Passports
Passports are required for all travelers, including
citizens of the U.S. and Canada, who enter or re-enter the U.S. by air, land or
sea.
There are a few notable exceptions
pertaining to land and sea border crossings:
- U.S. citizens on cruises that begin and end in the same
U.S. port and travel to destinations in Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, the
Bahamas or Bermuda are able to re-enter the U.S. with proof of citizenship
other than a passport or passport card. Acceptable proof of citizenship
includes a U.S. state-issued original or certified copy of their birth
certificate (hospital certificates are not acceptable) or a Consular Report of
Birth Abroad, or a Certificate of Naturalization and a government-issued photo
ID (such as a driver's license). Passports are required for cruises that begin
in one U.S. port and end in another.
- Children under the age of 16 who are citizens of the U.S.
or Canada are exempt from the passport requirement for land and sea border
crossings. In lieu of a passport, children are able to use a U.S. state-issued
original or certified copy of their birth certificate (hospital certificates
are not acceptable) or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or a Certificate of
Naturalization as proof of citizenship for entry into the U.S. by land or by
sea. Children entering or re-entering the U.S. by air are required to have a
valid passport.
- A new, lower-cost alternative to the passport, called a
passport card, is acceptable for entries into the U.S. by land or sea. The
passport card is not acceptable for air travel.
- The following cruise lines require a passport for all
sailings, regardless of destination or port of departure: Azamara Club Cruises,
Crystal, Cunard, Fred. Olsen, Hurtigruten, Oceania, Orion Expedition Cruises,
P&O, Paul Gauguin, Regent, Seabourn, Silversea, Star Clippers, Swan
Hellenic, Voyages of Discovery and Windstar.
- Photocopies of required documentation are not acceptable
in any circumstance.
- Even though passports are not required at this time for
U.S. citizens who sail on cruises to the above destinations that begin and end
in the same U.S. port, we strongly recommend that all cruise passengers travel
with a valid passport anyway. This is because guests who need to fly to or from
the U.S. unexpectedly during their cruise will likely experience significant
delays and complications related to booking airline tickets and entering the
U.S. if they do not have a valid passport with them. For example, a passenger
missing a cruise departure due to a late inbound flight to Miami would need a
passport to fly to meet the ship at the next port. Similarly, guests needing to
fly to or through the U.S. before their cruise ends because of medical, family,
personal or business emergencies, missing a ship's departure from a port of
call, or a mechanical problem of some sort with the ship, would need a
passport. Of course, situations like these are rare, but they can happen.
Passports are not required for U.S. citizens traveling to
or returning directly from Hawaii or a U.S. territory, including Guam, Puerto Rico,
the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Commonwealth of
the Northern Mariana Islands.
Passports are required for cruise travel to all
International destinations not mentioned above, and for cruises that involve
air travel that begins or ends outside of the U.S. Passports must be valid for
at least six months after the last day of travel.
Legal U.S. Residents (Non-Citizens)
Legal permanent residents of the U.S. must have a valid
passport from their country of citizenship and a valid Alien Registration Card
(Green Card) to enter or re-enter the U.S.
Non-U.S., Non-Canada Citizens
The following countries participate in a visa waiver
program with the U.S., and citizens of these countries must have a
machine-readable passport for entry into the U.S.:
Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, the Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San
Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the
United Kingdom
Citizens of the countries listed above who do not possess
machine-readable passports, and citizens of countries not listed above must present
a valid passport and a valid United States visa upon entry into the U.S. For
those whose travel plans include multiple entries into the U.S., such as a
cruise that begins and ends in a U.S. port, a multiple-entry visa is required.
Visas
All travelers, including U.S. and Canada citizens, are
responsible for verifying visa requirements with consular officials, and
obtaining visas where required, for every country visited during their trip,
including countries visited via connecting flights.
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Walter Elias
Disney is born to Flora and Elias Disney in their two-story cottage at 1249
Tripp Avenue in a newly developed section of Chicago, Illinois. (The
Disney family will move in April 1906 to a farm in Marceline, MO where Walt and
his brothers and sister grew up.)
Disney Cruise Line officially announced their "early" 2014 itineraries today (apparently early to them means through August). But no matter, it's great news. Here's part of the official announcement sent out this morning. 
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Unlike her predecessors in Anaheim, Orlando and Japan, the story of Phantom Manor begins the moment guests enter its' foyer as a faint image of the ill-fated bride appears in an ornately framed mirror and the Ghost Host begins to tell her tale of lost love. 
Thanksgiving has now come and gone, and our attentions have
been turned over to Christmas decorating and preparations. The outside lights were installed a week or
so ago, and finally turned on for the first time Thanksgiving night. The inside decorations are being completed
this weekend - we traditionally start Thanksgiving night by “un-decorating” all
of the fall / Thanksgiving decorations, and pulling out the assorted boxes of
Christmas decorations. Some of the
Christmas things start to appear that night, while most remain in boxes until
Friday and Saturday. As of last night,
each of the boxes had effectively belched out their contents, and our dining
table, which just 2 short days ago held a beautiful feast for the family to
enjoy – now held a vast array of decorations, books, Christmas towels and pot
holders to be moved around the house and placed into their respective spots for
the next 5-6 weeks. 
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Like the previous day in Costa Maya, we docked in Cozumel in
the morning hours, around 7:30am. Once
again we would be leaving the ship, headed to our adventure at 9:00am. This adventure would take us out to explore
some Mayan ruins, as well as the Discover Mexico Cultural Museum, where we
would also enjoy lunch. Unlike the
previous day, the skies were clear, and blue, with hardly a trace of
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Everyone was strongly encouraged to cover themselves with
bug spray as soon as we got out of the van, and it was a good thing we
did. The site was deep in jungle, and
very populated with mosquitos. We got to
see some fascinating ruins of structures that the guide described to us as
temples, houses, steam rooms and other structures. We saw the well where they would have drawn
their water, and an ancient road coming in to the site through the jungle. According to the story shared by the guide,
this particular site was the primary worship location where all Mayans were
encouraged to go to at least once their life – similar to Mecca is in the
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Following our tour around the site, we were invited to spend
a few moments in the on-site shops, and then we were escorted back into the
van. We got a nice tour of San Miguel de
Cozumel on our way to the Discover Mexico Cultural Museum. .JPG)
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Discover Mexico was an interesting museum, filled with a
vast array of artifacts and pieces created by local artisans in the indoor
galleries. We enjoyed a nice 10 minute
film on the history and culture of Mexico, and then got a nice tour of the grounds. Scattered throughout the grounds were large, miniature
re-creations of famous Mayan temples, Aztec temples & pyramids, and modern
Mexican landmarks. It kind of felt at
times like a Mexican version of a “Legoland” type display, but it was neat to
be able to see various structures and things that I’ve read about but never
personally visited. .JPG)
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Following our miniatures tour, we were treated to a
fantastic lunch. Delicious tacos, chips,
guacamole and a wonderful mango punch were served. I enjoyed seconds, and contemplated thirds,
but decided in the end that two helpings was plenty. I have always enjoyed Mexican fare – having grown
up in Southern California, my family frequented a number of restaurants serving
“real” Mexican food (unlike so many others throughout the country that are a
sad imitation), but this lunch was absolutely fantastic. It was wonderful to enjoy truly authentic
Mexican food. .JPG)
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We then were returned to the port, where Julie and I walked
around for a short while, taking various photos, until we returned to the ship
to enjoy the rest of the afternoon onboard.
I truly enjoyed Cozumel, and cannot wait to return. It was a beautiful island, and one that I
would like to be able to explore further in the future. 
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