Ahoy there, Eric, welcome aboard planDisney!
Ah, a Western Caribbean cruise! Nothing like visiting the exciting shores of the Mexican coastline to escape the Oklahoma winter that people probably underestimate the frigidness of! As a fellow tornado alley dweller, I get it - February is one of my family's favorite times to cruise as well!
When it comes to
Travel Documentation for your crew, I've got good news. There are only a few that absolutely require passports as your required Travel Documentation. However, since most Disney Cruise Line vacations that make calls on Mexican ports are round-trip, meaning that your sailing begins and ends at the same port, U.S. citizens can present either an original U.S. Passport, U.S. Passport Card, or Trusted Traveler Card, OR an original or copy of a state-issued birth certificate AND government-issued photo ID (if over 15 years of age). For Guests under 15 years of age, a state-issued birth certificate will be plenty - just make sure it's an original document and not a photocopy!
Now, while "closed-loop" cruises departing and returning to US ports don't require a passport, I always suggest traveling with one if you can get one in time! On the slim chance that anything happens which requires you to fly home from a
foreign Port of Call, you'll need a passport to do so! You can always check out the latest travel documentation information for more guidance.
Oh, and one additional thing of which to be aware: over the years, various regulations have come and gone requiring minors traveling with only one parent to have explicit consent from the other parent to travel. According to the US Customs and Border Protection website, it is currently advised that minors traveling alone or with only one parent to Mexico have a notarized letter of consent: "Unless the child is accompanied by both parents, the child must have a notarized letter from the other parent or signed by both parents stating, 'I acknowledge that my son/daughter is traveling outside the country with [the name of the adult] with my permission.'"
But if both parents are traveling, it should be smooth sailing!
I hope that helps you chart a course for this adventure, Eric! Thank you so much for your question, and if you have any others as your sailing gets closer, please send us another message in a bottle here at planDisney!
Fair winds and following seas,
Andrew