Welcome aboard, Ronald! It sounds to me like your family is thinking of booking a magical adventure at sea with
Disney Cruise Line. Believe me, if you do set sail with Captain Mickey and his crew, you're in for so much excitement and enchantment! I can't wait for you to experience everything that Disney Cruise Line has to offer families!
U.S. citizens age 16 and older traveling on a round trip cruise that begins and ends in the United States and visits the Caribbean or Bahamas do not need a passport, but can travel with simply a government issued I.D. (like driver's license) and state-issued birth certificate. Children younger than that just need the state-issued birth certificate when sailing with their parents. I highly recommend that you review all of the specifics on the
Passports and Travel Documents page of Disney Cruise Line's website, as sometimes based on your particular situation, things may be slightly different. Give the agents at Disney a call at (800) 951-3532 if you have any specific questions about cruise documents, as they can help you with your own situation.
However, I always
recommend traveling with a passport if possible, even for kids. My family and I have valid passports for all of us, kids included, when we sail, because it adds extra security. If we find ourselves in an unforeseen emergency in a foreign port of call, we can more easily get home with our passports. So, if you have time to obtain one for your 9 year-old before sailing, go for it! I like that peace of mind of knowing we have passports in hand!
Have fun planning and please stop back again with any other cruise questions, Ronald! We're happy to help!
Marcy