Please note that Cruise Recs is providing this article for informational purposes only. We take great care to make sure the information we provide is accurate, but take no legal responsibility for advising travelers regarding proper travel documents. Be sure to check with your preferred cruise line prior to embarkation to confirm required documentation for your specific travel itinerary.

The required documents are a little different for traveling by sea than by land, and depends on your home port, destinations, and your citizenship status. For this article, we’ll be focusing on United States permanent residents cruising from U.S. Domestics ports.

Most cruise lines highly recommend that all guests travel with a passport book that is valid for at least six months beyond the completion of travel.  Traveling with a passport will ensure a smooth debarkation, as without one you may experience delays by U.S. Customs and Border Protection when you return to the United States. Additionally, in the unlikely event of an emergency that requires you to cut your cruise short, having a passport will enable you to fly back to the United States without significant delays and complications.

Traveling with a Passport or Other Acceptable Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)-Compliant Documents

For cruises that begin and end in the same U.S port, the following WHTI-compliant documents are acceptable for cruise travel. Please note that there are a few exceptions where you MUST travel with a passport – see the Exceptions section below for more information.

PASSPORT

United States citizens may present a valid, unexpired U.S. passport book when traveling via air, land, or sea. The passport book must be valid for at least six months beyond the completion of travel.  U.S. citizens may also present a limited-use, wallet-size passport card. The passport card will only be valid for land and sea travel between the United States and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean region, and Bermuda. Note that a passport card cannot be used to travel by air outside the United States.

• U.S. Passport Book
• U.S. Passport Card

-OR-

PHOTO IDENTIFICATION + BIRTH CERTIFICATE

In lieu of a passport, guests may travel with acceptable government issued photo identification + a valid birth certificate.

An unexpired government-issued photo ID is required of all guests 16 years of age and older. A Mobile/Digital version of a photo ID is not an acceptable form of identification.

The following photo IDs are acceptable:

• Driver’s License (a temporary Driver’s License with photo is acceptable)
• Driver’s Permit
• School/Student ID (acceptable for guests 16/17/18 years of age)
• Government-issued identification card including a U.S. Military ID with photo (city/state/federal)
• Government-issued Trusted Traveler Program Membership Card (NEXUS/SENTRI/FAST) – for photo identification use only

AND one of the following:

• U.S.-born citizens may use a birth certificate issued by a government agency – see Birth Certificate Information section below for more information on requirements for birth certificates
• Consular report of Birth Abroad
• Certificate of U.S. Naturalization
• Native American Indian Card

EXCEPTIONS:

• Cruises that visit Greenland: a passport book is required.
• Cruises that begin and end in a different U.S. port: a passport book or passport card is required.
• Cruises that visit Colombia, provided they depart from and return to a U.S. port: a passport book or passport card is required.

Note that passport books and passport cards must be valid for at least six months beyond the completion of travel.

Birth Certificate Information

The following are acceptable:

• An original or copy of a birth certificate issued by a government agency (state/county/city) or the Department of Health and Vital Statistics.
• A clear, legible copy (photocopy) of a birth certificate that was originally issued by a government agency (state/county/city) or the Department of Health and Vital Statistics. The copy does not need to be notarized or certified.
• Birth Certificate Card
• A Consular Report of Birth Abroad
• Internationally adopted children (under the age of 18): If the adoptive parent was not issued a birth certificate, proof of citizenship, a Certificate of Citizenship by the U.S. and adoption paperwork is acceptable. A Certificate of Citizenship is issued by the U.S. once the adoption is finalized.
• Guests may obtain a copy of a birth certificate by contacting: The Department of Health and Vital Statistics at: www.vitalchek.com.
• Laminated birth certificates are acceptable.

Birth certificates from Puerto Rico issued prior to July 1, 2010, are not valid forms of proof of citizenship and are not accepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Guests from Puerto Rico either need to present a WHTI-compliant document or a government-issued photo ID with a validated birth certificate issued after July 1, 2010.

