Cruises and the Registry

A cruise raises five separate questions for someone on a sex offender registry, and the answer to one does not settle another. This page sets out what the cruise lines' own contracts, the port countries' immigration laws and U.S. reporting law actually say, and labels how firm each finding is.

Last verified: October 19, 2026 · Written for people still registered, including after probation or parole ends · Not legal advice

Five separate questions

Each one is decided by someone different, under different rules
  1. Will the line sell me a ticket and let me board?The cruise line decides, under its ticket contract.
  2. Will each port country admit me?That country's immigration law and officers decide. The line's policy has no bearing on it.
  3. Can I go ashore at a port?Going ashore is entering the country. The officers at that port decide, often from a passenger list sent ahead.
  4. Can I stay aboard if I'm not admitted?Nothing guarantees it. The laws and contracts we read treat it as something the line or the port may impose.
  5. What must I report at home?U.S. federal and state law require advance notice of travel outside the country, whether or not you go ashore.
Registrants are not all treated alike. The offense, the sentence actually imposed, whether a minor was involved, a pardon, and the passport you hold can all change the answers below. A country's general criminal-record rule is not a registry ban. A cruise line's screening policy says nothing about a country's entry rules. A traveler's story is not a legal rule.

How to read the labels

The labels describe the evidence, never the traveler or the trip
  • Confirmed We read it in the official text: a statute, a contract, or an agency's own page. It is quoted and linked.
  • Conditional The official text allows a refusal, but whether it reaches you depends on your offense, your sentence, or an official's judgment.
  • Reported Accounts from travelers, advocacy groups or the press. Useful as a lead, not confirmed by any official source.
  • Unresolved We could not find, or could not read, an official answer. We say what is missing rather than guess.

No finding here says a line or a port is "safe" or "unsafe." Nobody but the line and the officers on the day can say that, and the official texts do not.

1. Cruise lines: booking and boarding

Question 1 only. Read from each line's current U.S. ticket contract.

No U.S. law requires a cruise line to screen passengers against a sex offender registry. The federal Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act (46 U.S.C. §3507) deals with crimes and safety aboard, and says nothing about screening passengers. Screening is a matter of each line's contract, and the contracts differ. Some name sex offenses or registries; others only reserve a broad right to refuse anyone.

Two kinds of wording matter. A registry clause turns on being listed. A conviction clause turns on the record, so it can reach someone who is no longer registered, and a registrant whose offense is not on the line's list may fall outside it. Where a contract says only "criminal background," it does not say which records count.

  • Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) Confirmed The contract names registry status itself: NCL may refuse to carry a guest who "appears on any sex offender list," with no compensation.

    What the contract says

    "Carrier further reserves the right to refuse to transport a Guest and/or remove a Guest from any property, facility and/or vessel operated by Carrier if the Guest … appears on any sex offender list … Any Guest who is refused passage or otherwise denied any advertised benefit or service under this paragraph shall not be entitled to receive any compensation whatsoever, except as otherwise provided herein or as required by law, and shall become liable for any resulting expenses incurred by the Carrier."

    Guest Ticket Contract (U.S.), §5(b), version dated 02/2026.

    What it does and does not establish

    This is the only contract we read that turns on being listed rather than on a conviction. It says NCL "reserves the right" to refuse. It does not say NCL checks every booking, how it checks, or which lists count. The same clause also lets NCL refuse passage, or refuse reboarding after going ashore, to a guest who "may be refused admission into a port of landing or into the country of destination" (see Staying aboard).

    Last verified October 19, 2026
  • NCL: a registrant's account of the policy Reported A registrant wrote in 2022 that NCL cancelled a family booking a week before sailing, under a registry policy NCL security said began June 1, 2022.

    In a member submission published by the Florida Action Committee on July 20, 2022, a registrant said NCL called a week before the cruise to cancel the reservation "because I was on the sex offender registry" with no appeal. They wrote that NCL's security office then told them it was "a new policy, started on June 1st 2022," applying "purely by being on the registry regardless of my crime."

    This is one person's account, not an NCL statement. It is consistent with the "sex offender list" wording in NCL's current contract, but it does not show how NCL screens or whether every registrant is refused.

    Last checked October 19, 2026
  • Carnival Cruise Line Confirmed The contract lets Carnival deny boarding for "sexual assault, and other sexual offenses," found through public records and a consumer background report.

