U.S. travelers to the Caribbean really should get a passport as soon as possible; it's the best way to avoid hassles when reentering the U.S. But if the new U.S. passport requirements for travel to the Caribbean caught you by surprise, and you need to travel soon, don't worry: It's still possible to have a fabulous Caribbean vacation even if you don't yet have a valid passport. Here's five ways how to travel to the Caribbean with just a birth certificate and driver's license or other form of primary ID:
1. Visit Puerto Rico!
© Hilton Hotels
Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth of the United States, making travel here just like crossing a state border: no passport is required for U.S. citizens. Plus, you don't have to clear Customs, either! Puerto Rico has the best air service in the Caribbean, with international flights into San Juan, Aguadilla and Ponce, and can provide a wide range of experiences from the urban sophistication and history of San Juan to the wilds of the El Yunque rainforest.
2. Visit the U.S. Virgin Islands!
Caneel Bay Resort, Rosewood Resorts
Another U.S. Commonwealth that is passport and Customs-free for U.S. citizens. St. Croix, the largest of the islands, has two major towns (Christiansted and Frederiksted), a rain forest, and preserved historic plantation homes. Bustling Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas is the most popular cruise port in the Caribbean, while two-thirds of St. John is preserved as a tropical national park.
3. Take a Caribbean Cruise!
Princess Cruise Lines
Sometimes lost in the brouhaha over the passport rules that went into effect in 2007 is the fact that the requirements only applied to travel via air, not land or sea. As of June 2009, you still won't need a passport to enter the U.S. by land or sea, but you will need a Passport Card issued by the U.S. State Department or a government-issued ID that complies with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), such as an Enhanced Driver's License, as well as a birth certificate. If you're on a so-called "closed loop" cruise that departs and returns to a U.S. port like Ft. Lauderdale, San Juan, or New Orleans, you only need a two forms of primary ID to travel. If you cruise starts or ends in a foreign port, however, the WHTI rules apply.
4. Hop a Ferry from Puerto Rico or the U.S.V.I.!
With a Passport Card you can still take a ferry from the U.S. territories in the Caribbean to neighboring islands. Ferries del Caribe, for example, operates daily ferry service between Mayaguez, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. And ferries also operate between the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands, including service from St. John and St. Thomas to Tortola, Virgin Gorda, and Jost Van Dyke.5. Sail from Florida to the Bahamas!
Cotton & Company
Discovery Cruise Line sails daily from Fort Lauderdale to Grand Bahama Island, offering an experience that falls between a ferry service and a cruise ship. One-day party cruises and overnight packages are available. Again, WHTI travel rules will go into full effect in June 2009, but you'll still be able to travel with a Passport Card or other WHTI-compliant documents.
