United States Passport Renewal. She's tricky 😉

[partybarbie]

2 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I am jealous :).  We just sent in DWs Passport last Wednesday and did pay the extra money to have it expedited.   If we thought there was any chance that it would have been processed (normally) within 6-8 weeks we would have not paid for expedited.

 

Hank

Believe me, I was sweating it big time. 

[njhorseman]

We mailed our renewal applications on April 26 and received our new passports, passport cards as well as our old passports back today, May 31, exactly 5 weeks to the day from when we mailed the applications.

We did not pay for expedited service.

From the tracking history it looks like we would have received at least the new passports yesterday had it not been a holiday.

[marci22]

Mailed 2 passports April 20.  Still "in process" as of May 4. Did not pay for expedited delivery. Philadelphia processing location.

 

We had photos taken at CVS. They are usually good but this time they gave my son a photo that had a big black bar running throught the background. I sent him back to redo and the guy insisted there was nothing in the rules about it but he grudgingly retook the photo.

Edited June 1, 2022 by marci22

[TTEllis]

On 5/19/2022 at 4:54 PM, njhorseman said:

Are you a US citizen? On a closed loop cruise? On which cruise line? 

 

Mass market cruise lines normally follow DHS rules that permit US citizens on US-based closed loop cruises to cruise with an official (not hospital-issued) birth certificate and  a government issued photo ID such as a drivers license. On the other hand luxury lines typically require all passengers to have a passport.

All of us are familiar with the "closed loop"🙄 cruises. "Closed loop" cruises don't have anything to do with my decision to have a passport, actually it's been a very long time since I've heard "closed loop" cruises. I didn't know anyone based they're decision to get a passport on whether or not the cruise they're going on is "closed loop". 

I've seen it before no passport, TSA, US Customs and Border Patrol look at you funny and that's just for starters.  Passport in hand completely eliminates any misunderstanding. I could never be without one. 

[Hlitner]

We almost feel naked without having our Passports in hand.  Every few years when one of us needs to renew our Passport becomes almost a traumatic time.  As avid cruisers/world travelers we have often made travel decisions on the spur of the moment (such as times when we spot a good last minute deal) and not having valid Passports 

[TTEllis]

47 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

We almost feel naked without having our Passports in hand.  Every few years when one of us needs to renew our Passport becomes almost a traumatic time.  As avid cruisers/world travelers we have often made travel decisions on the spur of the moment (such as times when we spot a good last minute deal) and not having valid Passports 

Very well said I couldn't agree more.  I think for those of us who feel this way and for those who don't have or use a passport we may have a different definition of travel.  

Thank you 

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, TTEllis said:

All of us are familiar with the "closed loop"🙄 cruises. "Closed loop" cruises don't have anything to do with my decision to have a passport, actually it's been a very long time since I've heard "closed loop" cruises. I didn't know anyone based they're decision to get a passport on whether or not the cruise they're going on is "closed loop". 

I've seen it before no passport, TSA, US Customs and Border Patrol look at you funny and that's just for starters.  Passport in hand completely eliminates any misunderstanding. I could never be without one. 

You're mistaken when you say that everyone is familiar with closed loop cruises  because the poster thought that making a port call in Victoria meant it wasn't a closed loop cruise. The poster's travel agent also didn't know the documentation requirements for this cruise and incorrectly said that a passport was required.

 

Personally, I wouldn't travel without my passport but that's not relevant to the issue I was addressing.  The poster was concerned they would be unable to take their cruise if they didn't get their new passport back in time. I was advising that in fact taking the cruise would still be possible.

 

TSA has nothing to do with this. They work at airports, not cruise ports.

 

In my years of cruising I've seen numerous people have absolutely no problem with US Customs and Border Protection when reentering the country with a birth certificate and driver's license. 

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

We almost feel naked without having our Passports in hand.  Every few years when one of us needs to renew our Passport becomes almost a traumatic time.  As avid cruisers/world travelers we have often made travel decisions on the spur of the moment (such as times when we spot a good last minute deal) and not having valid Passports 

 

49 minutes ago, TTEllis said:

Very well said I couldn't agree more.  I think for those of us who feel this way and for those who don't have or use a passport we may have a different definition of travel.  

