6 month passport recommendation

[Kartgv]

New passports will cover the kids for 10 years (could be wrong about that - is a child's passport valid for a shorter period?), so why not get them? Even though you say you don't have travel planned beyond August, isn't there a good chance that you will travel as a family and require them during that period? Or, do you plan to never travel again? Sometimes older kids also have opportunities to travel with school or church groups or as volunteers, so they would have no obstacles if such an opportunity arose. Just get them, so you can move on and stop worrying about it!

Edited January 29, 2016 by Kartgv

[kerryincork]

Children passports are much shorter about 3 year's, as children change so much in a short amount of time. Once they are a legal adult at 18 they get a 10 year passport (or when ever there kid passport expires )

[Kartgv]

Children passports are much shorter about 3 year's, as children change so much in a short amount of time. Once they are a legal adult at 18 they get a 10 year passport (or when ever there kid passport expires )

 

Just checked online - yes, I was wrong - in the US, a child's passport is valid for 5 years. Canada may be different.

Edited January 30, 2016 by Kartgv

[sail7seas]

According to the extended info on the US State Dept website cited above,

 

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.

 

This is very different from the extended info for other Caribbean Islands that includes a discussion of requirements when on a closed loop cruise:

 

NOTE:

Be aware that Caribbean cruises that begin and end in the United States (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, we strongly recommend that you always travel abroad with your valid passport.

 

Martinique has the closed loop note while St. Maarten does not.

 

Thank you

Interesting.

 

[gi_pam]

Just checked online - yes, I was wrong - in the US, a child's passport is valid for 5 years. Canada may be different.

 

Canada - child passports are 5 years. I believe there are provisions for "refreshing" a child passport with a new picture within the 5 years, but I'm not sure.

[Go-Bucks!]

If you sail on Princess, here is what their website says:

 

Document Requirements for US and Canadian Passport Holders

A valid passport is required for all international itineraries including Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Europe, India, Central and South America, South Pacific, Tahiti and World Cruises. Although US and Canadian passport holders are not currently required to sail with a passport on most domestic itineraries (including Alaska, Bermuda, Canada, Caribbean, Hawaii, and Mexico and Panama Canal), Princess highly recommends they are carried.

If your cruise requires international air travel, including flights between the US and Canada, the Caribbean, Bermuda or Mexico, you will be required to present a valid passport when departing from or returning to the US by air. Even if your cruise does not involve air travel outside the US, should you be required to unexpectedly depart a vessel prior to the end of the sailing, a passport would be required to re-enter the US by air. As such, Princess Cruises continues to strongly recommend that all guests are in possession of a valid passport.

For domestic itineraries for which a passport is not required, US and Canadian passport holders must present one of the following valid Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) compliant travel documents at cruise check-in:

 

• Passport Book: Recommended travel document
  
• US Passport Card
  
• US or Canadian Issued Enhanced Driver's License (EDL)
  
  
• US or Canadian Issued Identification Card (issued to minors and non-drivers)
  
  
• NEXUS Card Air travel is limited to participating airports
  
  
• SENTRI and FAST cards
  
  

PASSPORT REQUIREMENT WHEN MINORS TRAVEL WITH ONE ADULT ON VOYAGES GOVERNED BY THE U.S. WESTERN HEMISPHERE TRAVEL INITIATIVE (includes travel within BERMUDA, CANADA, CARIBBEAN, HAWAII, MEXICO, PANAMA CANAL, UNITED STATES) When minors are traveling with only one adult 21 years of age or older, Princess requires that all guests must be in possession of a valid passport. We have implemented this requirement because we want to ensure that your party remains together should an emergency arise that requires one or more in your party to be disembarked in a non-U.S. port. We cannot guarantee that all members of your party will be allowed to disembark with just a WHTI-compliant document or birth certificate. Failure to present a valid passport for all guests traveling together will result in denial of boarding without refund of the of the cruise or cruisetour fare.

