Renewing Passport throught the "Post Office."

[poocher]

Yeah it’s the post office to me too.  I think people were more looking at your frequent use of quotation marks.  It is an unusual style but hey we all have “quirks “!! 😁😁

[beshears]

Poocher, thank you for your reply.  As you can see, I am "different" from everyone else. 🙂  I will say I took a chance, and called/waited for someone to answer at the passport office.  I did mention that I thought I should try to expedite my passport now. When they ask when I needed it (December), they said I could expedite it, but they believe I should receive it by then.  They did send me an email to fill out the information if I wanted in a couple months to try to expedite it.  So I'll wait a little bit, and see what happens.

 

For those of you who have responded, do you have any idea WHY it takes the passport office so long to renew passports?  Just curious!  Wonder (??) if they are checking out our background or what?

[Nyxa]

On July 26, I sent my passport application in for a new one, not a renewal. I went through the local title agency. Yesterday on August 18, I saw that my passport application had moved from "unknown status" to "processing". You can check https://passportstatus.state.gov/ for status updates and sign up for email alerts when there are status changes on your passports processing. Hope this helped and happy cruising!

 

A little off-topic; my Mother-in-Law would put quotation marks around words she wanted to emphasize. I was highly offended the first time I received a card that had been signed Much "Love", Mom. I brought it up to my Sister-in-Law and she reassured me it was just her mom's way of stressing certain words. From then on, I always looked forward to getting her cards. I have received, Have a "Merry" Christmas, I hope you "feel better" soon - and my absolute favorite, I am "deeply sorry" for your loss (upon the death of my beloved Grandma). The last one had me literally cry-laughing during a time when I much needed it. 

 

The original poster's writing style brought back memories of a wonderful and much-missed lady. Rest in "peace", Mom. 

 

[time4u2go]

4 minutes ago, beshears said:

For those of you who have responded, do you have any idea WHY it takes the passport office so long to renew passports?  Just curious!  Wonder (??) if they are checking out our background or what?

From what I've read, there was/is a backlog of renewals because passport offices were shut down or had reduced numbers of workers due to the pandemic.

[Dennis#1]

From comments above, the time to get your passport (new/renewal) varies so much and is very very unpredictable ( from 1 month to five months).

 

 In my case, I did pay the $60 expedited fee, and I got my renewed passport in 3 1/2 weeks after mailing (USPS Priority Mail).  Three days later, I received the renewed Passport Card.

[beshears]

Nyxa, thank you for your "kind" words, as they were appreciated! Yes, you are definitely correct.  I have always used quotations marks, etc.  I never realized until THIS posting, how people would take it the wrong way, as I was not using bad words, etc.

 

Time4U2go, yes I knew being short staffed could be a problem.  I was "hoping/praying" it would come before, or  sooner than expected, especially "after" I put the last payment down on what we are to do.

[Kathscof]

8 hours ago, beshears said:

For those who ? why I used the term Post Office, that is because I am "OLD"! To me, the PO is the SAME (MY opinion) as the US Postal Service. NOW you know the reason WHY I ask, and the WORDS I used.
 

 haha I say that the "office" out of which the USPS operates is still a "post office" to me 🙂 and I'm "young" (? possibly? haha) 

[De Colores]

I sent mine in early August. I am sailing in October. Thankfully it is only to the Bahama’s and a drivers license and birth certificate are acceptable as per Royal Caribbean representative. I was really worried. I paid to expedite it unnecessarily. I don’t expect to receive it before my 10/15 sailing. 

[beshears]

Thank you Kathscof for your comment as well. 🙂

 

De Colores, I did not pay to expedite it when I renewed my Passport. That is why I am trying now, and to know hopefully, that paying (I don't know how true this is, but they say they will not charge the credit card, unless the Passport office believes it is necessary.) would MAKE a difference of how soon I would get my passport back.  That would be wonderful "if" I knew my birth certificate and Drivers License would work, if I did not get my passport back in time. That sounds like a good suggestion to me, and I'll see what my agent says.

[eggnoodle]

On 8/18/2021 at 1:11 PM, twinmommy08 said:

Applied for the kids on 7/24 at the post office. Gov received the package 7/27. Received notice the checks were cashed and the passports are processing on 8/16. So 4 weeks so far and counting. 

