FYI Delayed Passports

[sueb]

Recieved notice today via mail that our passports will be delayed.(Applied 4 weeks ago in Ohio). The passport office that they go through is in New Orleans. Spoke to an agent and she said they are actually kept on the 17th floor of the building and they are waiting untill they can have access again to retrieve everyones vital documents. They are unclear as to how long this will take, but she did say we may want send for a copy of our birth certificates just in case. They are only asking those that are traveling within the next 6 weeks to contact the NPIC (National Passport Information Center). The web site is travel.state.gov.

[Noillid2]

I received the same post card notice recently:

 

Dear Passport Customer:

 

Our records show that you recently applied for a passport. Due to

disruptions caused by Hurricane Katrina, our processing time might be

slower than usual. If you are planning to travel within the next six

weeks, please contact the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) at

1-877-487-2778 or email NPIC via travel.state.gov. Customer Service

Representatives are available from 7 a.m. to midnight, Eastern Time,

Monday-Friday, excluding Federal holidays. If you are leaving in more

than 6 weeks, please visit travel.state.gov for current information.

 

Thank you for your assistance during this challenging time.

 

U.S. Department of State

Bureau of Consular Affairs

Passport Services

We applied for our passports on August 13th, which I don't think presents any problems, unless our application information got wet or blew away!!! I'm really glad we applied early just in case we have to get new birth certificates and re-apply for our passports. Who would have thought the Passport office was in New Orleans? I would have thought the office would have been in Washington D.C., but I suppose they don't want all their eggs in one basket either. We will have to wait and see what happens.

[ngray]

Hi

 

I called the passport office today and they said that all documents had been removed from the building in New Orleans and had been sent to SC. They said if there is a problem with your documents they will notify you. They said it will take several weeks to unpack and sort all the documents.

 

nancy

[Noillid2]

Hi Nancy,

 

Many thanks for the information.

[soohoo]

Glad to hear they are working on the passports. We applied for my daughter 7/25 and haven't received but no big deal...can cruise without it. Curious though, what happens when someone is traveling within a couple of weeks? Do they rush to just find those from the huge stack, ...or have you reapply and rush it?

[ZPOOD@AOL.COM]

Sorry to hear about your passport. Getting another copy from the state may take a while too. If you apply now, where are they going to send your application and how long will it take?

[wrp96]

Glad to hear they are working on the passports. We applied for my daughter 7/25 and haven't received but no big deal...can cruise without it. Curious though, what happens when someone is traveling within a couple of weeks? Do they rush to just find those from the huge stack, ...or have you reapply and rush it?

 

I think they are having those people reapply and they are waving the expediting fees in those cases.

[Cruiser_Guy]

When we did it, we put a rush on it and got them a week later for quite a large fee ($300 pp).

[smeyer418]

When we did it, we put a rush on it and got them a week later for quite a large fee ($300 pp).

300 per person! You must have used an expiditor. For about 60 extra they will send them out the nxt day.

 

http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/fees/fees_837.html

[suzym]

OMG!!!! I'm so worried about my passport and going on my cruise!!! You could be my daughter wondering if her house has been flooded and will have a home to return to. Does she have anything or any personal possesions to return to. A little insensitve ....

[sailinglisa]

Suzy - it may seem trivial to you, but I personally know about 5 people whose passports and all their documentation to receive them are being held up in NO or wherever they have the paperwork now. For my friends, they are now going to have to shell out another $50 per person to get an expidited certified copy of their birth certificates (since the ones they sent to NO to be processed are still in limbo and without them they cannot cruise OR travel on an airline!) Maybe you could find just an ounce of compassion for people put into situations not of their own making who are just trying to cope too. For my friends the extra $250 is a BIG sacrifice! And it's not just cruisers who are being affected, what about international travelers, care workers going overseas, etc.? I thought we had gotten past the holier than thou and how dare you feel inconvenienced posts on this board the past couple of days. This is important information that affects many people and needs to be out there. jmho

[crb04]

OMG!!!! I'm so worried about my passport and going on my cruise!!! You could be my daughter wondering if her house has been flooded and will have a home to return to. Does she have anything or any personal possesions to return to. A little insensitve ....

 

Suzy--I am truly sorry your daughter doesn't know whether she has a home to go to. You both will be in my prayers, along with the other victims of Katrina, and all those affected by tragic horrors in this world. I can only imagine the distress you must be feeling.

 

Surely you can also understand that concern and compassion for other's troubles are not exclusive of every other emotion or worry. While I am heartsick at the situation in New Orleans (and indeed, the tragedy I encounter every day in my chosen profession), the daily, more mundane concerns that are part of the process of living are even more vital in times of stress. If all someone did was focus on the misery and heartache they witnessed in the world around them, how long could that person function effectively? They certainly wouldn't be in a position to help if paralyzed by the nightmarish images we see so often. It is not insensitivity at all--it is simply life going on for many people, as it must.

 

It does not detract one bit from the empathy I feel for gulf residents (or others) if I also express concern about the rising price of gas, whether my child remembered to eat lunch, or even whether a voyage will proceed as scheduled. This is a cruise board where people come to discuss cruise related matters, after all.

 

Good luck to you and your family--I hope your daughter's property has remained safe and intact.