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Boarding a cruise, especially if you’ve never done it before, comes with a little more stress than checking into a hotel. The process will be easier if you do everything you can before your cruise.
This starts with a digital check-in. Download your cruise line’s app and begin the check-in process as soon as they allow you.
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Doing this benefits you in several ways. First, the earlier you check in, the more options you have when it comes to boarding times. Getting to an early boarding spot gives you more time on the plane—it literally makes your vacation longer.
Additionally, checking in properly before your cruise allows you to do things like attach a credit card to your account, take a security photo, and share other required documents.
What exactly these documents are is a question asked by many newer cruisers. The biggest question is, “Do I need a passport to take the cruise?”
The answer to this is not entirely simple, because there are cruise destinations that require one, but that is not usually the case when sailing from US ports. On most cruises, you can sail with an original driver’s license and birth certificate.
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There are cruises from other parts of the world that require a passport. Carnival Cruise Line CCL Brand Ambassador John Heald recently spoke out about some misinformation about passports that he saw circulating in multiple places online that was causing confusion for passengers.
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Carnival provides clarity on passport rules
People love to spread bad information on social media. It is difficult to know when this is intentional and when it is just people’s ignorance. This can cause real problems as it is difficult for people planning a cruise to know what to believe.
It’s also a problem because some cruise policies are a bit loose. The answer to “Should I wear pants in the main dining room?” Technically yes, but practically no. This creates confusion for people deciding what to pack and causes problems when a rule that is rarely actually enforced is applied.
However, the passport rules are not flexible. It could change, but it’s very specific and Heald made that clear in a recent Facebook post.
“Over the past week or so, I’ve been answering multiple questions about the alleged passport requirement for travel to Alaska. Someone posted on Book Face, Tube Tock, Tit X, or You Critic that everyone should have a passport to travel to Alaska, and yes, many believed it,” he wrote.
This is certainly not the case because passports are not required for travel within the United States. Canada, which all Alaska cruises visit, offers the same option of obtaining a passport or license and original birth certificate.
Heald was adamant on the issue.
“I responded over and over again to everyone saying that’s not true and I think I might have become a bit angry because in one of the answers I used the phrase ‘trust me’,” he added. “Big mistake because I know that trust these days is not something a lot of people give, well , Anyone”.
Carnival shares a warning on social media
“Trust is just something we don’t have anymore. We clearly don’t trust politicians. We don’t trust doctors because we asked Uncle Google about our symptoms and we clearly have an undiagnosed case of Cleveland Palos Febres and Kakat that a doctor wouldn’t have covered in medical school.”
Some of this is that Heald brings the humor, but there is a serious message underneath it.
“We have also constantly shown that we must be careful of online scammers. At the carnival, we are taught ‘cyber awareness’ and the real dangers of ‘phishing’ or is it phishing?” Regardless of the spelling, it’s all about never trusting anyone, or opening email from anyone.”
The brand ambassador also made a more direct point about sailing.
“My point here is this. If you see a post on social media about Carnival charging $5 if they lose their room key or that we serve yak as part of our vegetarian menu or that someone was kicked off the ship for wearing a t-shirt,” he added, “if you support a political… Certainly, you might think you have a good understanding of carnival news, but you don’t.”
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