Whenever you leave your country you must carry your passport: "To pass the port" as in to go out of your country through the port / to enter the other country through the port.

What they said. But I'm coming in your suitcase

Yes, you absolutely need your passport.

Yes, you do need a passport...
I hope you have a great cruise !!!
I think if I ever do another cruise, it will be a Maine Windjammer Cruise.. not as luxurious, but it sure looks like fun ..

Yes and yes

I took a cruise to the Bahamas and I didn't need a passport, but I know you do in some of the Bahama islands, I think you do in st. martin but not in Nassau or in St. Thomas. Took my son for his 18th birthday and Christmas (12/21)And had a blast!

Americans generally do need passports for international cruises unless it's a dual-citizenship situation and they will not be passing through the waters of a country where they do not have citizenship. There are some countries where citizens don't have to have a passport to travel back and forth between certain other countries, though.

Passport card is valid for land and sea border crossings between the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean. [travel.state.gov]

For any other countries (as well as any international air travel) you need a passport book.

Not on a closed loop cruise but it is strongly recommended in case you get left in port or have an emergency. Last year my daughter took me on a cruise to the western Caribbean and we did not yet have passports

On the second cruise we did which was fortunate since she had to fly home from Jamaica.

My next door neighbour does cruises. I can't see the point. Much prefer to visit places when they don't put the prices up.

Yes, get a passport. Then visit Europe and Africa. See things with your own eyes. The world is not how you think it is.

I took my kids, we all need our passports. Where are you thinking about going?

Never on a cruise..yes you need a passport..

I believe that they required one to get back out of the port in the states but did not to go to the other ports, but it has been a number of years sense I have been on one. Best to ask the cruise line or check the state department website

And definitely ask the Cruise line so you aren't surprised!

My sisters do a lot of cruising. One with a handicapped husband. So I've heard the tales.

Last time I went to Canada, I only had My ID and birth certificate. You should not NEED one to go to a US Territory, but with the state of our government, I am under the impression they changed the rules.

I took a cruise in 1999, and you did need your passport. Ohhh, where are you going?

Yeah, you need a passport to be in another country

Or a Visa. The Cruise company will give you details.... Go to www.travel.state.gov

by ship or by land you can get by with just a passport card, but by air you need the passport book. So you may as well get the book. $110 and a few weeks after sending the info. You may be able to do it on line, but still need an official photo. good luck.

Well, I didn't, but then I was in the Navy at the time, so is a cruiser considered a cruise ship?

You can go on a cruise without a passport, however you can't get off the boat to go into another country without one.

I would love to take a cruise someday. The one place I really want to visit is Pompeii! Afraid I will never be able to afford to go though.

Yes, and yes (the rules used to be that if you were departing & arriving back at the same port, and were only going to very specific locations, you could do it with government ID (aka:license) - but those rules ended quite some time ago.
Be aware: if you're looking at cruising you want to make sure you check to see if you'll need a Visa at the ports; if you don't have a Visa (which can take weeks, even months to get), you will NOT be allowed to leave the ship at those ports. I believe some ships will require showing that you have the Visas even before boarding.
If you have any questions, all the cruise lines have people who can walk you through the processes of what you will need & when (& sometime even letting you know how much things will cost).
As others have pointed out, there are cruises which stay in the same country they leave from; no passport would be needed for those cruises, BUT you'll still need your ID, just like at the airport.

If anyone wants to kidnap me and take me on a cruise, I already have my passport.

Are you serious ?