Passport Expires 5 months after?

[missymoose13]

I am going on FOS on July 19 2009. So excited!!!!! My passport expires in January 12, 2010. Should I get a new one or an I all set. My concern is that if I renew by mail, I have to send in my old passport, even if I expidite it I am worried that I won't get it back in time. I have no idea where my birth certificate is so that is not an option. Please help!

 

No where in my cruise documents does it say that my passport must remain vaild for 6 months.

 

Thank you in advance. Missy

[TPKeller]

I am going on FOS on July 19 2009. So excited!!!!! My passport expires in January 12, 2010. Should I get a new one or an I all set. My concern is that if I renew by mail, I have to send in my old passport, even if I expidite it I am worried that I won't get it back in time. I have no idea where my birth certificate is so that is not an option. Please help!

 

No where in my cruise documents does it say that my passport must remain vaild for 6 months.

 

Thank you in advance. Missy

For Freedom cruises from Port Canaveral, you fall into the WHTI "closed-loop exception", so as long as you are a US Citizen, you don't even need a passport. You do need proof of citizenship, which is usually the Birth Certificate, so your passport will do fine. I don't have a link handy, but I have seen references that even expired passports do suffice for proof of citizenship.

 

As always, a valid passport is the very best travel ID document. In this case, I don't think your expiration date will matter.

 

These new rules just took effect on June 1st, so there is still a large amount of conflicting information out there on this subject.

 

Theron

[temple1]

I don't see a problem you will be back home from your cruise and requesting a new passport long before the old one expires. :D

[NCMtnBoys]

I have the exact situation, where my passport expires 5 months after my September sailing. I was wondering about this too. But, I'm not really concerned about it because I'll be on a "closed loop" cruise.

 

I think why the question was asked is because on the official passport website it states that if your passport is not valid for at least six months past the date of your trip, SOME countries will not allow you entry and SOME airlines will not allow you to fly. But being on a closed-loop cruise you don't have to worry about it. Further, for domestic flights you don't even need a passport to fly, just a picture id.

 

I was going to renew mine before my September cruise also, but I have decided not to, I'll just renew it closer to the expiration in February.

[amybeth4]

You're definitely fine. My former boss, who is a Tour Operator (and probably cruises 4-5 times a YEAR, lucky her) has used passports that were within a month of expiring, if not already expired.

 

AND as was said above, you don't even NEED it on a closed-loop cruise. The fact that you'll be showing a passport is just gravy so it's aaallllll good.

 

Knowing I wouldn't be traveling any time soon, I waited until this past March to renew my passport, which was to expire in April. Had to get my money's worth.

 

BTW it took about four weeks for it to come back.

[willco]

I cruised with my 80 something father last year. His passport was long expired. RCCL had no problem with it.

[crzndeb]

Missy,

 

Since you don't know where your BC is, that might be what you eventually might want to get another copy of. Those are pretty easy and painless to get. But for your July cruise, you will be fine with your passport.

[kevin priestley]

Can someone please define a closed loop cruise

[truffles2]

Closed loop means you end up at the same place you started from.

[JaneStarr]

Closed loop means you end up at the same place you started from.

 

Plus, for passport purposes, you need to be starting and ending in the US.

Jane

[TPKeller]

We've been talking about this on the "Ask a Cruise Question" forum for well over two years now. See this thread: Passport Clarification Needed..

 

One of the last few posts on that thread had this link from US Customs and Border Protection, defining a Closed-Loop cruise.

 

Theron

 

P.S. it is also interesting to note, although it has not gotten much coverage yet, either here, or on other travel sites, that the new rules dropped the "certified" qualifier from the birth certificate requirement. The page linked above states: "an original or copy of your birth certificate", which is very different from "an original or certified copy of your birth certificate". Exercise this new rule at your own risk, but it will be very interesting to watch for reports of folks traveling with just xerox copies of their Birth Certificate. (Note: NOBODY travels with their original Birth Certificate. Every state keeps those safely locked up in their vital records vault.)

