Table Of Content
This enabled us to try different cruise lines and different ships but with a single flight from Vancouver to Florida. An Enhanced Driver's License (EDL) allows you to re-enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. However, an EDL is only accepted at land and sea border crossings, not for air travel. The port of Civitavecchia in Rome, Italy, also offers a number of return trip cruises. Or you can sail in a loop from the port of Ravenna in Venice, Italy, to see cities in Italy, Croatia, and Greece.
THE 8 BEST Cruises from Charleston, SC 2024 (with Prices) on Cruise Critic - Cruise Critic
THE 8 BEST Cruises from Charleston, SC 2024 (with Prices) on Cruise Critic.
Posted: Mon, 23 Oct 2023 16:19:57 GMT [source]
Another Sailing for Carnival Pride Has Its Homeport Adjusted
This cruise also visits the beach paradise of Cozumel, for all manner of watersports, shopping, and sizzling Mexican cuisine. At Cabo San Lucas, there’s more whale-watching along the wild, rocky coast, or watersports ranging from kayaking to snorkeling. Explore the Art District and old adobe buildings in nearby San Jose del Cabo, or explore the Baja desert on a 4×4 off-road adventure. You’ll also visit Juneau, the perfect spot for whale-watching, hiking, and thrilling flightseeing trips over snow-covered mountains.
Bermuda
This nation of islands is conveniently located just off the coast of Florida, near Miami, which makes it an easy destination no matter the length of your cruise. Known for their leaf-peeping opportunities, maritime history and ultra-friendly locals, these voyages don't necessitate passports. From Nova Scotia's famed Peggy's Cove to lobster in Bar Harbor, there's plenty to enjoy about these sailings.
Visit our partner websites
Swim in the Bahamas' largest freshwater pool, go down the tallest waterslide in North America, and chill with a book in the only private overwater cabanas in the Bahamas. The benefits of a closed-loop cruise extend beyond passport exemptions. They offer opportunities to explore other Caribbean destinations, like Jamaica and Barbados, without needing additional documents. Travelers without WHTI-compliant documents are likely to be delayed at the border as CBP officers work to verify identity and citizenship.
When packing for a cruise to The Bahamas, you’ll need clothing for a warm, sometimes humid climate. Bring plenty of beachwear, a sun hat, sunglasses, coverups, water shoes if you’re visiting coral beaches, and reef-friendly sunblock. The Bahamas is the perfect short getaway, easily reached from Fort Lauderdale, Miami, or Tampa on a luxurious cruise of 3, 4, or 6 fun-filled nights.
This site focuses on small-format cruises and ship-within-a-ship concepts on large cruise ships, including special cruise experiences you can enjoy during your next vacation. Though cruise ships and their contracted ports of call may change annually, here’s a list of cruise lines and expected ports they sail from. Nearly all cruise ships are foreign-flagged, so they must stop outside the nation.
Are Passports Required for These Cruises?
Let’s take a look at whether you need a passport for a Bahamas cruise, what other types of documentation you can use and how it differs when you’re flying versus cruising. In August 2025, a 4-night cruise onboard Carnival Freedom starts at $364 per person. In comparison, a 7-night voyage from Baltimore on Carnival Pride starts at $814 per person. Here's everything you need to know about traveling to The Bahamas with and without a passport. Before making your way back to Seattle, you will make a stop in the historically significant city of Victoria, which is located on the island of Vancouver in Canada.
11 Best First Time Cruise Lines for Every Travel Style - Cruise Critic
11 Best First Time Cruise Lines for Every Travel Style.
Posted: Mon, 27 Feb 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
While these ocean trips on the high seas require a passport, you can access many more countries. As you plan, make sure your itinerary includes transportation to the cruise terminal and that you arrive well ahead of time for your departure. Carnival makes things easy with airport transportation, so you can just relax and enjoy the ride. When choosing a port, you should consider the relative ease of arrival and the possibility of extending your vacation to explore the port city before or after your trip. Look for discounts on direct flights to save, and consider arriving a day early so that you won’t be stressed about getting to the ship on time.
The Caribbean
Los Angeles and Norfolk also offer occasional one-off, closed-loop sailings to the Caribbean. 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. A number of East Coast and Gulf Coast homeports offer round-trip Bahamas cruises.
Want to take a short cruise to an exotic island without the hassle? We discuss what is a closed-loop cruise and why they are so popular. Book your trip with a credit card that includes travel insurance coverage as a perk and you'll have some peace of mind, even without additional coverage. Even if you are on a closed-loop cruise, though, you will still need to bring identification documentation in lieu of a passport.
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. Blessed with near-perpetual sunshine and stunning beaches, the Bahamas are one of the world’s most popular cruise destinations. As a Caribbean island nation, it’s an excellent place to visit without a passport on closed loop cruises.
Closed-loop cruises are those that depart from and return to the same U.S. port. Excursions of this kind may range from a round-trip from Seattle to Alaska to a cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Fort Lauderdale. These cruises need to meet a slew of criteria before being accepted.
Here are a few cruises that qualify as closed-loop according to the WHTI guidelines. Outside of the Americas, there are other countries within the boundaries of the Western Hemisphere. The following countries or territories are also within and available for cruising from a U.S. port. Since these cruises stay within the Western Hemisphere, this provides a broad list of available countries. Note the photo ID cards all use RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology to reduce time during screening or at checkpoints. To have reduced regulations impacting their operations, virtually all cruise companies have their ships registered in tax havens such as the Bahamas.
