cruising with passport about to expire

[smplybcause]

On 5/11/2019 at 10:41 PM, njhorseman said:

Why would it be worth it? Their passports are good through the expiration date and the only foreign country being visited on the cruise is Canada, which doesn't even require US citizens to have a passport. If they're worried they can take birth certificates and drivers licenses. There is no need to spend a lot of extra money to get an expedited passport renewal. They can renew after they get back at the normal price.

 

It doesn't require a passport for these r/t cruises out of Seattle - but that's an exception. Canada does require a passport (or passport card or nexus card) for entry in all other instances (land air or sea). 

 

If you took an excursion in Skagway that ventured over into Canada they need a passport as you'd be entering Canada via land. 

[smplybcause]

21 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

When we cruise, our passports stay locked in the safe in our cabin the entire time. Why do we need to worry about the "six month rule" when we don't ever take our passports off the ship to enter countries?

 

It's in case something happens on the cruise. If something happens and your way home is through countries that require 6 months validity to enter you'll have a problem as you won't be allowed in. Some airlines require that amount of time too. 

 

In this case, if something happens while they're in Alaska they should be able to find a domestic flight to the lower 48. But if something happens in Victoria and they're in the hospital there until the 9th they'd have to get emergency passports to get home - which the nearest embassy is in Vancouver so they'd have to get over there.

 

Is any of that likely to happen? Probably not. But it's a risk with a passport that expires the day they get back. 

[njhorseman]

48 minutes ago, smplybcause said:

 

It doesn't require a passport for these r/t cruises out of Seattle - but that's an exception. Canada does require a passport (or passport card or nexus card) for entry in all other instances (land air or sea). 

 

If you took an excursion in Skagway that ventured over into Canada they need a passport as you'd be entering Canada via land. 

Yes, but this thread addresses a specific  question about passport validity which your comments don't address and while what you're saying is accurate it's also superfluous in the context of answering the OP's question. Further the OP has a valid passport that expires on the day they return to the US, so they have the necessary documentation to take the excursion in Skagway that you're referring to.

Edited May 19, 2019 by njhorseman

[ourfamilylovescruising]

just to give every one an update we were allowed to use our passports to get on the ship and since they expired the day we came off the ship we used them that them with no problems 

customs told us they were good till they expire. lol we did bring our birth certificates just in case but never needed them

[vpearlkc]

On a previous cruise my passport was expiring a couple of days after returning and my wifes about a week later. There was no problem on cruise and presented passports at Orlando airport for flight home. The six month thing, I believe, is for some foreign nationals but cannot remember details.