Passport expiration

[BosoxI]

This is probably a completely unnecessary thread, but last week I awoke with a terrible feeling that some of the islands I would be visiting in December might require at least six months validity on my passport. Mine had only four months left on it. Sure 'nuff, the first place I checked-St. Lucia- requires six months, so off I went in a hurry to get a new passport. Fortunately, in this instance, my Government did not let me down and the new one arrived yesterday. It would have been terrible to arrive at the cruise terminal only to be denied boarding . For anyone planning a Christmas trip, now is the time to make sure of your documents.

[attilamom1217]

Thanks for the reminder to eveyrone to check their passport expiration dates. There are many threads started by people who found out too late that their passports were not acceptable for travel because they were within the 6 months of expiration.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[tunaman2011]

Greetings

 

Are you an American citizen? If you are on a closed loop cruise from a US port you still do not need a passport. If you use a passport it is suggested that your passport have an expiration date beyond 6 months in case you somehow miss the ship and have to fly to another island to meet back with her. If you miss the ship at a port, you can always fly back to the US, they will admit you with an unexpired passport.

 

I cruised on Equinox in March 2012 with a passport that expired June 2012. There were no problems.

 

Good Sailing

Tom

[CathyCruises]

I almost missed a sailing in Tahiti--my passport expired in July for a March sailing. It was during the huge crunch time a few years back when they were so backed up. I ended up at the passport office in LA (I lived in Idaho) the day before we departed, and at 4 that afternoon they gave me my new passport! Whew!!

[steveweese]

I really don't understand the 6 month deal. Why is it not good till expiration date?

 

Help me

[Fouremco]

I really don't understand the 6 month deal. Why is it not good till expiration date?

 

Help me

Tourist entry requirements for many countries include proof of return/onward ticket, proof of sufficient funds for the duration of your visit and a valid passport for the duration of your stay. As visitors can stay for up to 180 in many cases, the 6 month requirement ensures the validity of the passport throughout that period. Carriers (airlines, cruise lines, etc.) are responsible for ensuring that you meet the necessary requirements.

 

There are undoubtedly additional points that others will post, but these are the bare bones as I understand them.

[BosoxI]

I really don't understand the 6 month deal. Why is it not good till expiration date?

 

Help me

 

I don't know that there is an explanation other than a country can set whatever requirements it chooses for foreigners to enter. It's not a question of reentry into the States; it's a question of what a particular foreign country requires. Ten years ago I decided to accompany my wife on one of her frequent business trips to Europe, a five day trip to Greece in this case. I got to the Delta counter at JFK where the agent informed me that Greece requires six months on the passport; I had fewer than that but much longer than five days. No matter, had I been allowed on the plane, Delta would have faced penalties. My fault for not checking, but it had never before been an issue in all my years of travel. A lesson learned and one that woke me up last week. Consider your ten year passport to be actually a nine and a half year document and you'll have no trouble. I don't know what the other islands in the Caribbean require, but as I said, St. Lucia demands six months and I would think that all it takes is one jurisdiction on the cruise route to queer the whole trip.

Edited November 21, 2013 by BosoxI

[Lady Arwen]

We're on the Summit next week and my passport expiration was April 2014. I wanted to make sure that there were no problems, so I renewed it for 10 years. It's a shame that we "lose" 6 months of our passports, but those are the rules!

[steveweese]

I get it now. We did the same renewed early. Oh well "Don't sweat the small stuff"

[tunaman2011]

I don't know that there is an explanation other than a country can set whatever requirements it chooses for foreigners to enter. It's not a question of reentry into the States; it's a question of what a particular foreign country requires. Ten years ago I decided to accompany my wife on one of her frequent business trips to Europe, a five day trip to Greece in this case. I got to the Delta counter at JFK where the agent informed me that Greece requires six months on the passport; I had fewer than that but much longer than five days. No matter, had I been allowed on the plane, Delta would have faced penalties. My fault for not checking, but it had never before been an issue in all my years of travel. A lesson learned and one that woke me up last week. Consider your ten year passport to be actually a nine and a half year document and you'll have no trouble. I don't know what the other islands in the Caribbean require, but as I said, St. Lucia demands six months and I would think that all it takes is one jurisdiction on the cruise route to queer the whole trip.

 

Greetings

 

St Lucia demands 6 months on remaining on your passport if you are staying there. If you are on a closed loop cruise and are an American citizen, it is not needed. From the US Dept of state web site on visiting St Lucia:

 

NOTE: Be aware that Caribbean cruises that begin and end in the U.S. (closed loop cruises) do not require that you travel with a valid passport. However, should you need to disembark due to an emergency and you do not have a valid passport, you may encounter difficulties entering or remaining in a foreign country. You may also have difficulty attempting to re-enter the United States by air because many airlines will require a valid passport before allowing you to board the aircraft. As such, it is strongly recommended that you always travel abroad with your valid passport.

 

This only applies to closed loop cruises, not air travel or other types of cruises.

 

Good Sailing

Tom

[Fouremco]

Greetings

 

St Lucia demands 6 months on remaining on your passport if you are staying there. If you are on a closed loop cruise and are an American citizen, it is not needed. From the US Dept of state web site on visiting St Lucia:

 

NOTE: Be aware that Caribbean cruises that begin and end in the U.S. (closed loop cruises) do not require that you travel with a valid passport. However, should you need to disembark due to an emergency and you do not have a valid passport, you may encounter difficulties entering or remaining in a foreign country. You may also have difficulty attempting to re-enter the United States by air because many airlines will require a valid passport before allowing you to board the aircraft. As such, it is strongly recommended that you always travel abroad with your valid passport.