    What the contract says

    "Carnival may deny boarding to any persons with certain enumerated crimes on their record, which include but are not limited to aggravated assault (including aggravated domestic violence), murder, robbery, sexual assault, and other sexual offenses. Carnival reserves the right to access public records containing information about any criminal convictions and/or crimes to which Guest has pleaded guilty as part of its Guest screening process, including obtaining a consumer background report showing such criminal pleas and convictions from a credit reporting agency …"

    Cruise Ticket Contract (U.S.), §2(g). By booking, the guest consents to the records search. A booking denied for a criminal record "shall be deemed to have been cancelled by the Guest … on the date of the booking," subject to the standard cancellation schedule in §7. Companions' bookings are "unaffected," but they pay the usual penalties if they cancel.

    What it does and does not establish

    The trigger is a conviction or guilty plea for a listed crime, not registry status, and the list is open-ended ("not limited to"). The contract says "may," so it is a reserved right, not a promise that every such guest is refused. It does not mention the national registry website. How the "deemed cancelled on the date of booking" rule works out in money was not confirmed with Carnival.

    Last verified October 19, 2026
  • Princess Cruises Confirmed Same conviction clause as Carnival. Anyone refused before the sailing gets the full cruise price back.

    What the contract says

    "Carrier may deny boarding to any persons with certain enumerated crimes on their record, which include, but are not limited to, aggravated assault (including aggravated domestic violence), murder, robbery, sexual assault, and other sexual offenses. … Any person(s) refused booking or passage in advance of the scheduled sailing by Carrier will be given a refund of their Total Cruise Price."

    Passage Contract (U.S.), §4, "Updated August 2026." The guest consents to a public-records search and a consumer background report.

    What it does and does not establish

    As with Carnival, the trigger is the conviction, not registration, and refusal is discretionary ("may"). The refund applies to refusals made before the sailing. The same section says there is no refund for someone who books after being told they may no longer sail.

    Last verified October 19, 2026
  • Holland America Line Confirmed Same conviction clause as Princess, with a full refund if refused before the sailing or the land part of a cruisetour.

    What the contract says

    "Carrier may deny boarding to any persons with certain enumerated crimes on their record, which include, but are not limited to, aggravated assault (including aggravated domestic violence), murder, robbery, sexual assault, and other sexual offenses. … Any person(s) refused booking or passage in advance of the scheduled sailing or commencement of the Cruisetour or pre-cruise Land Trip by Carrier will be given a refund of their Total Cruise Price."

    Cruise Contract (U.S.), §4, "Updated July 2026."

    What it does and does not establish

    A conviction clause, discretionary, with a background-report consent. It is not a registry clause.

    Last verified October 19, 2026
  • Disney Cruise Line Conditional The contract reserves the right to refuse "any Guest with a criminal background," with no refund. It does not say which records count or whether Disney screens.

    What the contract says

    "The Carrier and the Master each further reserves the right, without any liability whatsoever, to refuse passage or transport, or to disembark at any port … any Guest with a criminal background … or who, in the Master's opinion, might be excluded from landing at destination by Immigration or other Governmental Authorities. … In any and all cases described in this clause, the Guest shall not be entitled to any refund of fare, credit or compensation whatsoever."

    Cruise Contract (U.S.), Version #16. The page does not print clause numbers; this is the clause after the one labeled Clause 24.

    What it does and does not establish

    "Criminal background" is undefined. The contract names no offense, no registry and no screening method. That makes this a reserved power whose reach is unknown, not a confirmed registry policy.

    Last verified October 19, 2026
  • Virgin Voyages Conditional The contract lets Virgin refuse or disembark "any Guest with a criminal background." It names no offense, registry or screening method.

    What the contract says

    "Carrier may refuse to transport or may disembark at any port any Guest with a criminal background …"

    Ticket Contract, §20.3, "Version: October 7, 2025 (v.6.5)." The rest of that sentence, about disease and immigration, is garbled in Virgin's own text, so only the opening is quoted.

    What it does and does not establish

    Like Disney's, this is an undefined reserved power. It does not establish that Virgin screens registrants.

    Last verified October 19, 2026
  • Royal Caribbean International Unresolved No criminal-record or registry clause in the contract or the group's refusal policy. Press and advocacy reports say it does check registries; we could not confirm that from any official source.

