Travel Documents for Cruise without a Flight

Hello friends! I wanted to share my experience out of Brooklyn to the Bahamas cruise. My wife and I checked MSC info and seemed to understand that a Real ID license would be good enough for me since we weren't flying. My passport had expired, and we booked the trip last minute. Fast forward to embarkation and immediately discovered otherwise.

Luckily, we have electronic access to important documents on our phones via drop box, and I was able to get a copy of my birth certificate printed. This was deemed acceptable along with my ID and I was able to board.

As I'm passing through security, I see a gentleman holding up his license having what seems to be the same exchange as me 30 minutes earlier. My wife and I are pretty smart (usually), so this wasn't a case of complete negligence. For a cruise out of NYC that many people may not get on a plane for (the appeal for us), I think a lot of people misunderstood the language on MSC info like we did. Anyway, if you're one of these people, get your passport!