 

This only applies to closed loop cruises, not air travel or other types of cruises.

 

Good Sailing

Tom

As regulations change frequently and vary from country to country, it would be wise to verify beforehand for all destinations included on your cruise itinerary. The following is also from the US State Department website, on its page related to travel to Sint Maarten:

 

ENTRY / EXIT REQUIREMENTS FOR U.S. CITIZENS: All U.S. citizens must have a U.S. passport for all air travel, including to and from Sint Maarten. All sea travelers must also now have a passport or passport card. We strongly encourage all U.S. citizen travelers to apply for a U.S. passport or passport card well in advance of anticipated travel. U.S. citizens can call 1-877-4USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778) for information on how to apply for their passports.

Edited November 21, 2013 by Fouremco

[cherylandtk]

Yes, St. Maarten has been listed that way for years on the State Dept. website and has been the go-to example as to how incorrect the State Dept site continues to be, especially for cruises. You won't go wrong following their advice, but you WILL spend more time and money than what is needed.

 

St. Maarten does not require a passport for US citizens on RT cruises.

[Fouremco]

Yes, St. Maarten has been listed that way for years on the State Dept. website and has been the go-to example as to how incorrect the State Dept site continues to be, especially for cruises. You won't go wrong following their advice, but you WILL spend more time and money than what is needed.

 

St. Maarten does not require a passport for US citizens on RT cruises.

LOL. Didn't know that. As a Canadian, I seldom look at the US State Department website, but that page popped up for me during a recent search. I'm surprised that an error like that has been allowed to remain.

 

Still, for the few dollars a year that a passport costs, I'd never travel without it.

[Us Two]

Its always been a bone of contention with me, that we pay for a 5 yr passport and it can only be used for 4 and half years . So there fore we should only pay for four and a half yrs!!!!!! Just more money in their coffers :mad:.

[upwarduk]

Its always been a bone of contention with me, that we pay for a 5 yr passport and it can only be used for 4 and half years . So there fore we should only pay for four and a half yrs!!!!!! Just more money in their coffers :mad:.

 

The UK now add on that 6 months, so when we renew, our new passport has a life of 10 yrs 6 months.

[icat2000]

We're on the Summit next week and my passport expiration was April 2014. I wanted to make sure that there were no problems, so I renewed it for 10 years. It's a shame that we "lose" 6 months of our passports, but those are the rules!

 

The six month rule has been around for years. I always understood it to be a blanket rule by most countries.

[Fouremco]

Its always been a bone of contention with me, that we pay for a 5 yr passport and it can only be used for 4 and half years . So there fore we should only pay for four and a half yrs!!!!!! Just more money in their coffers :mad:.

It's good for a full 5 years to re-enter Canada, their only consideration when considering expiry dates.

 

The UK now add on that 6 months, so when we renew, our new passport has a life of 10 yrs 6 months.

What a wonderful idea! Maybe we colonials will catch up in due course. In fact, my dual-citizenship sister has always chosen to travel on a British passport as it has been cheaper or otherwise more beneficial than a Canadian passport. :D

[chopper65]

Its always been a bone of contention with me, that we pay for a 5 yr passport and it can only be used for 4 and half years . So there fore we should only pay for four and a half yrs!!!!!! Just more money in their coffers :mad:.

 

You can now get a 10 year passport. I just got mine 2 weeks ago.

[RickT]

Cruise Lines have typically enforced the six month rule regardless of the rules of the countries being visited.

 

I was forced to renew my passport early when. X said I would not be allowed to board the ship even though I confirmed with the counties being visited that they had no such rule for Canadian citizens. The X report went so far as to say it was a homeland security issue but couldn't explain why that would apply when none of my travel involved the US.

[Fouremco]

You can now get a 10 year passport. I just got mine 2 weeks ago.

Uh, you mean 9.5 year! :)

[Fouremco]

Cruise Lines have typically enforced the six month rule regardless of the rules of the countries being visited.

 

I was forced to renew my passport early when. X said I would not be allowed to board the ship even though I confirmed with the counties being visited that they had no such rule for Canadian citizens. The X report went so far as to say it was a homeland security issue but couldn't explain why that would apply when none of my travel involved the US.

Homeland Security has a very broad definition of what involves the US, and increasingly their requirements are being imposed extraterritorially. If you take a direct flight from Canada to any foreign destination that passes over the US border by even the slightest amount, the airline must provide to US authorities for approval the same passenger manifest information that would be required for a flight headed to a US city. I believe that the same applies to any foreign airline flying to or from Canada. In 2011, for example, a British man travelling with his family from Toronto back to England, was denied permission to board a plane because his name was on the U.S. no-fly list.

 

That being said, I expect that the real reason in your case is that it is easier for X to have a single passport policy rather than one tailored for passengers of each nationality.

[tnfcruise]

I get it now. We did the same renewed early. Oh well "Don't sweat the small stuff"

 

Same here.

 

Hey, Steveweese, there you are, you droll person! Why did they delete that funny, funny "Celebrity, I'm calling Michael Baley" thread?