There is still a lot of confusion about what the new passport requirements
will be in 2007. For now, all cruise lines that I am aware of are still
telling people to GET A PASSPORT!
Below are HAL's and Royal Caribbean's latest info on this:
From Royal Caribbean -
It is requested that we address our Travel Partners' concerns with the
following statement:
"Though Royal Caribbean / Celebrity is aware of the recent U.S. Government
change in U.S. passport policy. We are presently reviewing the implications
of that policy and possible effects it can have on our guests, should anyone
of them need to depart the ship in a Caribbean, Mexican or South American
port for any reason and be required to fly home without a passport.
Until that determination has been made, our requirement for a valid U.S.
passport for anyone sailing with us and returning to the U.S. on or after
January 8, 2007 remains in effect.
Thank you for your understanding and patience as we work through this
issue."
You may have heard of the very recent change announced by the U.S.
government concerning U.S. Passports.
RCCL will NOT change our current U.S. Passport requirement message at this
time.
Our current message is:
Special Note for U.S. Citizens: Effective December 31, 2006 the U.S.
Government's Intelligence Reform Bill requires passports for all air and sea
travel to or from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean
and Bermuda.
What this means to you:
.Guests sailing in mid December 2006, whose itinerary transits or ends its
voyage in the United States on or after December 31, 2006 will be required
to present a valid passport during ship check-in formalities.
.Guests sailing on or after December 31, 2006 will be required to present a
valid passport during ship check-in formalities.
.Guests not holding a valid passport should apply for one as soon as
possible.
.Guests holding ARC/Green Card are exempt.
The U.S. Government announced a change to the December 31, 2006 effective
date (above) a couple of months back. The revised effective date is January
8, 2007 but as a company, we have not altered our original message.
--------------------------------
From HAL - To help you assist your clients with their travel planning,
Holland America Line wants to make sure that you are aware of the latest
passport requirements.
The U.S. Department of State recently announced an extension of the
proposed implementation timeline for the Western Hemisphere Travel
Initiative. When enacted, travelers to and from a foreign country (including
the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico and Canada) must have a valid
passport or other secure, accepted document* to enter or re-enter the U.S.
The revised proposed timeline is as follows:
a.. January 8, 2007 - Valid passport or other accepted document* required
for all air travel to or from the U.S.
b.. June 1, 2009 - Valid passport or other accepted document* required for
all travel to or from the U.S. (air, sea or land)
Although the requirement to possess a valid passport for sea and land
border crossings has been extended to June 1, 2009, the government can
accelerate this date based on meeting certain criteria.
Please note that effective January 8, 2007, all cruise guests entering or
re-entering the United States by air are required to have valid passports.
U.S. cruise guests who travel by air to embark in Vancouver for Alaska
cruises and Canadian cruise guests who travel by air to embark in U.S. ports
are required to have valid passports for all cruises terminating on or after
January 8, 2007. Foreign nationals should contact their respective
governments to obtain details regarding current passport requirements.
All cruise guests must present the required documentation at embarkation.
Cruise guests without required documentation will be denied boarding and no
refund will be issued. Holland America Line will strictly enforce this
requirement in compliance with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.
To help ensure a positive travel experience for your Holland America Line
clients, we encourage you to make sure that they are prepared to meet these
pending passport requirements.
Thank you for your continued support of Holland America Line.
*The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has not yet made a final
determination as to which forms of documentation may serve as a valid
alternative to a passport. For more information, please visit
www.travel.state.gov/passport or call the National Passport Information
Center toll free at 1-877-487-2778 or TDD/TYY at 1-888-874-7793.
--------------------------------------------
Personally, I don't think the government could clarify bottled water and I
continue to tell my customers to GET A PASSPORT.
--
George Leppla http://www.countryside-travel.com
February 10, 2007 - Valentine's Group - http://cruisemaster.com/grandeur.htm
April 29, 2007 GGC2007 http://cruisemaster.com/pride.htm
October 14, 2007 MOAGC 3 - http://www.moagc-3.com
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