Essential Travel Documentation for Your Bahamas Cruise
To ensure a smooth embarkation and travel experience, it is your responsibility to have all the necessary travel documents. If you arrive without the correct paperwork, you could be denied boarding without a refund.
I always recommend using a passport for everyone in your family, or your friends
Passport Recommendations
- Strongly Encouraged: A passport is always the best identification option for your cruise.
- Validity: Make sure your passport is valid for a minimum of six months beyond the end date of your cruise.
- Name Match: The name on your cruise reservation must exactly match the name on your passport. If they don’t, be prepared to provide official documentation (like a marriage license or legal name change document) to explain the difference.
Why Passports are Preferred
- Adapting to the Unexpected: If a medical emergency or other unforeseen circumstance requires you to leave the ship in a foreign port, a passport is essential for international air travel.
- Ever-changing Port Requirements: International ports of call can change their entry policies unexpectedly, potentially requiring all guests to have a passport to disembark.
- Smooth and Streamlined: With a passport, disembarking from the ship is faster and easier.
Accepted forms of Travel Identification for U.S. Citizens
- Passport: Valid for a minimum of six months past your cruise end date.
- Passport Card
- Official State-Issued Birth Certificate: (Hospital certificates or baptismal papers aren’t acceptable). A photo ID is required if 16 years or older. Under 16, only the birth certificate is required.
- Accepted Territories: Birth certificates from Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico (issued after July 1, 2010)
- Other Options: Original certificate of U.S. naturalization, original certificate of U.S. citizenship, U.S. consular report of birth abroad, Enhanced Driver’s License.
Important Note: Photocopies or images of documents are not accepted.
Traveling with Children
- 16 and Older: Must have a government-issued photo ID (state ID, driver’s license) plus a certified or notarized copy of their birth certificate.
- 15 and Younger: Must have a certified, notarized, or original copy of their U.S. birth certificate.
- Newborns: Can travel with a hospital-issued birth certificate if the official U.S. birth certificate hasn’t yet arrived.
- Traveling with One or No Parents: A signed letter of consent from the absent parent(s) is highly recommended. You can find a Minor Consent Form [include a link if there’s one on your site]. In cases of sole custody, a death certificate, or other relevant legal document may be needed.
Required Documents for Non-U.S. Citizens
- Permanent Residents: Valid U.S. Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) and government-issued photo ID. We also strongly recommend carrying a passport from your home country.
- Non-U.S. Citizens: A passport (valid for six months past your cruise end date) and any necessary visas are required. If you’re eligible under the Visa Waiver Program, ensure you have a valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approval. See www.travel.state.gov for detailed information.
Planning and Resources
- Apply Early: Obtain passports and passport cards well in advance of your trip. Visit the U.S. State Department’s travel website for information.
- Bahamas Cruise & Stay: If your cruise includes an overnight stay in The Bahamas, specific rules apply. Ensure you have the correct documentation.
Remember: We don’t provide guidance on immigration requirements. It’s your responsibility to confirm you have everything needed for a smooth cruise.
We cannot refund guests who arrive without the correct travel documentation.
