Passports - Anyone used an online agency to expedite the process????

[MISSYLOU]

We are cruising Nov 26, 05 and due to my mother in laws sudden passing we would like to take our father in law with us but he does not have a passport. The cruise stops in Isla Margarita, Venezuela so a passport is needed.

 

Has anyone used one of the online agencies who will expedite the passport application for a fee?????

[Big L.E.E.]

I doubt using an agency will get you results any faster than just paying the extra $60 expedite fee. According the the State Deptarment's Passport site, http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_831.html, paying the fee, plus paying for overnight shipping will get you the passport within 2 weeks.

 

L.E.E.

[jhannah]

I used Zierer Visa Service ( www.zvs.com ) to get a Russian visa, and they were very helpful. They also have passport services with an office not too far from you in Houston.

 

As an aside, I must share the most phenomenal of coincidences. The gentleman from Zierer with whom I corresponded via e-mail was on the Baltic cruise with us. Seated at our table! What were the odds of that happening?

[Sierrachik]

As an aside, I must share the most phenomenal of coincidences. The gentleman from Zierer with whom I corresponded via e-mail was on the Baltic cruise with us. Seated at our table! What were the odds of that happening?

 

Wow, that is amazing. It really is a small world sometimes.

[bdmarine]

My wife had a bad experience with an online renewal agency a few years ago. They had no problem cashing our check, but they lost her old passport and our wedding license. They refunded our money, but we had a rough time clearing everything up in time, which included getting a birth certificate, a new certified wedding license, etc.

[kelelmel]

My sister recently contacted the government with a rush request (check out: http://travel.state.gov/passport/about/npic/npic_898.html, for a phone#). She called them on Tues. 10/18/05 for a cruise that she was leaving for on Fri. 10/21/05 (this is so typical of my sister!). They offered her two options, she could mail her birth certificate and other necessary items overnight to the closest agency and they would send it all back to her with a passport the next day or she could go to the local agency and they would provide her with a passport that same day. She was not comfortable mailing her birth certificate so she decided to visit the local agency. We reside in NJ and they told her she would need to go to Phila. (less than 2hrs. from us). The following day, Weds., she drove to Phila. and within a couple of hours she had her passport. She had to pay the fee to expedite ($60, I think) in addition to the standard fees.

 

This might be another option for you. Good luck!