The Hits Keep Coming (Passport)

[FlyerTalker]

A couple of points:

 

1) I find it interesting that a frequent international traveler would let their passport go so far without renewal. There are many countries that require 3 to 6 months left on the passport for entry. So the 4 week passport had limited usefulness in many ways.

 

2) Had the OP also gotten a passport card along with the passport book, they would be in fine shape. While sending in the book for renewal, you can keep the card and use it for land/sea borders. Such as this cruise.

 

3) I concur with the "magic wand" comment.

[Debbers]

It's unfair, we paid for same day service, didn't get it, now it's closed and they won't open up to return our old passport or overnight mail the new one. Or they could have the Atlanta Office mail us one.

 

Yes, it is unfair. This is just one of those "stuff happens" moments. It could have been fire or hurricane or some other disaster instead of flood, but the result would be the same. So, now you have a few choices. You can (1) go to Atlanta or New Orleans to try again. This will be expensive but probably much less than the cost of your cruise. You'll have to pony up the $200 fee now, but I'd expect your original payment to be refunded, in the fullness of time. You have the receipt, right? Or, you can (2) cancel your cruise and forfeit the fares, and hope the new passport arrives in time for your next voyage. This would be sad, expensive, and possibly futile; the State Department says the Miami center is closed until further notice. Or, you could (3) attempt to board using the alternative documents other posters have suggested. I would opt for (3), and make plans to take option (1) on my return, because sitting at home being angry won't accomplish anything. But that's me, not you.

[cruisinfanatic]

Sorry you have had to go through this. However, I do feel there is a lesson here. Get a certified copy of the birth certificate going forward so you have a backup plan in the event the passport is not in your possession come departure time.

so with your thinking everyone should have a BC as well as passport when cruising? That's STUPID!

[cruisinfanatic]

A couple of points:

 

1) I find it interesting that a frequent international traveler would let their passport go so far without renewal. There are many countries that require 3 to 6 months left on the passport for entry. So the 4 week passport had limited usefulness in many ways.

 

2) Had the OP also gotten a passport card along with the passport book, they would be in fine shape. While sending in the book for renewal, you can keep the card and use it for land/sea borders. Such as this cruise.

 

3) I concur with the "magic wand" comment.

This whole problem has nothing to do with the expiration date

[Royal2464]

so with your thinking everyone should have a BC as well as passport when cruising? That's STUPID!

 

I think what Scotee was suggesting is having the birth certificate as a backup. Since the OP travels so much it would allow him or her to send their passport for renewal when he was going to do closed loop cruises and use the birth certificate during the interim.

[lbjen]

so with your thinking everyone should have a BC as well as passport when cruising? That's STUPID!

 

What's stupid about having the original or a suitable copy for legal purposes of your own birth certificate exactly?! Nobody said take both on your cruise, just have one in your possession.

[johnjen]

The passport wasnt expired. We travel every month (pretty much every 3 weeks). We did this at Passport agency so we wouldn't have to mail our passports in and worry about them getting lost or delayed in mail.

 

No lesson here, except travel less?

 

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Yeah, but still....could've been taken care of earlier. There's actually no excuses on this. You can travel every day but you need to take the time and get your passports updated at some point in time. Like, how about "traveling" to the nearest passport office as in like, a couple of months back and taking care of this. I hope however, for you and the family's sake, this does get taken care of....part of the blame is on the flooding, I know, but the way things are with travel, you have to jump on stuff like this while the iron's hot.

[johnjen]

One thing on the having to pay $200 again: Since the FL office is flooded out, the ATL or NO offices would have no way of knowing if you paid the $200, I imagine...

 

 

Good luck.

 

Yes. And that would irritate me to the hilt knowing I paid the extra cash for expedited items - and then this happens. I deeply pity these people. What a horrible predicament to be left in.

[lbjen]

You would have been able to get your $200 refunded if you had had to pay it again in Atlanta. You may even still be able to get a partial refund once they eventually get back up and running. It won't hurt to ask.

 

It's just bad luck that this happened when it did. I presume that flooding is not a common enough occurrence that they would waste a ton of taxpayers money on developing contingency plans for it.

[MandyMooToo]

I'm with you! It should be safe enough to send someone in, retrieve the completed passports, and hand them out at city hall or a courthouse with ID.

 

I would strongly complain to my congressional representative and senator. I would also request a refund of my $200 express fee.

