Does a 12-Year Old Need a Passport to Go on a Cruise?

by Janis on March 19, 2014

I’m a planning to take my 12-year old niece on a cruise during her summer vacation.

Her parents agreed to the trip, but their first question was, “Does she need a passport to cruise?”

Does a 12-Year Old Need a Passport to Go on a Cruise?

The answer is “it depends on the cruise.”

The U.S. Department of State website states, “Every minor regardless of age traveling overseas must have a valid passport.”

However, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website, adults and children traveling on “Closed Loop” cruises traveling to and from the same U.S. port and cruising only within the Western Hemisphere can travel with a birth certificate and government issued ID as proof of citizenship:

“Closed Loop” Cruises: U.S. citizens who board a cruise ship at a port within the United States, travel only within the Western Hemisphere, and return to the same U.S. port on the same ship may present a government issued photo identification, along with proof of citizenship (an original or copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular report of Birth Abroad, or a Certificate of Naturalization).

Please be aware that you may still be required to present a passport to enter the foreign countries your cruise ship is visiting. Check with your cruise line to ensure you have the appropriate documents.

In further checking with Royal Caribbean International, the cruise line that we will be sailing on, I learned this:

In the absence of a passport, a birth certificate (original, notarized copy or certified copy) plus a picture ID card issued by a federal, state or local government agency are required. A voter registration card or Social Security card is not considered to be proof of citizenship. Children under 16 years of age do not require a picture ID.

Since our cruise is a “Closed Loop” cruise to the Caribbean sailing to and from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and cruising within the Western Hemisphere, my niece will only need a notarized or certified copy of her birth certificate. And, since she is under 16, she won’t need a picture ID.

If I wanted take a 12-year-old on any cruise not departing from a U.S. port, they would need a passport.

Another Key Document Is Required to Take My 12-Year Old Niece on a Cruise

While I’d found the passport answer, another question came up regarding traveling with a minor when you are not their parent or legal guardian.

If you are considering traveling with a minor under the age of 18 and you are not their parent or legal guardian, you should check with the cruise line that you plan to sail for their requirements.

In the case of Royal Caribbean International, here’s the policy from the company’s website:

Adults who are not the parent or legal guardian of a minor traveling with them must present an original notarized letter signed by the child’s parent(s), authorizing the adult to take the child on the specific cruise, supervise the child and allow emergency medical treatment to be administered.

I also learned that the letter needed to state the parents’ permission for me to sign waivers on the child’s behalf, i.e. to participate in rock-climbing, zip-lining, the FlowRider® or other activities that require parental waivers for minors to participate.

In addition, both custodial parents or legal guardians must sign the same or separate letters.

Now that we’ve got the requirements down, we can focus on planning all the fun we will have on the cruise.

Have you cruised with a minor under 18 when you were not the legal guardian? Any additional tips to add? Please share in comments below.

Other cruise tips you may want to check out:

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