Ahoy and welcome to planDisney, Patricia! I'm so happy you sailed by with this most important question. Having your proof of citizenship is essential. If you forget your toothbrush, you can easily get a replacement before or even on your cruise. Your travel documentation is not quite as easy, and you cannot board without it.
The travel documentation required for a cruise vacation depends on your itinerary.
Most
Disney Cruise Line adventures leaving from the United States are closed-loop, meaning they start and return to the same US port. Currently, the US State Department requires passengers of closed-loop cruises to present proof of citizenship and picture identification. Proof of citizenship could be a passport or state-issued birth certificate. Passengers 16 and older also must present government-issued photo identification.
Please check the
Passports, Visas & Citizenship Documentation page for requirements for cruises leaving from international ports or one-way itineraries. Actually, it is a good idea to check the requirements for all cruises, just to be safe and know you have what is required.
You will need photos of your documents when you complete your online check-in, which is 30-40 days before your cruise
depending on your Castaway Club level. Once I do this, I put my documents in an envelope so I can easily find them when packing. Also, although these documents should be the first item on your packing list, make sure they are not packed in your checked luggage you hand to porters at the cruise terminal. You will need to have these in hand as you check in on the morning of your cruise and board your enchanting home at sea.
With your travel documents in order, it's time to plan for the fun! You can search
Port Adventures based on your destinations and
onboard activities that may be available on your cruise. And then there are all the unplanned moments on board. My family tends to spend a lot of time playing shuffleboard and laughing together while watching the endless horizon.
If you have any other questions, please come back to
planDisney, Patricia. We are happy to help make your planning a breeze!
Bon Voyage!
Jana