Travel Documentation: U.S. Citizens

 Proper travel documentation is required at embarkation, throughout the cruise and is the responsibility of the guest. The guest should check with their government authority to confirm any documents needed for each port of call. If the proper documents are not presented, the guest will be denied boarding and no refund will be issued. Important Notes:  

• Cruises Visiting Skagway, Alaska: Some shore excursions may require a valid, unexpired passport.
• Cruises Visiting Canada: Guests who have committed or been convicted of a crime may not be allowed into Canada - for more information, click here. 

 Air Travel within the U.S. - REAL ID Homeland Security RequirementsEffective May 7, 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will require every state and territory resident to present a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or another acceptable form of identification, such as a passport or enhanced driver’s license, to go through airport security and board a flight within the U.S. If you will be flying to one of our cruise homeports within the U.S. on/after this implementation date, please ensure you have an acceptable document for your air travel. Visit www.tsa.gov/real-id more information. This requirement applies to air travelers 18 years of age and older. Real ID-compliant cards will have a star on the upper top portion of the card. If the card does not have this marking, it is not REAL ID-compliant and won’t be accepted as proof of identity for air travel within ithe U.S. For additional information about REAL ID-compliant driver's licenses and Enhanced Driver's Licenses, click here.

Unacceptable forms of Documentation - Guests will be denied boarding

• Copy of any WHTI compliant document
• Driver’s License alone (without proof of citizenship; may be used as photo ID)
• Temporary Driver’s License without an affixed photo
• Hospital certificate, hospital-issued birth notice, live record of birth, Certificate of Live Birth or announcement of birth
• 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
• Voter’s Registration Card
• Trusted Traveler Program Membership Card (NEXUS/SENTRI/FAST) alone; (may be used as photo ID)
• Baptismal Papers
• U.S. Military ID alone (without proof of citizenship; may be used as photo ID)
• Dependent Military ID that is issued to a spouse or child
• U.S. Military Discharge Papers

U.S. Passport Book

• Carnival recommends that all guests travel with a passport valid for at least 6 months beyond the completion of travel. 
• U.S. citizens may present a valid, unexpired U.S. passport when traveling via air, land or sea between the United States and the Western Hemisphere countries.

  • A passport is highly recommended in the event a guest must fly to a port of call, debark the ship for an emergency during the cruise or allow for an expedited debarkation process. 
  • For any itineraries that include international air travel, a passport is required. 

    • Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are considered territories of the United States; the passport requirement does not apply to U.S. Citizens traveling to, or returning directly from a U.S. territory. 

For information about U.S. Passports:

• Visit www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports.html
• Expedited passport services are also offered by VisaCentral at www.visacentral.com/carnival
• or call 877-559-4875 and identify yourself as a Carnival Cruise Line guest. Mention ‘Carnival Account 75020’ for discounted rates on service fees. 

WHTI Compliant Documents (Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative)This option is only allowed for cruises beginning and ending in the same U.S port (Closed Loop Cruise) that do not visit Colombia or Greenland. Passport Card 

• This document will denote both citizenship and identity.
• The passport card cannot be used for air travel outside the United States but is valid for land and sea travel between the United States and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean region and Bermuda.

 State Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL) 

• This document will denote both citizenship and identity and will contain security features to facilitate the entry process at land and sea ports of entry.

  • The following states issue Enhanced Driver's Licenses: Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Washington.
  • The words ‘Enhanced Driver's License’ as well as the U.S. flag will appear on the license. Some EDL's may also have a star in the upper right corner.

    • A Driver's License with only a star in the upper right corner is a Real ID Driver's License and not an Enhanced Driver's License; it cannot be used as a WHTI-compliant document (as proof of citizenship) but can be used as a photo ID.
• The EDL cannot be used for air travel outside the United States but is valid for land and sea travel between the United States and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean region and Bermuda.
• For additional information about Enhanced Driver's Licenses and REAL ID-compliant driver's licenses, click here. 

Original Certificate of U.S. Naturalization and a Government-Issued Photo I.D.* 

• The Certificate of U.S. Naturalization (form N-550 or N-570) is a document issued by the U.S. government (USCIS) as proof of a foreign born person who has obtained U.S. citizenship through naturalization (a legal process of obtaining a new nationality).
• Photo copies of the original document are unacceptable. 
• *An unexpired government-issued photo ID is required if a photo is not affixed to this WHTI document.

 Native American Indians and a Government-Issued Photo I.D.*

• Form I-872 American Indian Card
• Enhanced Tribal Card (when available)
• *An unexpired government-issued photo ID is required if a photo is not affixed to this WHTI document.
• The card cannot be used for air travel and is only valid for land and sea travel between the United States and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean region and Bermuda.

 Government-Issued Birth Certificate AND an Unexpired Government-Issued Photo ID 

This option is only allowed for cruises beginning and ending in the same U.S port (Closed Loop Cruise) that do not visit to Colombia or Greenland. Forms of CitizenshipBirth CertificateGuests may obtain a copy of a birth certificate by contacting: The Department of Health and Vital Statistics at: www.vitalchek.com

• Original or copy of the original issued by a government agency (state/county/city) or the Department of Health and Vital Statistics 
• Must be clear and legible
• Does not need to be notarized
• If the guest has laminated their birth certificate, it is acceptable.
• Birth Certificates from Puerto Rico:  Birth Certificates 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 validated birth certificate issue after July 1, 2010 AND a government-issued photo ID.

 Birth Certificate Card

• This is an acceptable form of citizenship.

 Consular Report of Birth Abroad

• This is an acceptable form of citizenship.

 Certificate of Citizenship by the U.S. and Adoption Paperwork 

• If adoptive parents of an internationally adopted child were not issued a birth certificate, a Certificate of Citizenship will be accepted. This document is issued once an adoption is finalized.

 Forms of Photo Identification (ID)

An unexpired government-issued photo I.D. is required of all guests 16 years of age and older. These may not be used as standalone travel documents. They must be used in conjunction with proof of citizenship such as a WHTI compliant document or a Birth Certificate. Driver’s License | REAL ID-Compliant Driver's License

• This is an acceptable form of Photo ID.
• A Temporary Driver’s License with an affixed photo is acceptable for cruise travel.

 Driver’s Permit

• This is an acceptable form of Photo ID. 

 Current School/Student ID with picture

• This is an acceptable form of Photo ID for guests 16/17/18 years of age.

 Government-issued Identification Card (city/state/federal) | Non-Driver Identification Card

• This is an acceptable form of Photo ID.
• A U.S. Military ID with an affixed photo is an approved government-issued Photo ID. 

 Government-issued Trusted Traveler Program Membership Card (NEXUS/SENTRI/FAST)

• This is an acceptable form of Photo ID.

Reminders

Legal names

First and last names on the cruise and airline reservations should match what is on the guest’s government-issued IDs. Any name changes will require documentation to bridge the name change; Marriage, Divorce or Legal Name change certificates. 

• For those about to or recently have been married, we recommend that if the unexpired government-issued ID is in the maiden name, the cruise reservation be made in the maiden name.

 Traveling with Minors

When traveling with a minor where one parent 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.