6 month passport rule? Help!

[sparks1093]

35 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

 

We have cruised now to most regions around the world.

 

When we do our research and prep for the cruise, we look to the Canadian government site and also the country specific sites (We avoid Visa sellers and look for country government sites that we can verify as trustworthy) that we are travelling to and we STUDY the passport and visa requirements.  If there are requirements for either, we note them and then start the process of logging dates in the calendar to get the appropriate paperwork done in time.  We were recently faced with needing Visas for both Cambodia and Vietnam.  The process was different and the timeline of the Visa validity was different for both countries but we figured out how to get both in advance and that would meet the requirements.

 

We never rely on the cruise ship site or the cruise reservation folks because this is not their job.  We do this ourselves and if we are denied boarding then it was because we failed in our own research.

 

We realize that it is our responsibility to understand and comply with passport and visa requirements.

 

We only renew our passports for 10 years to reduce the number of times we have to worry about our passports.  Our passports expire in Feb of 2026 and we have already logged in our calendars to renew after our first travel in 2025 so that we don't run out of time.  We have also logged a travel blackout period in the calendar to allow for us to get our passports renewed.  

 

 

The cruise ship website is often the first (and only stop) for many US citizens, but since the majority of US citizens sail solely from the US and predominantly on closed loop cruises this limited research serves them adequately (especially since most of them only cruise once every year or two). I do make sure when we are traveling to research the type of travel we are doing and where we are going (including what countries we may be passing through). As has been stated, though, many government websites overlook cruise passengers and don't include information for them on their website for visitors, which is when sites like Cruise Critic come in handy. Our first cruise was a cruise to nowhere and I searched for information on what documentation was required. The information was not on any government site, nor was it on the cruise line's site. I finally got the answer (just a valid photo ID) from a cruise forum that I used to belong to (I had found CC and signed up, but was intimidated by how "busy" the site is. Now I am used to it.) 

[ontheweb]

It should be added to this thread that if one is lucky enough to have found an excellent TA who is not just an order taker but someone who is an experienced cruiser, he or she should be knowledgeable about any and all documentation requirements.

[Ferry_Watcher]

A good first place to start looking for Visa info for US citizens traveling internationally.

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel.html

[sparks1093]

5 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

It should be added to this thread that if one is lucky enough to have found an excellent TA who is not just an order taker but someone who is an experienced cruiser, he or she should be knowledgeable about any and all documentation requirements.

True, but I know that I would still be doing my own research. 

[jsn55]

On 4/14/2024 at 6:27 AM, CDNPolar said:

For me, the only way to know what is truly required is the following:

 

1) Going to a credible and verifiable government site of the country you are visiting and looking for their passport requirement.  If it says 6 months it is 6 months.  If it says it is 3 months or whatever, it is whatever.

2) Go to the US site for travelling Americans and they will tell you what each country requires.  In Canada, I go to the Canadian Government travel site and it spells out the exact requirements to visit any country in the world as a CANADIAN citizen.  The requirements for an American could be different.

3) Go to the cruise line and ask.  If they come back with 6 months, then trust that it is 6 months.

 

I offer advice on many things on Cruise Critic, but one thing that I will never do is tell you yes or no in a case like this.  YOU need to do the proper investigation on this yourself or you or someone you are travelling with could be denied boarding.  Don't take our anecdotal responses as your action required. 

 

This is your responsibility as a travelling person to understand the laws and rules of admittance to any country you are going to.

 

Sorry - I don't mean for this to sound as harsh as it probably does.  I just feel that this is not something that should be discounted and not taken seriously.  I say this because I know where people have had poor results in this regard.

I so agree with this advice, with the exception of asking the cruiseline.  There are just too many stories of bad advice from a phone/email agent.  Use this forum for guidance, but verify the information every time.  I am appalled at the idea of using forum advice as gospel ... you absolutely have to do the proper research with the proper authorities.  

[CDNPolar]

4 hours ago, jsn55 said:

I so agree with this advice, with the exception of asking the cruiseline.  There are just too many stories of bad advice from a phone/email agent.  Use this forum for guidance, but verify the information every time.  I am appalled at the idea of using forum advice as gospel ... you absolutely have to do the proper research with the proper authorities.  

