Expired Passport

[57eric]

Reading about the couple who were recently denied boarding for a 15 day Crown Princess Hawaii cruise because the husband's passport was expired, I have this question: Why did they need passports?  As far as I can tell, this met all the requirements for a closed-loop cruise.  According to the CBP "U.S. citizens on closed-loop cruises will be able to enter or depart the country with proof of citizenship, such as an Enhanced Driver's License (EDL), a government-issued birth certificate (issued by the Vital Records Department in the state where he or she was born) or passport, and if 16 or older, a government issued driver's license, picture ID, denoting photo, name, and date of birth".  Unless he didn't have a driver's license either, what was the problem?

[voljeep]

prolly the original birth certificate, not a copy.

[_rusty_shackleford]

EDLs (Enhanced Driver's License) are also proof of citizenship and are only available in Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, and Washington. They are different than a normal DL so if he didn't have an EDL and didn't have a birth certificate to go with his standard ID he wouldn't have been able to go.

[57eric]

The CBP text isn't totally clear, but I'm reading one of the options as "a government issued driver's license, picture ID, denoting photo, name, and date of birth", listed as distinct from the EDL.

[Mike07]

18 minutes ago, 57eric said:

 "U.S. citizens on closed-loop cruises will be able to enter or depart the country with proof of citizenship, such as

 

an Enhanced Driver's License (EDL),

 

a government-issued birth certificate (issued by the Vital Records Department in the state where he or she was born)

 

or

 

 

passport,

 

 

and

 

 

 

if 16 or older, a government issued driver's license, picture ID, denoting photo, name, and date of birth".  Unless he didn't have a driver's license either, what was the problem?

 

 

 

See edits above.

 

there's a "or" followed by "and".

 

I don't like paragraphs that ought to be bullets, but it's not always possible to do bullets instead of paragraphs with federal literature.

Edited September 23, 2023 by Mike07

[deliver42]

The birth certificate has to have the raised seal.

[Mike07]

Needless to say, now CC reader should ever do a cruise without an unexpired passport with at least 6 months, preferably a year or more of validity left.

[d9704011]

This Fact Sheet is pretty clear on the requirement(s) for closed-loop cruises:

 

fieldops-whti-fact-sheet.pdf

[d9704011]

55 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

Needless to say, now CC reader should ever do a cruise without an unexpired passport with at least 6 months, preferably a year or more of validity left.

I think you need to say why somebody should have a passport with at least six months validity, and preferably a year.

[capriccio]

5 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

I think you need to say why somebody should have a passport with at least six months validity, and preferably a year.

I agree.  For reentry to the US all that is required is for the passport to be valid.  Other countries the cruise will visit set their own requirements.  Three months is probably the most common, others (including Polynesia at least when we planned to visit in 2020) require six months of validity.  I've never heard of a one year requirement. 

Edited September 23, 2023 by capriccio

[Torfamm]

1 hour ago, 57eric said:

Reading about the couple who were recently denied boarding for a 15 day Crown Princess Hawaii cruise because the husband's passport was expired, I have this question: Why did they need passports?  As far as I can tell, this met all the requirements for a closed-loop cruise.  According to the CBP "U.S. citizens on closed-loop cruises will be able to enter or depart the country with proof of citizenship, such as an Enhanced Driver's License (EDL), a government-issued birth certificate (issued by the Vital Records Department in the state where he or she was born) or passport, and if 16 or older, a government issued driver's license, picture ID, denoting photo, name, and date of birth".  Unless he didn't have a driver's license either, what was the problem?

I don’t know what you read so it’s hard to know what the problem was. Document requirements depend on the passenger’s nationality, itinerary, and other factors. For example, if one adult is traveling with one or more minors, Princess requires everyone in the party to have a passport.
 

You can see Princess’ Travel Document requirements here 

https://www.princess.com/learn/faq/pre-cruise/prepare-for-your-cruise/

[Mike07]

2 minutes ago, capriccio said:

I agree.  For reentry to the US all that is required is for the passport to be valid.  Other countries the cruise will visit set their own requirements.  Three months is probably the most common, others (including Polynesia at least when we planned to visit in 2020) require six months of validity.  I've never heard of a one year requirement. 

What if you're at seven months and going on a 40 or 50 day cruise?

