Passport question

[Reijo]

My grandson had to apply for a passport for our upcoming cruise. Youngest grandson has received his passport but oldest was notified of a problem with driver's license number and he had to send corrected number to them, which was done 2-3 wks. ago but still no passport. Our cruise is in one month.......when should we start worrying?

[maureencruiser]

You're on the Freedom? US Citizens on a closed loop cruise only need driver's license and CERTIFIED copy of birth certificate.

[Reijo]

You're on the Freedom? US Citizens on a closed loop cruise only need driver's license and CERTIFIED copy of birth certificate.

 

Really, My understanding was that all had to have passports. My son will KILL me for giving him incorrect info. However, his certified birth certificate was sent in with the passport application. 😖

[bondgirl007]

My grandson had to apply for a passport for our upcoming cruise. Youngest grandson has received his passport but oldest was notified of a problem with driver's license number and he had to send corrected number to them, which was done 2-3 wks. ago but still no passport. Our cruise is in one month.......when should we start worrying?

 

You can check the status of your grandson's application on line.

 

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english.html/

 

You can also call and ask about having them expedite the passport. With 4 more weeks before you travel I don't think you need to worry yet:)

 

To speak to a customer service representative, please call between the hours of 8:00 am to 10:00 pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

 

From the U.S. 1-877-487-2778

 

Hope this info helps:D

[Desertbelle]

I would order a new birth certificate now, just in case there is a problem with the passport.

[Domino D]

Really, My understanding was that all had to have passports. My son will KILL me for giving him incorrect info. However, his certified birth certificate was sent in with the passport application. 😖

 

You should be able to get another certified copy from the Georgia Department of Public Health.

 

There is also the Atlanta Passport Agency office downtown. If you are travelling in less than 2 weeks and still don't have it, you can make an appointment to get it there. Your grandson will have to go in person, it takes a while. There are circumstances where you can get it right away, or normally it will be mailed in 8 days.

 

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/information/where-to-apply/agencies/atlanta-passport-agency.html

 

Honestly, birth certificate is your best option.

[mollyeilis]

You should be able to get another certified copy from the Georgia Department of Public Health.

 

 

Assuming he was born in Georgia, of course.

 

 

DL number? Only number requested on our passport application for DS the other day was SS number. Could that be the issue?

[sparks1093]

Really, My understanding was that all had to have passports. My son will KILL me for giving him incorrect info. However, his certified birth certificate was sent in with the passport application.

 

Really, for a closed loop cruise those 16 and over may use a government issued photo ID and birth certificate (DHS regs say "original or copy", nothing about certified)(under 16 only need birth certificate). I would order a new copy of the birth certificate now just in case (since this is a closed loop cruise I'm not sure that I would pay expedite fees at this point unless international air travel is in the foreseeable future).

[CruisinBarb63]

When I applied for our daughter in August, they advised me processing was running 7-8 weeks. Since our crise was in 9 weeks, I was nervous but didn't want to pay to expedite. They told me if it got within 2 weeks of traveling & we had still not received it, we could call & pay to expedite & we would have it in 3 days. We did not have to do that as it csme in 2 1/2 weeks but it was good to know we had the option.

[rudeney]

A few comments...

 

1. Since your grandson used his DL as proof of identity when applying for his passport, that number is entered on the form by the person (post office employee?) who took the application. It's in the bottom section of the form where the picture is attached. My guess is that person wrote it down incorrectly or illegibly. For anyone reading this in the future, they ask you to review the form and sign it. When you do, make sure the person taking the application has filled in everything correctly.

 

2. I would follow the wise advice give here - contact the NPIC to check status. Also, get that certified copy of your grandson's birth certificate. Since this is a closed-loop "domestic" sailing, he does not require a passport to board the ship. Being over 16, he will need a CERTIFIED copy of his birth certificate plus a laminated, government issued ID (i.e. driver's license). From RCCL:

 

U.S. citizens on closed-loop cruises (cruises that begin and end at the same port in the U.S.) will be able to enter or depart the country with proof of citizenship, such as a government-issued birth certificate and laminated government issued picture ID, denoting photo, name and date of birth. A U.S. citizen under the age of 16 will be able to present either an original, notarized or certified copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad issues by DOS, or Certificate of Naturalization issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

 

3. Even though you can travel on these closed-loop domestic cruises with nothing but the BC and DL, my advice is to go ahead and do everything you can to get the passport. The reason is, if "something goes wrong" and he has to return home from a port of call via some other method than the ship, he will REQUIRE a passport. Of course we hope that is never the case, but it's best to be prepared. There are a few stories here on the forums of people getting left behind or having to get home via an alternate mode of transportation, and not having a passport means that you have to spend a lot of time and money getting one. And this also brings up another point - I always carry my passport with me when I visit a port - just in case!

