Closed-loop Cruise

 

Closed-Loop Cruise

U.S. citizens who board cruise ships at U.S. ports, travel only in the Western Hemisphere, then return to the same port may present a government issued ID, such as a driver's license, to prove identification, accompanied by an original certified birth certificate to prove citizenship. These are the only two documents you'll need to reenter the U.S. on a closed-loop cruise. Understand that cruises that include destinations outside of the U.S. that are not U.S. territories, may stop at countries that require you to present a U.S. passport to enter, so you could end up spending time on the ship when everyone else is enjoying the destination port city. Also, some cruises may not let you board without a U.S. passport, so be sure to check with the cruise line before booking those tickets.

With all these places to travel without a passport, you may never need to get one! Some of the destinations like Mexico and Canada, and even some cruises, will have other conditions to travel without a passport, which isn't quite as convenient, but still doable.