    What the official documents say

    The U.S. Cruise/Cruisetour Ticket Contract (revision R(US)OCT2026) has no clause on convictions, background checks or registries. It does let the line refuse anyone "whenever such action is necessary to comply with any government regulations, directives or instructions," or under its Refusal to Transport Policy (§9.i). That policy, last updated September 18, 2020, covers Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Silversea and Azamara. Its grounds are "non-exhaustive" and decisions are "in our sole discretion," but it does not mention criminal records or registries either.

    What has been reported

    In April 2017 the Florida Action Committee, an advocacy group for registrants, reported, citing a travel-trade article, that Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and another line "check their passenger manifests against the Sex Offender registry and deny access to registrants." That is a secondary report, now more than nine years old. We found nothing on Royal Caribbean's own pages that says so.

    What would settle it

    A written statement from Royal Caribbean on whether it screens bookings against registries, and on what basis. We have not received one.

    Last verified October 19, 2026
  • Celebrity Cruises Unresolved Its contract has no criminal-record or registry clause; it defers to the same Royal Caribbean Group refusal policy, which has none either.

    What the official documents say

    The U.S. guest terms let Celebrity refuse to transport or deny boarding under its Refusal to Transport Policy (§9(i), §13(f)), and say that when it does, "Carrier shall have no liability for refund, compensation, loss or damages." That group-wide policy, last updated September 18, 2020, lists no criminal-record or registry ground and says its list is "non-exhaustive."

    What would settle it

    The same as Royal Caribbean: a written statement from the line. The reports described above cover Celebrity too.

    Last verified October 19, 2026
  • Viking Unresolved No criminal-record or registry clause found. Viking may cancel or deny embarkation "for any lawful, non-discriminatory reason."

    What the contract says

    "Carrier may, in its sole discretion and for any lawful, non-discriminatory reason, cancel a booking at any time prior to sailing or deny embarkation or require disembarkation of any passenger."

    Passenger Ticket Contract, §14, "Last Updated Date: October 8, 2026." A separate clause, §11(b), covers a guest who "might be excluded from landing at any destination by immigration or other governmental authorities." If Viking cancels under that clause, it says its "sole obligation and liability shall be the prompt refund of all monies paid."

    What it does and does not establish

    The contract does not mention convictions or registries. Whether Viking screens at all is unknown.

    Last verified October 19, 2026
  • MSC Cruises Unresolved We could not read MSC's U.S. contract. Its website refused every automated request, so we make no claim about MSC's policy.

    MSC's U.S. site answered every request for its passage contract and conditions of carriage with an access block (HTTP 401). That is a bot wall, not a missing page, but it means we have not read the text. Read MSC's current passage contract before you book, and look for wording on criminal records, background checks or registries.

    Attempted October 19, 2026

2. Ports: entry and going ashore

Questions 2 and 3. Read from each country's own immigration statute.

For a cruise passenger, going ashore is entering the country, and immigration officers at the port decide. None of the foreign immigration statutes below mentions sex offender registration. Each reaches people with certain criminal records, or lets officials bar people on information from another government. That makes every finding here conditional: whether it reaches you depends on your offense, your sentence and the officer. The U.S. can send that information ahead. The Angel Watch Center and the U.S. Marshals may notify a destination country of a registrant's travel; see our U.S. travel guide.

  • The Bahamas Conditional Officers may refuse a person convicted anywhere of an offense punishable in the Bahamas by 3+ years, if deemed undesirable. Cruise ships must send passenger manifests.

    What the law says

    No one may land without an immigration officer's leave (Immigration Act, Ch. 191, s. 19). An officer may grant leave on being satisfied that the person:

    "has not, since attaining the age of fourteen years, been convicted in any place of murder or an offence of a nature punishable in The Bahamas with imprisonment for a term of three years or more who by reason of such conviction is deemed by the Board or an Immigration Officer to be undesirable" (s. 22(1)(g))

    The Immigration Board can also put on a "stop list" anyone whose landing "appears undesirable in view of information or advice received from any source which the Board considers reliable" (s. 24). The master of a cruise ship must send a passenger manifest (s. 36A), and no passenger may land before an officer gives permission (s. 35). Where leave is refused, the Director of Immigration may still permit landing in writing (s. 23).

    What it does and does not establish

    This is a general criminal-record ground, not a registry ban. It turns on how Bahamian law would punish the offense and on an officer finding the person undesirable. The stop list is the route by which a foreign government's notice could be acted on. Cruise passengers get no exemption: the transit exemption in s. 21 covers crew and air-transit passengers only.

    Recheck: the consolidation we read is LRO 1/2017. Later amendments were not checked.

