Passport Renewals....

[Bo1953]

FYI U.S. travelers (thanks Keith from the Crystal Board):

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/31/travel/passport-renewal.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=1

[Iamcruzin]

My wife and I just renewed our passports that expire in March. We anticipated a surge so we sent out the renewal in the beginning of January. My son who has an an expired passport which was issued when he was 9 was also renewed. They both got theirs back in about 10 days. Mine on the other hand is still being processed. They lost my picture so I had to resubmit a new one. It's the story of my life. I'm either a day late or a dollar short.

[Bo1953]

My wife and I just renewed our passports that expire in March. We anticipated a surge so we sent out the renewal in the beginning of January. My son who has an an expired passport which was issued when he was 9 was also renewed. They both got theirs back in about 10 days. Mine on the other hand is still being processed. They lost my picture so I had to resubmit a new one. It's the story of my life. I'm either a day late or a dollar short.

 

 

LOL - Mike, never too short for a nice cruise!!!!

 

Good luck and I trust it will arrive before your next sailing...

 

bon voyage

[K.T.B.]

My wife and I just renewed our passports that expire in March. We anticipated a surge so we sent out the renewal in the beginning of January. My son who has an an expired passport which was issued when he was 9 was also renewed. They both got theirs back in about 10 days. Mine on the other hand is still being processed. They lost my picture so I had to resubmit a new one. It's the story of my life. I'm either a day late or a dollar short.

 

My wife's and mine would have expired this April. We got ours done awhile back. No reason to delay it!

[jabrown40]

My husband and I are cruising out of Fort Lauderdale in March. Our passports expire in April . We should have been more proactive, but by the time we thought about it, we were worried we wouldn't get them back in time, we will be renewing the day after we get back!

[tangerinebunny]

My husband and I are cruising out of Fort Lauderdale in March. Our passports expire in April . We should have been more proactive, but by the time we thought about it, we were worried we wouldn't get them back in time, we will be renewing the day after we get back!

 

You may want to look into the express service now. Some countries require that passports be in effect for six months after entry to their country. Check the government website for more complete information.

 

We renewed this month; it took about three weeks at regular (not express) speed.

[4Suzyq]

Thank you for posting the link to this article. Fortunately, I renewed at the first of the year and got both the passport and passport card. The card is supposed to be all you need for Caribbean cruises, has anyone traveled with just the card. I worry I will show the card and be told I need the passport book and miss the cruise!

[stratixman]

Why worry about it? How much more difficult is it to take the passport vs taking the card? You know for certain that the passport is 100% accepted.

[az_tchr]

The passport card is supposed to be for those going to and from the US to Canada and Mexico. It is not valid in say Grand Cayman or Jamaica and could not be used to board a plane there without a lot of hassle. Just get the passport to be safe as you are likely to be denied boarding.

[Iamcruzin]

Thank you for posting the link to this article. Fortunately, I renewed at the first of the year and got both the passport and passport card. The card is supposed to be all you need for Caribbean cruises, has anyone traveled with just the card. I worry I will show the card and be told I need the passport book and miss the cruise!

 

 

I didn't bother with the card for that exact reason. The airlines seem to be the issue with what documentation that they except. As far as getting on a off the ship the most I ever needed was the cruise card. However Bermuda asks to see photo ID to enter the dock yard. In which case our drivers license was sufficient.

[az_tchr]

The problem with the passport card would be if you became sick or missed the ship in say Jamaica. Since you are now required to have a passport to board a plane, what would you do? This happened years ago to us in Barbados. Missed a cruise due to weather in San Juan and flew to Barbados. Until a person from the US consulate arrived at the airport we sat there along with the cruise representative waiting to take us to the ship. Bureaucracy at its finest.

[Karynanne]

My husband and I are cruising out of Fort Lauderdale in March. Our passports expire in April . We should have been more proactive, but by the time we thought about it, we were worried we wouldn't get them back in time, we will be renewing the day after we get back!

 

Are you cruising to any European countries? If so, you'll need a passport with an expiration date of at least three months out from the entry day of that country. The airlines check this before boarding.

[Muushka]

Does anyone know when the renewal date is?

 

For example ours expire 8/2017.

