Posted by: Editor on Oct 02, 2006 – 10:11 AM
newsandinfo  Congress this past week approved an extension to its constantly changing passport deadline, and cruise ship passengers sailing from U.S. ports on Caribbean cruise itineraries now will not need to have an American passport until June 1, 2009.

Prior to the Congressional action, a U.S. passport was to have been required for all Americans sailing on cruise ships as of Jan. 8, 2007.

But the extension, included in the 2007 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, means that cruisers who have needed nothing more than a driver’s license to travel to the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Canada will not need to rush to the passport office.

The legislation defers the requirement that cruisers have a passport or other accepted identification document until the U.S. can develop a plan for the new I.D. cards to make them easy to use, affordable and ensure privacy, or by June 1, 2009, whichever is earlier.

This change covers cruises that call at ports in Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and Canada. People traveling to more distant ports of call which have long required that U.S. citizens have passports are not impacted by this extension.

“The cruise industry applauds Congress’ efforts to increase security at our borders but to do so reasonably,” said Michael Crye, president of the International Council of Cruise Lines. “We will continue to work with the government to raise awareness of the requirements and encourage the traveling public to secure proper identification.”

Since U.S. passports still will become mandatory for international air travel as of January 8, 2007, passengers who fly in conjunction with their cruise still will need to obtain a passport before that date.

Source: www.cruise-ship-report.com