Question about my passport expiring in 3 months after our cruise??

[gold1953]

I fought with X on this issue a while ago and finally gave in and renewed my passport early.

 

It was for a UK cruise and as a Canadian I know there is no such rule that states my passport must be valid for X months after the cruise yet X held to it's rule even going so far as to say Homeland Security required it (even though the cruise and my flights wouldn't bring me anywhere near the US).

 

I suspect they have identified the strictest requirement and apply it to all cruises so they don't have to try and figure out each country.

 

Will you be allowed to board if you don't renew prior? Perhaps, but is it worth the gamble?

 

I am Canadian who travels and cruises often. I was always told that our passport needs to have more than 6 months on it to travel as many countries will not admit us if it is within 6 months of the date

[JVilleGal]

I am Canadian who travels and cruises often. I was always told that our passport needs to have more than 6 months on it to travel as many countries will not admit us if it is within 6 months of the date

 

 

Both the links I just posted discuss those very requirements and the countries that require 6months.

 

 

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[bottomfeeder]

I haven't traveled outside the US since the whole ICE hyper-enforcement thing started here, but I do wonder if other countries are going to start (or have already started) being more of a pain-in-the-butt toward Americans coming into their countries due to what we're doing at our borders to folks coming into the US. I guess since many of them really like the tourism dollars we bring them, it will be a trade-off that they might think twice about making.

 

But because of that additional stress that the US is causing, I'd be extra careful this year about making sure things are as up to date as the regulations of each country you're visiting say they need to be.

 

And yes, I know that MOST people coming into the US are still doing so with no problems. Still, I don't want to be one of the unlucky ones picked for extra scrutiny and not have all my ducks in a row.

[hcat]

At least one of the countries her cruise traveled to (or her plane was landing in) had a requirement for 6 months remaining AFTER your trip ends on your passport. Be aware that some countries even have a rule about how many pages must be remaining in your passport book.

 

Read here:

 

https://www.google.com/amp/lifehacker.com/check-if-your-destination-requires-blank-passport-pages-1693495156/amp

 

And here:

 

 

http://lifehacker.com/be-sure-your-passport-is-valid-for-six-months-before-fl-1622413909

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Thank you...sorry she had such a terrible disappointment!

[Loujul]

Our passports expire Jan 2018 but we have a cruise scheduled to end in Oct. We were worried about it being only 3 months to expiration, so we bit the bullet and send in our request for renewal. It might seem too early, but it will definitely give us peace of mind that we don't have to worry about being harassed by foreign or domestic agents.

 

 

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[hurwitz5]

We make sure our passports will not expire within 6 months of the cruises we take- don't want any issues. When we register on the Celebrity website, one of the required fields asks for passport information, including the expiration date. Wouldn't Celebrity contact the passenger if the passport isn't acceptable. I feel for the lady who missed her Mediterranean cruise because her passport was going to expire in less than 6 months.

[waterbug123]

At least one of the countries her cruise traveled to (or her plane was landing in) had a requirement for 6 months remaining AFTER your trip ends on your passport.

 

I would imagine it had to do with the country in which her plane was scheduled to land....The airline check-in agent wouldn't have any knowledge of her cruise itinerary.

[rucruisn2]

Just sent my husbands passport in for renewal, got it back in 2 weeks, not expedited service. After I mailed it in I saw that if you wear glasses, you cannot have them on in your passport photo. Had not know this and I was really worried about his passport as he had his glasses on. No problem. Got new passport with his glasses.

[flipflop]

The six-month rule is a US Immigration policy. The cruise line has no say in it.

Going on the Equinox in May and I just saw Celebrity want a passport not less than 6 months before it expires.So my question is can I go with 3 months left on my passport before it expires or will Celebrity turn me away? Don,t want to chance not getting my new passport back on time and expediting it is a lot more money. I was going to renew as soon as we got back from this cruise but not sure now.Are there islands who require this also? Any help would be appreciated!!:eek:

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

The six-month rule is a US Immigration policy. The cruise line has no say in it.

 

Really? Can you cite your source for this statement?

[JVilleGal]

Really? Can you cite your source for this statement?

 

 

Well it is true that the Cruise Line has no say in it! ;)

 

 

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[lj77346]

Thanks "JVilleGal" for the links you posted in response #25. I was not aware that some countries require a certain number of empty pages in your passport - good to know as a passport gets used.

 

As other respondents stated, the requirement for time remaining on your passport depends on where you are visiting - the country you are going to makes the rules. For everyone going on a Mediterranean or Baltic cruise this summer and flying into a European Union country that is a member of the Schengen accord, be aware that the visa rule for those countries specifies that "your passport should be valid at least 6 months beyond the period of your stay." It's been my experience that when flying from the US to a Schengen country, the airline checks your passport before you board the flight to make sure that you comply with the time requirement. How strictly each country applies the rule, I don't know, but unless you're a risk taker and feeling lucky, it's prudent to have at least the specified remaining time on your passport.

