Not sure which to blame it on, but passport turnaround is slowing up

[bubbles1209]

Not sure what to blame it on, but passport turnaround is starting to take longer. DH applied 11/29 for our February cruise on Liberty, and it was just put in their system online as being received today, and said he would have it on or before 1/17/07. That will make it a 7 week wait. When I applied in September, I received mine 3 1/2 weeks later in October. Not sure if it's the holidays slowing down the turnaround time, or more applications, but it is starting to take longer now, or at least, right now that's our experience.

[BND]

Blame it on demand. Good reason for everyone to go ahead and get one and not wait til it's required. My son applied for one the week before Thanksgiving and got his yesterday. No rush or anything and he's not going anywhere for about a year, for a college class but he went ahead and got it so it's done.

[Dr. Jack Daniels]

I applied for my passport on Saturday, November 25 and rec'd it last Monday, Dec 11. A little over two weeks. I was impressed.

 

D.J.D.

[cuyahoga11]

It's crunch time. 16 days left, then its a must have.

[BND]

It's crunch time. 16 days left, then its a must have.

 

Not for cruises. The date on our newest booking info straight from Carnival from 2 days ago says 01 June 2009 for cruising. For flying to those locations, it's 08 Jan 2007, but not for cruising. But, still I say go ahead and get one before the demand gets high and it takes months.

[Sandi149]

Not sure what to blame it on, but passport turnaround is starting to take longer. DH applied 11/29 for our February cruise on Liberty, and it was just put in their system online as being received today, and said he would have it on or before 1/17/07. That will make it a 7 week wait. When I applied in September, I received mine 3 1/2 weeks later in October. Not sure if it's the holidays slowing down the turnaround time, or more applications, but it is starting to take longer now, or at least, right now that's our experience.

My husband and I applied about 5 weeks ago and then 2 days ago we received something from the passport dept. For mine they said I need to show proof of my maiden name-married name. Meanwhile I had sent a marriage certificate. So I had to send in a pay stub which shows my maiden name and last name together. My husband's whole application came back claiming that he didn't sign it. To me someone in the passport office screwed up because I doubt the passport agent in the post office would let it go through without being signed. And I know that he signed it because I was with him when he did it. I think they are so busy with applications that they don't know what they are doing. They tell you 4-6 weeks but you gotta figure at least 6-10 in case something happened like in our case.

[cuyahoga11]

Not for cruises. The date on our newest booking info straight from Carnival from 2 days ago says 01 June 2009 for cruising. For flying to those locations, it's 08 Jan 2007, but not for cruising. But, still I say go ahead and get one before the demand gets high and it takes months.

 

Yes they have bumped it back for cruising but what happens if you leave on a cruise and by some misfortune you get sick and have to go to hospital in one of your ports, the ship leaves, now you need to fly home, you are SOL

[bubbles1209]

They tell you 4-6 weeks but you gotta figure at least 6-10 in case something happened like in our case

They told DH 8 weeks, (he applied 11/29), so I guess that's a happy medium. They told me 8 weeks also (in Sept.)but I got it back in 3 1/2 weeks. Got lucky.

[BND]

Yes they have bumped it back for cruising but what happens if you leave on a cruise and by some misfortune you get sick and have to go to hospital in one of your ports, the ship leaves, now you need to fly home, you are SOL

 

I agree, but you said you "had" to have it by the end of the year, implying for cruising. I just posted the reality. I would never cruise without mine. Next time, make it clear what you mean exactly, please, so we don't confuse someone who may not know.

[Jenna1983]

For flying to those locations, it's 08 Jan 2007, but not for cruising

 

Wrong. All passengers who are flying must have their passports by January 23rd, 2007. They pushed it back because of holiday travel.

[BND]

Wrong. All passengers who are flying must have their passports by January 23rd, 2007. They pushed it back because of holiday travel.

 

Geez, tell Carnival that, not me (don't shoot the messenger) because on our confirmation from TWO days ago it says 08 Jan 07. Wrong isn't exactly the word I would have used since it's only a 15 day difference. The point it passports are going to be required.

[TCF]

It would seem that maybe the penny has finally dropped for a huge number of folks who now understand that a passport is an absolute must if you are travelling outside the country!;)

Also the politicians and buerocrats have changed the dates so often in the past year that frankly no one knows what the real dates are any more...not the cruise lines...not the TAs...not even in the border people!:eek: Best not to play their guessing game.

The waits are bound to get longer in the new year as people scramble to get their passports.

Tom&Deb:)

[selucrey]

Yes they have bumped it back for cruising but what happens if you leave on a cruise and by some misfortune you get sick and have to go to hospital in one of your ports, the ship leaves, now you need to fly home, you are SOL

That did happen to one of our friends traveling with us in October. He was taken to the hospital in Grand Cayman and a couple of days later flew home with no problem. All he had was a driver's license and birth certificate.

[777mjrseb]

Hi everyone!!!

 

I work at the airport and we are also using the 8th just to get people moving on the passport process, the new law is the 23rd of January. I had someone ask me the other day what was the longest he could stay in canada with out a passport and I said the 23 he said book my return for the 22nd.

[chasetf]

It would seem that maybe the penny has finally dropped for a huge number of folks who now understand that a passport is an absolute must if you are travelling outside the country!;)

 

Also the politicians and buerocrats have changed the dates so often in the past year that frankly no one knows what the real dates are any more...not the cruise lines...not the TAs...not even in the border people!:eek: Best not to play their guessing game. The waits are bound to get longer in the new year as people scramble to get their passports.

 

Tom&Deb:)

I agree the waits will become longer. The demand is coming from the flyers who waited until the last minute or are planning ahead for their summer vacation, not the cruisers. But those cruisers trying to cover the "what if I have to fly" continguency for their winter cruise are going to feel the pinch. ;)

[irishgirl]

If you check the State Department website, it states that it could be "as early as January 2008 all persons travelling between U.S., Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, South America and Bermuda by land or sea."

 

So, think about all the people in the border states that cross everyday into Canada or Mexico for work. There are lots of Michiganders that work in Canada and they are going to need passports too. It's hard to believe, but a lot of them haven't even applied yet.

[BND]

That did happen to one of our friends traveling with us in October. He was taken to the hospital in Grand Cayman and a couple of days later flew home with no problem. All he had was a driver's license and birth certificate.

 

That's because Grand Cayman is in the Caribbean and only required DL and BC. With the new regs you will need a passport.

[rt63]

Try applying for a Canadian passport from the US. The photo requirements are so picky, I have had three sets of photos rejected for being less than perfect so far. (And using a fixed-focus Polaroid with a single flash, which is the most common photo store or UPS store setup, I will never get a proper shadow-free shot, so I give up on that!).

 

Now I'm going to have to pay a "real" photographer to take the pics. But at least I'm not up against a deadline... unless I have to fly north for an emergency.

[robtx100]

Not sure what to blame it on, but passport turnaround is starting to take longer. DH applied 11/29 for our February cruise on Liberty, and it was just put in their system online as being received today, and said he would have it on or before 1/17/07. That will make it a 7 week wait. When I applied in September, I received mine 3 1/2 weeks later in October. Not sure if it's the holidays slowing down the turnaround time, or more applications, but it is starting to take longer now, or at least, right now that's our experience.

 

I just checked the status of my friend who is going with us on our February cruise. He applied the same day as your DH and his also states he would have it on or before 1/17