Ahoy there, Mari! Welcome aboard planDisney! It's great to have you alongside while you're considering an incredible Disney Cruise Line vacation! This will be the year that the
Disney Dream will be moving her home port to Miami to make room for the
Disney Wish at Port Canaveral, breathing new life into the Port of Miami and giving even more Guests the chance to make magical memories while aboard! Add in everything that's included on a Disney Cruise Line, and a stop at
Disney Castaway Cay, and you've got "perfect vacation" written all over!
I have great news! When it comes to passport and
Travel Documentation Requirements, for closed-loop cruises like the one you're eyeing from Miami this November, departing from a US port, US citizens currently need to provide either an original valid U.S. Passport, Passport Card, Trusted Traveler Card, OR an Original or copy of their state-issued birth certificate AND Government-issued photo ID.
You hear that? That's the sound of your vacation coming together without a need for a passport!
That said, I HIGHLY suggest traveling with a passport whenever possible. If for any reason during your cruise it becomes necessary to return to the US from a foreign port, a passport makes that a much simpler process. My family got my son his passport just after he was born, which always makes us laugh because with how quickly kids grow, in a short time, he didn't look anything like his photo! That said, I know that Passport applications with the US Department of State have been taking slightly longer than normal, but if you're looking at November, that should give you plenty of time to get any little ones' passports submitted and received in time for your cruise!
I hope that lets you breathe a bit easier, Mari! Thank you so much for sailing my way with your question! If you run into any other rough seas as you continue planning, please make another outing my way - I'd love to help as much as I can.
Until then, may your anchor be tight and your compass true!
Andrew