Three Bird Travel / Know before you go
Useful links. Fewer last-minute surprises.
Keep the official information close. Entry requirements, health guidance, baggage rules, and sailing details can change between booking and departure.
Documents and entry requirements
- U.S. Department of State: a starting point for U.S. passports, country information, and travel advisories.
- Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP): information about travel alerts and enrollment for eligible U.S. travelers.
- Your destination’s official government or embassy website: verify visas, entry authorizations, passport validity, and requirements for your nationality.
These U.S. resources will not cover every traveler’s situation. If you hold another nationality, also consult your own government and the authorities for every destination and transit country.
Health and well-being
- CDC Travelers’ Health: destination information and travel health notices.
- CDC cruise ship travel guidance: practical preparation and illness-prevention advice.
- CDC Vessel Sanitation Program: information about cruise ship public health oversight.
Flights, bags, and batteries
- TSA travel information: U.S. airport security preparation and screening information.
- FAA PackSafe: guidance on batteries and other potentially hazardous items in baggage.
- Your operating airline: verify baggage allowances, check-in cutoffs, accessibility arrangements, and battery restrictions directly. Other countries have their own security rules.
Your cruise line is the source for your sailing
Use the cruise line’s official website or app for online check-in, document rules, prohibited items, dining dress codes, accessibility requests, and your final boarding instructions. Policies can differ between ships and itineraries, even within the same brand.
Confirm the departure terminal, boarding window, port transportation, and all-aboard times. In port, check whether ship time differs from local time; do not rely on your phone updating correctly.
Insurance and unexpected changes
Read the actual policy wording before buying travel insurance. Compare cancellation reasons, medical and evacuation limits, exclusions, claim requirements, and time-sensitive conditions. Save the assistance number offline. Neither a general travel article nor a sales summary replaces the policy.
A simple pre-departure routine
- After booking: check documents, insurance options, key payment dates, and any advance support needs.
- Several weeks out: review health guidance and confirm transfers, excursions, and required entry authorizations.
- Before leaving: recheck official alerts and supplier instructions; download travel documents and emergency contacts.
External sites are maintained by their respective organizations. Links are provided for reference, not as an endorsement or a guarantee of eligibility, coverage, or admission.