Passport Renewal

[Z'Loth]

If the passport is one year out from expiration, and you have no travel plans, then go ahead and do the standard processing. Make it easy on yourself and less stress. 

[Harry Lake]

On 10/25/2023 at 6:29 AM, Underwatr said:

 

Since they terminate the old passport with no time added on to the new one there is a bit of a downside to renewing "too early." In contrast, when I renew my driver's license its expiration is four years after the expiration of the old one, not four years after its renewal.

Is the downside just a little cost due to time lost? I'd consider it well worth it.

[Underwatr]

A non-expedited passport amortizes to $13 per year of validity, while expediting a passport's renewal costs $60. You're correct that renewing within the old passport's final year is appropriate if there aren't travel plans (doubly so when you realize that a passport with less than 6 months' remaining validity may not get you admitted to many countries).  

[dmannion95]

On 5/18/2023 at 9:45 AM, Kellie in Texas said:

My mother is still waiting on her passport renewal. Mailed it in February. In the mean time, they've already been on their cruise; fortunately, she was able to use her birth certificate. 

I am in a similar predicament. Did your moms cruise leave a US port and return to the same US port? Was it a Caribbean cruise? My NCL cruise is coming up and my wifes passport expires in 5 months, opposed to the "required" 6 months 

[Kellie in Texas]

13 hours ago, dmannion95 said:

I am in a similar predicament. Did your moms cruise leave a US port and return to the same US port? Was it a Caribbean cruise? My NCL cruise is coming up and my wifes passport expires in 5 months, opposed to the "required" 6 months 

Yes, their cruise was round-trip from Galveston to Cozumel and Costa Maya.

[capriccio]

16 hours ago, dmannion95 said:

I am in a similar predicament. Did your moms cruise leave a US port and return to the same US port? Was it a Caribbean cruise? My NCL cruise is coming up and my wifes passport expires in 5 months, opposed to the "required" 6 months 

I just replied to your other posting, but in case anyone else is interested in the response:

 

When in doubt, check the State Department's website!

 

Antigua: Those traveling to Antigua and Barbuda on a cruise may use another Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) compliant document. However, we strongly recommend visitors obtain a passport before travel in case of an unforeseen emergency that requires a cruise passenger to disembark and return by air.  https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/AntiguaandBarbuda.html

 

St. Kitts:  Caribbean cruises that begin and end in the United States (closed loop cruises) do not require that you travel with a valid passport.  https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/FrenchWestIndies.html.html?wcmmode=disabled

 

So you can use a valid US passport (valid as of the day of re-entry into the US) or WHTI compliant documents (drivers license plus original birth certificate).

 

By the way I forgot to welcome you to Cruise Critic!

[sdrocks]

From the date we sent our renewal form to the date received back was 44 days.

Routine service, not expedited.  Very happy with this turnaround, because not traveling until March 2024.

[Cruising89143]

I sent mine in in March with expedited service. Took seven weeks. I recently read that they are moving faster now on turning around renewals,

[The Scurvy Pirate]

Mailed ours mid-June this summer and it took 42 days (6 weeks) for non-expedited to our doorstep.  Had read horror stories earlier this year about it taking almost 3 months, so it seems it has worked itself out.

[mjkacmom]

My daughter sent hers in the beginning of august, got a letter 4 weeks later that her passport photo was not approved and to send a new one (thanks Walgreens, $20 wasted).

[renebfl]

With the shutdown looming ahead, it will change, not for the better.

[cruiseguy1016]

My daughter got married in August. She submitted the paperwork for her renewal/name change in September. She had her new passport in 3 weeks. This was regular service, not expedited.

Edited November 8, 2023 by cruiseguy1016

[Underwatr]

17 hours ago, renebfl said:

With the shutdown looming ahead, it will change, not for the better.

Historically, passport services have been classified as essential during government shutdowns so in general passports will continue to be issued, but if the office is located inside a building that's managed by an agency subject to the shutdown that location may experience delays in issuing passports.

[dianajo67]

We’re going on icon in the spring so had to get hubby’s passport renewed.  Sent it off on 6 Nov, arrived in Philadelphia on 9 Nov, received the new passport today!  We were shocked! I expected at least 10-12 weeks based on the website projections!

[CynBeth6]

We might be going away in the summer to another country. Ours expire next fall and since some places require the 6 months after the visit must be active figured to just renew now. We did priority mail and the person at the post office put them in 3 separate envelopes did the routine not expedited and my husband got his today which was about 3 weeks. When I checked on the website about mine it says in processing and then I looked for my mother who is at a different address and said hers was just sent yesterday and should take a week to receive. All of our checks had been cashed a few weeks ago 4 days after they were sent. I hope I do not have an issue. 

