Fellow cruisers are often very surprised when we mention getting a passport stamp while in port. Many travelers don’t even realize it’s an option, but YES you can get your passport stamped at many cruise ports!
While most cruise ports don’t actually require you to USE your passport, you are supposed to have one with you. So, why not get a passport stamp to mark your trip?
Many Caribbean and Central American cruise ports offer passport stamps at the Customs office once you are off the cruise ship. We also got our passport stamped when we stopped in Canada while on a cruise to Alaska!
Getting a Passport Stamp When Cruising:
To find out if your cruise port offers passport stamps, look for the immigration or customs office after exiting the ship. Often, this office will be inside a building that you have to walk through when exiting the port. (There will usually be touristy shops in the building as well, and you’ll just have to look for the office)
Please note: Sometimes tourist shops will offer souvenir passport stamps. Some people say these can invalidate your passport. While we can’t say for sure and we’ve personally never had any trouble (we got a souvenir stamp in Grenada), we suggest that you get your passport stamps at the official Immigration or Customs Offices.
These offices are not usually well-marked. Sometimes you’ll have to knock and ask the person who answers whether they offer passport stamps. It’s likely you will be the first person that day to visit the office! We’ve never witnessed anyone else go to these offices in search of a passport stamp. One time, the immigration officer even had to change the date on the stamp because it had been that long since anyone had asked!
Below is a recap of the cruise ports that we’ve been to and asked for passport stamps. (We’ve been to a few other ports but ran out of time to ask, so we can’t speculate on whether they provide stamps!)
Victoria, Canada
We’ve been cruising together for many years and at first, we also did not realize that getting a passport stamp was an option! I think the first time we ever decided to ask about a passport stamp was during our 2014 Alaska cruise. Our final cruise stop was in Victoria, Canada and we asked at the security office when heading back to the ship.
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau, Bahamas is another easy port to grab a passport stamp when you’re heading back to the ship. There is a building near where you’ll head through security and an immigration officer can stamp your passport. If you don’t see it, just ask! They’ll point you in the right direction!
Barbados
Not every passport stamp you’ll get at a cruise port is “official.” For example, in Barbados the passport stamp they give you at the immigration office says “souvenir.” Please note: some say souvenir stamps can invalidate your passport. We did not know this at the time and fortunately have not had any issues. However, we want to share this so you use your own discretion on whether to obtain one.
Grenada
Our Grenada passport stamp is also a “souvenir.” At the St. George, Grenada port, the stamp you receive does not include a date.
Half Moon Cay, Bahamas
UPDATE: As of March 2023, a reader let us know Half Moon Cay is no longer providing passport stamps.
It’s easy to get a passport stamp at Half Moon Cay, Bahamas! This is the private island owned by Holland America Line. When you get off the tender boats, you’ll exit into a small town square. To the right you can cross a dirt street and you’ll see the small customs building. It looks like a tiny house and it is not marked.
Aruba
In Aruba, the passport office is at the Carnival cruise terminal. We sailed with Holland America, so we walked over to the other cruise terminal main building. The office is in a corner with a sign that says “immigration” and you’ll have to knock on the door. They are only open normal business hours so go early if you’ll be in port for a long day.
Curaçao
You can get a passport stamp in Curaçao. However, we missed our opportunity while road tripping around the island! Employees told us their office is only open during business hours. Next time!
Colon, Panama
We had the same issue at the Colon, Panama cruise port. Workers at the cruise terminal building told us their immigration office is only open on weekdays. However, we didn’t actually see an immigration office so we can’t say for sure a stamp is an option!
Limon, Costa Rica
Passport stamps are not an option at the Limón, Costa Rica cruise port. We asked multiple people and everyone told us they don’t offer them.
So, How Do You Know If You Can Get a Passport Stamp When Cruising?
Ask! Seriously, that’s the only way to find out. We usually ask around the main office whenever we exit the ship. If we have an excursion scheduled, we’ll just ask around once we get back. There’s no harm in asking and more often than not we’ve found that you CAN get a passport stamp!
Need more inspiration for your next cruise?
Check out these blog posts to help you plan your trip:
- The Ultimate Grand Cayman Bucket List
- 6 Tips for an Alaskan Cruise
- What You Need to Know Before Renting a Car at the Cozumel Cruise Port(s)
- How to Save Money on a Cruise
- The Best Snorkeling Spots on Grand Cayman
- Wild Flamingos! And Other Reasons to Visit Curaçao
- Cruising to Nassau: How to Spend a Day
- Pros and Cons to Cruising
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No stamps in Jamaica — we were told you had to stay a minimum of 24 hours there. We did get stamps in Roatan and Belize!
