Need Help! We just noticed our passport is expired

[curlybelle2]

We just noticed our son's passport expired on September 2021 and we leave for our cruise on Friday! We haven't cruised in two years and I just assumed our passports were fine. 

 

Can we cruise with an ID and birth certificate?  Will call Princess when they open.. 

 

I am panicked!! kaye

[capriccio]

What is your itinerary?

[curlybelle2]

1 minute ago, capriccio said:

What is your itinerary?

Southern Caribbean with Curacao 

[negn]

As long as the cruise is a closed loop ( starts and ends in U.S. port) a birth certificate is sufficient.    We take our granddaughter and she does not have a passport.   With that said, always best to have one in case of emergency and need to disembark in another country

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[skynight]

Searchrequirements. Department of State, Wesrern Hemisphere Travel Initiative, closed loop cruises for the requirements.

[capriccio]

Make sure it is his original birth certificate - not a copy. 

[ontheweb]

24 minutes ago, capriccio said:

Make sure it is his original birth certificate - not a copy. 

And make sure it is an official government birth certificate, not a hospital birth certificate.

 

DW's mother once cleaned things out and sent DW the hospital certificate while throwing out the real one. We discovered that when she applied for a passport. Luckily, we had enough time for her to get a duplicate from where she was born and still apply and receive the passport in time.

[curlybelle2]

Thanks everyone. It is a closed loop cruise. My husband is on his way to get a certified birth certificate. Our son is over 18 so I wasn't sure I could use a birth certificate or not. I have been so focused on the covid test, that I didn't think of passports. 😣

I will call Princess when they open to make sure that an ID and birth certificate is ok.

[Daniel A]

1 hour ago, curlybelle2 said:

We just noticed our son's passport expired on September 2021 and we leave for our cruise on Friday! We haven't cruised in two years and I just assumed our passports were fine. 

 

Can we cruise with an ID and birth certificate?  Will call Princess when they open.. 

 

I am panicked!! kaye

I see that you are from Michigan.  If your son is also from Michigan, he can use an Enhanced Driver License (Not the standard Real ID one but the Enhanced one.)  I don't know how quickly one can get an Enhanced DL from Michigan, but Michigan is one of the few states that offer them.

 

More info here: SOS - Enhanced Driver's License (michigan.gov)

 

[chamima]

21 minutes ago, curlybelle2 said:

Thanks everyone. It is a closed loop cruise. My husband is on his way to get a certified birth certificate. Our son is over 18 so I wasn't sure I could use a birth certificate or not. I have been so focused on the covid test, that I didn't think of passports. 😣

I will call Princess when they open to make sure that an ID and birth certificate is ok.

 

The original birth certificate and a picture ID (regular driver's license) will be ok.

I had a somewhat similar situation for a cruise this last January.

 

There is a requirement that your passport not expire within 6 months of sailing and I thought mine expired in October of 2022  but when I checked it (in November of 2021) I realized it actually expired in March, I totally panicked and sent in for a replacement (which ended up coming in time for the cruise) but while waiting I did a LOT of research and (after that long story) - yes, on a closed loop cruise you can sail with an original birth certificate and a picture ID.

I think these last two years of not traveling have lulled a lot of us into not checking for expiration of our documents.

[pms4104]

Closed loop or not, some Carib countries, such as Martinique, do require a passport.

 

Check your itinerary and specific country requirements.

[lx200gps]

24 minutes ago, pms4104 said:

Closed loop or not, some Carib countries, such as Martinique, do require a passport.

 

Check your itinerary and specific country requirements.

Further to this, if you check your Princess Travel Summary, there is a large section near the bottom (on ours, it's on page 4) that outlines the specific documentation requirements.  For our next Caribbean trip, it states:

 

WHTI-COMPLIANT DOCUMENT REQUIREMENTS
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security enforces secure document requirements. Only passports or Western Hemisphere
Travel Initiative (WHTI)-compliant documents are accepted to embark your cruise. U.S. and Canadian passport holders must
present one of the following valid documents: Passport Book (RECOMMENDED); U.S. Passport Card; U.S. or Canadian issued
Enhanced Driver's License (EDL); U.S. or Canadian issued Enhanced "Non-Driver" Identification Card; NEXUS (for travel to
Canada), SENTRI (for travel to Mexico) or FAST Card.
For information regarding WHTI compliant documents, visit https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/western-hemisphere-
travel-initiative. U.S. citizens ages 16 and above may present a Certified Birth Certificate together with valid photo
identification. U.S. and Canadian citizens ages 15 and younger may sail with a Birth Certificate. U.S. Permanent Residents
must present a valid Permanent Resident Card. Canadian Permanent Residents must present a valid passport and Permanent
Resident Card.