 

We spend a lot of time searching for and finding the government websites from the country we are going to.

 

I have seen here on CC people paying over $100 for a Visa when we got the same visa from the government website for $25.  You have to be very careful where you are landing and that it is a credible site.  Often the URL tells you a lot.

 

 

[sparks1093]

4 hours ago, jsn55 said:

I so agree with this advice, with the exception of asking the cruiseline.  There are just too many stories of bad advice from a phone/email agent.  Use this forum for guidance, but verify the information every time.  I am appalled at the idea of using forum advice as gospel ... you absolutely have to do the proper research with the proper authorities.  

One more word about research- once you've researched the travel requirements for a form of travel from then on you only need to verify that nothing has changed since the last time you undertook that travel, do not assume that things have remained the same. The country that didn't require a visa a couple of years ago might require one now. 

[puckliny]

Hello all.  So I went to the Stamford CT state passport agency.  2 days and I have passports in hand!!!!

so relieved.  Who says the Government can move fast?!  In any case just for giggles I’m going to ask at the dock if I can board with just my license.   See how that goes as a little test.  

[Charles4515]

38 minutes ago, puckliny said:

Hello all.  So I went to the Stamford CT state passport agency.  2 days and I have passports in hand!!!!

so relieved.  Who says the Government can move fast?!  In any case just for giggles I’m going to ask at the dock if I can board with just my license.   See how that goes as a little test.  

They really can’t board that open loop itinerary with just a license. Better to ask if the would board with unexpired passports with less than six months left. 

Edited April 18 by Charles4515

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, puckliny said:

Hello all.  So I went to the Stamford CT state passport agency.  2 days and I have passports in hand!!!!

so relieved.  Who says the Government can move fast?!  In any case just for giggles I’m going to ask at the dock if I can board with just my license.   See how that goes as a little test.  

Why are you going to do that? To hold up the line?

 

Please don't waste their time.

[ontheweb]

17 hours ago, puckliny said:

16 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Why are you going to do that? To hold up the line?

 

Please don't waste their time.

Hello all.  So I went to the Stamford CT state passport agency.  2 days and I have passports in hand!!!!

so relieved.  Who says the Government can move fast?!  In any case just for giggles I’m going to ask at the dock if I can board with just my license.   See how that goes as a little test.  

I so hope that @puckliny who posted that they were going to do this notes the THANK YOU reaction that @Ferry_Watcher, who actually does work at check in for cruises gave to my post asking why you would do this as it only holds up the line.

[Ferry_Watcher]

@ontheweb, I am pretty sure that @puckliny just meant that as a 'tongue-in-cheek' comment.

 

It would be interesting to ask at check-in (as Puckliny pondered), if a passport with less than 6 months remaining would have been accepted on their cruise.  The answer would have been 'yes' in Seattle for an Alaska cruise.

 

In any case, happy that @puckliny was able to get their passport renewed so quickly

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

@ontheweb, I am pretty sure that @puckliny just meant that as a 'tongue-in-cheek' comment.

 

It would be interesting to ask at check-in (as Puckliny pondered), if a passport with less than 6 months remaining would have been accepted on their cruise.  The answer would have been 'yes' in Seattle for an Alaska cruise.

 

In any case, happy that @puckliny was able to get their passport renewed so quickly

Let us hope it was just meant "tongue in cheek". If it was an emoji might have conveyed that. Just holding up the line to be a smartass is just not right.

[puckliny]

No I'm just going to ask the question, not going to hold up the line.  

[Ferry_Watcher]

It's all cool.  :  )

 

I think we all knew what both of you meant.

 

On a different note - it's the first day of training for the Alaska season.  First ship is Tuesday - Carnival Spirit.

[puckliny]

5 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

It's all cool.  :  )

 

I think we all knew what both of you meant.

 

On a different note - it's the first day of training for the Alaska season.  First ship is Tuesday - Carnival Spirit.

Yup, thanks Ferry_Watcher for your help.