Thanks for sharing, Tammy! Those are three stops we haven’t been to yet, but I hope to get there sometime soon!
Can’t you tell me where I need to go in Roatan and Belize. Also if you know Cozumel that would be great.
Hi Tammy, Unfortunately we haven’t been to Roatan or Belize yet, but my suggestion would be to just ask around when you get off the ship. There should be police officers or port authority employees and they’ll be able to point you in the right direction! We didn’t get our passports stamped in Cozumel, but I would definitely ask when you get off the ship.
I went to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. The only place I got mine stamped was Cozumel.
Good to know about Cozumel- thanks for sharing!
I got mine stamped in Cozumel. If I remember correctly it’s in the bottom of a yellow building with a clock tower or observation tower…it’s been so long I can’t remember, but we are going back in May
Thanks for sharing, Stacy!
Don’t bother with Roatan. You will get a fake stamp at the Carnival dock. I made the mistake of getting a post office cancellation stamp (a post office is in the old immigration office) however it looks official and is all in spanish. When I went to the actual immigration office in Coxen Hole, they will tell you no, similar to Jamaica.
Belize is in the tender port, just ask around, but the hours are severely limited – something like mornings only. The only other option is to have a private driver take you to the main office in town – definitely not walkable.
Cozumel has an office in town, but they have a sign posted on the door stating no souvenir stamps. Maybe you can get one at the airport, but they seem strict there. Also, beware of overly fake souvenir stamps here too.
Great advice for these ports! We obviously have a lot more cruising to do 🙂
When I was at Cozumel last year I got a passport stamp but it wasn’t official. There was a little kiosk in the shopping area as you are walking to the excursion transportation. It’s a charity so wants a donation, which I gladly gave. I didn’t know where the immigration office was.
A lot of the ports offer those “souvenir” stamps, but still just as fun! 🙂
If you aren’t sailing into Mahogany Bay but into the actual town of Coxen Hole I bet you could get one there as that is the official port of Roatan. Mahogany Bay is a Carnival Corp designed port.
Cozumel when you get off, go straight and you will see a big yellow building on the right, go up the stairs and have the person at the desk stamp it. Belize you have to go all the way down to Terminal 4 almost to the gates and it is in a white hut on the left. Roatan has them at the information booth.
Thanks for sharing, Jessica. Great info!
Yes in cozumel you can get it stamped twice. one when you get off the port there is a immigration building on your right hand side and the other when you walk down the strip of the tourist shopping area, there’s a man that has a stand in the middle. If needed ask security to point you in the right direction. Remember it’s 2 different stamps.
Hi Shawn, Thanks for sharing! Next time we are in Cozumel, we will definitely grab a stamp!
Sometimes you have to dig, as at Bonaire where people will point you to the building. Got one in Martinique and at St. Maartin too (at the yacht center), and even found a place in St. Kitts. But on the French side of St. Martin they wouldn’t do it unless you were going somewhere by ferry. I’ve found people are generally nice about doing this as it shows off their country. If you go to the ministates in Europe you can get them too–Andorra at the border, Monaco, Liechtenstein, San Marino at the tourist offices. You just have to ask and sometimes pay a nominal fee.
Thanks so much for sharing this info! We haven’t been to those ports yet but now we need to book a trip to snag some new passport stamps 🙂
We went to the post office near all the shops at the Grand Turks port and they stamped passports for a fee. I think it was $1.00 each.
I just went to grand turks and they charged me $2 to stamp the passport.
Hi Darlene, Thanks for sharing! Do you know if it was an official Customs stamp or a souvenir one?
Bermuda stamps your passport. The Immigration Office is in Hamilton right along the piers and Front Street. . Not sure if they stamp at the Dockyard. They didn’t when I was there 8 years ago but might now.
Was just there in October 2018 and we could not find anywhere at the dockyard.
Hello! For the ones that have been to these ports listed below, have you ever had your passport stamped at the immigration or customs office there? If so is it a official or unofficial ‘souvenir’ stamp and is it free? Thanks so much for your time.
