A Complete List Of Cruise Documents You Need For Your Vacation

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Going on a cruise and unsure of what cruise documents you’ll need on embarkation day? This post will discuss everything you need to know, making you extremely knowledgable and organized for your vacation!

Knowing what you need to bring on a cruise can be overwhelming for a first timer. From what to pack, excursion choices, drink package or pay for drinks individually, and what cruise documents you’ll need to board your cruise.

No need to worry! Find all of your answers here!

In this post I will discuss the different documents you’re going to need with you on embarkation day along with some helpful tips and reminders you may not of thought about previously or didn’t know you needed.

This post is all about cruise documents.

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What cruise documentation do you need?

-Approved identification

-Booking number/boarding information/forms

-Health questions/forms completed showing you are not sick

Once you do have all of your cruise documents in order you’ll want to triple check that everything is exactly what you need so you don’t end up disappointed the day of your cruise if something isn’t right and they don’t let you board.

Now let’s go into a little bit more detail about these documents.

Identification Options

Passport Book/Passport Card

When going on a cruise you will most likely need a passport. This passport also needs to be valid for at least 6 months from the date of the last day of your vacation.

You don’t want to take any risks and try to use it if it expires sooner than that.

A passport is the best identification document you can have. If an emergency happens and you’re in another country and you just have your birth certificate and a driver’s license you will not be able to fly out of that country in a pinch like you’d be able to with a passport.

Some cruises will let you use a passport card. You can use this option if you are reentering the US from Bermuda, Canada, the Caribbean or Mexico.

If you’re going to go to the trouble to get a passport card though I would suggest just getting a regular passport book.

Birth Certificate and government ID (like a driver’s license)

Instead of a passport on a closed loop cruise (a cruise that starts and ends in the US) you can use your birth certificate along with an approved ID such as a driver’s license.

You need to either have an original brith certificate or a certified copy that has a raised seal.

There will be exceptions to these rules so always be sure to double check with your specific cruise line!

Green Card

If you are a permanent resident in the US you can use your green card on closed loop sailings instead of a passport.

It’s very recommended you still carry your passport from your country of citizenship though on your vacation.

Visas

This is less common for your standard cruise so don’t worry but depending on your destination you might need a visa or other documents. Check with your specific cruise line and itinerary to see if this is needed but most likely it is not.

Some lines will leave getting a visa up to you and others will take care of it for you.

Boarding Documents

After you finish the check in for your cruise you will have access to/be emailed a boarding pass from your cruise line.

A good comparision example to this is like the boarding passes you need to get on a flight.

While on most cruise lines you can use their app which will show your boarding pass you could use on embarkation day, I would still recommend printing out a copy of your boarding pass and taking a picture of it/the mobile version put it in a cruise docs album on your phone.

This boarding pass will show things like your name, cabin number and reservation number.

If for some reason worst comes to worst and you do not have your boarding pass you can go to the check in desk in the terminal and they can look up your reservation.

Doing so however will add time so I would make a folder of all of your important cruise documents so you can breeze through check in!

Health Forms

Every cruise line is different but most will ask you to complete health questions and/or a form to bring when boarding.

Royal Caribbean for example on their online check in has health questions that will open up the day before your cruise you have to answer before boarding.

Other lines may email you a health form with your boarding pass or have you fill one out in the terminal to help prevent the spread of illness. (Although in my opinion this doesn’t do much because people will do what they want and still go on a cruise sick.)

Usually while you are checking in at the terminal you’ll also be asked how you’re feeling by the person who is checking your passport, etc.

While post cruise lines have done away with requiring proof of a covid vaccine a small amount still do. Double check with your cruise before booking if you have not been vacinated to see what they require as things are always changing.

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Other important factors you may need to consider:

You will need permission for travel

Traveling with children

If you are going to be taking someone else’s child on a cruise with your family you will need a written letter that has been notarized giving you permission to take their child with you out of the country.

You will also need them to include permission for you to make medical decisions for their child if there is an emergency.

If you are traveling with your own child alone and the other parent is not there you may also need a letter from the parent not on the trip that they have your consent to take the child out of the country as well.

Traveling while pregnant

You might need a letter from your doctor that shows your due date and that you are fit to travel. Regardless of that however if you are 24 weeks or more you cannot go on a cruise.

Cruise lines have a cut off usually at 23 weeks for pregnant women for several reasons including the medical center is not equipt for a premature birth.

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Travel insurance

If you’re going on a cruise I cannot recommend or stress enough the importance of having travel insurance. You never know what may happen before or during your cruise.

Having travel insurance will help get your money back if you have to cancel your cruise last minute, have interruptions along the way, etc.

If you’re worried about the price I would book travel insurance using a third party company instead of with the cruise line but you can do either. I have personally booked both and made a claim before that resulted in me getting all of my money back instead of losing everything.

I bring up travel insurance because if you bought it, it is important to have the specifics of your policy on hand. The last thing you want to do is trying to see if something is covered and not being able to find your policy number/details.

Make sure to have this before your cruise starts.

Important phone numbers

Any time you’re traveling you will want to have all of your essential contacts at hand.

This includes:

-Emercency contacts

-Your doctor’s office

-Credit card companies

Luggage tags

A luggage tag is another item you need to get in order before your cruise.

The cruise line will email you along with your boarding pass some luggage tags you can print out.

This will have your name and room number. You can attach these to your bags before you leave for your cruise.

Another option is to purchase a luggage tag cover to keep them protected. I definitely recommend doing this. The paper luggage tags can easily be ripped off and then the cruise line would not know who’s bag it is.

There may also be bad weather like rain which the cover would protect the paper from.

Hopefully after reading this post you feel more prepared for your upcoming vacation and know the exact cruise documents you will need!

This post was all about cruise documents.