BF wants to take his kids on a cruise, so I'm tagging along. His travel agent says the cruise line stated a passport is required if you want to disembark the ship in Mexico.

I can't find anything online to confirm this. Is this a new change? Specific to Royal Caribbean only? I have a passport, so it's NBD, but I'm not sure he will be able to get the kid's passports renewed in time. Just curious, since I did not think passports were required for this (just recommended).

If it's roundtrip from a US port and goes to Mexico and the Caribbean, in most cases, it is not required. There are some ports where they are required but those are generally cruises to the far southern Caribbean or Central America. If it's a cruise out of Galveston to Mexico, Honduras, etc., then it's not required. Sounds like his agent is wrong.

For reference

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/plan-a-cruise/travel-documents

I took a cruise last summer that made stops in Mexico and Central America. Didn't need a passport. Hell didn't even have to stop at a customs desk or get checked on the way back through the new cruise terminal in Galveston. They just waved us through.

Independence H-D said:

---

I took a cruise last summer that made stops in Mexico and Central America. Didn't need a passport. Hell didn't even have to stop at a customs desk or get checked on the way back through the new cruise terminal in Galveston. They just waved us through.

---

They're only required for some Central America ports, not all. Definitely not Mexico for sure as long as it's a closed loop cruise.

Marauder Blue 6 said:

---

For reference

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/plan-a-cruise/travel-documents

---

That's exactly what I was looking at. It doesn't match with what the TA is saying, buy she said it's what the cruise line stated when she did the quote.

So, I was wondering if this was some sort of recent change. Either way, it's a pretty important change to not document it on the website.

Independence H-D said:

---

I took a cruise last summer that made stops in Mexico and Central America. Didn't need a passport. Hell didn't even have to stop at a customs desk or get checked on the way back through the new cruise terminal in Galveston. They just waved us through.

---

This is what I'm hoping will be the case, in the event the new passports don't arrive in time.

TXTransplant said:

---

Marauder Blue 6 said:

---

For reference

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/plan-a-cruise/travel-documents

---

That's exactly what I was looking at. It doesn't match with what the TA is saying, buy she said it's what the cruise line stated when she did the quote.

So, I was wondering if this was some sort of recent change. Either way, it's a pretty important change to not document it on the website.

---

She's wrong. There has been no change.

Travel agent here.

Passport recommended, but not required if you are on a closed-loop cruise (starts and ends in the same port) and going to Mexico (and many other Caribbean islands). Certified/original copies of the birth certificate are required.

Now - one-way cruises (such as Florida to California Panama Canal - requires one (and Panama may require one even roundtrip - can't remember). Certain Caribbean islands require one. But the majority of the cruises that are closed loop that visit Mexico, Belize, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, etc, do not require one.

Now one thing I will say is they might want a notarized letter from the other parent stating that it is okay for the kids to go on the cruise. While this is generally not required, sometimes airlines and cruises have been known to ask for it. Generally its so the one parent doesn't take the kids out of the country and never return. Again very rare that they ask for it, but it might not hurt. Google will give you sort of a template you can use.

We did it one time for my stepson, but didn't do it any other because I have the same last name as him, so it wasn't a red flag to authorities, to them, they probably assumed I was his biological mom.

Yeah, I dealt with that with my son. Carried a letter with me everywhere we traveled. Our last names are actually different. Only place that gave us a hard time was Canada. I think my BF has done it on previous trips, too.

Just got back from a Royal Caribbean cruise on 1/8 that went to Costa Maya, Roatan, Cozumel. Passport not needed nor required. Only a passport or birth certificate to initially get on the boat in Galveston. Never once required to show passport to get on/off the boat in port in Mexico or Honduras.

Just got back from Royal Caribbean cruise out of Galveston. Jan4-8. My 20yr old let his passport expire. No problem he used his birth certificate and drivers licenses. No issues.