Thank you 

You're both pontificating about something that has nothing to  do with what was  being addressed...the poster's concern about not being able to take their cruise if they didn't get their renewal passport back in time.

[marci22]

21 hours ago, TTEllis said:

All of us are familiar with the "closed loop"🙄 cruises. "Closed loop" cruises don't have anything to do with my decision to have a passport, actually it's been a very long time since I've heard "closed loop" cruises. I didn't know anyone based they're decision to get a passport on whether or not the cruise they're going on is "closed loop". 

I've seen it before no passport, TSA, US Customs and Border Patrol look at you funny and that's just for starters.  Passport in hand completely eliminates any misunderstanding. I could never be without one. 

Not sure why you are being argumentative. Lots of people travel on closed loop cruises and don't bring a passport. Not everyone wants to spend the money on a passport if they actually don't need one.  And not sure why anyone checking you in would 'look at you funny': a passport is either required or not. 

 

21 hours ago, Hlitner said:

We almost feel naked without having our Passports in hand.  Every few years when one of us needs to renew our Passport becomes almost a traumatic time.  As avid cruisers/world travelers we have often made travel decisions on the spur of the moment (such as times when we spot a good last minute deal) and not having valid Passports 

Passports are valid for 10 years so not sure why you have trauma every few years. 

 

19 hours ago, njhorseman said:

You're both pontificating about something that has nothing to  do with what was  being addressed...the poster's concern about not being able to take their cruise if they didn't get their renewal passport back in time.

I thought you answered the question in a helpful manner. 

 

Not sure why some posters are going on about their preference of having a passport. Travlndiva started the OT discussion when mentioning their TA gave wrong advice. I also thought it was weird that travlndiva said she didn't care that her TA was wrong or not. 🤯

 

Travlndiva, I'd rather have njhorseman giving me advice as he is a helpful poster and knows more than your TA.

Edited June 2, 2022 by marci22

[TTEllis]

On 6/2/2022 at 11:57 AM, marci22 said:

Not sure why you are being argumentative. Lots of people travel on closed loop cruises and don't bring a passport. Not everyone wants to spend the money on a passport if they actually don't need one.  And not sure why anyone checking you in would 'look at you funny': a passport is either required or not. 

 

Passports are valid for 10 years so not sure why you have trauma every few years. 

 

I thought you answered the question in a helpful manner. 

 

Not sure why some posters are going on about their preference of having a passport. Travlndiva started the OT discussion when mentioning their TA gave wrong advice. I also thought it was weird that travlndiva said she didn't care that her TA was wrong or not. 🤯

 

Travlndiva, I'd rather have njhorseman giving me advice as he is a helpful poster and knows more than your TA.

🥱🥱🥱🥱🙄🙄😛

[Hlitner]

As a response to Marci, although Passports are valid for 10 years, in our case we seldom get much more than 8 1/2 years.   The reason is since we travel so often (as much as 7 months a year) we need to plan ahead (sometimes 2 years) to find a time period when we are home long enough to renew.  And DW and I each have Passports that expire in different years so this becomes an exercise every 4-5 years.   It used to not be an issue since Passport renewals were reliably done within a few weeks.  Now, the unknown renewal factors really complicate trip planning.  DWs Passport actually does not expire until Sept 2023 and yet we needed to renew it now because it is the only window we have between now and that time.     

 

I should add that the 10 year validity of Passports is almost a myth.  Quite a few countries require that a Passport have at least 6 months of validity and others require at least 3 months.  

[ChinaShrek]

Mailed mine May 27. Still waiting. I have a cruise that leaves on August 11. We'll see what happens.

[hallux]

20 minutes ago, ChinaShrek said:

Mailed mine May 27. Still waiting. I have a cruise that leaves on August 11. We'll see what happens.

I mailed my renewal May 17 and had it back in 5 weeks.

[ChinaShrek]

Just now, hallux said:

I mailed my renewal May 17 and had it back in 5 weeks.

I'm glad you received yours fairly quickly. I'm at 8 weeks now. I called today and they said I can wait and see if it shows up on time for the cruise (possible) or I can make an in person appointment in Boston.