[Ombud]

Are you in a major city that can process an expedited passport overnight? (Grandson had to do that. Costly but possible in SF)

[curlybelle2]

1 hour ago, Daniel A said:

I see that you are from Michigan.  If your son is also from Michigan, he can use an Enhanced Driver License (Not the standard Real ID one but the Enhanced one.)  I don't know how quickly one can get an Enhanced DL from Michigan, but Michigan is one of the few states that offer them.

 

More info here: SOS - Enhanced Driver's License (michigan.gov)

 

Yes, He has the Enhanced License. Thankfully

[curlybelle2]

5 minutes ago, Ombud said:

Are you in a major city that can process an expedited passport overnight? (Grandson had to do that. Costly but possible in SF)

I never heard of that. I looked up expedite passports but didn't see anything that we could get in  a day. 

[Ombud]

It wasn't the same day. His BF surprised him with a trip to Paris. Went in on a Friday. Picked it up Monday. Flew out Tuesday. Surcharge on surcharge. I've heard it can be done in NYC & Washington too. 

 

We don't have EDLs out here. Just the ones that let you fly. Sounds like a great deal as you're so close to Canada. 

 

Anyway, good luck

[awhcruiser]

48 minutes ago, curlybelle2 said:

I never heard of that. I looked up expedite passports but didn't see anything that we could get in  a day. 

You would need to contact the Detroit Passport Agency but you need an appointment.

[curlybelle2]

Thanks everyone. I think we are all set. We are using his enhanced Driver License and a certified birth certificate. We won't be able to get into every port but enough to still have fun. 

so thankful I noticed the expired date before we travelled to the cruise. It would have been a nightmare to try to embark and be turned away. Our son is autistic, and it would have been ugly. 😲

[Daniel A]

2 hours ago, curlybelle2 said:

Thanks everyone. I think we are all set. We are using his enhanced Driver License and a certified birth certificate. We won't be able to get into every port but enough to still have fun.

You shouldn't need the Birth Certificate if he has the Enhanced Driver License but it won't hurt to have that along as well.  Enjoy your vacation!

[capriccio]

I’m sure this has been a very nerve racking few hours.  You all deserve a cruise just to bring your blood pressures down!  Have a wonderful time!

[cr8tiv1]

Thank you for sharing your passport issues.  I am surprised that the Medallion Class APP and/or Princess did not flag your account and send you notices.  They do this with your credit card if it even too close to the expiration date.  Happy it is all going to work out for you.  Have a wonderful voyage.  You seem to have a positive attitude toward ports visits.  

[*Miss G*]

4 hours ago, curlybelle2 said:

Thanks everyone. I think we are all set. We are using his enhanced Driver License and a certified birth certificate. We won't be able to get into every port but enough to still have fun. 

so thankful I noticed the expired date before we travelled to the cruise. It would have been a nightmare to try to embark and be turned away. Our son is autistic, and it would have been ugly. 😲

 

Don’t forget to bring the expired passport.  A CBP Officer once told me that an expired passport is better than no passport at all.  Glad things worked out for you.

[Shmoo here]

8 hours ago, chamima said:

There is a requirement that your passport not expire within 6 months of sailing

Not on all cruises.  The "must be valid 6 months longer than date of visit" thing is primarily on European itineraries. Most Caribbean itineraries only require the passport to be valid upon your return.

5 hours ago, curlybelle2 said:

We won't be able to get into every port

May I ask what you mean by this?

[navybankerteacher]

43 minutes ago, Shmoo here said:

Not on all cruises.  The "must be valid 6 months longer than date of visit" thing is primarily on European itineraries. Most Caribbean itineraries only require the passport to be valid upon your return.

May I ask what you mean by this?

Good question.

[CruiserBruce]

10 hours ago, negn said:

As long as the cruise is a closed loop ( starts and ends in the SAME U.S. port) a birth certificate is sufficient.    We take our granddaughter and she does not have a passport.   With that said, always best to have one in case of emergency and need to disembark in another country

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I added a very critical word to your post to make it correct.