Passport question - your experience?

[Herfnerd]

Just curious - getting ready to send out my passport for renewal prior to our closed loop cruise out of Seattle on September 2nd, an Alaskan R/T on HAL. We return on 9/9 and my current passport expires 10/17 .

 

My wife said I really don't need to send it out as Canada doesn't require 6 month validity, and I generally agree with her, but wondered if anyone has experienced any issues, good or bad with this type of situation?

 

I've seen other posts talking about passport expirations, country requirements, recommendations, etc, etc ad nauseum but wondered about actual experiences

 

Inquiring minds want to know - thanx.

[bUU]

Just curious - getting ready to send out my passport for renewal prior to our closed loop cruise out of Seattle on September 2nd, an Alaskan R/T on HAL. We return on 9/9 and my current passport expires 10/17 .

 

My wife said I really don't need to send it out as Canada doesn't require 6 month validity, and I generally agree with her, but wondered if anyone has experienced any issues, good or bad with this type of situation?

 

I've seen other posts talking about passport expirations, country requirements, recommendations, etc, etc ad nauseum but wondered about actual experiences

 

Inquiring minds want to know - thanx.

There's probably no need but these days I wouldn't take the chance.

 

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[txwriter]

All I know is that on the paperwork I received from my TA, it says "Passport is required!! (Must be valid for 6 months after return.)"

[GradUT]

As the spouse of a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, I suggest you rely on the Department of State's official information regarding the passport and visa requirements for any country you visit. (That's what we do.) The link below shows that the passport validity for Canada is: "Valid at Time of Entry". There is NO requirement that the passport be valid for any excess amount of time.

 

If you want to renew your passport before you cruise, go ahead, but it's not necessary. You will be able to enter Canada with your passport as is.

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/canada.html

[shadowmeboy]

I just renewed mine and it took two weeks to get the new one plus a passport card.

 

I would just get it renewed now and not worry about it.

[Sequim88]

1st question for me would be "Do I intend to travel internationally again in the next 10 years?" If so renewal would be a no brainer. My Dad found his passport the other day and said it expires this year but he is not going to renew it. He turns 90 in a few weeks and does not expect to travel anymore except domestically - perhaps to visit us and his sister in Seattle. No need for him to spend the money on a passport.

[Herfnerd]

As the spouse of a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, I suggest you rely on the Department of State's official information regarding the passport and visa requirements for any country you visit. (That's what we do.) The link below shows that the passport validity for Canada is: "Valid at Time of Entry". There is NO requirement that the passport be valid for any excess amount of time.

 

If you want to renew your passport before you cruise, go ahead, but it's not necessary. You will be able to enter Canada with your passport as is.

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/canada.html

 

 

That's what we found and my wife reminded me of .

 

I went to college and lived in Rochester, NY once upon a time - oh for the days where we could drive back and forth across the border without anything but a drivers license......

 

 

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[martincath]

As the spouse of a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, I suggest you rely on the Department of State's official information regarding the passport and visa requirements for any country you visit. (That's what we do.) The link below shows that the passport validity for Canada is: "Valid at Time of Entry". There is NO requirement that the passport be valid for any excess amount of time.

 

If you want to renew your passport before you cruise, go ahead, but it's not necessary. You will be able to enter Canada with your passport as is.

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/canada.html

100% agree with this principle - for independent travel...

 

Unfortunately cruiselines, like any other business, can add whatever additional requirements they want to - and if you don't like it you shop elsewhere. If your line insists on 6 month validity, or a passport at all when you don't need one for government purposes (e.g. those swanky lines who want passports from all even for Closed Loop cruising), quoting government regs that you are compliant with still won't get you onboard the vessel!

 

 

While I don't believe HAL enforce any passport requirements for Alaska, it's been a long time since our one HAL cruise... as long as you're confident you've met the HAL requirements OP, sure, wait until after your cruise to renew it since we up in the Great White North could not care less about your passport expiration date!

[Eaglecw]

If you have a enhanced drivers license you'll be fine. We have enhanced Washington state driver licenses for travel to Canada and for TSA airport security. But I would renew my Passport, you never know when you might need it. We got a free a 45 day working vacation to Germany a few years ago, we were the only ones in the office that had a valid passports, now they all have passports.

[TheCalicoCat]

Just curious - getting ready to send out my passport for renewal prior to our closed loop cruise out of Seattle on September 2nd, an Alaskan R/T on HAL. We return on 9/9 and my current passport expires 10/17 .

 

.

 

Would you be asking if you weren't concerned?

Better to have it & not need it...

Make yourself feel better & just get the renewal done with.

[Herfnerd]

I wasn't really concerned as I am already sending my passport out for renewal - was more curious than anything else

 

 

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[TheCalicoCat]

I wasn't really concerned as I am already sending my passport out for renewal - was more curious than anything else

 

 

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I understand, my curiosity surrounds those who quibble over the cost of a passport while spending thousands on a cruise... (I wouldn't want to lose my birth certificate, that would be harder to replace & wouldn't help me get on a plane if I needed to for one reason or another.)

[bUU]

I suppose folks see more value to themselves from the cruise than from the passport.

 

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[snowmc]

It is the cruise line that requires the 6 month validity...not Canada. Don't risk it....it would cost a WHOLE lot more to get to the ship and not be allowed to board because of a passport expiration date!

[Herfnerd]

It is the cruise line that requires the 6 month validity...not Canada. Don't risk it....it would cost a WHOLE lot more to get to the ship and not be allowed to board because of a passport expiration date!

 

 

Not quite true.

 

Countries will stipulate the length of validity for passports beyond the return date. Canada happens to be one that does not require it. And HAL only recommends that passengers have a passport with at least six months of validity beyond the return date. They also say it is the responsibility of the passengers to have the proper travel documents necessary for travel and return - country requirements for passport validity will come into play here.

 

But, the information HAL puts out doesn't explicitly say that passports must have six month's validity at disembarkation which is why I was curious as to anyone that has had experience one way or the other.

 

My passport has been sent out for renewal - was just wondering.

 

 

[bUU]

I thought the most common mechanic in this context was the need for the passport to be valid beyond the time period during which the traveler may stay in the nation ... so the traveler would violate their permission to visit before their passport would expire. Canada grants entry to tourists for six months, by default.

 

With good relations between Canada and the US, that provision is irrelevant. Could that change? Of course. Will it? Who knows?