[DMorris]

Can someone please define a closed loop cruise

 

Here is the definition per the Government...

 

U.S. citizens that board a cruise ship at a port within the U.S., travel only within the Western Hemisphere, and return to the same U.S. port on that ship.

 

So if your cruise ship doesn't leave the Western Hemisphere and the ports you visit don't require a passport a birth certificate may work.

[dukeysmom]

We're on a non-closed loop (I think) - from San Juan to Bayonne. Our cruise ends April 25, 2010 and our passports expire October 26, 2010 - almost exactly 6 months. Are we safe or should we renew?

 

Thank you.

[cruznjan]

I am going on FOS on July 19 2009. So excited!!!!! My passport expires in January 12, 2010. Should I get a new one or an I all set. My concern is that if I renew by mail, I have to send in my old passport, even if I expidite it I am worried that I won't get it back in time. I have no idea where my birth certificate is so that is not an option. Please help! You don't need your birth certificate to renew a passport.

 

No where in my cruise documents does it say that my passport must remain vaild for 6 months. If it doesn't say it, don't worry about it.

 

Thank you in advance. Missy

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[DMorris]

RCCL's policy recommends -

 

For your protection, we recommend that your passport expiration date not occur within six(6) months of the sailing termination date.

[TPKeller]

This thread is becoming very confusing.

 

We're talking apples and oranges here.

 

A passport is a fruit. Sometimes it's an apple, sometimes it's an orange.

 

At this time (after the June 1st implementation of the final WHTI rules) for "closed-loop" cruises from US ports, US Citizens need to provide proof of citizenship and proof of identity.

 

A passport can do that, and it does not even have to be currently valid. This is the "apple".

 

But, if you are cruising to a country that requires a valid passport, or on a one-way cruise (especially such as a trans-Atlantic, where you are also required to have a passport because the other country requires it), then you are using the passport as an actual passport... This is the "orange".

 

Obviously I don't speak for the cruise line, but I strongly suspect their six month guideline applies to the "orange" version of the passport, and not the "apple". How can it, since the "apple" version does not even need to be current at all?

 

I have probably confused the issue even more, but for what it's worth... If you are using your passport only to prove citizenship and ID, then the expiration date is not very important. If you are using your passport to gain entry into a country that requires a passport, then the expiration date is something you should consider more carefully.

 

Theron

[cherylandtk]

...

 

A passport can do that, and it does not even have to be currently valid. This is the "apple"...

 

Theron

Theron, I understand that the 'old' rule of allowing expired passports to be used as proof of citizenship (along with current ID, or much as a certified BC is used) went the way of the goony bird with the implementation of the WHTI. Now, in an emergency, when needing to provide suitable evidence to a consular official that you are, indeed, a US citizen, yep I bet that expired passport will do wonders. But I seem to recall reading somewhere that the use of expired passports as citizenship documents for travel purposes was being phased out. Of course, I will have to do some searching to find it, but my memory seems to think it was on the CBP site on one of those .pdf posters or FAQ pages....I will try and find it and re-post. :p

 

eta-Just to clarify, expired passports CAN be used as proof to apply for a new passport within certain time limits, just not as an actual proof-of-citizenship travel document.

[Missus Makkem]

One poster mentioned getting all the time on your passport before you renew, here in the Uk if you renew in the last 6 months of the expiry date it is credited to your new one, so mine on renewal was for 10 years plus 6 months.

Hope this makes sense.:rolleyes:

[TPKeller]

Theron, I understand that the 'old' rule of allowing expired passports to be used as proof of citizenship (along with current ID, or much as a certified BC is used) went the way of the goony bird with the implementation of the WHTI. Now, in an emergency, when needing to provide suitable evidence to a consular official that you are, indeed, a US citizen, yep I bet that expired passport will do wonders. But I seem to recall reading somewhere that the use of expired passports as citizenship documents for travel purposes was being phased out. Of course, I will have to do some searching to find it, but my memory seems to think it was on the CBP site on one of those .pdf posters or FAQ pages....I will try and find it and re-post. :p

 

eta-Just to clarify, expired passports CAN be used as proof to apply for a new passport within certain time limits, just not as an actual proof-of-citizenship travel document.

