We're sailing out on Aug. 1st.  I was wondering if any has sailed without a passport/passcard?  I'm told that if you're on a closed loop cruise you don't need one.  Any feedback?

I think you have to have a Passport now....I would call carnival to find out for sure or I am sure one of the TA on here will reply.

I am sailing in a few days.  It's ok to use birth certificates for the Holiday cruise, but not for all of them.  3 of us have passports and 3 will have birth certificates.

hey i spoke with an agent at carnival, she informed me that a birth certifcate is all you need. reason being is that you return to the same port that you left from. but in case you need to leave on a emergency and fly out you will need passport. have a fun cruise

Just stated this on another thread,

You are NOT REQUIRED to have either on closed loop cruises. BC is fine.

It is RECOMMENDED in case of an emergency.

This is the updated info even after the June 1 passport changes.

You can still travel a closed loop cruise with a BC but if you plan on any cruises, why not get one?  The last for ten years and you never know when a deal 2good2btrue comes along.  It does happen.  We went on one two weeks ago.

Wait Wait so i heard that you need a passport/card to travel. Im going to Key West,Cayman,Jamaica. My 15 yr old is going to. Now your telling me that i dont need it? Im so confused. I was about to go buy them..

Thanks for all the replies.  We just wanted to know if things will go smoothly when we sail.  We're in the process of getting passport cards but they won't be back in time. 

From what I was told, if it's a closed loop cruise.....leaves and comes back to the same port, Birth Certifiates are ok.  I am going to get my other 3 passports, but this cruise came up too quickly to get them before we sail.  Go ahead and get your passports.   I will have them for all of us when we sail next March.

wendy, you do not need a passport to go on a closed loop cruise, but if you happen to need to get back to the states by air,  you will need to have it.  if you do not get one just make sure that you get back on the ship in time so you are not left in port. 

tekel8:

Wait Wait so i heard that you need a passport/card to travel. Im going to Key West,Cayman,Jamaica. My 15 yr old is going to. Now your telling me that i dont need it? Im so confused. I was about to go buy them..

tekel8:

Wait Wait so i heard that you need a passport/card to travel. Im going to Key West,Cayman,Jamaica. My 15 yr old is going to. Now your telling me that i dont need it? Im so confused. I was about to go buy them..

If it is closed loop, starting and returning to the same port, you do not need them. A BC will work. Again, if something happens and you need to return from one of your ports of call, you will have some problems, how severe I do not know. My rec. go get a passport and be done with it. I got our two children theirs just to have it out of the way and so we don't have to play what seems to be the year after year "you need it...you don't need it" game.

 Happy cruising.

If your going to get a passport at all I would just get the book, you don't save that much money and then your set to go anywhere.  I am sure the day will come that we will have to have them even if we are going in a loop!

Ok i guess im going to get the passports. I cant take the chance of anything happening and being stuck. Thanks

We just came back from closed loop cruise on the Holiday 6/6. There were 5 of us and the passport issue was the biggest worry for me. I kept hearing different things. We did not get passports just because we waited too long and would have had to pay about 250.00 per person ( to get them expedited). We had no trouble at all. Just showed our birth certificate (an official copy with a seal) and your drivers license. We all went right through. They give you a fun pass that you scan each time you get on and off the ship. We put our birth certificates in the safe for the remainder of the cruise. You will need them again when you get off the ship. We also paid for our excursions with carnival just to be safe. We again had no problems. If though it will make you worry the whole trip go ahead an get you passport, it's just not worth the worry. We will get ours for the next trip. Will only be my husband and I. Hope this helped.

Thanks, this makes me feel a lot better.  Will definitely got ours for the next one.