    Last verified October 19, 2026
  • Jamaica Conditional Leave to land "shall not be given" to a foreign national sentenced abroad for an extradition offense. It is the firmest bar of the ports we read, but it turns on the offense and the sentence.

    What the law says

    Under the Aliens Act, which governs U.S. citizens, no alien may land without an immigration officer's leave (s. 5). Section 6 sets conditions for that leave:

    "Leave shall not be given to an alien to land in the Island unless he complies with the following conditions … he has not been sentenced in a foreign country for any extradition offence within the meaning of the Extradition Act; … he has not been prohibited from landing by the Minister"

    The Minister may exempt any person or class of persons from the Act (s. 17). An alien refused leave may be detained on board the arriving ship, and "shall on the request of an immigration officer" be so detained (s. 9(6)).

    What it does and does not establish

    The wording is mandatory, but it applies only to a sentence for an extradition offence as Jamaica's Extradition Act defines it. We did not determine which U.S. sex offenses fall within that definition. Jamaica's own registry law, the Sexual Offences Act, defines "sex offender" by reference to its own Register, and nothing we read applies it to visitors.

    Recheck: which offenses count as "extradition offences" under the Extradition Act.

    Last verified October 19, 2026
  • Cayman Islands Conditional A person sentenced anywhere to 12 months or more, with no free pardon, is a "prohibited immigrant." The stop list can be shared with ships' agents.

    What the law says

    Under the Customs and Border Control Act, a prohibited immigrant includes:

    "a person who, not having received a free pardon, has been convicted in any country of an offence for which a sentence of imprisonment of or exceeding twelve months has been passed otherwise than for non-payment of a fine" (s. 109(h))

    It also covers anyone the Cabinet deems an "undesirable inhabitant of or visitor to the Islands" on information it considers reliable (s. 109(g)). The Director keeps a stop list of people known to fall within s. 109, and may give copies "to the local agent of vessels arriving in the Islands" (s. 108). A prohibited immigrant aboard a vessel "may be temporarily detained" and is "deemed to be in legal custody and not to have landed" (s. 99(1)(c)).

    What it does and does not establish

    The test is the sentence actually passed, not the offense or registration. Someone sentenced to probation only, or to less than 12 months, falls outside s. 109(h), though not outside s. 109(g).

    Recheck: we read the 2021 Revision; a 2022 amendment exists, and the 2024 Revision was not available.

    Last verified October 19, 2026
  • Mexico (Cozumel, Ensenada, Cabo, others) Conditional Mexico may refuse entry to a foreign national whose criminal record, in Mexico or abroad, could compromise national or public security. No offenses are listed.

    What the law says

    Ley de Migración, art. 43(I): entry may be refused to a foreign national with a criminal record in Mexico or abroad that could compromise national or public security. The same ground allows deportation (art. 144).

    What it does and does not establish

    What Mexico's immigration institute has said

    In a February 17, 2014 bulletin (No. 09/14), the Instituto Nacional de Migración said its "Programa Ángel Guardián" keeps out foreigners "que han purgado condenas o han sido sentenciados" (who have served or received sentences) for sexual assault or rape of minors, working with U.S. CBP and ICE. It reported refusing 51 foreigners since 2013, citing art. 43(I).

    What it does and does not establish

    The statute is a broad, discretionary security ground that does not name sex offenses or registration. The 2014 bulletin is official, but it is twelve years old, describes offenses against minors only, and does not mention cruise ports. We found no newer statement. See our Mexico profile for the full sourced findings.

    Statute verified September 29, 2026 (Mexico profile); bulletin verified October 19, 2026
  • Dominican Republic Conditional A criminal record bars entry unless it shows the person is not dangerous. The offense, sentence, any reoffending and whether the sentence is complete are weighed.

    What the law says

    Ley General de Migración 285-04, art. 15(6)–(7): entry is barred for people serving a sentence or being prosecuted. A criminal record is also an impediment unless it shows no dangerousness, weighing the nature of the offense, the sentence, recidivism and whether the sentence has been extinguished.

    What it does and does not establish

    For someone whose sentence is complete, this is a judgment call, not an automatic bar. See our Dominican Republic profile.

    Last verified September 29, 2026 (Dominican Republic profile)
  • Belize Conditional A person convicted anywhere and sentenced to prison, without a free pardon, is a prohibited immigrant if the Minister deems them undesirable.