If we renew now, will the 10 years begin this year (2016 to 2026) or ten years from the date that they expire 8/2017 to 8/2027?

 

I hope that makes sense! Thank you.

[DonRobertoSanJuan]

The State Department put out a notice that drivers licences from all states can be used for domestic air travel until January 22, 2018. Here is the link: http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/news/real-id-not-needed-for-domestic-flights-until-2018.html

[varoo]

.... It's the story of my life. I'm either a day late or a dollar short.

There are lots of us who can relate. :D

 

We ran into a problem and were running close with ours, so we went ahead and paid the extra fee to expedite.

 

It probably wasn't even necessary, but worth it to us just for peace of mind.

 

As for the passport photos, they just keep getting worse and worse every time. :eek:

Each time we renew, we comment on how the cameras of years ago were vastly superior to the cameras of today as we always looked so much better in our old passport photos.

 

Oh well, at least we won't need to do it again for another 10 years.

 

 

[fleckle]

The State Department put out a notice that drivers licences from all states can be used for domestic air travel until January 22, 2018. Here is the link: http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/news/real-id-not-needed-for-domestic-flights-until-2018.html

 

Even so, when going on a cruise where you need a passport, it still remains a good habit to use your passport as your airport ID.

 

There have been several cases reported where people used a driver's license for ID at the airport and did not discover that they did not have their passports with them until arriving at the cruise port.

One poor guy even ended up needing to fly back from Florida to New York to get his passport.

 

If you should ever forget your passport, it is so much easier to go back and get it while you are still at your local airport.

[Iamcruzin]

Does anyone know when the renewal date is?

 

For example ours expire 8/2017.

If we renew now, will the 10 years begin this year (2016 to 2026) or ten years from the date that they expire 8/2017 to 8/2027?

 

I hope that makes sense! Thank you.

 

Ten years from the renewal date. My wife's expires in March of 2016. Her new passport expires in January 2026. She lost two months.

[BCFamily]

You may want to check celebrity's website as well, I believe they require a passport to be valid for 6 months as well.

[ozark74]

Does anyone know when the renewal date is?

 

For example ours expire 8/2017.

If we renew now, will the 10 years begin this year (2016 to 2026) or ten years from the date that they expire 8/2017 to 8/2027?

 

I hope that makes sense! Thank you.

 

Our old passports expired October, 2016. We got new passports December, 2015. Our new passports expire 12/2025. It is 10 year from the issue date. It only took 2 weeks to get the new passports back. Very fast.

[Muushka]

Ten years from the renewal date. My wife's expires in March of 2016. Her new passport expires in January 2026. She lost two months.

 

Our old passports expired October, 2016. We got new passports December, 2015. Our new passports expire 12/2025. It is 10 year from the issue date. It only took 2 weeks to get the new passports back. Very fast.

 

Thank you both. I guess we'll wait til 2017. :)

[CathyCruises]

My husband and I are cruising out of Fort Lauderdale in March. Our passports expire in April . We should have been more proactive, but by the time we thought about it, we were worried we wouldn't get them back in time, we will be renewing the day after we get back!

 

You need to check very carefully. I was once denied boarding on a ship because my passport expired in July, even though the cruise we were taking was in February. I wouldn't wait on this

[Algebralovr]

My understanding is that a Caribbean cruise will accept a passport as long as it expires after the cruise is over. Remember, some people cruise the Caribbean on DL and birth certificate only. If flying to a different country, their rules, but if sailing closed loop from US you are good.

 

Heading to Europe or Asia? Passport must be good for six months or more.

 

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[Algebralovr]

Note, my statement is true for Celebrity, Royal and Carnival. Other lines my have different rules

 

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[Burpelson]

Just an FYI for the board, one can get an "expedited" turn around from your local passport office (usually a post office) for fees and shipping. You can also go to your regional US agency for same day or same week turnaround, with proof of travel plans, etc. Fees apply, too. Google it. For example, I can go from Indiana to Chicago (the regional US Fed office), get in a line and have it dealt with even same day. With paperwork in order. Again, google it! Here's a start: http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports.html click around.

[Bo1953]

http://www.celebritycruises.com/frequently-asked-questions#domesticSailings