[Reijo]

Thanks to all for your input. We will go online to check the status and go from there. After thinking about it, I'm afraid to just go with the birth certificate and driver's license due to a heart condition (pacemaker) that my grandson has. We certainly don't expect any problem but wouldn't want to have one and not be able to get out of the country. Again, thank you all for your response.

[Capt_BJ]

when you go online ... unless you find out the passport is already in the mail, sign up for e-mail notifications.

 

IME these are WAY more timely than the updates on the general web site. I got an e-mail that said 'in the mail' and had the passport in hand for over a week when the web site status still said "processing"

 

*************

p.s. for 'other' readers ... when each of our kids were born they asked us how many copies of the birth certificate we'd like. Not long b4 the birth of our first we'd gone thru the 'find a REAL BC' debacle when getting our first passports. Parents were clueless, we had only hospital records passed on to us. UGH. We got 6 "originals" for each child (genuine state issued raised seal originals). Still have several for each in the safety deposit box. They also have passports and we ensure they keep them current! Well, we remind them anyway.

 

******************

renewing a passport when it needs to be renewed like a driver's lic' can help prevent it adding on to a planned vacations costs. Since many times a passport must have 6 months remaining, I start thinking about renewal a year out . . . Of course, with a 10 year period, this has not happened OFTEN.

Edited September 13, 2015 by Capt_BJ

[RCAlltheWay]

I'm a little behind, so maybe you've received word on your passport. I just learned last night that Royal Caribbean requires that your passport must have been issued 6 months before your sail date in order to use it for boarding. The representative told me that I should bring my BC and DL (and marriage license to prove name change) as well as my passport (it may still be accepted since I've had it 5 months and 14 days as of sail date). Good luck!

[John&LaLa]

I'm a little behind, so maybe you've received word on your passport. I just learned last night that Royal Caribbean requires that your passport must have been issued 6 months before your sail date in order to use it for boarding. The representative told me that I should bring my BC and DL (and marriage license to prove name change) as well as my passport (it may still be accepted since I've had it 5 months and 14 days as of sail date). Good luck!

 

I think they meant it must be valid for 6 months after you board

[akcruz]

I'm a little behind, so maybe you've received word on your passport. I just learned last night that Royal Caribbean requires that your passport must have been issued 6 months before your sail date in order to use it for boarding. The representative told me that I should bring my BC and DL (and marriage license to prove name change) as well as my passport (it may still be accepted since I've had it 5 months and 14 days as of sail date). Good luck!

 

I think they meant it must be valid for 6 months after you board

 

I thought the 6 month rule was only if you were visiting certain European countries and that was not the case for most cruises. Yes, it is that the passport has to have an expiration date at least 6 months past the cruise date for those countries.

 

I know of someone who was flying to Italy (from the US) and had a passport that expired in about 45 days. They were not allowed to board the plane as the rules for Italy are that the passport needs to be valid for 90 days. It was an expense lesson for their family.

[RCAlltheWay]

Thank you for correcting my post! I swear I was very clear when I called, but after I posted this I read another thread that mentioned the 6 months after cruise, so I called again to clarify. They said there is no rule pertaining to prior to sail date. She said that they prefer that the passport is at least valid for 2-3 weeks afterwards.

[kford0405]

Our kids have cruised 4 times with Royal and they do not have passports. We use their birth certificates and have never had an issue. This year we decided to get them passports but will not have them before we cruise in 7 days. That said, their birth certificates will be used, no worries.

[Desertbelle]

Our kids have cruised 4 times with Royal and they do not have passports. We use their birth certificates and have never had an issue. This year we decided to get them passports but will not have them before we cruise in 7 days. That said, their birth certificates will be used, no worries.

It totally depends on where your cruise is going whether or not a passport is needed. Now, that we have passports we use them exclusively, even when we are flying within the USA.