This wouldn't surprise me, but as you note, it would be good to see a written source for that. Citizenship doesn't usually expire... I guess you could renounce it, but other than that, I can't think of any way for someone who is once a citizen to lose it.

 

Theron

[TPKeller]

One poster mentioned getting all the time on your passport before you renew, here in the Uk if you renew in the last 6 months of the expiry date it is credited to your new one, so mine on renewal was for 10 years plus 6 months.

Hope this makes sense.:rolleyes:

That not only makes sense, it's smart! If you pay for a 10 year passport, you should be able to use it for 10 years, not 9 and a half! :)

 

Theron

[cherylandtk]

This wouldn't surprise me, but as you note, it would be good to see a written source for that. Citizenship doesn't usually expire... I guess you could renounce it, but other than that, I can't think of any way for someone who is once a citizen to lose it.

 

Theron

Oh I don't think citizenship expires, its just that what is an acceptable proof as a travel document may be different than what is acceptable proof to obtain a travel document. Anyway, I naturally could not find the page(s), but I did run across the pdf that mentions children can use photocopies....but that is not this can of worms. :D The only things I could find now are negative proofs; no mention of expired passports accepted on cruiseline websites (which existed last year) and no inclusion of expired passports on the lists of accepted documents on any of the DHS or CBP sites. State still lists them as acceptable for renewals, of course, as they should.

[FLACRUISER99]

Just remember that the world can change in a heartbeat. Government requirements can also change, so if I were in your shoes I would immediately get my passport renewed, you have plenty of time.

[lady_cruiser]

You're definitely fine. My former boss, who is a Tour Operator (and probably cruises 4-5 times a YEAR, lucky her) has used passports that were within a month of expiring, if not already expired.

 

AND as was said above, you don't even NEED it on a closed-loop cruise. The fact that you'll be showing a passport is just gravy so it's aaallllll good.

 

Knowing I wouldn't be traveling any time soon, I waited until this past March to renew my passport, which was to expire in April. Had to get my money's worth.

 

BTW it took about four weeks for it to come back.

 

Lucky her is right. I would love her job. But to answer the passport question it sounds like your boss was using her <expired> passport when it was not mandatory that we have one so she was in no danger of being denied entry back into the U.S. Am I correct in thinking this?

[A2Mich]

From what I've read and been told by my TA, a passport is NOT required at this time for closed loop cruises. However, there can be circumstances where a passport would be needed, and this has been discussed elsewhere.....let's say you are on a closed-loop cruise without a passport. You can certainly board the ship, and visit the various ports for X amount of time as a tourist. However, if you were to be seriously injured or become ill in a foreign port, had to be hospitalized in a foreign port or med-evac'd from said foreign port, you may definitely have a problem there, as you do not have the correct documentation required to stay in that port, in which case you may be detained, fined, or deported. That's what I had been advised.....

[amybeth4]

One poster mentioned getting all the time on your passport before you renew, here in the Uk if you renew in the last 6 months of the expiry date it is credited to your new one, so mine on renewal was for 10 years plus 6 months.

Hope this makes sense.:rolleyes:

 

Interesting. I just looked at my old passport and my new.

 

My old one expired April 19, 2009.

 

I sent it back for renewal in March.

 

It came back to me in April, with an expiration (excuse me..."expiry" heehee) date of April 10 (I mean 10 April) 2019.

 

Apparently in THIS country they like to rip you off, as it were, and set the new expiration date as ten years from the moment they renew you. Luckily I didn't renew mine at the "expires in six months" mark.

 

By the way, I cruised in Feb '09 with it expiring in April '09 with no problem. I don't think for caribbean cruise purposes that has changed.