What travel documents will I need?
Every country has its own entry requirements, and guests assume personal responsibility for having the necessary documents when boarding. Seabourn highly recommends that all guests carry a passport that is valid for at least six months beyond the completion date of your travel. Having a passport will enable you to fly from the U.S. to a foreign port in the event you miss your scheduled embarkation or to fly back to the U.S. if you need to disembark the ship mid-cruise due to an emergency.
Passports are normally surrendered to and held by the pursers on board to facilitate clearances in ports of call. It is prudent to photocopy the identification page of your passport and pack it separately, in case of loss or damage to the original.
Your name on your travel documents (passport, Alien Resident card, birth certificate, etc.) must be identical to those on your cruise documents. Otherwise, proof of name change (e.g. a marriage license) with a valid driver’s license (or other government issued photo ID) must be presented. Any discrepancies may prevent travel.
PLEASE NOTE: In addition, visas or other documents may be required, depending on your citizenship or residency and the itinerary. It is your sole responsibility to obtain all necessary documents for all ports of call on your itinerary. Requirements for your voyage may be found on Seabourn’s website or by calling your travel professional, Seabourn, or a professional visa service. Boarding may be denied or fines levied against those guests without proper documentation. Payment of any fines levied is the responsibility of the individual guest.
For U.S. and Canadian Citizens
Travel by Land or Sea : Travel document requirements vary based on cruise itinerary and whether international flights are required. Passports or Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) compliant documents are required for cruises to Alaska, Bermuda, Canada, Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico and the Panama Canal. U.S. and Canadian citizens ages 16 and above may present one of the following valid WHTI-compliant documents:
- Passport (recommended travel document) (valid for travel by air, land and sea)
- Passport Card (valid for land and sea border crossings only)
- U.S. or Canadian Issued Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL) – (valid for land and sea border crossings only)*
- Other documents approved by the Department of Homeland Security
For a list of approved documents visit:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/before-you-go/travelers-checklist.html
*The EDL driver’s license, or non-driver photo identification, is offered in the U.S. states of Michigan, New York, Vermont and Washington and in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec, to applicants that can prove identity and citizenship. Please note the EDL is not the same as an Enhanced (or Endorsed) Commercial Driver’s License.
U.S. citizens on closed-loop cruises: U.S. citizens on cruises in the Western Hemisphere that originate and terminate in the same U.S. port are required to have proof of citizenship such as a valid U.S. passport or an original or certified copy of a U.S. government-issued birth certificate combined with a U.S. government-issued photo I.D. The birth certificate must have been issued by a U.S. government agency (state/county/city) or the Department of Health and Vital Statistics. A passport is still the preferred document.
PLEASE NOTE – WHTI-compliant documents are only acceptable for entry or re-entry into the United States. You may be required to present additional or different travel documents, such as a passport when entering foreign countries, including some countries in the Western Hemisphere.
Birth certificates from Puerto Rico issued prior to July 1, 2010 are not valid forms or proof of citizenship that is 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 identification with a validated birth certificate issued after July 1, 2010.
Children: U.S. citizen children under the age of 16 traveling on a closed loop cruise (a cruise in the Western Hemisphere which originates and ends in the same U.S. port) will be able to present their government issued birth certificate or other proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a naturalization certificate or citizenship card to sail. Birth certificates can be an original, photocopy or certified copy.
PASSPORT REQUIREMENT WHEN MINORS TRAVEL WITH ONE ADULT ON VOYAGES GOVERNED BY U.S. WESTERN HEMISPHERE TRAVEL INITIATIVE ("WHTI") (includes travel within BERMUDA, CANADA, CARIBBEAN, MEXICO, UNITED STATES)
When minors are traveling with only one adult 21 years of age or older, Seabourn requires that all guests must be in possession of a valid passport. Seabourn has implemented this requirement so that you all remain together should an emergency arise that requires one or more in your party to be disembarked in a non-U.S. port. Seabourn cannot guarantee that all members of your party will be allowed to disembark with only a WHTI-compliant document or birth certificate.
NOTE: If you are not the parent or Legal Guardian of any minor child traveling with you, you must present an original letter signed by at least one of the child’s parents. The letter from the child’s parent must provide contact information and authorize the traveling child to take the child on the specific cruise.
For more information regarding passports and WHTI-compliant documents, please visit https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/information/do-i-need.html or call the National Passport Information Center toll free at 1-877-487-2778 or TDD/TYY at 1-888-874-7793.
Travel by Air: Passports are required for all international air travel to and from the United States, regardless of age or citizenship. This includes air travel to and from Canada, Bermuda, the Caribbean and Mexico.