Unacceptable Forms of Documentation

• Copies of any WHTI-Compliant document
• Driver’s License as the only proof (must also have birth certificate)
• A Mobile/Digital version of a photo ID
• A temporary driver’s license (paperwork without a photo ID)
• Voter’s Registration Card
• Trusted Traveler Program Membership Card (NEXUS/SENTRI/FAST) – may be used for photo identification use only
• Baptismal Papers
• U.S. Military ID as the only proof
• A Dependent Military ID that is issued to the spouse and children of military personnel is not acceptable
• U.S. Military Discharge Papers
• No Record of Birth certificate: a certificate issued by the Department of Health and Vital Statistics showing that they have no records on this person
• Hospital certificate, hospital-issued birth notice, Certificate of Live Birth, live record of birth or announcement of birth

Names on Travel Documentation
It is important that the guest’s full name (first name and last name) on the booking be the same as the guest’s non-expired government-issued photo I.D. they plan to use for travel identification. In the event of a different name on the booking and the guest’s photo I.D. as a result of a marriage, divorce or a legal name change, documentation (original or clear, legible copy) supporting this change is required (at embarkation), such as a marriage certificate, marriage license or legal name change court document. Failure to bring documentation bridging the name differences could result in denied boarding.

For those about to or recently have been married, we strongly recommend that in instances where the non-expired government-issued photo I.D. is in the maiden name, the cruise booking be made in the maiden name (do not include the married name); If the reservation was made in the married name, but the non-expired government-issued photo I.D. is in the maiden name, documentation (original or clear, legible copy) supporting this change is required (at embarkation), such as a marriage certificate or marriage license. Failure to bring documentation bridging the name differences could result in denied boarding.

Traveling with Minors
When traveling with a minor where one or both parents or legal guardians are not cruising, we strongly recommend bringing an original signed letter from the absent parent(s) or legal guardians authorizing the minor to travel with you. If there is no second parent with legal claims to the minor (due to sole custody, deceased, etc.) other relevant paperwork, such as a court decision, death certificate, birth certificate naming only one parent, would be useful to bring in place of a signed letter. This will expedite processing by the Department of Homeland Security.

Citizens of U.S. Territories and Commonwealth

Guests will follow the same travel documentation requirements. U.S. Territories and Commonwealth include: Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands (St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John), America Samoa, Swains Island and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

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To figure out how much cash to bring, we select a dollar amount and multiple it by the number of ports we’ll be visiting, then we add additional for various tips and travel incidentals. The amount you choose is a personal choice and fully dependent on your financial situation at the time of your cruise. We’ve been on cruises where funds were tight and we spent very little in port (sometimes nothing) and other times we’ve had a little more wiggle room and purchased souvenirs or local art for ourselves and friends/family back home. Either way, your budget might include line items for the following:

Embarkation/Debarkation Porters – average is $2 per bag – Sometimes we use porters when we arrive in port and/or when we get off the ship – and sometimes we don’t. There’s really no rhyme or reason to it other than being dependent on how tired we are or how convenient they are in the moment. It’s always nice to plan for it either way, just in case. If we do use a porter, we always tip. The embarkation porters are making sure your luggage actually makes it on the ship, after all. And depending on your home port, sometimes a debarkation porter can get you through Customs lines faster. If we don’t use a porter, then it’s just extra cash we have on hand in case we need it.

Port Days – Plan to spend cash in port for food, drink, entertainment, souvenirs, etc. This amount varies wildly depending on the destination and your financial situation at the time. It could be anywhere from $20-$200 per port or more. If we’re feeling really fancy or find something really unique that we really love, we have been known to splurge a little. We love to bring home original local art – and we know others who love to shop for jewelry or gemstones on shore. We also use this cash for any local transportation, refreshments or maybe a couple of loungers & an umbrella for kicking back on a beach with protection from the sun. Any cash we have leftover from one port, we roll over to the next.

Excursion Tips – average is $10 per guide for a half day outing and $15-20 per guide for a full day outing. These locals work hard to make sure you enjoy your time in their country/on their island and their wages are usually far less than our minimum wage in the U.S. – and in some cases, they only work for tips. So if you have a great local guide, be sure to tip them for their efforts. Everyone appreciates a tip, but some of them depend on tips to make a living.