 

OP, you might consider getting passport cards as well as books for the future, just to have a back up plan. You may never need them, but never hurts to have another ID.

 

Aren't there some limitations with passport cards? Just asking since I'm up for renewal next month and wondered if the cards are worth it. I guess in this case the card would have helped as it still had a few weeks left on it, but I also thought that you had to have several months left on your passport before entering some countries?

[sparks1093]

A couple of points:

 

1) I find it interesting that a frequent international traveler would let their passport go so far without renewal. There are many countries that require 3 to 6 months left on the passport for entry. So the 4 week passport had limited usefulness in many ways.

 

2) Had the OP also gotten a passport card along with the passport book, they would be in fine shape. While sending in the book for renewal, you can keep the card and use it for land/sea borders. Such as this cruise.

 

3) I concur with the "magic wand" comment.

 

The OP chose to renew his passport as his travel needs dictate and there is nothing at all wrong with that. As long as the passport with 4 weeks left worked for what he had planned all is good and his decision doesn't impact anyone else. Yes, a passport card would alleviate this issue in this particular case, but so too would having another original of the birth certificate available. I don't know enough about RCI to say anything for certain but I do know that on CCL he would have no issues at all boarding with a copy of his birth certificate nor should he have any issues under the DHS regulations.

[sparks1093]

Aren't there some limitations with passport cards? Just asking since I'm up for renewal next month and wondered if the cards are worth it. I guess in this case the card would have helped as it still had a few weeks left on it, but I also thought that you had to have several months left on your passport before entering some countries?

 

The passport card's only limitation is it can't be used for international air travel. I know of no country in the Caribbean (not talking about Cuba) that requires a passport to be valid for any length of time for a cruise passenger. After all, you can go on those cruises with just your birth certificate.

[sparks1093]

Yeah, but still....could've been taken care of earlier. There's actually no excuses on this. You can travel every day but you need to take the time and get your passports updated at some point in time. Like, how about "traveling" to the nearest passport office as in like, a couple of months back and taking care of this. I hope however, for you and the family's sake, this does get taken care of....part of the blame is on the flooding, I know, but the way things are with travel, you have to jump on stuff like this while the iron's hot.

 

There is no reason for any excuses, the OP was renewing his passport timely and in accordance with his travel needs. Nothing wrong with that at all. The flooding was the fly in the ointment that really messed things up. A couple of months back he still would have had a trip that would have been impacted by the delay since he travels so frequently and it's possible that trip couldn't be saved with a copy of a birth certificate.

[Algebralovr]

Aren't there some limitations with passport cards? Just asking since I'm up for renewal next month and wondered if the cards are worth it. I guess in this case the card would have helped as it still had a few weeks left on it, but I also thought that you had to have several months left on your passport before entering some countries?

There are definitely limitations as explained by others.

 

We recently sent ours off for renewal, and decided to order both since we are in a state that doesn't have DLs that comply with the RealID act. Having the card will mean we don't have to take our passport book when flying domestically. It is also a second form of ID when traveling.

 

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[Garavar]

He didn't say customers, he said people. That would include his staff I would think.

Yeah true but the twitter link I posted has pictures of cabinet with the passports safe and sound. They were clearly in there, so why didn't they grab the 50 or passports that were made and ready for pick up that day.

 

A couple of points:

 

1) I find it interesting that a frequent international traveler would let their passport go so far without renewal. There are many countries that require 3 to 6 months left on the passport for entry. So the 4 week passport had limited usefulness in many ways.

 

2) Had the OP also gotten a passport card along with the passport book, they would be in fine shape. While sending in the book for renewal, you can keep the card and use it for land/sea borders. Such as this cruise.

 

3) I concur with the "magic wand" comment.

 

Cruised January (Crystal), February (Navigator), March (Brilliance) and was scheduled to Cruise Majesty this week. All closed loop so no 6 month requirement. I did not have 4 weeks to wait for a passport to be mailed. And 2 week expedited had worried so we chose this option.

 

Chose to do it before Majesty rather than after because next trip is Cabo and Napa.

 

My last "international' trip on an airplane was about 9 months to Spain. So it was more than 6 months valid.

This whole problem has nothing to do with the expiration date

Exactly

I think what Scotee was suggesting is having the birth certificate as a backup. Since the OP travels so much it would allow him or her to send their passport for renewal when he was going to do closed loop cruises and use the birth certificate during the interim.

We though we had a certified copy of her birth certificate but it's just photo copy. And the original we looked for and its clearly lost. Lesson learned.

