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Travel Documentation: Canadian Citizens

Published 03/11/2015 10:50 PM   |    Updated 01/05/2024 11:05 AM

Carnival requires guests to provide proper travel documentation in order to travel. The documentation is required at embarkation and throughout the cruise and is the responsibility of the guest. Our policy states that any guest traveling without proper documentation will be denied boarding the ship and will be under full penalty, and therefore, will not be offered a refund or a replacement cruise.

Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)
The goal of the WHTI is to facilitate entry for U.S and Canadian citizens and legitimate foreign visitors, while strengthening U.S border security. Standard documentation will enable the Department of Homeland Security to quickly and reliably identify a traveler. The Western Hemisphere includes the United States, Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean. 

 

Domestic Cruises

All Canadian citizens, including children are required to carry a Canadian passport (valid for at least six months beyond the completion of travel) if arriving by air travel into the United States.

This will enable guests to fly from Canada or the United States to meet their ship at the first port should they miss their scheduled embarkation and allow guests who must disembark the ship before their cruise ends due to an emergency to fly back to Canada or the United States without significant delays and complications.

For Canadian citizens who are U.S Permanent Residents, click here for travel documentation requirements.  

Expedited passport services are offered by VisaCentral. For more information, visit http://visacentral.ca/ or call 888-665-9956, identify yourself as a Carnival Cruise Line guest and mention ‘Carnival Account 10141’ for discounted rates on VisaCentral service fees.

There are additional forms of acceptable travel documentation for Domestic Cruises* if guests are border crossing (driving) into the United States - click here for details. 
* This only pertains to cruises sailing from a US port to the same US port that do not include a visit to Colombia or Greenland. 

 

Europe and Transatlantic Cruises | Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Transpacific Cruises

  • Canadian Citizens are required to carry a Canadian passport, valid for at least six months beyone the completion of travel.   
  • For Canadian Citizens who are U.S Permanent Residents, click here for additional required travel documentation. 
  • Guests are not required to have a Schengen Visa for travel to Europe.  
  • For cruises visiting Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Transpacific cruises, visas and/or specific travel documentation may be required for some destinations.

 

The following forms of travel documentation are acceptable for cruise travel on cruises sailing from a US port to the same US port that do not include a visit to Colombia or Greenland, only if guests are border crossing (driving) into the United States.  The documents below are not acceptable for those arriving into the United States by air travel. 

Provincial Enhanced Driver's License (EDL)
This form of documentation will be acceptable for cruise travel and land travel (border crossing between the U.S. and Canada).

Several provinces are working with the Department of Homeland Security to develop a Provincial Enhanced Driver's License for Canadian citizens residing in their provinces. This document will denote both citizenship and identity and will contain security features to help prevent counterfeiting and facilitate the entry process at land and sea ports of entry. The card may not be used to travel by air outside of Canada. The following provinces issue these types of WHTI compliant documents: British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. A Mobile/Digital version of an EDL is not an acceptable form of identification.

Native American Indians

  • Secure Certificate of Indian Status (SCIS) – this card is only available for Canadian First Nations People
    • SCIS Cards with machine readable zone-optical character reader (MRZ-OCR) will be acceptable for cruise travel and land travel (border crossing between the U.S and Canada).
    • SCIS Cards without the machine readable zone-optical character reader (MRZ-OCR) can only be used for cruise travel.
  • Kootenai Tribe Enhanced Tribal Card (ETC) with affixed photo I.D.
    • ETC Card acceptable for cruise travel and land travel (border crossing between the U.S and Canada). 

Original or Legible, Quality Copy of Birth Certificate
Acceptable for Guests 15 years of age or younger ONLY!
This form of documentation will be acceptable for cruise travel and land travel (border crossing between the U.S. and Canada) and guest is not required to have a photo I.D.

  • An original birth certificate issued by a government agency (state/province/county/city).
  • A clear, legible copy of the original birth certificate that was issued by a government agency (state/province/county/city); the original or copy may be laminated as well.
  • A Consular Report of Birth Abroad

Original Canadian Citizenship Card
Acceptable for Guests 15 years of age or younger ONLY!
This form of documentation will be acceptable for cruise travel and land travel (border crossing between the U.S and Canada) and guest is not required to have a Photo I.D.

Naturalization Certificate
Acceptable for Guests 15 years of age or younger ONLY!
This form of documentation will be acceptable for cruise travel and land travel (border crossing between the U.S. and Canada) and guest is not required to have a Photo I.D.


Unacceptable Forms of Documentation

  • Copies of any of the WHTI compliant documents
  • Driver's License as the only proof
  • A Mobile/Digital version of a photo ID
  • Temporary Driver’s License (paperwork without a Photo I.D.)
  • Trusted Traveler Program Membership Card (NEXUS/SENTRI/FAST) – may be used for photo identification use only
  • Voter's Registration Card
  • Baptismal Papers
  • Hospital certificate, hospital-issued birth notice, live record of birth or announcement of birth 
  • No Record of Birth certificate: a certificate issued by a Government Agency showing that they have no records on this person


Names on Travel Documentation
It is important that the guest’s full name (first name and last name) on the cruise and airline tickets be the same as the guest’s non-expired government-issued photo I.D. they plan to use for travel identification. In the event of a different name on the cruise/airline ticket and the guest’s photo I.D. as a result of a marriage, divorce or a legal name change, documentation (original or clear, legible copy) supporting this change is required (at embarkation), such as a marriage certificate, marriage license or legal name change court document. Failure to bring documentation bridging the name differences could result in denial of  boarding.

Note: For those about to or recently have been married, we strongly recommend that if the non-expired government-issued photo I.D. is in the maiden name, the cruise booking be made in the maiden name (do not include the married name); If the reservation was made in the married name, but the non-expired government-issued photo I.D. is in the maiden name, documentation (original or clear, legible copy) supporting this change is required (at embarkation), such as a marriage certificate or marriage license. Failure to bring documentation bridging the name differences could result in denial of boarding.  


Traveling with Minors
When traveling with a minor where one parent or both parents or legal guardians are not cruising, we strongly recommend bringing an original signed letter from the absent parent(s) or legal guardians authorizing the minor to travel with you. If there is no second parent with legal claims to the minor (due to sole custody, deceased, etc.) other relevant paperwork, such as a court decision, death certificate, birth certificate naming only one parent, would be useful to bring in place of a signed letter. This will expedite processing by the Department of Homeland Security.

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