[njkruzer]

Not passport renewal info but Global Entry renewal.   We've had this since 2013.  Redeived a reminder a couple of weeks ago that mine will expire on my birthday in May 2024 and that I could start the renewal process.  Aa long as I started the process current status would continue.  Loged in this past Thursday,  11/30.  Saturday, 12/2, received an email to check my application.  Assumed I messed up something but no all was well.  Approved.  No new interview needed. Took less than 2 days.  Printed out the letter for my file.  In addition to the original interview I had one other interview after I had lost a passport and gotten a new one.  So somethings are going smoothly. 

[CynBeth6]

We renewed our passports 3 weeks ago did not choose expedited but did priority mail. We did not even think to check the status yet since it said 6-12 weeks or something like that and figured it would take a while. My husband got his yesterday. When I looked on the website it says mine is in processing and my Mom’s said it was approved and mailed a few days ago and gave the date she should receive it by. Our checks were all cashed on the same day. I hope there is not an issue with mine.

[HappyTexan44]

Just wondering this.  For someone renewing and a tight schedule, couldn't they send in their BC as their citizenship proof?   So, instead of using the BC to sail, and sending in the passport before the cruise, send a BC in for the passport renewal.    Not saying this would work, but maybe you guys know why it wouldn't.   
 

[njkruzer]

7 minutes ago, HappyTexan44 said:

Just wondering this.  For someone renewing and a tight schedule, couldn't they send in their BC as their citizenship proof?   So, instead of using the BC to sail, and sending in the passport before the cruise, send a BC in for the passport renewal.    Not saying this would work, but maybe you guys know why it wouldn't.   
 

I don’t think that works. The government makes the rules.  If your cruisecisxa closed loop cruise, i.e. leave and return from the same US port you don’t need your passport.  An official government issued birth certificate and government issued photo id will work to cruise.

[CynBeth6]

On 12/2/2023 at 8:46 PM, CynBeth6 said:

We might be going away in the summer to another country. Ours expire next fall and since some places require the 6 months after the visit must be active figured to just renew now. We did priority mail and the person at the post office put them in 3 separate envelopes did the routine not expedited and my husband got his today which was about 3 weeks. When I checked on the website about mine it says in processing and then I looked for my mother who is at a different address and said hers was just sent yesterday and should take a week to receive. All of our checks had been cashed a few weeks ago 4 days after they were sent. I hope I do not have an issue. 

My husband got his old passport back and my mom got her new passport. Mine still says in process.

[CynBeth6]

On 12/3/2023 at 4:45 PM, CynBeth6 said:

We renewed our passports 3 weeks ago did not choose expedited but did priority mail. We did not even think to check the status yet since it said 6-12 weeks or something like that and figured it would take a while. My husband got his yesterday. When I looked on the website it says mine is in processing and my Mom’s said it was approved and mailed a few days ago and gave the date she should receive it by. Our checks were all cashed on the same day. I hope there is not an issue with mine.

My husband got his old passport back and my mom got her new passport. Mine still says in processing.

[Chase101]

My daughter got married & had to get her name changed on her passport. She mailed it on Friday November 17th Priority mail. They received it Monday November 20th & deposited her check. She received her passport Saturday December 2nd & she didn’t use Expedited service either. Very shocked at how fast it came back! We don’t know how she got so lucky to get it this fast!

Barbara

[HappyTexan44]

Well, this is interesting.   We'd had to go into the post office.   For both DH and I, our previous passports were expired too long to just be a renewal.   Plus, I'd married since the last passport, and then we had daughter's first passport to do.   We did that shortly before Thanksgiving. 

 
At the post office, they told us that they'd send the supporting documents back separately and that they'd probably come a month after we had the passports.   I wasn't expecting any movement on the passports, but I've been checking the passport status every now and then.   I see this:

"We sent your supporting documents via First Class Mail on 12/01/2023 to the mailing address you provided on your application."

I had to reread it because my mind didn't believe it was still "processing."    That is amazingly quick.  Of course, I don't have the passports in my hands, but still.   We do live in Texas.   

 

 

[Underwatr]

On 12/3/2023 at 8:20 PM, HappyTexan44 said:

Just wondering this.  For someone renewing and a tight schedule, couldn't they send in their BC as their citizenship proof?   So, instead of using the BC to sail, and sending in the passport before the cruise, send a BC in for the passport renewal.    Not saying this would work, but maybe you guys know why it wouldn't.   
 

It won't work. You can only have one valid passport at a time (I think there are certain exceptions but not for everyone) so when they issue your new passport they drill a hole in the old one to invalidate it before then it back.

 

[HappyTexan44]

I am bowled over by how quick that was.   We applied, I think Nov 19th.   Non-expediated, and one was a new child passport.   The passport was in our mail yesterday Dec 9th.   DH was in the hospital so I haven't gotten mail in about a week, so it might have been there sooner.  It also came in a priority mail envelope although I hadn't paid for priority.