passport quandry

[Clairescurtains]

We have a CCL cruise booked for 1/14 and our passports expire in 5/14. We had intended to have them renewed when we returned from a recent cruise but now with the government shut down I don't know whether to try to renew the passports now or not.:rolleyes:

Would we be better off with the current passports that would still be valid in January rather than take a chance of returning ours to be renewed and perhaps not get them back in time?:confused:

 

Where would one check to see the requirements of various countries for entry?

We are going to Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Columbia, through the Panama Canal, Costa Rica and Mexico.

[wemjam]

Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but this is my understanding:

 

1st: As long as you are leaving and returning from a US Port with Carnival you do NOT have to have a passport. A valid photo ID, and Original Birth Certificate is all that is actually required. So your passport will be more than sufficient even if it expires a couple months after your sail date.

 

2nd: EVERY cruise I have been on you have never needed anything for "entry" at each port. Cruising is different than traveling abroad (which I am also familiar with). They do advise you to take a photo ID, and you have to have your sail and sign card when you get off the ship in each port. This is all you need. However, in the event that for some reason you would need to get home in a hurry from one of these other countries they would most certainly require a passport at the airport - so again, taking your passport is the way to go and you should be more than fine with it still being valid for a few months.

 

PS: I always take a "copy" of my passport with me when I exit the ship as well, not the original, just so I have it if something weird ever happened - this and my drivers license and sail and sign card.

[Sailor_Sally]

Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but this is my understanding:

 

1st: As long as you are leaving and returning from a US Port with Carnival you do NOT have to have a passport. A valid photo ID, and Original Birth Certificate is all that is actually required. So your passport will be more than sufficient even if it expires a couple months after your sail date.

 

.

 

In order to use a birth certificate you have to be leaving and returning to the same US port .

[wemjam]

Thanks Sailor Sally... forgot the "same".... :)

[prattmom]

We have a CCL cruise booked for 1/14 and our passports expire in 5/14. We had intended to have them renewed when we returned from a recent cruise but now with the government shut down I don't know whether to try to renew the passports now or not.:rolleyes:

Would we be better off with the current passports that would still be valid in January rather than take a chance of returning ours to be renewed and perhaps not get them back in time?:confused:

 

Where would one check to see the requirements of various countries for entry?

We are going to Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Columbia, through the Panama Canal, Costa Rica and Mexico.

 

Yours will be valid, you will only need it for reentry to the US... Have fun!

 

 

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[lindfaz]

Your passports are still good. Use them and renew them later when you return. That simple. That's why you have it. I would never go outside of the US without my passport, even though it is on a Carnival cruise.

[Flutie03]

Last I looked. Passports are still being processed according to the website. So its not too late to renew now or later.

 

http://travel.state.gov/passport/

 

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[crusinpsychRN]

For others reading this, some countries require your passport be valid 6 months after you travel, one of which is Belize. OP, the countries you listed aren't on this list.

http://seniortravel.about.com/od/passportsanddocuments/f/Which-Countries-Require-A-Us-Passport-Valid-For-At-Least-Six-Months.htm

[prattmom]

For others reading this, some countries require your passport be valid 6 months after you travel, one of which is Belize. OP, the countries you listed aren't on this list.

http://seniortravel.about.com/od/passportsanddocuments/f/Which-Countries-Require-A-Us-Passport-Valid-For-At-Least-Six-Months.htm

 

But you aren't required to show your passport in Belize as you are traveling under the WHTI... You will be safe whichever you decide...

 

 

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[sparks1093]

As stated passports are still being processed so you may renew it if you wish, or you may wait and renew it after your cruise.

[dst]

As long as your passport agency is not located in a federal building, it will still be processed - however, I would wait its not required for this trip and better safe than sorry

 

Enjoy

[EJG]

We just got our kids passports 1 arrived Monday the outer Wednesday only took 2 weeks I would think there is plenty of time there not shut down

[Tutankhamen]

Not required.

 

I would not travel outside the US without one.

 

Some here advocate not spending the money as it is not required. Stating that if an issue arises, there are plans in place that will not leave you stranded. Just may add time, grief and possibly additional funds.

