do you need a passport on a cruise ship, from the USA , around Bahamas?

If your cruise begins and ends in the same U.s. port and you are a U.S. citizen, you do not need a passport. You can use your birth certificate and photo I.D. do not bother to call the cruise line...they are staffed by complete idiots who never can give you a straight answer. All they do is sell tickets...many people have written in here talking about how they could not get a straight answer form a cruise line. And, YES, you can get off the ship at the stops it makes and visit and go on tours.you do not need a passport for that either.

The cruise ship should be able to answer your question; however, you should always carry your passport with you when traveling

You shouldn't need one if you don't plan on disembarking from the ship to sightsee. If you stay on the ship the whole time, a passport is not needed.