Carnival Cruise Line shares clear rules on Real ID
Do you need a Real ID to cruise? Here’s what Carnival Cruise Line says.
As the Real ID deadline for domestic air travel approaches, some misinformation is circulating on social media about Real ID requirements for cruises.
Starting May 7, airline passengers 18 years and older will be required to present Real ID-compliant identification or another acceptable ID, such as a passport, at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security checkpoints.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line rep talks about massive fight
But does this same rule apply to cruise port security checkpoints? If you’re not flying to your cruise departure port, can you board a cruise with state-issued identification that is not Real ID-compliant?
Those are questions that many cruise travelers have asked Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald recently. Apparently, false information was spread on social media about Real ID rules for cruises that had a lot of passengers confused and concerned.
Now, the brand ambassador is requesting that his more than 600,000 Facebook followers help him get the correct information to Carnival cruisers.
“Thank you for sharing this, I think it is very important that we get this message out as there are some people determined to post false news,” Heald wrote in a post on his Facebook page. The post included a photo of a cruise terminal sign that explains the documents that are required to board a Carnival cruise that begins and ends in the same U.S port.
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Carnival brand ambassador clarifies ID rules for cruises
“It appears we have a very special Facebook page posting that everybody, or guests, now need a Real ID when they cruise. They are posting photos of this sign saying that we have announced that everybody must have a Real ID,” Heald wrote.
According to Heald and Carnival executives, however, this sign does not indicate that passengers must have a Real ID to cruise.
“I have spoken with the beards (Heald’s name for Carnival executives). This sign has been at embarkation for almost 2 years. It is not anything new,” Heald explained.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line responds to cruise port travel warnings
For most cruises that begin and end in the same U.S port, U.S. citizens can present either a passport or their birth certificate accompanied by a state government-issued photo ID to cruise.
“So just to reiterate, you do not [need a] Real ID to cruise,” Heald clarified.
Carnival does, however, highly recommend that all passengers travel with a passport book, even if it’s not a mandatory requirement for their cruise. Passport books must be valid for at least six months beyond the completion of travel.
Cruising with a passport is a smart choice for multiple reasons
On its website, Carnival explains that traveling with a passport will “enhance the debarkation experience, as delays may be expected upon return to the United States for those without one.”
The cruise line also points out that traveling with a passport is helpful in the event that you miss the ship’s departure or in case of an emergency.
Traveling with a passport “will enable guests to fly from the United States to meet their ship at a foreign port should they miss their scheduled port of embarkation and allow guests who must disembark the ship before their cruise ends, due to an emergency, to fly back to the United States without significant delays and complications.”
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Carnival also alerts passengers who are flying to their cruise departure port within the U.S. about the Real ID requirement for airport security. Cruise passengers should keep in mind that a passport can be presented at airport security in place of a Real ID, which makes cruising with a passport an even smarter choice.
“Effective May 7, 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will require every state and territory resident to present a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or another acceptable form of identification, such as a passport or enhanced driver’s license, to go through airport security and board a flight within the U.S.,” Carnival explains. “If you will be flying to one of our cruise homeports within the U.S. on/after this implementation date, please ensure you have an acceptable document for your air travel.”
Beginning May 7, airline passengers who do not yet have a Real ID or another TSA acceptable form of ID, like a passport, can expect to face delays, additional screening, and the possibility of not being allowed into the security checkpoint.
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