Virgin came into the cruise industry with the goal of being different. And in many ways, they are:
- They’re strictly 18+
- Their design and decor is very contemporary
- They have an eco-friendly focus
- They have the first-ever-at-sea tattoo parlor
- They have no main dining room and no buffet
- They have a “no tipping” atmosphere
(To be fair, there are some other cruise lines that feature some of the above. But none offer all of these at once.)
Another difference from most other cruise lines is that Virgin Voyages has been, at least for their sailings out of Miami, they require all of their sailors (read: passengers) to have a valid passport with an expiration date at least 6 months after the voyage end date (a handful of other cruise lines also require this, but the vast majority do not). From their website, prior to June 20, 2023:
Are passports and visas required to sail?
While our Sailors are free to voyage at will, some global rules for travel still apply. Our voyages require our Sailors to have a valid passport with an expiration date at least 6 months after the voyage end date. Based on your country of citizenship, some ports may also require a necessary visa to enter.
The interesting thing is that this is something even the U.S. government doesn’t require. From U.S. Customs & Border Protection:
Most cruises beginning and ending in the same location are considered “closed-loop,” meaning they begin and end at the same port in the United States and travel within the Western Hemisphere. For instance, if you board a cruise ship at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and after visiting at least one foreign port of call, such as Bermuda, or Cancun, and return to Fort Lauderdale, you have taken a closed loop cruise.
U.S. citizens on closed-loop cruises will be able to enter or depart the country with proof of citizenship, such as an Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL), a government-issued birth certificate (issued by the Vital Records Department in the state where he or she was born) or passport, and if 16 or older, a government issued driver’s license, picture ID, denoting photo, name, and date of birth.
To be fair, Virgin Voyages was never 100% strict with this rule. They’ve always had some loopholes to their “Passports Required” regulation. They’re aware that the U.S. government has been VERY behind in processing passports and passport renewals. So if you called Sailor Services (read: Virgin Voyages’ Customer Services) shortly before your cruise and told them your passport was still being processed and might not be in your hands at the time of your cruise, you could get special permission, via an email they’d send you, to board just with your government-issued birth certificate and your enhanced driver’s license (which is not the same as a regular driver’s license) or other form of government ID.
But if you just went to board without a passport, because you’ve never had one and had no intentions of getting one, and hadn’t gotten the special permission ahead of time, you were usually out of luck. You wouldn’t be allowed to board and the ship would leave without you. Whomp whomp.
But then Virgin Voyages’ FAQ about passports and visas suddenly changed. Here’s what it said on June 20th, 2023:
Are passports and visas required to sail?
Our voyages require Sailors to have a valid passport with an expiration date at least 6 months after the voyage end date. Additionally, depending on your country of citizenship, certain ports may also require a visa for entry.
However, we understand that spontaneous getaways sometimes occur without sufficient time for passport arrangements. If you fall into this category and you are sailing out of Miami or San Juan, Puerto Rico, on a closed loop voyage, and are a US citizen, we can make an exception to the passport requirement. In such cases, you will need to present your government issued ID along with your original US State-issued birth certificate or Naturalization certificate. Note: If you have a Puerto Rico birth certificate, please make sure it’s the ‘new version’ that is dated July 1, 2010, or later.
Please keep in mind, in the event that an unexpected situation arises and you need to return to the US by air, a passport will be necessary.
The next day, June 21st, it had changed yet again:
Are passports and visas required to sail?
Our voyages require Sailors to have a valid passport with an expiration date at least 6 months after the voyage end date. Additionally, depending on your country of citizenship, certain ports may also require a visa for entry.
However, we understand that spontaneous getaways sometimes occur without sufficient time for passport arrangements. If you fall into this category and you are sailing out of Miami, on an eligible closed-loop voyage, and are a United States citizen, we can make an exception to the passport requirement. In such cases, you will need to present one of the following documents:
- Original valid US Passport
- Original valid US Passport Card
- Original valid Trusted Traveler Card (NEXUS, FAST)
Or one of the below combinations of documents:
- Original or copy of your state-issued birth certificate AND a physical Government-issued photo ID
– Puerto Rico birth certificates issued prior to July 1, 2010 are not acceptable
– Hospital-issued birth certificates are not acceptable- Original Consular Report of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State AND a physical Government-issued photo ID
- Original Certificate of Naturalization issued by US Citizenship and Immigration Services AND a physical Government-issued photo ID
In the unlikely event of a medical emergency or unexpected departure from the vessel, a passport will be necessary. Please keep in mind, the above guidelines are based on government regulations, which are subject to change at any time.
The June 23rd update is what’s still on Virgin Voyages’ website, as of this writing.
The new verbiage caused all sorts of discussions on Virgin Voyages message groups…were they just putting into writing what was common knowledge by those “in the know?” Or were they really going to let sailors board without a passport, as a matter of course?
Fast forward a few weeks and someone I know from one of these message groups, a guy named Zach, went on a Virgin Voyages cruise with his wife. His spouse had her passport, but Zach’s passport was still en route. He had his birth certificate and driver’s license at the ready, as well as the email that said he had Virgin’s OK to board – but he planned to not show them the email unless pressed.
When they got to the port and ready to check in, here’s what he said happened:
Once it was noticed on the app that my passport was missing I was put into a separate line that had about 4 kiosks. While the others (people who did have their passports) had about 20 kiosks. Only took 10 mins for us to get through and there was 6 people in front of us.
He said it was a total breeze to go through.
My only concern was there was something on his record that said he had Virgin’s prior permission to sail without his passport, but he said no:
0% chance they did, they never looked at anything except the app, no name, id or anything
Granted, this is just one person’s experience. But based on Zach’s experience, ts APPEARS that Virgin is no longer “requiring” you to have a passport to board.
That being said, there are still PLENTY of reasons why you SHOULD have a passport on a Virgin Voyages cruise:
- They do still technically require one. Sort of.
- IF something were to happen to you while in a foreign country you were visiting while on your cruise, having a passport with you makes it a WHOLE LOT easier and faster for you and yours to get back to the United States.
*** Many thanks to Zach for being a guinea pig and “taking one for the team!”
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