    What the law says

    Immigration Act, Cap. 156, s. 5(1)(h)–(i): a person who, without a free pardon, was convicted in any country of an offense for which a prison sentence was passed, and whom the Minister deems an undesirable immigrant, is a prohibited immigrant. The Minister may also exclude anyone deemed an undesirable visitor on information considered reliable.

    What it does and does not establish

    It needs both a prison sentence and a ministerial finding. See our Belize profile.

    Last verified September 28, 2026 (Belize profile)
  • Honduras (Roatán) Conditional The law says entry "shall" be denied to foreigners convicted of common crimes, followed by immediate re-embarkation. It is broad on its face; how it is applied to cruise passengers is not documented.

    What the law says

    Ley de Migración y Extranjería (Decreto 208-2003), art. 81: the migration authority "negará la entrada o permanencia en el país, aún cuando dispongan de la visa respectiva" (shall deny entry or stay, even with a visa) to foreigners in listed cases, including:

    "7) Quienes hayan sufrido condena por delitos comunes, excluyendo los delitos comunes conexos a los políticos" (those who have been convicted of common crimes, excluding those connected to political crimes)

    In any listed case, "sin ningún trámite previo" (without any prior procedure), the authority "procederá de inmediato al reembarque del extranjero cuyo ingreso se rechaza" (shall immediately re-embark the refused foreigner). Refusal at the border is immediate (art. 87(3)). Carriers must give migration officials their passenger manifests on arrival and departure (art. 96).

    What it does and does not establish

    The text reaches any conviction for a common crime, not sex offenses or registration in particular. It does not say whether foreign convictions are checked for cruise passengers or how. The law has no cruise-specific provision; "crucero" and "buque" do not appear in it.

    Recheck: read from the FAO's scan of the official gazette, because the Honduran migration institute's copy was offline. Later amendments were not checked.

    Last verified October 19, 2026
  • Bermuda Conditional A person convicted anywhere of an offense punishable in Bermuda by 2+ years is an "exceptionable person" who needs special permission to land. A passenger who stays on the ship is not treated as landing.

    What the law says

    Bermuda Immigration and Protection Act 1956, s. 31: an immigration officer "shall not allow" an exceptionable person to land except under directions from the Governor. A person is exceptionable, among other grounds:

    "if he has, since attaining the age of 14 years, been convicted in any place of an offence of a nature punishable in Bermuda with imprisonment for a term of two years or more"

    The Governor may also stop-list anyone "whose landing in Bermuda appears undesirable in view of information or advice received from any official or other trusted source" (s. 31(5)). Section 24 provides that a person arriving by ship "shall not be deemed to land" if "he does not leave that ship."

    What it does and does not establish

    A general criminal-record ground, measured by Bermudian penalties. Section 24 explains how staying aboard is treated legally; it does not oblige a line to carry anyone.

    Last verified October 19, 2026
  • Canada (Alaska and New England routes) Conditional Itineraries that look domestic can call in Canada. Canada treats serious criminality, including convictions abroad, as grounds of inadmissibility.

    Why Canada comes up

    Federal law generally bars a vessel that is not U.S.-owned and coastwise-endorsed from carrying passengers between U.S. ports, "either directly or via a foreign port" (46 U.S.C. §55103). That is why an Alaska cruise from Seattle, or a New England cruise, can include a stop in Canada. Check every port on your itinerary.

    What the law says

    Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, s. 36, makes foreign nationals inadmissible for criminality, including convictions outside Canada, subject to rehabilitation rules. See our Canada profile for the sourced detail.

    Last verified October 19, 2026
  • U.S. Virgin Islands (St. Thomas, St. Croix) Confirmed A U.S. territory, so no immigration bar, but its registry says visiting registrants must register in person. Whether that covers a few hours ashore from a ship is not stated.

    What the official page says

    "To visit the Virgin Islands as a registered sex offender, you will be required to appear in person at the Virgin Islands Department of Justice to register."

    It asks for identification, temporary lodging, any rental vehicle and a round-trip itinerary.

    What it does and does not establish

    This is the registry's stated requirement for visitors. It does not mention cruise passengers or say whether a day in port counts as a visit. Ask the Virgin Islands Department of Justice in writing before you sail.

    Last verified October 19, 2026
  • Puerto Rico (San Juan) Unresolved Puerto Rico's registry law covers people who move there or are there for work or study. We found no rule for tourists or cruise visitors.

