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PLANNING & ADVICE
Personal Travel Identification Requirements Holland America Line 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. PLEASE NOTE: it is your sole responsibility to obtain and have available the proper travel documents that are necessary for your travel, including all costs related to arrangements to obtain entry to countries you visit and re-entry to your destination country. Boarding may be denied or fines may be levied against those guests without proper documentation. Payment of any fines levied is the responsibility of the 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. For voyages that are scheduled to end outside the U.S., a passport that is valid for six months beyond the completion date of your travel is 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:
For a list of approved documents visit: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html
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 not required to have a passport to sail, but will need proof of citizenship such as a passport card or an enhanced driver’s license (EDL). If a U.S. citizen does not have a passport, passport card or enhanced driver’s license, they may use as proof of citizenship an original or copy of a birth certificate, or certificate of naturalization along with a government-issued photo ID. A passport is still the preferred document. PLEASE NOTE –WHTI-compliant documents are acceptable for entry or re-entry into the United States. You may be required to present additional or different travel documents when entering foreign countries, including some countries in the Western Hemisphere
Recent guidance from the Department of Homeland Security indicates the documentary requirements under WHTI for closed-loop cruises are not limited to cruises that travel only to contiguous territories or adjacent islands. This means U.S. citizens calling on ports in Honduras, Panama, Costa Rica and Belize will also be exempt from the passport requirement.
Birth certificates from Puerto Rico issued prior to July 1, 2010 are not valid forms of proof of citizenship that is accepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Guests from Puerto Rico either need to present a WHTI-complaint document or a government-issued photo identification with a validated birth certificate issued after July 1, 2010. Important update: The Government of Puerto Rico has approved an amendment that extends the validity of expiring Puerto Rico birth certificates for three months, through Sept. 30, 2010, to provide a transition period as the Island began issuing the new, more secure certificates on July 1, 2010. The purpose of the extension is to provide those Puerto Rico-born -- who may need a birth certificate for an upcoming transaction -- a three-month window to apply for and receive the new document during which time their current birth certificate will still be valid. 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 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 original. For more information regarding passports and WHTI-compliant documents, please visit http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.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.
FOR NON-U.S./NON-CANADIAN CITIZENS: You must have and carry a passport valid for six months beyond the duration of your travel. Please carefully verify the existing identification requirements for your particular travel situation. In addition, non-U.S. citizens who have previously been admitted to the United States for permanent residence must carry their Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551), commonly known as a Green Card. Resident aliens not in possession of this must obtain one at the nearest office of the U.S. Immigration Service.
VISAS Some countries require that you obtain official authorization (called a visa) before entering the country. Usually a fee is required. You are responsible for obtaining any necessary visas. If you do not hold proper visa documents, you could be denied boarding without compensation. Guests who do not have the proper legal identification, visas and other required documents, will be denied boarding. Each guest’s nationality and status is unique. It is the guest’s responsibility to obtain any necessary legal documents for entry and exit to the countries visited. For U.S. or Canadian citizens, if you have questions about visa requirements, you may call Zierer Visa Service (a CIBT Company) at 1-866-788-1100 or send an email message to: info@zvs.com or visit their website: www.zvs.com/home.aspx?login=75005 Non-U.S./non-Canadian citizens may be required to hold a Canadian visa when traveling to Alaska or Canada. Please visit the Canadian government website at www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp to verify your nationality’s requirements. For more information regarding Visas, click here. 9/1/10 |
GENERAL INFORMATION |
