What Is a Closed Loop Cruise?
You might have heard the term "closed loop cruise" in reference to a sailing and wondered what it meant. While it does have to do with the ports on the itinerary -- forming a complete loop, if you will -- it's a bit more complicated than that. After 9/11, the U.S. government ramped up border security, and launched the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) in 2009 to clarify documentation requirements for people traveling into and out of the U.S. Closed loop cruises are a special category within the WHTI guidelines, and sailing on one means you can provide different I.D. than on other cruises traveling to or from the U.S. Here we define what is a closed loop cruise and what it means for your travel documentation.