Miami, Florida Port Q&A

Personally I would never travel without a passport for everyone in my group. If they don’t have one you will need a birth certificate and a photo ID. Which ever cruise you are on will have all their information on their web page.

Answered by alexanderl on November 29, 2023

As long as you are starting and ending in the United States you do not need them. However you will need at least a birth certificate for identification for them. People are going to tell you you are better off with them of course and if something happened in a port and you got stranded you need it. But do you NEED to have it ti go? No.

Answered by elliot520 on November 29, 2023

Passports for minors are good for 5 years.

Answered by Ally57 on November 30, 2023

I have been on 8 cruises (9 as of this Sunday). I've never had a passport. As long as your cruise is closed looped, birth certificate and ID is all that's needed. You'll hear the "I personally would never travel without one." That isn't what they asked. They asked if they NEEDED one. And the answer is no. As long as it's a closed loop cruise.

Answered by HLaktonen on November 30, 2023

Get the passports. They're good for 10 years, and your kids will thank you.

Answered by kdlady on November 30, 2023

Passport cards are a waste of money. Either get a real Passport book you can fly with or don't get one at all.

Answered by kdlady on December 01, 2023

Don't take chances. Remove all doubt. Bring your passport. Kids should have "certified" birth certificates.

Answered by Dovetail8 on November 29, 2023

Spend the money on passports. They are good for 10 years.

Answered by kdlady on November 29, 2023

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Bahamas.html# ~That is the the for Travel.State.Gov. I’ve cruised to the Bahamas several times without it, but now as a general rule I always travel w/ all our passports & State DMV ID. Hope this helps. Happy cruising 🤩⚓️😎❣️‼️

Answered by 24MyLuckyDragon on November 29, 2023

we went and didn't need it

Answered by labadoodle on November 29, 2023

If something happens and you’re stuck somewhere you’ll thank yourself for getting the passports and not worrying about the money. Only in the US are we so hesitant to get passports. Makes zero sense to me.

Answered by kelskazoo22 on December 02, 2023

we pay thousands for a cruise without any hesitation but question the need to pay a couple hundo for passports. It's a small price to pay and removes any doubt.

Answered by ASYoung on December 02, 2023

As others have said you do not need a passport for a closed loop starting in the US or Puerto Rico. As for being slower getting on and off, it is but not by a lot. Wife and went with my mother and sister. They did not have passports. We did. We waited 15-20 minutes for them getting on and 5-10 getting off. Nothing too major

Answered by Bertfish on November 30, 2023

Also, As for it taking longer at customs? Maybe I've just been lucky all 8x. But I've never been held up because of not having a passport. We're always off the ship by 9a and that's due to us taking our time. And that's for Carnival, Royal, Princess and Disney. But again... Maybe we're just... Lucky??

Answered by HLaktonen on November 30, 2023

You don’t need it but when returning you have a much longer wait in customs without a passport. I would just get them. We have them for our kids.

Answered by jeffsfan24 on November 30, 2023

You do not need passports. However, passports are recommended in the event something happens.

Answered by deesweetpea1 on November 29, 2023

I would never chance it. If something happens and you need to fly back from a port you will have to deal with the embassy trying to get back to the states. We have seen this when people missed the boat. Passports are valid for 10 years, seems like a silly way to save a couple bucks .

Answered by nrianb on December 03, 2023

As some have stated, it is not needed, but strongly advised! If something were to happen and you needed to get back into the states not on the ship, you will need a passport to get back ! I guess it's up to you if it's worth the risk for $300! I would say, get the passports!

Answered by crusin4gramma on December 02, 2023

I know my answer is late, but let me just drop this here for the ones in the back to hear me clearer. We didn’t get them for our 15 & 16 year old kids. I completely understand not wanting to spend the extra $300 before the trip. Just because we were able to pay for the cruise for the whole family to go, doesn’t mean we have all this extra money to spend if it’s not necessary. Do some of you people not realize that the $300 could go towards shirts for the whole family to remember their trip or as a conversation starter when they go back home or an excursion for SOME or hopefully all of the family to experience that they may not have been able to afford before? People are so quick to judge and assume other people’s financial situations. This person didn’t ask if it was WORTH $300, she asked if her kids needed passports or not. She gave a hint she would rather save the $300, why can’t people just read and stop and comprehend what was being asked vs making instant judgements?

Answered by jenjen1999 on January 10, 2024

We Americans are the dumbest country in the world.I can't move ,but understand why we are hated so much.We don't know how to enjoy life at all.The almighty dollar rules.Thats why I never had children.Glad I will be dead soon.

Answered by gareds on January 10, 2024