Documents You Need For a Cruise-Keep These in Your Carry-on

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If you’re planning your first cruise, the proper documentation is definitely something you need to have prepared. Not having the appropriate documents on boarding day could mean being delayed or even denied boarding. With a bit of planning and prep, you’ll be well prepared for embarkation day and on your way to a fabulous cruise vacation. In this post, I’ll share the documents you need for a cruise.

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Proper Identification For Your a Cruise

First on your list should be proper identification. Suppose you are sailing from the United States (as a United States citizen) with the same embarkation and debarkation port. In that case, you may sail with an official birth certificate and state-issued ID. However, the names must match! This sounds simple enough, but have you gotten married, divorced, or been adopted? All of these life occurrences may mean that your name has changed. If so, you must provide the steps for connecting the dots. This may call for a marriage license, adoption certificate, etc.

A passport is relatively easy to get and a much easier solution for proper identification for travel. If you’re an adult, it’s valid for 10 years, making it a reasonably priced solution to your identification needs, and there will be no need for the crazy extra paperwork. Just give yourself time to process it to have your passport in time to check in for your cruise. Stay organized with this family passport holder.

Tip: If you are cruising for your honeymoon and plan on changing your name, do NOT book your cruise under your new married name. Remember, your name MUST match your identification.

Related: Do You Need a Passport for a Cruise?

Boarding Documents

Most cruise lines now have a mobile app for pre-board check-in. If you do not want to use the mobile app, you can also do this on the cruise line website. This pre-board check-in is the time for you to confirm your travel details and documentation and select (or be assigned) a boarding time window.

You can often access your “boarding pass” in the mobile app without needing to print anything. However, take a screenshot or add it to your Apple wallet before heading to the cruise terminal if you are an iPhone user. When hundreds of people are all trying to pull a cell signal to access their mobile app, you may experience problems.

Certain cruise lines still require you to print and present a physical copy of your boarding pass. Check your cruise line or contact your travel agent to confirm the requirements for your particular cruise line.

Health Screening

Shortly before boarding (usually within 24 hours), you may be prompted to complete a brief health questionnaire. This statement of health indicates that you have not been ill and do not currently feel ill before boarding. Again, this can most often be found in the app, but occasionally, it will be asked directly at the cruise terminal, or you will need to fill out a brief form.

Additional health information, such as vaccination documentation, may be required if you are traveling to or from other countries.

Related: Staying Healthy on a Cruise

Country Permissions and Requirements

A Visa or other travel requirements will occasionally be necessary to visit the country on your itinerary. In most cases, the cruise line will notify you of this requirement. However, it’s always better to be safe rather than sorry. A quick Google of the country name + travel requirements should point you in the right direction, or ask your trusted travel advisor. This is very important even if you think you might want to stay on the ship during this port of call. On some occasions, you could be denied boarding without this documentation.

Whose Kids Are These? 😉

Are you one of those nice parents who let your children bring a buddy on your cruise? Cool mom! That’s very generous of you, but make sure you have the proper documentation. If you are traveling with minors who are not legally yours, you’ll need to provide notarized permission from their parents. It is also a good idea that they give you permission to have emergency health procedures if that unfortunate event happens. This will be a very important document you need for a cruise.

On a related “kid” note, most cruise lines will not allow you to cruise if you are more than 24 weeks pregnant at the time of the cruise. You may need to provide confirmation of your due date.

Travel Insurance

Did you purchase travel insurance? I highly recommend it. While losing your suitcase may be a bummer, it’s not life-changing. However, a medical emergency while out of the country can be both physically and financially devastating.

This is not just a concern of older adults either. I always use the example of an appendicitis. You can have appendicitis at any age, regardless of your health. This can be life-threatening and require medical evacuation and emergency surgery. Would you like to come home to that bill? No. Thank. You.

Ensure your travel insurance policy number, contact information, and a summary of your policy details are available to you throughout your trip.

Medical Documents

If you require medication during your travel, it’s important to have the proper documentation. This may include a list of current medications and doses, copies of prescriptions, and important notes regarding any chronic conditions in case of an emergency. Approach this documentation as if it were someone else who needed to review this information.

Luggage Tags

Finally, don’t forget your luggage tags. These tags tell staff where your cabin is on the ship and allow your luggage to be delivered to the right area.

A couple of quick notes about your tags:
1. Check out these reusable tag holders so that if it’s raining, the tags do not get destroyed and won’t tear off your bag. (Check the appropriate size for your cruise line)
2. Attach your luggage tags before heading to the cruise terminal. The porters will be ready to grab your bag, and you don’t want to have to fuss with attaching them at that time.
3. Do not put your luggage tags on before your flight.
4. Make sure you also have your personal identification tag on your bag if the cruise line tag gets removed.

Additional Documents For Your Cruise

There are other documents that, while not required, may prove helpful during your cruise vacation.

Important Contact Information

While you will need to provide the cruise line with an emergency contact who is not traveling with you, it may be beneficial to have a few others noted as well. You should have a list of important contacts with you. This list may include a trusted travel companion, contact information for your doctor, or even credit card customer service numbers in case of loss or fraud while traveling.

Copies of Your Important Identification

Okay, this is a regularly debated topic. Should you take your passport with you while you are off in port? In most circumstances, I say no. Unless you are on an excursion that crosses a border (some Alaskan excursions), it’s safest to leave your passport in your cruise cabin safe. However, I always recommend making copies of your state-issued ID (driver’s license) and passport and keeping those with you.

Tip: For the majority of port days you will simply need your cruise card and a form of photo identification. Listen for announcements on port days for any specifics and don’t hesitate to ask a crew member.

I store a picture of mine in Google Keep, which is accessible on my phone without needing a cellular signal or Wi-Fi. While this may not be usable for travel home, it can significantly expedite things should you visit a consulate and get new documentation in an emergency.

I also leave a copy of my documents with a trusted family member who is not traveling with me. Again, this is the worrier in me, but I like to cover all of my safety bases.

Pre-Cruise Purchase Documentation

Did you purchase a drink or dining package? Mistakes happen so it can be helpful to have a record of your purchase.

Did you book a shore excursion and have confirmation documents? It’s a good idea to bring your purchase confirmation and any special instructions for your excursion.

Give the excursion information a quick read. You’ll need to know the meeting location and you may be required to show your confirmation at check-in.

How to Organize Your Cruise Documents

I must admit, I hung on to paper documents for a long time. In fact, in some situations, I still feel better having printed documentation. If you’re like me, you like to organize your cruise using an accordion file folder. I have a section for pre-cruise purchases, boarding documents, each port day, etc.
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I am trying to be more digital and less wasteful, so I am utilizing apps such as Tripit! (I’m a super fan of this free app) as well as storing essential images/files in Google Keep and utilizing my apple wallet as mentioned previously.

Conclusion: Documents You Need for a Cruise

What’s important is that you utilize the system that makes you most comfortable and ready for your cruise! What is MOST important is that you have access to all of the necessary information you need to not only board your cruise ship on embarkation day but have everything you need for a great and memorable cruise vacation.

If you found this information helpful, I hope you’ll share it with a friend. To help even more, I’ve provided this list in an easy to print checklist. If you want more helpful planning tools and checklists, check out the Finding Jillian Ultimate Cruise Planner on sale now.

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