    What the law says

    Ley 266-2004, art. 3(b) and art. 5, covers people convicted elsewhere who move to Puerto Rico, or who are there "por razón de trabajo o estudio" (for work or study) even without intending to settle. They must register within three days of arriving.

    What it does and does not establish

    The law as revised on May 13, 2024 has no provision for tourists that we could find. That is not the same as saying a visitor has no duty. Ask the Puerto Rico Police registry office if your trip includes San Juan.

    Last verified October 19, 2026
  • Reports of registrants refused at ports Reported A 2019 advocacy report says the Bahamas began denying entry to registrants. We found no first-hand, dated account of a refusal at a specific cruise port.

    On April 26, 2019, the Florida Action Committee posted, citing the Registrant Travel Action Group, that "persons required to register as sex offenders are now being denied entry into the Bahamas." The post does not mention cruises, name a port, or describe a specific traveler. We looked for first-hand reports of refusals at Nassau, Cozumel, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Roatán and the Dominican Republic and found none we could date and check.

    Treat this as a reason to take the Bahamas statute seriously, not as proof that every registrant is refused there.

    Last checked October 19, 2026

Not yet covered: Turks and Caicos (its 1971 ordinance could not be read from an official copy), Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Lucia and St. Kitts. For countries outside this list, see the International guide.

3. Staying aboard if you can't go ashore

Question 4. Not a workaround, and not a right.

It is often said that a registrant who is refused at a port can simply stay on the ship. Nothing we read guarantees that. The port laws treat keeping someone aboard as a form of detention the port can order. The contracts let the line refuse to carry a passenger it expects to be refused at a port, before the cruise or partway through.

  • Port laws: kept aboard by order Confirmed Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, the Bahamas and Honduras each give officers power to keep a refused passenger on, or return them to, the ship. It is the port's decision, not the passenger's.
    • Jamaica: the master "shall on the request of an immigration officer" detain on board an alien refused leave to land, and that person "shall be deemed to be in legal custody" (Aliens Act, s. 9(6)).
    • Cayman Islands: a prohibited immigrant on a vessel "may be temporarily detained" and is "deemed to be in legal custody and not to have landed" (Customs and Border Control Act, s. 99(1)(c)).
    • Honduras: a refused foreigner is re-embarked "de inmediato," without prior procedure (Ley 208-2003, art. 81).
    • Bermuda: a ship passenger who "does not leave that ship" is not deemed to land (Act of 1956, s. 24).
    • The Bahamas: an officer "may at any time give notice to any person on board any ship … prohibiting him from landing without the leave of an Immigration Officer" (Immigration Act, s. 21(2)). A refused person can be ordered removed by the master "in that ship" (s. 25(1)).

    These provisions describe what happens after a refusal. They do not oblige a cruise line to carry a passenger whom it expects to be refused.

    Last verified October 19, 2026
  • Contracts: the line can refuse a passenger a port may refuse Confirmed NCL, Disney and Viking expressly let the line refuse a guest who may be refused at a port. Carnival requires eligibility to travel "throughout the cruise."
    • NCL may "refuse or revoke passage to, or confine to a stateroom, or refuse to reboard after going ashore any Guest who … may be refused admission into a port of landing or into the country of destination" (§5(b)).
    • Disney may refuse passage to, or disembark, a guest who "might be excluded from landing at destination by Immigration or other Governmental Authorities," with no refund.
    • Viking may refuse a guest who "might be excluded from landing at any destination by immigration or other governmental authorities" (§11(b)).
    • Carnival: "Proper travel documentation and eligibility to travel is required at embarkation and throughout the cruise," and Carnival "may cancel the booking of any Guest who is or becomes ineligible to travel for any reason," without refund (§2(a)). Disembarking a guest under a government's orders counts as performing the contract (§8(f)).
    • Royal Caribbean may refuse to transport a guest when needed "to comply with any government regulations, directives or instructions" (§9.i).

    No contract we read promises that a passenger refused at a port may remain aboard for the rest of the cruise.

    Last verified October 19, 2026
  • What lines do in practice Unresolved Whether a line will let a registrant sail knowing they may be kept aboard at some ports is not stated in any official document we found.

    The one sourced account we found is of a registrant refused before sailing (NCL, 2022). We found no dated, checkable account either way of a registrant kept aboard at a port. No line has published a rule, and we have no written answer from any line. Plan for the possibility that you cannot go ashore at any foreign port, and for the possibility that the line will not carry you at all.