 

On 8/18/2021 at 4:06 PM, eggnoodle said:

ditto - sent in for our kids on 7/17 from post office, received confirmation it's being processed on 8/3

I checked this morning and both kids passports were shipped 8/19, so about 5 weeks!

Never received email updates even though I signed up for it.  So YMMV on the processing time.

[beshears]

Once again, thank you ALL for your replies to my question about my Passport.

 

I do want to thank De Colores for mentioning about "possibly" using a birth certificate and drivers license.  I just checked with my cruise agent, and she just checked with RCL, and they said YES, if I did not have a passport, I could use the birth certificate and drivers license, which has put my mind at ease, if I do not get my passport back in time.  Everyone have a blessed weekend!

[jefngeo01]

11 weeks - 

I mailed my passport renewal on June 7, and received it back on Aug 21- not expedited. 

[Txdnadoc]

We just received our kids' new passports about a week ago, 13 weeks after the receipt date they listed on the website,  which was a full month after we had the photos taken and forms completed at the post office.  Good luck!

[cruises42]

3 weeks!! Mailed my passport on Oct. 13 (priority). They received it on the 15th, got it back today.

Did not expedite or have them mail it back priority.

[Btank]

On 8/18/2021 at 11:40 AM, Another_Critic said:

The application was received a few days after mailing.  His renewed passport was received last week.  So, just under 2 months without expedited service.  YMMV.

This is consistent with what my brother and I experienced earlier in the year.  Mine (done via mail) was about 7 weeks; his was longer due to the photo not being within specs.  Total time for him with receiving the notification, getting a new photo, and returning the new photo for processing was 10 weeks.

 

I hope this helps the OP...          --bruce T.

 

[John Reid]

"?"

[Maitaivegas]

Ok it says my passport application was approved so hopefully it won’t take too long to print and mail out. 💕

[zekekelso]

Song break:

 

[clover18]

On 8/18/2021 at 10:47 AM, beshears said:

I recently "renewed" my Passport through the Post Office. I did not pay EXTRA to expedite it.  We plan to cruise the 2nd week in January.  If you have "renewed" your passport through the Post Office within "this" year, can you give me an idea "how long" it took to get your passport back?

Expect 8 to 10 weeks. Ours was less than that a couple of years ago but the passport renewal system seems slow this year. My husband renewed by regular mail in May. Received his new one in mid-August 

[sharktums]

I'm surprised to hear everyone getting them so quickly.  I sent away for my husbands renewal on September 27 expedited service and express mail and we only got it back yesterday. So that's almost six weeks. 

[Nyxa]

Adding my times in here. Applied for first time passports at an Ohio BMV on July 26th. Status updated to "processing" about 3 weeks after. I didn't check on it often after that but last week, I checked and saw they had all been approved. They all arrived on November 1st; birth certificates arrived today on November 6th. So, 14 weeks total. 

 

Hope this helps! Happy sailing!

 

***editing to add this was normal, non-expedited service.

Edited November 6, 2021 by Nyxa

[pegwalker55]

We must have been really lucky

Received our passports within 3 weeks of mailing them in

Did not pay extra to expedite 

[robntawn]

On 8/18/2021 at 8:47 AM, beshears said:

I recently "renewed" my Passport through the Post Office. I did not pay EXTRA to expedite it.  We plan to cruise the 2nd week in January.  If you have "renewed" your passport through the Post Office within "this" year, can you give me an idea "how long" it took to get your passport back?

I renewed through post office and DID pay for expedited on September 3, and still am waiting. Grr!!

[wwva]

My husband and I renewed at the same time.  He received his back in 4 weeks.  My took 10 weeks.  No expediting.  I ended up having to use my birth certificate for a recent cruise.  My passport arrived two days after we returned.  There is not rhyme nor reason to their system.  Good luck.

[satxdiver]

Anytime you have problems with the federal government, contact your Congressman and get them to help you.  That is what they are for and why they have local offices.  Unrelated to the passports, I was having problems with Social Security, contacted my Congressman's local office and they straightened it all out.  Just an idea. 

Edited November 6, 2021 by satxdiver