 

Having a spare tire in my trunk is not required, but I drive with one and also inspect it when I change my oil. If one has a blowout without a spare, they will not be stranded indefinitely. But having the spare will save them time, grief and possibly sheckles if they loose a tire.

[lrowe70]

Goodness, you have 3 months. Passports don't take that long

[winddawn]

We have a CCL cruise booked for 1/14 and our passports expire in 5/14. We had intended to have them renewed when we returned from a recent cruise but now with the government shut down I don't know whether to try to renew the passports now or not.:rolleyes:

Would we be better off with the current passports that would still be valid in January rather than take a chance of returning ours to be renewed and perhaps not get them back in time?:confused:

 

Where would one check to see the requirements of various countries for entry?

We are going to Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Columbia, through the Panama Canal, Costa Rica and Mexico.

Carnival's info on travel documentation:

 

http://www.carnival.com/CMS/FAQs/New_Passport_Requirements.aspx?icid=HSiteSearchPassport

 

The U.S. faces a second potential problem in addition to the furloughs going on now. The U.S. Treasury has said that it will run out of money on October 17th if Congress doesn't raise the debt ceiling to pay debts related to the laws it has already passed. This is a separate issue than the current one where Congress needs to pass a budget that addresses future spending. So my point is that it is really unknown how that might affect passport processing going forward since this U.S. default has never happened before.

 

I think if I was in your position with passports that will expire in <6 months, I would not renew my passport now risking your passport not being returned to you timely. I would take the passport I have now and your birth certificate on your cruise.

[wemjam]

Carnival's info on travel documentation:

 

http://www.carnival.com/CMS/FAQs/New_Passport_Requirements.aspx?icid=HSiteSearchPassport

 

The U.S. faces a second potential problem in addition to the furloughs going on now. The U.S. Treasury has said that it will run out of money on October 17th if Congress doesn't raise the debt ceiling to pay debts related to the laws it has already passed. This is a separate issue than the current one where Congress needs to pass a budget that addresses future spending. So my point is that it is really unknown how that might affect passport processing going forward since this U.S. default has never happened before.

 

I think if I was in your position with passports that will expire in <6 months, I would not renew my passport now risking your passport not being returned to you timely. I would take the passport I have now and your birth certificate on your cruise.

I agree, I think there is no reason at this point to renew it - even though there may be plenty of time. The only reason the passport would even be needed would be in case of some major emergency and you needing to leave your cruise and come home from Belize. TOTALLY take your passport you have now (I would not travel without mine either - even though Carnival does not require it)... and I am sure if there is this kind of major emergency the fact that is still valid for four months from your travel time will be more than sufficient.

[PAPERBKWRITER]

For others reading this, some countries require your passport be valid 6 months after you travel, one of which is Belize. OP, the countries you listed aren't on this list.

http://seniortravel.about.com/od/passportsanddocuments/f/Which-Countries-Require-A-Us-Passport-Valid-For-At-Least-Six-Months.htm[/uR

 

Ran into this last year and there is a time frame for expiring US passports. Not sure but it's not more than 90 days after completing your trip. I think it's 30 days but a phone call should take care of that. You are fine traveling in January.

[Clairescurtains]

Since we are not going to Belize, I think we are fine with the passports we have. They will be valid when we sail and for several months afterward. I have no intention of having to fly home but the passports we have will be good just in case there is an emergency and we need to do that.

 

If congress gets their selves in gear soon and gets everything back working correctly [normally :rolleyes:] then we can go ahead and renew.

[sparks1093]

Not required.

 

I would not travel outside the US without one.

 

Some here advocate not spending the money as it is not required. Stating that if an issue arises, there are plans in place that will not leave you stranded. Just may add time, grief and possibly additional funds.

 

Having a spare tire in my trunk is not required, but I drive with one and also inspect it when I change my oil. If one has a blowout without a spare, they will not be stranded indefinitely. But having the spare will save them time, grief and possibly sheckles if they loose a tire.

 

So if you submitted your passport for renewal and by some fluke it wasn't returned in time for your cruise you would forfeit the cruise rather than use alternative documentation allowed by the closed loop exception?

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Since we are not going to Belize, I think we are fine with the passports we have. They will be valid when we sail and for several months afterward. I have no intention of having to fly home but the passports we have will be good just in case there is an emergency and we need to do that.

