Princess Announces New Passport Requirements

[Irish Shark]

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 8, 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 8, 2007. Information regarding the passport requirements is available at www.travel.state.gov. Foreign nationals should contact their governments for further details.

Many countries require your passport to be valid for six months after the completion of your travel. Check your passport to verify it will be valid for this period of time. Please ensure the name on the passport matches the name on the booking. Additionally, ensure your passport contains blank pages for entry and exit endorsements and any visas that may be required. If necessary, allow sufficient time to renew your passport and/or obtain additional pages.

A valid passport is required of all non-U.S. and non-Canadian citizens for all itineraries. It is also required of all U.S. and Canadian citizens sailing on non-domestic itineraries including Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Europe, India, Central and South America, South Pacific and Tahiti.

For itineraries ending in 2006 in which a passport is not required, U.S. and Canadian citizens who do not have a valid passport must provide the following proof of citizenship: A naturalization certificate or an original certified birth certificate from the state of their birth (a hospital certificate will not suffice) together with a valid, government-issued photo identification, such as a driver's license. Although recommended, photo identification is not required for those 18 years and younger at the time of printing. U.S. Resident Aliens are required to present, in addition to a valid passport, a valid Alien Resident card. Canadian permanent residents are required to present a valid Permanent Resident card in addition to a valid passport. On domestic cruises, ensure your travel documents are valid through the completion of travel.

Please check back for further updates.


http://www.princess.com/answer/ready.html

[Rev22:17]

Irish Shark,

Originally Posted by You, quoting Princess Cruises,

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 8, 2007.

I agree completely!

Norm.

[Fern]

Me, too! Just get the Passport!

[AlaskaGolden]

I also agree; get a passport if at all possible. I won't fly even within the USA without a passport. With 50 different sate driver's licenses, I find that a passport has universal and quicker acceptance at the airports than a state driver's license. I'm been on numerous flights where we take off for one airport and land at another (known as a diversion) due to weather, security concerns, etc. What if that other airport was in Canada or Mexico? Yes, unlikely but it can happen.

Reading the information from Princess, they are obviously strongly encouraging everyone to have a passport beginning in January 2007 and requiring it in June 2007. Although we don't cruise again until June 2007, if we were traveling before that I'd suggest everyone in our group get a passport just in case an emergency should arise. If people buy trip insurance, a passport would seem a likely compliment to the insurance.