FINAL Passport Rule Issued for Land and Sea Borders

Departments of Homeland Security and of State issued the final rule making concerning the requirements of passports for land and sea border crossings under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. After years of development following 9/11, this ruling is the end of the process and can be considered FINAL ensuring you will have the proper identification when traveling.

Effective June 1, 2009, the following rules take effect for cruise passengers:

U.S. citizens on cruise voyages that begin and end at the same U.S. port (closed-loop itineraries) must show proof of citizenship* and government-issued photo ID (such as a driver’s license). A passport will not be required for passengers that fall into this category.

*Documents include: Original or certified copy of birth certificate; Naturalization papers; Consular Report of Birth Abroad issued by Department of State

All other passengers and/or itineraries (such as cruises which begin in one U.S. port and return to a different U.S. port or any cruise that begins or ends in a foreign port) will require a passport or other recognized document. For a list of accepted documents, see http://www.travel.state.gov/The good news for a majority of cruise passengers – American citizens that leave and return on their cruise from the same U.S. port – is that the travel document requirements will remain largely unchanged from how the industry is operating today.

I continue to encourage travelers to obtain passports to allow the broadest travel opportunities. You can visit http://www.travel.state.gov/ to obtain information on how to apply at more than 9,000 passport acceptance facilities in the United States.

*Please call Jen Mitchell to set up an apointment for specific passport requirements regarding your cruise reservation. I will be glad to help you!

Jen's Top Five Cruise Tips of the Month

1. Passport requirements continue to change so always check with your travel consultant to make sure you have what you need to take your cruise.

2. Notify your travel consultant of any special dietary restrictions or requests at least 60 days prior to departure.

3. Let us know about any medical needs. You might need to fill out forms to get letters from a doctor. Your travel consultant will help you with that.

4. Arrange for a pre night hotel stay before your cruise. You never know what might happen as far as airline delays, who wants to miss the ship?

5. Got your eye on that something special in the onboard mall? Resist the urge to buy until the last day of the cruise. Many items inevitably go "on sale"

**If you have cruise tips of your own, add them as comments to share with other cruisers. They may even end up as one of next months top five cruise tips!