What many people do not realize is that not every birth certificate is accepted on a cruise

A lot of cruisers know that on some Royal Caribbean sailings, a birth certificate can be used instead of a passport. What many people do not realize is that not every birth certificate is accepted. For many closed-loop U.S. cruises, U.S. citizens may board with: * an original or certified copy of a state-issued birth certificate * plus a government-issued photo ID if age 16 or older But these do not count: * hospital birth records * certificate of live birth from the hospital * photocopies * digital images on your phone * birth announcements This is one of those cruise document details that can create a huge problem on embarkation day if you assume all birth paperwork is the same. If you don’t drive, a state-issued non-driver ID can work the same as a driver’s license. And if names don’t match across documents, you may need legal supporting paperwork too. I also have a cruise documents checklist in the Bundle on my website if you want to double-check what you need before boarding day. #cruisedocuments #royalcaribbean #cruisetips #firsttimecruiser #traveldocuments