 

I think it's six months validity from the day you DISembark

[Mike07]

8 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

I think you need to say why somebody should have a passport with at least six months validity, and preferably a year.

 

You do you, but I'm one of those nerds that read the fine print of how early I can renew so that it's convenient to me and I'm not crying on the phone with State when the time comes.

 

The same goes for drivers licenses, CAC and anything else that establishes my Identity.

[Mike07]

14 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

I think you need to say why somebody should have a passport with at least six months validity, and preferably a year.

 

 

BTW -- it looks like you're in Ontario... but in America, State department was incredibly backed up over the summer with passport applications... to the tune of 11 to 13 week processing time for normal, non-expedited applications.

 

I renew my passport circa October 2019.... about 2 weeks from leaving my post office box to me having a new passport in hand. My parents renewed theirs in 2016.... 11 days from mailing to having in hand.

 

While I'm sympathetic to people with passport processing issues, waiting until the last minute is on you... not Princess... not your travel insurance.... not your airline. It's on you.

[d9704011]

1 minute ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

BTW -- it looks like you're in Ontario... but in America, State department was incredibly backed up over the summer with passport applications... to the tune of 11 to 13 week processing time for normal, non-expedited applications.

 

I renew my passport circa October 2019.... about 2 weeks from leaving my post office box to me having a new passport in hand. My parents renewed theirs in 2016.... 11 days from mailing to having in hand.

 

While I'm sympathetic to people with passport processing issues, waiting until the last minute is on you... not Princess... not your travel insurance.... not your airline. It's on you.

What does any of that have to do with the passport validity period required to travel?

[capriccio]

1 minute ago, Mike07 said:

What if you're at seven months and going on a 40 or 50 day cruise?

 

I think it's six months validity from the day you DISembark

A traveler needs to compare each country's requirements to his/her itinerary. Leaving the US with 7 months remaining validity but trying to enter a country with the 6 month requirement on day 40 of the cruise wouldn't be allowed.  Alternatively if the cruise visited/originated in a country with the 6 month requirement and moved to other countries without that requirement within the first 30 days (i.e., before reaching the 6 month deadline), there would be no issue.

 

I always check the State Department's website, specifically the Traveler's section, about any country we are visiting:  https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages.html

 

I know we were warned about the six month requirement by both Princess and United when making our bookings but it is the passenger's responsibility to be proactive.

 

 

 

[Mike07]

1 minute ago, d9704011 said:

What does any of that have to do with the passport validity period required to travel?

 

I'm speaking broader to the topic of why people ought to consider when their passport expires.

 

If you're comfortable with traveling on a passport in the 6-12 month expiration period, yeah, that's fine.

[Mike07]

2 minutes ago, capriccio said:

 

 

I know we were warned about the six month requirement by both Princess and United when making our bookings but it is the passenger's responsibility to be proactive.

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you... being proactive is all that I'm recommending. That way if a flash sale is advertised with an offer you can't refuse, you're not in a situation of, "Well, I really need to renew my passport... let me go play the same day passport lotto...."

 

And not to be political, but who knows how passport processing will work if the government shuts down on October 1. The embassies and consulates should still be working worldwide, but passport issuance... who knows.

[Mike07]

If you really want to get me wound up... the people that do these closed circuit cruisers on birth certificates without passports just because "it's allowed!!!".

 

IDGRA what the State Department's official position is. I step outside of America, I have a passport.

[1025cruise]

If I'm traveling with my passport, I don't bring my birth certificate. My guess is the person who got denied didn't have his BC with him.

[Torfamm]

22 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

If I'm traveling with my passport, I don't bring my birth certificate. My guess is the person who got denied didn't have his BC with him.

I can imagine that as a possibility. An expired passport might be accepted as proof of citizenship in some situations, but it’s not an acceptable travel document. The passenger might not be aware of that.

[traceytd]

Maybe they were Canadian…

I need a passport to travel. 😊

[Ken the cruiser]

For those interested. 

 
https://www.us-passport-service-guide.com/countries-that-require-six-months-validity-in-a-passport.html

 

Edited September 23, 2023 by Ken the cruiser

[t&atravel]

Does it even matter what the countries policies are?  Princesses policy is 6 months from the end of the cruise period…or you don’t sail. One policy no matter where they go. 

[wcflats]

Folks…just be proactive and responsible and get your passport in a timely manner. That’s your responsibility and nobody else’s.