Do I need to have a passport when making a cruise booking

Not when you make the booking - but when you travel if needed

If you make your cruise booking early enough you do not need to be in possession of a passport at the time of making the booking i.e. you can make your cruise booking first and thereafter apply for your passport.

Starting in 2020 it has been possible for South Africans to apply for their passports through the
major banks – ABSA, FNB, Discovery Bank, Investec Bank, Nedbank, and Standard Bank.