Passport/Birth Certificates

[so809]

Hello,

 

I have an appointment with the post office today to put in applications for all 3 of us in the Family. I am having  it expidated there and back 1-2 day priority mail. My flight leave February 18th 6am. Do you think I will have my passports in hand by then, or should I just stick with the birth certificates and photo id's?  We are going to Mexico and Hondura on a  closed loop cruise out of Galveston TX. I am aware of the issues with something happen and can't take ship home.

 

Thank you for any assistance you can. Provide me.

 

Steve O.

[sparks1093]

It's likely that the passports will be back but you can use the birth certificates as a back up in case they aren't (provided your cruise line allows it, since some cruise lines require passports for all cruises). I would photo copy the birth certificates before sending them off.

[klfrodo]

Make sur you keep copies of the BC's in case the passports don't come back in time.

[bbwex]

The most recent processing time I have heard was a friend who got theirs in less than a month, though they also expedited their processing,  It looks like you will be good.  You can track the processing time on the State Department's website.

[Elaine5715]

2 hours ago, bbwex said:

The most recent processing time I have heard was a friend who got theirs in less than a month, though they also expedited their processing,  It looks like you will be good.  You can track the processing time on the State Department's website.

This!  You want to track and call should you see a delay.  I would get copies of birth certificates just in case.  

[BallFour4]

16 hours ago, so809 said:

...I am aware of the issues with something happen and can't take ship home.

Steve, don't sweat this. Literally thousands of cruise passengers every year travel with a birth certificate and photo ID. A handful of them have emergency needs to fly home from a port. 
 Cruise lines work with a port agent to help this happen. It isn't always a smooth process, but you can get home. We've had a couple cruising with us and table mates fly from port before the ship left. 
 Passports are a great plan, just don't sweat the process. 

 

Have a great vacation. 

[capriccio]

On 12/27/2022 at 4:15 PM, bbwex said:

The most recent processing time I have heard was a friend who got theirs in less than a month, though they also expedited their processing,  It looks like you will be good.  You can track the processing time on the State Department's website.

My DH just received his passport exactly 2 months after submission (not expedited). Submission of the renewal was done on-line and received and accepted by the State Dept on October 22 and processing began on October 23.  We received notification on December 20 that it would be delivered on December 23 but it came a day early.  The issue date was December 15. 

[AZCactusCruiser]

On 12/27/2022 at 2:15 PM, bbwex said:

The most recent processing time I have heard was a friend who got theirs in less than a month, though they also expedited their processing,  It looks like you will be good.  You can track the processing time on the State Department's website.

My wife and I did our passports online in October (not expedited) and had them in three weeks

[Mum2Mercury]

On 12/27/2022 at 4:15 PM, bbwex said:

You can track the processing time on the State Department's website.

This website was accurate for my husband -- but not for me.  Go figure.

On 12/27/2022 at 9:35 PM, BallFour4 said:

A handful of them have emergency needs to fly home from a port. 

Consider just how difficult this would be:  You'd have to wait until you reach an island ... and not all islands have airports.  If a ticket is available, you'd have to pay last-minute, high-prices.  Realistically, most people are going to continue home on the cruise, even if an emergency's happening at home.  

 

My grandfather died suddenly while my family was on vacation -- it was our last full day, and we'd be driving the next day.  My mother wisely chose not to tell us until we returned home.  It would've ruined our last day of vacation, and we would have been upset while driving.  

 

We took our nieces on vacation, and their grandfather (other side of the family) died.  When we left the port, we called their parents to tell them we were safely off /headed North.  They told me the news /asked me not to share it with the girls.  1) They didn't want the girls crying all the way home.  2) They wanted to break the news to the kids themselves /in their own home.

 

[BallFour4]

17 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

This website was accurate for my husband -- but not for me.  Go figure.

Consider just how difficult this would be:  You'd have to wait until you reach an island ... and not all islands have airports.  If a ticket is available, you'd have to pay last-minute, high-prices.  Realistically, most people are going to continue home on the cruise, even if an emergency's happening at home.  

 

My grandfather died suddenly while my family was on vacation -- it was our last full day, and we'd be driving the next day.  My mother wisely chose not to tell us until we returned home.  It would've ruined our last day of vacation, and we would have been upset while driving.  

 

We took our nieces on vacation, and their grandfather (other side of the family) died.  When we left the port, we called their parents to tell them we were safely off /headed North.  They told me the news /asked me not to share it with the girls.  1) They didn't want the girls crying all the way home.  2) They wanted to break the news to the kids themselves /in their own home.

 

Understood. It's a personal choice. My point related to the expedience in how it happened.

.

[zqvol]

The birth certificates will be submitted with the passport applications. Make sure to have duplicates, NOT copies. If the passports don’t come back in time OP will need those. 

Edited December 31, 2022 by zqvol

[Mypalval1]

On 12/27/2022 at 1:47 AM, so809 said:

Hello,

 

I have an appointment with the post office today to put in applications for all 3 of us in the Family. I am having  it expidated there and back 1-2 day priority mail. My flight leave February 18th 6am. Do you think I will have my passports in hand by then, or should I just stick with the birth certificates and photo id's?  We are going to Mexico and Hondura on a  closed loop cruise out of Galveston TX. I am aware of the issues with something happen and can't take ship home.

 

Thank you for any assistance you can. Provide me.

 

Steve O.

Hi Steve

 

I don't know about passports but I did the 7 day Carnival out of Galveston in December 2021.  I used my real id and my birth cert, no problems.  We went to Cozumel, Roatan and Honduras.  From what I have researched - if you're cruise is not  staying overnight in the port, you do not need a passport.  If course, always check with your cruise line.  

 

Good luck and have fun!

 

Valerie K.

[hallux]

On 12/30/2022 at 10:53 PM, Mypalval1 said:

If course, always check with your cruise line. 

Not just check with the cruise line - read the documents and communications related to your cruise as passport requirements will be communicated through that means.  There are some recent stories of passengers that called and were told ID and BC was sufficient, but for their itinerary it was NOT.  They were left on the pier on embarkation day as they did not have passports.