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Can My Service Member Go on a Cruise to Mexico?

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Admit it: You’re 100% guilty of vacation shopping. You’re supposed to be checking email but, oops, you’re on the cruise line website again. Or you’re checking the “interested” box for that African safari deal. A super sweet beach vacation in Bali? Yes, please.

Surprising your active duty spouse with a special trip after deployment or for your 10th wedding anniversary is an exciting idea. But before you pay, pump the brakes.

Your service member may be prevented from going to certain locations or even whole countries.

Can My Service Member Go on a Cruise to Mexico?

Every so often, these kinds of questions pop up on military spouse Facebook groups. Someone will ask about booking a vacation to (insert any country) and another member will chime in that it might be off-limits. Then the debate inevitably begins.

One family went to the country in question without issue. Another couple got denied leave to that same location. What’s a vacation-planning military family to do?

U.S. Military Sets Travel Requirements

First, get the facts. There are several guiding documents and websites that military families should consult before planning any foreign travel.

Have your service member talk with their chain of command. There are often specific off-limits areas based on the unit or command. For example, many SoCal units have designated Tijuana, Mexico, as a no-go zone.

There are regional combatant commands located around the world, with each one covering a different geographic region. Each geographic region-specific command also sets travel requirements.

For example, PACOM in the Asia-Pacific region has set the travel requirements for locations in their region of authority. Right now, North Korea and certain parts of the Philippines are off-limits.

Additionally, each unit or command will also have access to the official Foreign Clearance Guide (FCG). This “for official use only” document outlines the travel requirements for countries and regions around the world. The FCG is a DoD-wide guiding document.

Unfortunately, this is truly an FOUO website. The Foreign Clearance Guide website requires a DoD login to access.

U.S. State Department Guidelines

In addition to the DoD, the State Department also issues travel warnings for U.S. citizens. For the average citizen, these warnings might help them to select a safe place to vacation.

However, DoD travel regulations and the State Department travel warnings are closely linked. Based on these documents, regional commands or specific units can declare any location off-limits to troops.

Even if your dream travel destination is categorized as an elevated risk, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s off-limits. However, there might be a few more hoops to jump through.

Submit Your Package Before You Leave

It’s so tempting to just hop a plane and jet to a cool location. Being totally spur of the moment like that is a limited option for active duty troops. It’s even more complicated than just clearing leave dates with the CO too.

When planning overseas travel, it’s important for your service member to get their chain of command involved.

Getting your preferred leave dates approved is the first step. Your spouse’s chain of command should be in the loop about your exact travel destination and itinerary.

There is an official travel package that service members must fill out in order to travel overseas. The Travel Tracker and Individual Antiterrorism Plan (TT/IATP) and Aircraft and Personnel Automated Clearance Service (APACS) should be filled out prior to travel.

Related: 8 Cruise Lines that Offer Military Discounts

Certain locations also have additional training or knowledge requirements. U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) ask military personnel to complete an additional brief before travel. If you’re heading to Jamaica, you’ll need to meet the training requirements for the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). U.S. African Command (AFRICOM) and U.S. European Command (EUCOM) have similar training requirements before troops are allowed to proceed on leave.

Individual units might have briefs or trainings that need to be completed before traveling. Or there might be unit-specific paperwork that must be approved.

Keeping the chain of command involved during travel planning can ensure that all boxes have been checked before you leave.

Keep Up with Alerts

Even after all the paperwork has been submitted, approved and tickets have been booked, your trip could still be derailed. Stay on top of the news or at least the State Department travel warnings in your destination as you prep for your trip. Changes in safety could create a chain reaction that restricts travel to locations.

Because of this possibility, particularly in more volatile regions, it’s important to consider travel insurance. In the event of a forced cancellation, you might be able to recoup some of your money. Check with your specific travel insurance provider for plan options and specifics.

Additionally, travelers can alert local U.S. embassies and consulates of their trip. The State Department’s STEP program allows users to register their foreign travel. This could allow local U.S. officials to assist you in the event of an emergency.

Can My Service Member Go on a Cruise to Mexico?

Long story short, they probably can go on the cruise. However, your spouse will need to fulfill all the SOUTHCOM travel requirements, complete travel paperwork and get approval from the chain of command.

As long as your service member remembers to keep their command in the loop, and do their due diligence with paperwork, you should be in the clear!

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How to Military-Proof Your Vacation Plans

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As my bio mentions, I come from a military family. One of the best pieces of advice that was given to me from my parents was to never lose out on vacation time. When I graduated from college, I took that advice to heart and made an effort to travel someplace new every year.

It didn’t change when I met my spouse. Although he was a little skeptical at first, we’ve been able to successfully vacation at least once a year since we started dating. My parents shared valuable tricks that have allowed us to vacation despite the military influence.

I know it’s hard to believe because we’ve heard so many different horror stories. In fact, my own vacation plans have been thwarted due to a short-notice TDY and unexpected field exercise. But, the important thing to note is that it’s always worth a try and don’t get discouraged.

With the right planning and flexibility, you can create unforgettable vacations, despite military annoyances!

Consider these travel tips that have been tested by my parents and myself:

How to Military-Proof Your Vacation Plans

How has military life interrupted your vacation plans? Don’t be discouraged. Try these 5 travel tips to create unforgettable vacations.

1. Don’t be afraid of planning ahead.

As a rule of thumb, my spouse and I like to map out a year in advance. It sounds crazy, right? But, it’s worked out great for us in the last 5 years.

We booked our Alaska cruise a year ahead of time. Military families can benefit from early bird deals in addition to military discounts. Yes, it’s a little scary, especially when you know things can change at a moment’s notice. That leads me to my next important point.

2. Always buy the travel insurance!

My spouse and I never book without it. Remember that Alaska cruise I mentioned? Well, we had to change the date two times before we actually left for our vacation.

Travel insurance gives you the flexibility to change dates without a hitch. Be sure you read the terms carefully to make sure you have the right type of protection for your vacation. We always make sure that if it gets to the point of not knowing when we could use it, the credit could still be there for us to use at any time.

During our Alaska vacation, we only had to pay the difference of our original sail date to our new one. Because of all the discounts we landed early on, the slight increase didn’t put a dent in our budget.

3. Make the most of block leave.

Depending on your assignment or location, military members can get a sense of when some breathing room comes their way. My spouse seems to get breathing room during the summer and winter months. He typically likes to take at least a week off at those times, so we aim to schedule vacations at that time.

In the last 2 years, we’ve got to go explore a new location along with spending the holidays with family. This past year, we celebrated the New Year and quickly jetset to Vegas to spend the next 5 days with my parents.

4. Plan a PCS vacation.

So far, my spouse and I are 2-2. We’ve PCSed two times together and have taken two vacations. Our first one was a PCS road trip from New York to Arizona. We mapped out a special route for ourselves that included visits through Texas.

Our last PCS is when we went on our honeymoon.

Yes, it can be done and it really doesn’t matter when you do it. My spouse was coming from an overseas tour and took a full month of leave. We moved all of my household goods and then flew out of our new duty station to cruise out of Puerto Rico.

5. Don’t be afraid of short-term planning either.

My spouse had use it or lose it vacation time a couple years ago, so we were encouraged to take time off. I came across an email with last-minute vacation deals and passed it along to my spouse.

If he had time to use, why not use it on a beach? We quickly booked another getaway as we were waiting for our Alaska cruise as a matter of fact. We couldn’t resist because the price was right and it was for the right amount of days off.

How do you military-proof your vacation plans?