Tender Tips – average is $2 per trip – What’s a “tender”, you ask? Some destinations have ecological protections for their reefs, which are an important part of the underwater eco-system and play a huge role in the health of the beach and marine life in the area. Reefs offer protection from storms & beach erosion, recreational opportunities (like snorkeling & diving), and can be a source of food and medicine. So, in cases where a port has a protected reef, the ship won’t dock, but instead anchor just off shore, behind the reef. In these cases, a smaller boat (called a “tender”) will bring you to and from the ship. Tenders are not owned & managed by the cruise lines, but by locals from the destination country, which is why you may opt to tip.

Ship Tips – You’ll likely want to tip anyone who delivers room service to your cabin, as well as your stateroom steward, your dining crew if you have set time dining (as opposed to your time dining), and potentially your favorite bartender of barista – if you found one. These amounts vary significantly depending on who you ask. And yes, the cruise staff does share in the tips you pay when you book your cruise, but we like to directly reward good service and “above and beyond” services. This, of course, is a personal preference and entirely optional. For room service, we usually tip $2-3 per delivery. For stewards, we usually tip $10 per day at the end of the cruise. For dining crew, we usually tip $7-10 per day on the last day. For bartenders & baristas, it depends on how great they were, how often they remembered our regular orders, and how pleasant they were to interact with, but $7-10 per day is fairly typical for us.

PRO TIP:

We always pick up extra bank envelopes and separate our cash out by use case. We’ve found this to be the easiest way to make sure we have enough for each destination and some left over for tips and other random incidentals.

We always carry the current port’s envelope AND the one for the next port with us when we get off the ship. This way, if we find something really extraordinary that’s a little over that port’s budget, we have the cash on hand and can plan to spend less in the next port. We also like to have the piece of mind knowing we have a little extra cash in the off chance we get stuck in a port and the ship has to leave without us. This is a very unlikely scenario, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry. We keep them in separate bags so if one bag gets lost or stolen, we still have cash. That has never happened either, but there’s a first time for everything.

If you were really good and didn’t spend all of your cash from any particular envelope, just roll it into the next one. It’s always a good feeling to have some cash in your pocket when you step off the ship. You can be proud of yourself for not only sticking to your budget but coming in under! Celebrate by treating yourself to IHOP or Buc-ees on the way home!

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Since Carnival is our preferred line, the particulars below are specific to Carnival. Each line does something similar, but please check your line’s website for more specific information.

On Carnival ships, these cards are called Sail & Sign® cards and they are color coded based on your VIFP (Very Important Fun Person) benefit level. You will use your Sail & Sign® card for EVERYTHING on the ship.  It’s how they keep track of if you are on or off the ship at ports (they scan you off and back on), it’s your stateroom/cabin key, and it’s how you pay for things in the shops, bars, arcade, etc. while onboard. 

Your Onboard Account: When you do your online check-in via carnival.com or Carnival’s “My Cruise Manager”, or on the first day of your cruise at embarkation, Carnival will ask for a credit/debit card to create your onboard account.  Each onboard expense account must have a designated account owner and the cardholding guest must be an authorized signer by the card-issuing bank.  

At the end of the cruise, everything you charged on the ship gets settled to this card. On embarkation day, an initial bank hold of up to $200 (depending on cruise length) is placed on all credit/debit card accounts to verify that the card is valid. As money is spent throughout your cruise, additional holds on bank funds are obtained, which may result in multiple amounts being held.  On the day the cruise returns, Carnival immediately settles the guest’s account with their bank for the total amount of their onboard expenses. Holds will remain on the account for one or more days depending on the issuing bank’s hold policy, which will limit access to funds.

If using a Debit Card, the bank will process the final total spent on the guest’s Sail & Sign account plus retain the bank holds processed, per the bank policy. The bank is responsible for releasing any pending holds from the guest’s account. This means if you use a debit card, it may be a few of days after you get off the ship before you will have access to these funds in your bank account. Because of this, we strongly recommend you use a CREDIT card instead of a DEBIT card. Limited access to credit funds is a whole different ballgame than limited access to cash sitting in your bank account.