Princess Cay, Ba
Nassau, Ba
Amber Cove, Dominican Republic
Grand Turk
My first cruise is next year July
I believe the ones that you get from the cruise terminal (at the official Customs or Immigration office) are real. However, I think stamps that you get at other places (like post offices or tourist information booths) are “souvenir” stamps. So, for example, the stamp we got from the Bahamas Immigration office at the Nassau port should be “official.”
Amber Cove is a souvenir stamp. If I remember correctly, it’s in a round building in the middle of the shops in the port area. In Grand Turk, you can get a passport stamp in the post office, and I think there was a small charge ($1, I think). The post office is a small building in the port shopping area, and it’s only open certain hours. Good luck!
Thanks for sharing, Ashley! We haven’t been to Amber Cove yet but maybe someday soon!
We got an official passport stamp in amber cove :).
We got an official Dominican Republic stamp while at port in Amber Cove. I’m going on another cruise in June 2019 and January 2020 and plan to get a stamp in : grand Turk (forgot last go around)
Cozumel, Belize, Isla Roatan Honduras, Costa Maya Mexico, Half Moon Cay Bahamas, Curaçao, Aruba, so thank you for this information. As of now I have one lonely stamp I’m mine. Lol. Which is Dominican Republic from Amber Cove.
Thanks for reading, Angie! We haven’t been to many of these ports yet but definitely let us know how it works out!
im going this year! thanks for the info!!!
Happy to help! Have a great trip!
I’m going to Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan; Belize; and Cozumel in November! Were you able to get the passport stamps?
Hi Sierra, Of those destinations, we have only been to Cozumel and it was before we were trying to collect stamps. Good luck and let us know if you’re able to get them!
Cozumel when you get off, go straight and you will see a big yellow building on the right, go up the stairs and have the person at the desk stamp it. Belize you have to go all the way down to Terminal 4 almost to the gates and it is in a white hut on the left. Roatan has them at the information booth.
Hi, we got a nice stamp into our passports in Puerto Quetzal / Guatemala. We did not need to knock on any door as they had a desk outside where the shops were and when we wanted to pass for entering the ship, they ask us if we would like to get our passports stamped. This was the first time I heard that it is possible to get a stamp during a cruise. 🙂
Thanks for sharing, Anita!
Great trips! I’ve gotten stamps in Grand Cayman, Bahamas, Jamaica, and Honduras (with the snarky “souvenier” hand-written under it), as well as “souvenir” stamps in Hell, Grand Cayman, and Peggy’s Cove, Canada. I just booked my 2020 cruise to Roatan and Belize so will have to try to get some from there!
Peggy’s Cove, that’s a spot we didn’t know about! Thanks for sharing!
Anyone have details about Canadian Atlantic ports? Sailing from NYC on Celebrity up and around to Quebec City and back this fall. Halifax, Charlottetown, Sydney and Quebec City. Thanks!
We haven’t been to any of these but would love to hear what you find out when you get back. We really want to do one of these cruises soon!
Didn’t try there but Halifax offers a nice souvenir certificate available in the tourist office. It is an honorary membership in “The Order of Good Cheer” (also translated as “Good Time”). That is a real Nova Scotian society that traces its roots back to 1606. Just ask at the main building on the dock. (Incidentally, if anyone goes to Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, you can ask for a certificate in the big tourist office too. I got a nice passport stamp there as well; I picked the one that shows a map of the island.)
Great tips, Richard! Thanks for sharing!
I followed your advice and got the Nassau stamp this past weekend. Works perfectly! We had to ask and be let in through a security gate, but the office was more than happy to provide the stamp!
They’re always very accommodating- I’m glad you were able to get one!
Grand Cayman has a sign posted they no longer stamp passports and we asked and were told the only place is the airport.
Thank you for sharing this update, Mel!
I did not see a place in Puerto Plata, D.R. Having been to the island before I didn’t look too hard but nothing was immediately evident. Did just get one in St. John’s, Antigua, and that was very easy. A grey stone building that’s a police sub-station is right at the end of the pier just past the fence. The immigration person isn’t ready until about 11 but will do it after that and was very nice about it. She said they’re used to getting requests.
It feels good to be cruising again!
I just returned from a trip on Carnival Magic last week. In Amber Cove there is a building in the port area that offer’s free stamps (it is an official stamp). In Grand Turk we rented a gold cart to go see the light house on the other end of Grand Turk and stopped at the immigration office. The agent working was put off by our request but did provide a stamp to each of us free of charge. In Half Moon Cay we were unable to secure a passport stamp.
Great info! Thank you for sharing!