine.

Cruising without a passport is the only way I've done it - 3 times. I have a family of 4 so getting passports is a non-zero cost that thus far I've avoided expending.

You can also cruise with an ENHANCED drivers license.

I always bring it but on my last 2 cruises I never needed it. I used it for embarkation but my state-issued ID would have been acceptable. The ports we stopped at did not ask for a passport when we returned to the ship. And, like in your case, 2 of the 3 ports didn't even ask for a picture ID at all. All we needed was the ship card. At the port in Miami it was facial recognition upon disembarkation. Again, no passport needed. Of course, there's always the chance they will ask to see it but it was never required and I could have theoretically left it home.

Good info. 👍 It can be confusing. I always take my passport.

I don;t need to think about it for a long time as I got a passport.

Great video! My cruise mates passport expired, and it has not come back yet. She'll have to use her birth certificate next week, and I've never been through that process.

They did use Facial Recognition for pass Port holders in New Orleans

I went on RCCL Navigator of the Seas LA to Ensenada and back to LA in April 2022 only needed a birth certificate. Went into Mexico with just my Drivers License. Was fine.

I've been on 14 cruises and sailed with BC and DL with most of them. My passport expired a few years ago, and I'll be getting a new one. Still will probably cruise with BC and DL, get through the re-entery faster haha.

I tried to explain to my Granddaughter she couldn't cruise without a passport (since I'm so worldly with 5 past cruises) and she just boarded Carnival today from Miami for Cozumel...so I needed your message earlier so I wouldn't be wrong AGAIN with the grandkids!! Oh well...better to be loved than always right!

We always travel with a passport. Just in case because you never know. I've had a passport all my life...military family growing up and after marriage as well.

they did have facial recognition but I got a red light so i had to show my passport to an agent

Thanks Tony! I’ll plan to renew and not cruise 2025 until I have a new passport; or find a no passport cruise.

If you really need to renew your passport quickly and are traveling very soon you should be able to get it done in a day. But, you have to travel to one of their offices, which may be a ways away. In my case I would have to travel from Orlando to Miami.

Interesting info...I had wondered how no passport travels were handled?

Did you use the new “Real ID” or a regular one I haven’t gotten mine upgraded yet wanted to know!

Yeah, this was our first time running into the sticker-on-the-chest thing. Felt a little Scarlet Letter-ish to me! Lol

I don't have a pass port and I always use my birth certificate as I only do closed loop cruises. However I've never had to do the things you did as carnival and princess doesn't require any of that.

Since this is my first cruise I will get my passport after only if I like cruising, first cruise to ensenada on navigator