Acceptable Cards

• Visa Card and Visa Gift Card*
• MasterCard and MasterCard Gift Card*
• ATM/Debit Card (registered MasterCard or Visa Card ONLY).
• The Discover Card and Discover Gift Card
• American Express Card and the Carnival Corporation Reward Card from American Express
• Diner’s Club and Diner’s Club Gift Card
• JCB Card only

*Note: Gift Cards may also be referred to as ‘secured’ or ‘pre-loaded’ credit cards or ‘Travel Funds Card’.

Unacceptable Cards

• Gift Cards and Travel Funds Cards issued by American Express and/or Optima
• Keychain (mini) credit cards
• The American Express ‘Persona Select’ Card
• ATM/Debit Card other than those registered by MasterCard or Visa Card

Cash Deposit Accounts: If you don’t want your on board incidentals to be charged to a credit/debit card at all, you can put down a cash deposit when you get on board. Cash and Traveler’s checks (USD currency only) are accepted to open a cash deposit.  Simply go to Guest Services with your cash/Traveler’s Checks and ask them to remove your credit/debit card (if you entered on during online check-in) and opt to use cash instead.  You can’t charge more than the cash you put down and you will get any unspent cash back at the end of the cruise, but if you want that cash before you get off the ship, you must go to Guest Services or a Sail & Sign Kiosk the DAY BEFORE debarkation. If you don’t, any refundable overages greater than $10 USD will be refunded via check mailed within 7 days after the cruise to the guest’s home address on file. Overages less than $10 USD will be donated to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital®. 

Guests who elect to use the cash deposit method must do so at Guest Services on the FIRST DAY of the cruise. The following minimum cash deposits are recommended by Carnival:

• 2 – 4 day cruise: $100 USD per person
• 5 – 8 day cruise: $200 USD per person
• 9 days or longer: $350 USD per person

Guests may check their balances and add additional cash to their account by visiting the Guest Services desk or via a Sail & Sign Kiosk on board throughout the sailing.

Sail & Sign Kiosks: Sail & Sign Kiosks are self service terminals that allow guests to manage and access their onboard accounts. Kiosk terminals are usually located near Guest Services and the Fun Shops and are accessed by using a touch screen monitor. Functions available are:

• Check onboard account balance
• View/print statement
• Review or restrict account Users
  • Set charge limits (see Traveling with Minors below)
  • Set-up guests as ‘Not Authorized’ to charge (see On Board Account Access below)
• Open new accounts
• Apply payments (cash and credit/debit card)
• Withdraw any balance left on an onboard account in cash ($5 or more)
• Change bills into smaller bills (Kiosk will dispense in increments of $20 / $10 / $5)

On Board Account Access: When you are adding a card to your account online through the check-in process, you will have the opportunity to indicate who is allowed to charge to your onboard account. You’ll have the option to include or not include anyone in your booking. So if you have multiple cabins in your booking, all travelers in those cabins will be available for you to select, or not select, as the case may be. You can add multiple cards to the same booking to create multiple onboard accounts tied to specific individuals. For example, if you are traveling with your immediate family, you may elect to have one onboard account attached to one card. If you’re traveling with friends or extended family, you may elect to each have separate onboard accounts attached to individual cards. This allows you keep each person traveling accountable for their own onboard purchases without issue. Either way, every guest must be a member of an onboard account in order to obtain a complete online check-in status.

Traveling with Minors: If you are traveling with minors, the account owner has the option to set spending limits or not allow charging privileges to their account at all. This can be set-up during online check-in or on board at Guest Services. Setting spending limits allows the account owner to control the spending of minors in places like the arcade or candy shops where excited eyes may get a little bigger than your carefully planned budget. Be sure to have conversations with any minors under your care about what the spending limits are to ensure expectations are not only aligned, but understood. This will help set the stage if you need to have uncomfortable conversations about running out of allotted funds part-way through your cruise.

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Have some anxiety and don’t know how to overcome your fears about cruising? Check out our Common Fears article to learn more about how to set sail on the high seas with more peace of mind.

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