Passport

[Charles4515]

6 hours ago, Snaefell3 said:

Exactly my point: They collect passports for reasons other than needing to stamp them.

You have missed the point. There is no reason to hold passports on a Bermuda cruise that starts and ends in the same US port and has no other ports. 

[Charles4515]

4 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

 

Six months validity isn’t a tough requirement. Check your passport and get it renewed well ahead of time. 

I didn’t think this was about the six months but when there is a three month backlog of passport renewals that has made it tougher. Many plan more than one international trip a year. A bunch of people have been caught short. 

[pinotlover]

16 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

I didn’t think this was about the six months but when there is a three month backlog of passport renewals that has made it tougher. Many plan more than one international trip a year. A bunch of people have been caught short. 

Yep! Recent articles on the backlogs. I suspect successful planning of future travel will include leaving a time gap for passport renewal of at least 5 months. Reading the article about people waiting until 90 days or less to apply leaves little room for sympathy. 
 

FWIW, I have a friend working for the IRS. They are thousands of workers short. Restaurants and many service businesses are thousands of workers short. Unless your house is flooding, it takes 3 months to get a plumber out. The passport office is short workers. Apply early.

[Charles4515]

6 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

Yep! Recent articles on the backlogs. I suspect successful planning of future travel will include leaving a time gap for passport renewal of at least 5 months. Reading the article about people waiting until 90 days or less to apply leaves little room for sympathy. 
 

FWIW, I have a friend working for the IRS. They are thousands of workers short. Restaurants and many service businesses are thousands of workers short. Unless your house is flooding, it takes 3 months to get a plumber out. The passport office is short workers. Apply early.

I would apply a year out. 

 

Restaurant staffing seems to have improved. Workers are retuning here. My plumber came out the next day and replaced my garbage disposal. I don’t know if the passport office is short of workers. It has been reported that travel has surged since people are no longer Covid shy and so demand for passports has surged. Everyone wants to travel again at the same time.

[Norseh2o]

Six months can be difficult. My passport expires February, 2024. I need anew passport for October-December, 2023 travel on Nautica and Marina.

I traveled to South America, Feb-April, 2023, France the first 2 weeks of June, 2023, will board the Regatta to Alaska in 2 weeks, Nautica and Marina trips October-December, 2023. Not enough time between January to August to be without passport. Hopeful that the time between August 1, disembark the Regatta in Seattle and October 20, fly to Venice is enough time for expedited passport service. Will need new passport for fall, 2023 and January-February, 2024 trips.

Edited July 6, 2023 by Norseh2o

[pinotlover]

Good Luck. I’d definitely use an Expeditor service! 🥂

[Cliff-FLL]

1 hour ago, Norseh2o said:

Six months can be difficult. My passport expires February, 2024. I need anew passport for October-December, 2023 travel on Nautica and Marina.

Make life easier (but more expensive) for yourself and get a 2nd passport.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-passport/second-passport-book.html

[Rothko1]

Not very helpful.  You can only get them under limited circumstances, and they are only available for 4 years.  So it's not like just getting a second passport in Year 5 and then renewing the original at the end of the ten year term, and then renewing the second passport.

[Snaefell3]

1 hour ago, Norseh2o said:

...enough time for expedited passport service....

 

1 hour ago, pinotlover said:

Good Luck. I’d definitely use an Expeditor service! 🥂

Non-trivial distinction:

"Expedited" = Cut processing time at Dept of State by about a month.

"Expeditor"  = Pay a contractor to get you a renewed passport in hand in as little as 1 week.

 

Were it me, I'd go with @pinotlover's advice, and pay an expeditor. (Find a good one, though, and plan to *spend* -- but if you're on O that often, it's likely pocket change 😉 )

[WildWanderers]

We (Canadians) have been on seven Oceania cruises and have had our passports held by the ship on one cruise only, and for one port only:  St. Petersburg.  The ship organized the paperwork to make it so that we could go through the port (more) smoothly.  We were warned that the authorities could be cantankerous, not be surprised if our entry was refused and to remain calm.  We had no problem, but a couple in an adjacent line, who had arranged their own excursion was annoyed at the delays, annoyed at the staff and finally was asked by Russian authorities to step aside, out of the line.  We never heard if they made it to their excursion or were refused entry.

