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If you’re looking for a different kind of cruise, explore parts of New England and Canada with New York City as an exciting starting and ending point. Spend a day soaking up history in Boston, Massachusetts, and tour the Charles River aboard an amphibious duck vehicle. Experience lighthouses, lobster bakes and craggy sea cliffs in Portland, Maine, and enjoy a trip to Saint John, a beautiful city on the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, Canada.
Alaska
One-way sailings from Vancouver to Alaska or vice-versa also require a valid passport for entry into Canada. Embarking on 3-day cruises without passports might sound straightforward, but it’s natural to have some questions or concerns. So, you’re sold on the idea of a 3-day cruise without your passport, and you’ve even shortlisted some dreamy destinations. But wait, there’s one crucial decision left to make—the cruise line. When the idea of a short vacation comes to mind, many envision sandy beaches, exotic locales, and, inevitably, the challenge of passports and visa requirements.
Hawaii
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However, it’s essential to carry specific documents, like your birth certificate and government ID, for these little side adventures. Ports like Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán, and Puerto Vallarta are brimming with activities. Picture yourself riding camels in the desert, sipping wine in Ensenada’s burgeoning vineyards, or simply soaking up the sun on a picture-perfect beach. The region’s rich culture and vibrant nightlife add to the allure, making it a top pick for travelers seeking both relaxation and adventure.
Day 2: Dive into Onboard Activities
You no longer have to deal with bureaucracy and long waits for first-time applications or renewals. Residents of the East Coast have several choices when it comes to homeports, which include Baltimore, Bayonne (Cape Liberty), Boston and New York (Manhattan). Additionally, Miami, Norfolk, Charleston and Orlando (Port Canaveral), sometimes offer one-off cruises to Bermuda.
Note that enhanced driver’s licenses are issued in very few states at this time, so it’s important not to assume that yours qualifies as identification and proof of citizenship. You have options to cruise without a passport because not every sailing requires them. If you’re looking for cruises that don’t require a passport, take a round trip sail to Bermuda from New York City, Baltimore, Charleston or one of two Florida ports of call. As Britain’s oldest colony, Bermuda offers wonderful historic attractions and plenty of opportunities for fun in the sun. Pink-sand beaches, beautiful blue waters and colorful coral reefs deliver the perfect recipe for sunning, swimming, sailing and snorkeling. Cap off a day of adventure in Bermuda with a sunset rum-tasting cruise.
Canada/New England cruise itineraries are seasonal, running from May to October with the majority of sailings occurring during the Fall. Most Hawaiian cruises depart from the island of Oahu, visiting the Big Island and Maui. With attractions like Pearl Harbor, Waikiki Beach, and a selection of luaus, Oahu definitely requires a couple days to explore either pre-cruise or post cruise.
If you are looking for a shorter duration cruise or just a quick getaway, then a Bahamas cruise is definitely for you. You will often find some that depart from Whittier or Seward but return elsewhere. Even if both ports are in the United States, the sailing will not satisfy the closed-loop requirements, and you will need a passport to board. Some excursions, such as trains and tours that entail venturing over the Canadian border, require a passport.
Vacations That Don't Require a Passport
What if an opportunity pops up on short notice, and you don't have a passport yet? What if it's only a three-night cruise to the Bahamas, and the passport application fee is almost as much as the cruise fare? Or, maybe you have children nearing age 16 and can't justify paying for passports that will only be good for five years. Norwegian will take you from Los Angeles to a variety of ports that will offer you a combination of adventure and relaxation that you could not get anywhere else. Sail aboard some of our newest ships, including Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Joy. You’ll be living on island time in no time with the Bahamas' close proximity to the US mainland!
Cruises That Do Not Require a Passport
Despite the allure of no-passport-required adventures, we’d be remiss not to highlight the security and peace of mind a passport provides. Imagine needing to fly home unexpectedly from a foreign port because of an emergency, or getting the chance for an impromptu jaunt to a fascinating nearby country. While your cruise must start and end in the U.S., some Alaskan cruises make pit stops in dreamy British Columbian spots like Victoria, renowned for its lush Butchart Gardens.
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At TPG, we always recommend cruising with a passport, but there are many reasons why you might want to set sail without one. Our local cuisine is another great reason to cruise to Canada and New England. Portland is home to the one and only Maine Lobster, but the waters off these coasts are home to other seafood delights as well. You can enjoy a rich and creamy cup of New England clam chowder or some Rhode Island style calamari. There are also plenty of sweet treats including maple syrup, whoopie pies, and Ben and Jerry’s ice cream from nearby Vermont.
A closed-loop cruise to this part of the map often means flying to Honolulu, which you can do passport-free, but airfare can be pricey. For anyone who'd prefer a passport-not-required destination that can be explored during a short amount of time in port, cruising to Bermuda is a natural fit. It's a fairly small island, and since several itineraries offer overnights (some that span more than one night), you'll have time to learn your way around, have dinner in town and check out the nightlife. Many cruises design itineraries encompassing islands like Grand Cayman, where you can mingle with stingrays, or St. Maarten, with its split Dutch and French personality.
These itineraries, like Alaska cruises, might be possible without a passport book. Would function like a passport and you would not need additional documentation. You would still need to adhere to the documentation requirements for your cruise.
Embarking on a cruise adventure can be a thrilling experience, and the great news is, you don’t always need a passport for this journey. The idea of setting sail into the horizon, with the promise of new experiences, can be enticing and liberating, especially when it’s hassle-free. If you get sick and are forced to debark in a foreign country, it’ll be really hard for you to get home. I’ve personally seen someone get airlifted off a ship and helicoptered to a hospital in Canada. And you can’t fly back to the United States from Mexico or Canada without a passport book.
Or, perhaps there are other obstacles to timely acquisition of a passport. Read on for where you can cruise without doling out money for new passports. Norwegian Cruise Line offers a seven-day cruise from Seattle aboard Norwegian Bliss with stops in Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Glacier Bay, and Victoria before returning to Seattle. Holland America Line’s seven-day Alaskan Explorer departs from Seattle and cruises the Puget Sound and Stephens Passage.
She tried once before to study abroad but was dissuaded by long wait times, and traveling internationally for fun wasn’t on her radar. North America’s breathtaking East Coast cruises are steeped in history with panoramic views from Nova Scotia’s rugged cliffs and drenched in Quebec’s fabulously French culture. You can choose to either fly out to Hawaii and take an inter-island cruise, or you can take a cruise all the way from California to Hawaii and back.
