When taking a cruise that goes from Florida to the Islands, is a passport needed?

Answer 1

As of Jan 8th 2007 You will need a Passport.
If you think your Cruise leaves before the 8th you are ok you are not.
If your Cruise returns before Jan8th you are safe but if it returns on or after the 8th you will Have a bit of trouble.

I have used a Passport for many years even just to go to the Islands. That way when you are thinking of all the places you have been you can open your Passport and see all the stamps.
I have found that each stamp in my Passport has a memory tied to kind of interesting.

Answer 2

Getting Ready to Go

PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS
Please be advised that while originally the U.S. Department of State regulations stipulated that passports would be needed by January 8, 2007 for land and sea travel, recently passed legislation has deferred this date until at least January 1, 2008. However, all passengers traveling by air between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will still be required to present a valid U.S. passport beginning January 23, 2007. Even if your cruise does not involve air travel outside the U.S., should you be required to unexpectedly depart a vessel prior to the end of the sailing, a passport would be required to re-enter the U.S. by air. As such, Princess Cruises continues to strongly recommend that all passengers are in possession of a passport by January 23, 2007. Information regarding the passport requirements is available at www.travel.state.gov. Foreign nationals should contact their governments for further details.

Answer 3

Yes, now it is. Before you could just use your birth certificate if you were a US citizen, but now you need a passport to get off the boat at an island.

Answer 4

that is a great question! I only wish I knew the answer, I'm not being a wise guy either I really wish I knew. I do know that in the next month or so you are going to have to have a passport no matter where you travel to, domestic or international. So either way you are going to have to get one sooner or later. Happy travels!

Answer 5

Yes if you plan on getting off anywhere.

Answer 6

new requirements:

New Requirements for Travelers

* Media Notes
* Flyers & Fact Sheet
* Frequently Asked Questions
* Federal Regulations

Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)

The proposed implementation timeline has two phases:

* Beginning January 23, 2007, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document, or an Alien Registration Card, Form I-551, if applicable.
* As early as January 1, 2008, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea (including ferries), may be required to present a valid passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security. While recent legislative changes permit a later deadline, the Departments of State and Homeland Security are working to meet all requirements as soon as possible. Ample advance notice will be provided to enable the public to obtain passports or passport cards for land/sea entries.

Travel Documents for U.S. Citizens Under WHTI

Under the proposed implementation plan, the following documents will be acceptable to fulfill document requirements:

* U.S. Passport: U.S. citizens may present a valid U.S. passport when traveling via air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda, and may also use a U.S. passport when traveling via sea and land borders (including ferry crossings).
* The Passport Card (also referred to as the PASS Card): This limited-use passport in card format is currently under development and will be available for use for travel only via land or sea (including ferries) between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. Similar in size to a credit card, it will fit easily into a wallet.
* DOS and DHS also anticipate that the following documents will continue to be acceptable for their current travel uses under WHTI: SENTRI, NEXUS, FAST, and the U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document. As proposed, members of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty traveling on orders will continue to be exempt from the passport requirement.

Background

The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 requires the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State to develop and implement a plan to require all travelers, U.S. citizens and foreign nationals alike, to present a passport or other document, or a combination of documents, that denote identity and citizenship when entering the United States. Congress amended portions of the Act in 2006. The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is the Administration’s proposed plan to implement this mandate.

The goal of the Initiative is to strengthen border security and facilitate entry into the United States for U.S. citizens and legitimate foreign visitors by providing standardized, secure and reliable documentation which will allow the Department of Homeland Security to quickly, reliably and accurately identify a traveler.

Media Notes

* 11/22/2006 Passports Required for Air Travel to United States as of January 23, 2007
* 10/17/2006 Department of State to Introduce Passport Card

Flyers & Fact Sheet

* Fact Sheet - Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (pdfPDF)
* Flyer on Passport Requirement for Air Travel to United States as of January 23, 2007 (pdfPDF)

Frequently Asked Questions

* Frequently Asked Questions about the New Travel Initiative Requirements (FAQs)

Federal Regulations

*
Final Rule - Air Phase (pdf PDF)
*
Proposed Rule - Passport Card (pdf PDF)
*
Comments Submitted in Passport Card Rule Making Proceeding (DOS-2006-0329-0001)

Other Relevant Links

* Department of Homeland Security
* U.S. Customs and Border Protection