Passport expires 4 months from end of cruise- will I be ok?

[cruisercamper]

I am now reading that they recommend passports should expire 6 months or later from the end of your cruise. Has anyone had trouble boarding ship when it actually expires in 4 months?

[Galveston Steve]

To re-enter the country your passport must be valid (not expired). I think they say six months in case there is a delay in your trip, such as a ship emergency or perhaps you get sick or injured and there is a delay in returning to the US. Four months should be ok in my opinion. If you are a US citizen you may want to consider also bringing the alternative documentation, such as a birth certificate and photo ID just in case Royal Caribbean decides to be fussy when you check in.

[DocLC]

If it's for a North America cruise you should be fine. There are some counties that require that you have 6 months before your passport expires, but since you're in transit, it won't likely be an issue as you could use a DL and birth certificate, too.

 

For what it's worth, I'm waiting until after our Allure cruise in January 2017 to renew my son's passport that expires in February 2017.