 

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[Garavar]

Yeah, but still....could've been taken care of earlier. There's actually no excuses on this. You can travel every day but you need to take the time and get your passports updated at some point in time. Like, how about "traveling" to the nearest passport office as in like, a couple of months back and taking care of this. I hope however, for you and the family's sake, this does get taken care of....part of the blame is on the flooding, I know, but the way things are with travel, you have to jump on stuff like this while the iron's hot.

 

When? I gave my travel schedule. Cruise dates are in my sig.

You would have been able to get your $200 refunded if you had had to pay it again in Atlanta. You may even still be able to get a partial refund once they eventually get back up and running. It won't hurt to ask.

 

It's just bad luck that this happened when it did. I presume that flooding is not a common enough occurrence that they would waste a ton of taxpayers money on developing contingency plans for it.

Yeah but a flight to Atlanta is $400 round trip. And we cant cancel our clients' appointments just to fly Atlanta.

 

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[Algebralovr]

You have a photo copy of her BC? That, plus the GE plus the DL, plus a copy of the marriage certificate as name bridge if needed should be sufficient.

 

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[JVilleGal]

 

We thought we had a certified copy of her birth certificate but it's just photo copy. And the original we looked for and its clearly lost. Lesson learned.

 

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This and a valid photo ID is all you need for a closed loop cruise. Birth Cert can be a photo copy as long as it's a Cert issued by the State/County and not the hospital issued one.

 

 

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[Garavar]

*Update* I emailed the executives at RC to see if anyone could give me a definite answer on passport copy and global entry.

 

Received The following email from Laurel Wan:

 

"Hello Devin:

 

*

 

The Global Entry card will not be valid for travel documentation.* However, I checked with our shipboard and corporate teams who authorize travel documents and you will be able to travel with the*non certified*copy of your birth certificate and your original driver's license as the other state issued document.* This approval is being given with the understanding that you are a US born citizen.

 

*

 

We look forward to seeing you onboard Majesty of the Seas on Friday."

 

 

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[MandyMooToo]

*Update* I emailed the executives at RC to see if anyone could give me a definite answer on passport copy and global entry.

 

Received The following email from Laurel Wan:

 

"Hello Devin:

 

*

 

The Global Entry card will not be valid for travel documentation.* However, I checked with our shipboard and corporate teams who authorize travel documents and you will be able to travel with the*non certified*copy of your birth certificate and your original driver's license as the other state issued document.* This approval is being given with the understanding that you are a US born citizen.

 

*

 

We look forward to seeing you onboard Majesty of the Seas on Friday."

 

 

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Yay! Glad to hear it! Now I would be sure to print off this email and bring it with me, just in case....

 

 

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[cbusbigred]

I was going to say the same thing - PRINT THAT EMAIL. :)

[Garavar]

I already printed lol

 

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[sail7seas]

There is no reason for any excuses, the OP was renewing his passport timely and in accordance with his travel needs. Nothing wrong with that at all. The flooding was the fly in the ointment that really messed things up. A couple of months back he still would have had a trip that would have been impacted by the delay since he travels so frequently and it's possible that trip couldn't be saved with a copy of a birth certificate.

 

 

Just a stretch b ut they knew the passport would need renewing soon. they c ould have stayed home for a month or whatever and gotten a new passport. Give up one trip to make the others go smoothly JMO. Certainly I don't know the importance or urgency of the other planned travel but a serious consideration n could have been to cross one or two tripsoff the list. They could have gotten passport card without givinng up their use of their pasport durring the process.

[Garavar]

Just a stretch b ut they knew the passport would need renewing soon. they c ould have stayed home for a month or whatever and gotten a new passport. Give up one trip to make the others go smoothly JMO. Certainly I don't know the importance or urgency of the other planned travel but a serious consideration n could have been to cross one or two tripsoff the list. They could have gotten passport card without givinng up their use of their pasport durring the process.

I'll be sure to tell Super Mario to cancel a trip

 

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[FlyerTalker]

Cruised January (Crystal), February (Navigator), March (Brilliance)

 

When someone gives the following ratings, I wonder just how much of traveller they are:

 

02/26/17 Navigator of the Seas (Junior Suite 9306 - 10/10)

01/03/17 Crystal Serenity (B2 Deluxe 8061 - Rating 8/10)

 

Guess Serenity lost points for no hairy chest contest and no water slide.