Caribbean Vacation Without a Passport? No Problem!

You are a U.S. citizen who suddenly has the urge to escape the winter weather . . . or you want to surprise a loved one with a Caribbean adventure . . . but you have no passport. Are you destined to spend your last minute vacation within the states? No way! You have three excellent options for a Caribbean vacation sans passport.

Puerto Rico - For a tropical vacation with some Spanish flare, U.S. citizens can travel without a passport to Puerto Rico, a U.S. Territory. Puerto Rico offers beautiful beaches such as Luquillo, historic attractions such as El Morro, and natural attractions such as El Yunque Forest. The Puerto Rico Tourism Company offers additional information about what to do and where to stay in sunny Puerto Rico.

U.S. Virgin Islands - Another U.S. Territory, the U.S. Virgin Islands consist of three unique islands: St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix. All three islands offer the tropical beauty of the Caribbean, but each has its own distinct personality. St. Thomas offers excellent shopping, museums, nightlife, golf and beaches. Laid back St. John is a nature lover's paradise with legendary beaches and the U.S. Virgin Islands National Park. St. Croix features an underwater monument at Buck Island as well as a series of water and land activities. With inter-island ferries available, good planners need not choose which U.S. Virgin Island to visit. Instead, they can enjoy all three. The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism provides additional information on this Caribbean paradise.

Closed Loop Cruises - Closed loop Caribbean cruises sail from a variety of U.S. ports and feature Western Caribbean, Eastern Caribbean, Southern Caribbean or Bahamian itineraries. Cruise goers without passports can often find a cruise that highlights their favorite Caribbean ports of call, since closed loop cruises visit a variety of sun-drenched destinations from the Bahamas to Panama, geographically. One easy way to find information on ports of call is to visit a cruise line's web site. Several popular cruise lines, listed below, offer closed loop cruises.

Carnival Cruise Lines
Celebrity Cruises
Costa Cruises
Disney Cruise Line
Holland America Line
Norwegian Cruise Line
Princess Cruises
Royal Caribbean International

U.S. citizens may currently enjoy a cruise to the Caribbean without a passport, provided that the cruise begins and ends at the same U.S. port, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection division of the Department of Homeland Security. A valid birth certificate and a government issued photo I.D. meet the requirements for closed loop cruises at the time of this publication. However, all travelers should check with the U.S. Department of State and the cruise line to ensure you have the proper documentation prior to sailing.

Source:
U.S. Customs & Border Patrol
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/ready_set_go/sea_travel/