 

If congress gets their selves in gear soon and gets everything back working correctly [normally :rolleyes:] then we can go ahead and renew.

 

Even if you were going to Belize you wouldnt need your passport with 6 months left if going on a cruise.

 

Cruise pax are considered in transit which is different than somewhere who flies in to visit.

 

Bill

 

 

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[Sparky2]

I agree, I think there is no reason at this point to renew it - even though there may be plenty of time. The only reason the passport would even be needed would be in case of some major emergency and you needing to leave your cruise and come home from Belize. TOTALLY take your passport you have now (I would not travel without mine either - even though Carnival does not require it)... and I am sure if there is this kind of major emergency the fact that is still valid for four months from your travel time will be more than sufficient.

 

I traveled this past January 2013 on CCL and my passport was expiring on May 2013.

 

I renewed it when I returned home. My SO whose passport didn't expire till Feb. 2014 lost that year as his new passport expires in 2023.

 

So if you renew now you will lose as they do not just extend the 10 years from your previous expiration date.

[Tutankhamen]

So if you submitted your passport for renewal and by some fluke it wasn't returned in time for your cruise you would forfeit the cruise rather than use alternative documentation allowed by the closed loop exception?

 

I was not clear, my bad. If I submitted my PP for renewal and by some fluke it wasn't returned in time for my cruise, then yes, I would cruise along with one of my notarized copies I keep in my safe deposit box. Do to other things I am currently involved in that require notarized copies of my PP, I keep several copies saving me from having to run to the local notary.

 

That said, being that there is no requirement to cruise with a passport, let alone an expiration time frame requirements, if I were the OP I would travel with my soon to expire PP and renew upon my return. Thus limiting my exposure to "flukes".

[sparks1093]

I was not clear, my bad. If I submitted my PP for renewal and by some fluke it wasn't returned in time for my cruise, then yes, I would cruise along with one of my notarized copies I keep in my safe deposit box. Do to other things I am currently involved in that require notarized copies of my PP, I keep several copies saving me from having to run to the local notary.

 

That said, being that there is no requirement to cruise with a passport, let alone an expiration time frame requirements, if I were the OP I would travel with my soon to expire PP and renew upon my return. Thus limiting my exposure to "flukes".

 

The fact that you may use a notarized copy of a passport for traveling is news to me. You wouldn't happen to have a link to a source that says that, would you?

[comeon530]

I've never heard that a notarized copy of a passport is good for anything. the OP will be fine with the current passport. Like a couple others said, the countries you cruise to do not check them. Those requirements are only for non cruising passengers.

[Tutankhamen]

The fact that you may use a notarized copy of a passport for traveling is news to me. You wouldn't happen to have a link to a source that says that, would you?

 

Boy, some of you know how to focus in on a few words and cherry pick them, rather then read the entire post.

 

1) Never stated that I use a notarized copy of my PP for travel.

 

• I use notarized copy of my PP for something other then travel. It is required for my business.
  

2) It has been stated and is common knowledge that it is NOT necessary to cruise with a PP

 

• I cruise, several times a year, and always carry my PP as well as a notarized copy. When I am off the ship I keep the copies of our PP in another pocket/belt.
  

3) You threw a hypothetical question at me to try an justify what ever you believe.

 

• I would not be in the situation as the OP. Do to international travel outside of personal entertainment, I would not be in a position where I run the risk of not getting my PP.
  
• But being that you gave me this hypothetical situation, I answered what I would do, which is travel with a notarized copy of my PP.
  

4) The countries we cruise to have embassies and relations with our state department.

 

• Traveling with a copy of a PP is just to add validity to whom I am and to hopefully make it easier to secure transportation back to US soil if the ship was not an option.
  
• Obviously you can't travel under normal circumstances without a PP, but the governments do work with citizens in an emergency situation. To save time, aggravation and energy...it is wise to have a copy of a PP in case there is a need for emergency transportation back to the states.
  

To recap, I cruise with my PP. I also have copies with me when I cruise in safe keeping away from my hard copy. I would not cruise without a PP. BUT, if I were in some hypothetical situation where I found myself going on a cruise and did not have my PP, I would at the very least have a copy of my PP.

 

 

Is this not clear??