    Last checked October 19, 2026

4. U.S. reporting: the cruise counts as international travel

Question 5. Federal law sets the floor; your state may add more.
  • The federal 21-day notice Confirmed Report "intended travel outside the United States" at least 21 days ahead, including "each country visited." The rule has no exception for sea travel.

    What the regulation says

    "A sex offender must report intended travel outside the United States, including the information described in § 72.6(d), to his residence jurisdiction (by whatever means the jurisdiction allows). The sex offender must report the travel information to the jurisdiction at least 21 days in advance of the intended travel …" (28 C.F.R. §72.7(f))

    The information required by §72.6(d) includes the itinerary, "dates and places of departure from, arrival in, or return to the United States and each country visited," and the "means and purpose of travel." For a cruise, that means every foreign port of call.

    What it does and does not establish

    Neither the statute, the regulation nor the 2021 rule that adopted it mentions cruises, ships or closed-loop sailings. It covers all travel outside the United States and gives no exception by how you travel. We found no official text that treats staying aboard at a foreign port as not traveling. Failing to give required international travel information and then traveling abroad is a separate federal crime (18 U.S.C. §2250(b)).

    It has been prosecuted for a cruise

    In January 2021, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia announced a 20-month sentence for a Georgia registrant who took a four-day Carnival cruise from Tampa to Cozumel in December 2019 without reporting it 21 days ahead. CBP officers boarded the ship when it returned to Tampa and arrested him. He had pleaded guilty to failing to provide information about intended international travel.

    The Justice Department page returns no content to automated readers; the details above are from its published text as indexed by search, October 19, 2026.

    Last verified October 19, 2026
  • Florida names the cruise port Confirmed Florida requires in-person notice 21 days before international travel, and lists "cruise port of departure" among the details.
    "For international travel, the sexual offender shall also provide travel information, including, but not limited to, expected departure and return dates, flight number, airport of departure, cruise port of departure, or any other means of intended travel." (Fla. Stat. §943.0435(7))

    The report must be in person to the sheriff at least 21 days before travel. If you then decide not to go, you must report that in person within 48 hours (§943.0435(8)). Florida's department then notifies the destination country's comparable agency.

    Last verified October 19, 2026
  • Other states: method and detail vary Confirmed States set how the notice is filed. Several ask for the means of travel and full itinerary, which for a cruise means the ship and every port.
    • Washington: signed written notice to the county sheriff 21 days before travel, by certified mail or in person, including passport number, destination, itinerary and "means of travel."
    • Alabama: international travel requires notice at least 21 days in advance, and a travel notification document is needed before leaving the county for three or more days.
    • Louisiana: international travel must be reported at least 21 days before departure regardless of length.
    • Alaska: written notice at least 21 days before leaving the state for travel outside the United States.

    Look up your state in the statute library, and confirm the filing method with your registering agency.

    From statute text in our library, checked October 19, 2026
  • Federal notices to ports Unresolved The law lets Angel Watch and the U.S. Marshals notify destination countries. Whether and how they notify cruise ports is not described in any official source we found.

    The Angel Watch Center (34 U.S.C. §21503) and the U.S. Marshals Service (34 U.S.C. §21504) may notify a destination country of a registrant's intended travel. The statutes speak of travel generally. The Homeland Security privacy notice for the Angel Watch program describes it scanning "passenger manifests of outgoing international flights"; it does not mention ships. Separately, the Bahamas requires cruise ships to send passenger manifests (Immigration Act, s. 36A), so at least one port has the passenger list before arrival whatever the U.S. does.

    Last verified October 19, 2026

5. Passports and closed-loop cruises

Who needs what document depends on the registrant's category
  • Closed-loop cruises: re-entry without a passport Confirmed U.S. citizens on a cruise that starts and ends at the same U.S. port may re-enter with photo ID and proof of citizenship. The ports may still demand a passport.

    U.S. Customs and Border Protection says U.S. citizens on closed-loop cruises (those that "travel only within the Western Hemisphere, and return to the same U.S. port on the same ship") "may present a government issued photo identification, along with proof of citizenship," such as a birth certificate. It adds that "you may still be required to present a passport to enter the countries your cruise ship is visiting."

    What it does and does not establish

    This rule is about coming back into the United States. It does not change any port's entry rules, any line's eligibility rules, or the 21-day notice.

    Last verified October 19, 2026
  • The passport identifier and passport cards Conditional Only "covered sex offenders" (offense against a minor) get the passport endorsement. The State Department does not issue them passport cards, the cheaper card often used for sea travel.

