Closed-loop sailings allow travelers to visit international destinations without a passport.
Cruise companies like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity allow these sailings.
Travelers can visit anywhere from the Caribbean to Canada with an ID and proof of citizenship.
However, a lack of a passport doesn't mean you can't leave the mainland US. Travelers can visit US territories like the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands without a passport.
Or they can embark on a closed-loop cruise, which is a cruise that starts and finishes at the same US port.
An international agreement called the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative allows US citizens to travel to destinations in the Western Hemisphere on cruises without a passport. In order to embark on a closed-loop cruise without a passport, the traveler must have a government-issued ID as well as proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate.
Many cruise lines offer closed-loop sailings, but not all. And if you're embarking on a closed-loop cruise, some companies, such as Celebrity Cruises, caution travelers that if a cruise doesn't go to plan and they need to return to the US by air, they'll need a passport to fly home. The same thing goes if a passenger misses their ship in one of the ports.
Take a look at the cruise companies that offer closed-loop sailings and where you can go without a passport.
On a Celebrity ship, cruisers can head to the Bahamas.
Or visit popular Mexico destinations like Puerto Costa Maya, Puerto Vallarta, and Cabo San Lucas.
Celebrity ships also sail to St. Thomas.
As well as St. Kitts.
Carnival Cruises is another popular cruise line that offers closed-loop sailings.
On Carnival, cruisers can visit the Bahamas without a passport.
Or Carnival passengers can go on adventures in Cozumel and Baja, Mexico.
Another closed-loop cruise option is Royal Caribbean.
On a Royal Caribbean cruise, travelers could head to Jamaica.
Or explore Canadian destinations like New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
This just scratches the surface of where travelers can adventure to without a passport. According to The Points Guy, Norwegian, Princess, Holland America, and American Cruise Lines also offer closed-loop cruises out of the US.
Source: https://www.insider.com/author/monica-humphries
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