[JVilleGal]

The airlines are responsible for making sure every passenger they board has the proper documents & visas. If they allow someone without the proper paper work the "deporting" country will require that airline to immediately remove them on the first available flight. That is a financial expense and possible fines against the airline.

 

 

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[mandream]

The six-month rule is a US Immigration policy. The cruise line has no say in it.

 

No it is based on the countries you are visiting, and their policies - not US immigration.

[Pushka]

Australia won't let you in with a passport that expires in less than 6 months and it is the carriers responsibility (ship or plane) to enforce the rule. If anyone is refused entry after arriving on a carrier then the carrier has to pay to get you back to your country. If one of the countries you visit has the same rules as Australia then it's Celebrity who will stop you so they don't have to pay up.

[Catperson]

We are Canadian and cruising the end of November '17. We will be landing in Tampa to join the cruise to Cozumel, Roatan, Key West and Grand Cayman. My daughter's passport expires before 6 months (May 10 '18). Should we renew her passport before we cruise? At the airport, they don't know where we are travelling other than to Tampa. Do we show our passports at each country we visit? Thx!

[JVilleGal]

You’ve got 60 days. Renew ASAP yes you will show that as ID. Don’t risk it and pay for expedited if it is an option.

[bottomfeeder]

We are Canadian and cruising the end of November '17. We will be landing in Tampa to join the cruise to Cozumel, Roatan, Key West and Grand Cayman. My daughter's passport expires before 6 months (May 10 '18). Should we renew her passport before we cruise? At the airport, they don't know where we are travelling other than to Tampa. Do we show our passports at each country we visit? Thx!

 

If I were you I would check on the government websites for the various countries you will be visiting to see what their rules are re passport expiration date. If I remember correctly the US State Department website has links to other countries' websites where the info resides, and I assume Canada would have something similar available for its citizens.

 

Some, but not all, countries require a 6-month minimum passport validity. If you have any doubts about whether the countries you are visiting require 6 months, I would have your daughter's passport renewed before you go. Then you don't have to worry about it.

[Catperson]

Thank you for your replies. My daughter agreed to renew her passport before we cruise. Cheers!

[marchie1053]

Different countries need different lengths of validity after planned departure from their country, e.g., France required 6mo validity whereas Spain required 3.

 

There's 2 mechanisms for expedited passport processing, I think one is by mail and one is in person.

 

If you're not flying abroad though, any chance you qualify for an enhanced driver's license (not all states offer this)? Ex-US travel by boat, enhanced license is sufficient and a valid passport (even w/only a few month before expiration) would be enough for you to fly home in the event of an unexpected need.

 

This link contradicts your comment re differing expiry dates for non-eu passport holders within the EU and specifically within the Schengen area.

 

http://www.businesstravelerusa.com/news/new-eu-passport-rules-now-in-effect

 

A big caveat though - interpretation/confusion by cruise lines, airlines (the more towards the budget end of the market, the lower the level of knowledge seems to be a sound rule of thumb) of the passport expiry date rules means that passengers have been denied boarding even when their passport was technically in order for the destination country!

 

Newspapers in the UK frequently pursue the case for the wronged passenger - but a subsequent apology by the airline/cruise line is scant recompense for a ruined holiday. Get the passport renewed - one less chance for Bureaucracy in its full technicolour glory to cause you grief and aggravation ...

[JVilleGal]

“Get the passport renewed - one less chance for Bureaucracy in its full technicolour glory to cause you grief and aggravation ...”

 

 

Couldn’t agree more!

[bigbenboys]

Just sent my husbands passport in for renewal, got it back in 2 weeks, not expedited service. After I mailed it in I saw that if you wear glasses, you cannot have them on in your passport photo. Had not know this and I was really worried about his passport as he had his glasses on. No problem. Got new passport with his glasses.

 

The United States might be fine with glasses. I have had to get new passport photos for Visa's. Some countries do not want glasses on your photo that you send with your visa application. I've had to get different photos back grounds. I've had to have back grounds in white, blue and even red.

[Adammara]

My last UK passport renewal was refused because I had glasses on, although on my existing passport I had them on.

 

Unfortunately, some of the staff at check in and security are jobsworths, and will pick you up on any little discrepancy, I was harassed because I had a key ring pocket knife with a small blade, way under the maximum length allowed, it was quite upsetting. Pretty daft really, when on board you order a steak they give you a nice sharp knife!