US citizens traveling on U.S. roundtrip or “closed-loop” voyages may also travel with an original certified birth certificate presented together with a valid government-issued photo identification. These voyages include:

 

 

• Alaska roundtrip from San Francisco or Seattle (roundtrip Seattle cruisetours excluded)
  
• Canada/New England roundtrip from New York
  
• Caribbean roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale^, New York or Houston
  
• Hawaii roundtrip from Los Angeles and San Francisco
  
• Mexico roundtrip from Los Angeles or San Francisco
  
• Panama Canal roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale^
  

^Voyages that call to Central or South America are excluded and only Passports or WHTI compliant documents are accepted.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

I looked up the 3 ports we'll be going to in 2017 (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao). Bonaire requires a passport to be valid for 3 months after the visit, but the others just say it has to be "valid", which I assume means it hasn't expired. Check the US govt website and you can choose any country in the world to find out their requirements.

[cheerldrmom]

We are sailing in July to carribean my passport expires in sept not sosure about st Kitts so just to be on safe side we are renewing our passports. Even the government site suggests a 6 month leeway... Better safe than sorry.

[halifaxcruising]

I would check with the airline you are flying with. I am a Canadian and have seen people refused boarding if they did not have 6 months left on their passport from date of return.

As someone else stated, it is not worth the risk. If you have paid thousands for your trip, why risk refusal for the sake of a few dollars more.:cool:

[jennybenny]

When in doubt, renew. You would be heart broken if this ruined your vacation. I have young children as well and we always keep their passports updated because you never know when we might take a quick vacation.

 

It does suck because passports are expensive, but it's just the price of vacationing outside the USA. All 4 of us are due in two years. That's going to be costly.

 

I would hate for you to risk it and then get denied boarding your airplane, the cruise, issues when the cruise is ending... whatever, the hassle can be it would give you peace of mind to know your passports are current.

 

Good luck and let us know how it works out for you.

[Extra Kim]

Swedes need a passport that is valid for minimum 6 months after we leave the U.S.

I had to get a new passport for our last cruises (jan-feb this year) since I only had 5months left on the old when we would be back in Sweden.

But $39 for the passport + $14 for a new ESTA isn't something I care about when I have spent $2500 - 2600 for the trip.

[RickT]

I went down this road with Princess a number of years ago when doing a UK cruise (UK does not require a passport to be valid for 6 mths past your departure date). Ultimately I gave in and renewed my passport early as I did not want to take the chance that I was right, and the 6 mths past end of cruise date was not needed only to run into Princess Reps who decided to stick to their rules and prevent me from boarding.

 

While I agree that in most cases the rule makes no sense, I guess Princess (and some other lines) make rules based on certain standards and it's up to the passengers to either follow the rules or risk not being allowed on the ship.

 

To the OP, while this is a bit of a pain and expense, just renew your passport. Who knows, while you don't think you'll need them again in the next 5 years, maybe you'll be lucky and will need them.

[Paddy41]

This is the info I got the other day from CAA and Service Canada.

 

Alaska cruise mid August from Vancouver. Passport will be 2 weeks under the 6 months so I thought I had to renew it. Both the above places said no. If I am only travelling to the U.S. then I can use my passport up to expiry. There is only a problem if I am travelling to any other country.

 

I was really glad to hear this. I had everything ready to give to Service Canada and the fellow explained all this after CAA had said the same thing and then he added the fact that there is a possibility of a postal strike coming up and then my new passport could be caught in the strike! Yikes! Hadn't thought of that.

 

I'm thinking now though that I should check with Westjet and Air Canada as to their requirements because we are flying to Vancouver Westjet and back Air Canada. However, I am flying Toronto/Vancouver, no international travel so can't remember...does one still show the passport?

Edited June 22, 2016 by Paddy41
add on

[cruiseryyc]

The airlines don't care if your passport is outdated when flying domestic; you actually don't even have to show it, just any piece of photo ID before boarding.

[CruisingAlong4Now]

Renew your children's passports. The cost is $57 and they are good to go for the next five years.

 

I always want to be able to go on a moment's notice if a great deal shows up. Why worry about having an up to date passport for any member of the family? The cost is minimal!