    Under 22 U.S.C. §212b, the State Department may not issue a passport to a "covered sex offender" (someone currently required to register for a sex offense against a minor) unless it carries a unique identifier. The statute defines "passport" to include passport cards. In practice, the State Department says the endorsement cannot be printed on a card and asks covered applicants to send in any valid card. The passport card is valid for re-entering the U.S. by sea from within the Western Hemisphere, which makes it a common cruise document; it is not an option for covered registrants.

    Registrants whose offense did not involve a minor are not covered by the identifier, but the 21-day notice still applies. Federal rules also require registrants to report "each passport" they hold (28 C.F.R. §72.6(e)). See the passport section of our U.S. travel guide.

    The State Department page blocked automated access on October 19, 2026. Its passport-card guidance is as verified for our U.S. travel guide on September 28, 2026.

    Statute verified October 19, 2026
  • A covered registrant on a birth certificate Unresolved No official source says whether a covered registrant may sail a closed-loop cruise on a birth certificate instead of the marked passport.

    Section 212b controls what the State Department may issue; it does not, on its face, require anyone to carry a passport. CBP's closed-loop guidance does not mention registrants. We found nothing official that addresses the combination. Even if re-entry on a birth certificate is allowed, the ports may require a passport, the line's contract may require whatever documents the ports require, and your state's notice form may ask for passport details. Ask your registering agency, and if possible a lawyer, before relying on it.

    Last checked October 19, 2026

What we could not verify

Open questions. We will update this page when an official answer exists.
  • Whether Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Viking, Disney or Virgin actually screen registrants. Their contracts either say nothing about criminal records or reserve an undefined "criminal background" power. No line has given us a written answer.
  • MSC Cruises' policy. Its contract could not be retrieved.
  • Whether lines let registrants sail knowing they may be kept aboard at some ports. No published rule either way.
  • Whether federal travel notices go to cruise ports. The official descriptions of Angel Watch screening mention flights only.
  • Whether a cruise on which you never go ashore still needs the 21-day notice. No official text exempts it, and none addresses it directly. Florida's statute treats the cruise port as part of an international trip.
  • Whether a covered registrant may use a birth certificate on a closed-loop cruise.
  • Which U.S. offenses count as "extradition offences" for Jamaica's entry bar, and how Honduras applies its "delitos comunes" ground to foreign convictions at Roatán.
  • Whether Mexico's 2014 "Ángel Guardián" practice continues, and whether it extends beyond offenses against minors.
  • Whether the U.S. Virgin Islands' visitor registration applies to a day in port, and whether Puerto Rico requires anything of tourists.
  • Ports not yet checked: Turks and Caicos, Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Lucia and St. Kitts.

If you have a written answer from a cruise line or a government office on any of these, send it to us. We publish only what we can check against the source.

Short answers

Each points back to the sourced findings above
Is there a list of cruise lines that accept registrants?

No official one. Contracts tell you what a line reserves the right to do, not what it does on every booking. NCL's names registry status; Carnival's, Princess's and Holland America's name sexual offenses; the rest are silent or general. See Cruise lines.

If a port turns me away, can I just stay on the ship?

Maybe, but nothing guarantees it, and it is not something to plan around. Ports can order you kept aboard, and several lines can refuse to carry you if they expect a port to refuse you. See Staying aboard.

Do I need to file the 21-day notice for a cruise from a U.S. port?

If the cruise calls at any foreign port, it is travel outside the United States, and the federal rule has no exception for travel by sea. Florida names the cruise port in its statute. See U.S. reporting.

I finished probation years ago. Does that change anything?

Not the reporting duty, which follows registration, not supervision. Some port laws turn on whether a sentence is complete, as in the Dominican Republic, or on the length of the sentence passed, as in the Cayman Islands. Cruise-line conviction clauses look at the record itself.

Sources

Primary documents, read October 19, 2026 unless noted

Cruise-line contracts

Port-country law

U.S. law and agency guidance

Secondary sources (leads only)

Related: International guide · U.S. rules for international travel · Statute library

Legal Disclaimer

This page summarizes cruise-line contracts, foreign immigration laws and U.S. registration law for general education, and is not legal advice. Contracts change without notice, entry decisions belong to each country's officers, and your obligations depend on your offense, your state and your registration status. Before booking, read the line's current contract, confirm your reporting duties with your registering agency and, where possible, a lawyer, and check each port country's official sources.