 

It was interesting that our excursion bus was stopped by the police.  We were first told that the headlights were not bright enough and were led to believe that everyone would have to ante up some amount - and then the driver paid the police cash, and the police car drove off.

 

We were able to pick up our passports from the Reception Desk the next day.

[Norseh2o]

2 hours ago, pinotlover said:

Good Luck. I’d definitely use an Expeditor service! 🥂

Thanks for the advice. Have arranged for passport picture next week, will look for an Expeditor service now.

[ORV]

Mine expire in Jan 24. I don't have anything booked until Jan, 21 of 24. I sent ours in on June 23rd. They might be slow about processing the paperwork, but the check cleared my bank in two days of them receiving the package. 

[1985rz1]

4 minutes ago, ORV said:

Mine expire in Jan 24. I don't have anything booked until Jan, 21 of 24. I sent ours in on June 23rd. They might be slow about processing the paperwork, but the check cleared my bank in two days of them receiving the package. 

Interest free loan to to the Feds 🤣.

[mauibabes]

@Norseh2o

Ditto Pinot, EXPEDITER is the only way you will be sailing because the Passport offices are buried and there is NO chance even an expedited renewal will get through before a Fall cruise. 
HUSTLE, AAA takes Passport photos too.

Mauibabes

[FetaCheese]

Did not use expeditor. Used expedited from State Dept., plus express shipping from State Dept. 

 

Mailed it myself priority from P.O. They received app next day. 

 

Began processing 3 days later. Passport received 5 weeks, 3 days from date received by passport office. $209.53

Edited July 6, 2023 by FetaCheese
Addl info

[sunlover12]

I didn't use expedited service.  Mailed Priority mail and received my new passport in 7 weeks.  This was in February-March of this year so it was before the big backlog they're having now. 

The website that shows application status was still showing "in process" so I was surprised when I received it in the mail as soon as I did. 

[Snaefell3]

5 hours ago, sunlover12 said:

I didn't use expedited service.  Mailed Priority mail and received my new passport in 7 weeks.  This was in February-March of this year so it was before the big backlog they're having now. 

The website that shows application status was still showing "in process" so I was surprised when I received it in the mail as soon as I did. 

Did you mail to Irving, TX or Philadelphia, PA?

[FetaCheese]

6 hours ago, Snaefell3 said:

Did you mail to Irving, TX or Philadelphia, PA?

Philadelphia, that was address given on appl.  (Live there too.)

[sunlover12]

8 hours ago, Snaefell3 said:

Did you mail to Irving, TX or Philadelphia, PA?

Philadelphia

[Snaefell3]

2 hours ago, FetaCheese said:

Philadelphia

 

18 minutes ago, sunlover12 said:

Philadelphia

Rats!  You both had me hoping.  Mine had to go to Irving  😞

[mauibabes]

Too many thousands on the line to worry and suffer anxiety attacks as the deadline for Oceania to have your Passport information. Have friends who applied in April and have not heard a word. You roll your dice 😇🤙🙏🤞🛳️

Mauibabes

[Snaefell3]

Got taught "Proper Preparation Prevents P[athetically] Poor Performance" long ago.  My final payment ain't due until December. 

 

::knocks on wood::   😉

 

 

 

[PaulMCO]

10 hours ago, Snaefell3 said:

Did you mail to Irving, TX or Philadelphia, PA?

These are just collection points.  From there State sends your application/passport to one of the 20+ passport centers.  You application number first two digits will tell you which center has it.

[Snaefell3]

17 minutes ago, PaulMCO said:

These are just collection points.  From there State sends your application/passport to one of the 20+ passport centers.  You application number first two digits will tell you which center has it.

Thank you.  Learned something.

 

Seems mine is at the "National" center in NH.  Kinda hard to drop by from CA if things go awry.    At 5 weeks, yesterday, will update.

[PaulMCO]

1 hour ago, Snaefell3 said:

Thank you.  Learned something.

 

Seems mine is at the "National" center in NH.  Kinda hard to drop by from CA if things go awry.    At 5 weeks, yesterday, will update.

It has no specific reason as to closest location.  Depends on which site has the least backlog.

If things go awry (mine did last time) they give a direct address and mail stop to send any corrections.

 

I generally use a passport service but last renew was during covid and had plenty of time.