You’ve probably heard that cruising has become a hot way to travel over the past couple of years. In 2023 alone, cruise passengers topped over 31 million, a 7% increase over pre-pandemic times. Final numbers for 2024 are predicted to be over 35 million.
For most people all you need to cruise is a passport. And for U.S. residents doing a river cruise in the U.S. or a closed loop cruise (read: if your cruise begins and ends in the same U.S. port), you might not even technically need that. Thanks to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) of 2009, you can typically just show a government-issued ID and proof of citizenship for those types of cruises (there are some exclusions to this – the island of Martinique, for example, requires a passport. And cruise lines have the right to require a passport, regardless of what the WHTI says.
Can you cruise if you have a criminal record?
For the most part, yes. However, there are several exceptions:
Are you eligible for a passport?
Certain types of convicted felons are ineligible to get a passport. They may include:
- If there’s an outstanding warrant for your arrest
- If you have a federal or state felony drug conviction
- Certain sex offenses
- If you have outstanding child support payments
Not all cruise lines will accept felons as passengers
Cruise lines have the right to perform background checks on their potential passengers.
That being said, for the most part, the larger cruise lines (think Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, etc.) won’t stop someone with a criminal record from cruising with them (heads up that Disney tends to be more stringent. Their T&C plainly says, “Disney Cruise Line reserves the right to refuse passage to Guests with criminal backgrounds.”). However smaller, more exclusive cruise lines may reserve the right to refuse someone from cruising with them because of their criminal record.
There are, of course, some caveats. Some cruise lines prohibit sex offenders from traveling on their ships. And most cruise lines require probation to be completed before allowing you to sail with them.
Can you go to all the countries on your intended cruise?
Several countries do not allow visitors who have certain histories of criminal activity:
Countries you can and can’t enter with a criminal record
And if your criminal record includes a DUI, that can cause problems for you, as well:
Countries you can’t enter if you’ve gotten a DUI
Also, if you were planning to take an Alaskan cruise that departs out of Vancouver and have a felony and/or DUI on your record, well, good luck with that, IYKWIM.
I have a criminal history and want to cruise. What can I do?
As you can see from the above, it’s complicated. It depends on what your criminal history is, when/how long ago that criminal history happened, what cruise line you want to travel with, what your itinerary would be, etc. For some cruises to some countries, someone with a criminal history may have no problems going on the cruise of their choice. For others, they may be barred from cruising.
If you’re using a travel agent, let them know about your history. From a professional POV, they shouldn’t judge, and they may already know the rules for the places or line(s) you’re considering.
Speaking to a lawyer might be your best bet, if you’re not sure.
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