Not sure where this thread should go (passport related) but . . . . . .

[Lovely_Star]

I am getting really PO'd and impatient at this point with the US Passport Agency :mad: We applied for our passports at our local USPS office the last week of March (the 27th to be exact) and at the time they told us we'd receive them in 10 weeks. After a month we checked the status online and it said 10-12 weeks which I was completely fine with, but here it is well over three months and we still have not received our passports!!!! I don't know what to do . . . we are traveling in about two months and I don't want to receive them at the last minute, this is ridiculous! I tried contacting the agency directly, but they won't even bother connecting you to a representative unless you are traveling within the next two weeks. Any suggestions???

[Toto2Kansas]

This has been all over the news that the passport agency has been back logged and way behind. If you do a search of this forum, I am sure you can pull up all the info on the discussion and then some.

 

Here is a link to numerous posts and threads about delayed passports, you might have a look at what others are doing in the same situation.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/search.php?searchid=6291266

[cherylandtk]

1. Get duplicate certified copies of your birth certificates. That and a DL will get you on the ship. Passport is not required for your itinerary this year.

2. Take the proof of application in case there is an emergency requiring that you fly home from the Caribbean.

3. Relax; you may not receive the passports but you don't really need them for your trip.

[jckvpa0]

I really wouldn't worry, it's been a little over 14 weeks & you still have 60 some odd days to go. More than likely you will get it before your cruise & like the others have stated you really don't need it.

 

Does anyone if renewals are taking as long as first time passports ?

[Coolmama_1]

I really wouldn't worry, it's been a little over 14 weeks & you still have 60 some odd days to go. More than likely you will get it before your cruise & like the others have stated you really don't need it.

 

Does anyone if renewals are taking as long as first time passports ?

 

I was wondering the same thing about the renewals. It would seem that it should not take as long, but heck, this is the US Gov!:rolleyes:

[Coral]

I was wondering the same thing about the renewals. It would seem that it should not take as long, but heck, this is the US Gov!:rolleyes:

 

I have 2 friends who applied at the same time - one is a renewal and one is a new passport.

 

They are both at 15 weeks out and going on 16 weeks with no passport....

[MsSailaway]

I had a name change to process on my passport. I mailed it to, I believe, Philadelphia on May 26th and had my new passport in hand on June 19th! I did not pay for expedited service and I noted my travels plans for Oct. 07. I should note that I have not received my original docs (court order for the name change and my first passport) as of yet, although the note with the passport stated I would. Maybe I won't? I really think that I was extremely lucky in this instance. Good Luck to all who are still waiting.

[-Lew-]

. . . we are traveling in about two months and I don't want to receive them at the last minute, this is ridiculous! I tried contacting the agency directly, but they won't even bother connecting you to a representative unless you are traveling within the next two weeks. Any suggestions???

My suggestion would be to relax.

 

You're not leaving for two months...no wonder the passport agency won't assist you. Everyone applying for a passport is in the same boat; they need to assist those traveling in the next two weeks.

 

You'll have your passport in time for your trip. There are no reports of passport applications taking five months to process.

 

Lew

[swtpnk]

I applied for passports for DH and I... DH received his, but I havent received mine yet. They were sent out March 1st..I really dont have to worry tho, our cruise isnt till Jan 08.... im guessing, because we dont need them till later, mine was put on the back burner till a later time, so others traveling sooner can get theirs in time for their trips.

[MB Cruiser]

Does anyone if renewals are taking as long as first time passports ?

 

Renewals are taking JUST as long. It apparently makes no difference if it's new or renewal. My renewal took 14 weeks even with my congressional representative's office's help and urgent expedite. I was in line at the passport office 24 hours before flying to Rome with people who were applying that day for trips within the next few days. During the anxious 2 weeks prior to my cruise (in June), I actually had one US Passport office official tell me it was too bad I had already applied because they couldn't give me an appointment for a same-day issuance if I had a pending applicaiton. It took my congressperson's office to straighten that one out. Of course after travelling 250 miles to the nearest office for my appointment, I was told the passport was at that moment being delivered to my home by Fed Ex (something the US Passport office told me the previous afternoon could NOT happen) so I had to drive 500 miles round trip the day before my flight. All's well that ends.

[bjbdlb]

My sister, her husband and 2 children are supposed to fly to London on Saturday. The children's renewals were applied for in March, and they still haven't arrived. Contacting their rep seems to be of some help, as they will at the minimum have authorization for the congressional line on Friday in DC, if there is no arrival. Their representative actually returned a phone call this morning (Sunday).

 

Reguardless, my bro-in-law will be in line Friday, as they have been misreading his passport- expiring on o8 Oct 06 - as expiring in 08, rather than 06. He has to be in Atlanta until Thursday, and there is no passport office there, so he has to wait to return to suburban DC where they live, and stand in line. At least this one is their fault. The only question is how many passports will he be waiting for.

[Lovely_Star]

1. Get duplicate certified copies of your birth certificates. That and a DL will get you on the ship. Passport is not required for your itinerary this year.

2. Take the proof of application in case there is an emergency requiring that you fly home from the Caribbean.

3. Relax; you may not receive the passports but you don't really need them for your trip.

 

That sounds good, but unfortunately they have both of our birth certificates which we had to submit/mail in when we applied (which makes me even MORE anxious to receive them). And yes, I understand I have two months, but my issue is don’t tell me I am going to have them within a certain time frame and not live up to that agreement. I wasn’t expecting them at exactly 10 weeks because I understood they were/are backed up, but they have exceeded that grace period IMO. We stressed about getting our passports early because of the new law they had enacted and we wanted to be sure that we’d have them in time for our trip . . . we paid for something and we’d like to receive it within the time that they said we would, period.

[amylory]

I sent in my passport renewal on February 4th and my check cleared my bank on February 11th. I STILL have not received my passport and multiple calls to my Congressman's office haven't done a thing to help. I leave August 1st.

I know I can travel with a bc and dl, but I also know that since I sent it well in advance it should be here. This is so frustrating! :mad:

 

I'm supposed to call back to the Congressman's office this Thursday and beg for help again. Wish me luck!

[Lovely_Star]

This has been all over the news that the passport agency has been back logged and way behind. If you do a search of this forum, I am sure you can pull up all the info on the discussion and then some.

 

Here is a link to numerous posts and threads about delayed passports, you might have a look at what others are doing in the same situation.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/search.php?searchid=6291266

 

Nothing came up for this thread; "Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms"

[mollyeilis]

That sounds good, but unfortunately they have both of our birth certificates which we had to submit/mail in when we applied (which makes me even MORE anxious to receive them). And yes, I understand I have two months, but my issue is don’t tell me I am going to have them within a certain time frame and not live up to that agreement. I wasn’t expecting them at exactly 10 weeks because I understood they were/are backed up, but they have exceeded that grace period IMO. We stressed about getting our passports early because of the new law they had enacted and we wanted to be sure that we’d have them in time for our trip . . . we paid for something and we’d like to receive it within the time that they said we would, period.

 

The poster said to get duplicate certified copies. Contact vital records in the counties of your births and get more.

 

I assume you dropped them off at the post office? They aren't state dept workers, so IMO they shouldn't be stating ANYTHING about a time-frame, as they aren't the ones working on them...

[WatchHill]

DH mailed his standard, not expedited, passport renewal on June 11th. The State Dept. web site indicates 10-12 weeks wait which is not a problem as our trip to Europe isn't until the end of September. In the mean time, DH has a business trip to Bermuda in two weeks, so I pulled out his birth certificate and went back to the State Dept web site this morning to print the necessary information that his passport application is in progess. Although one is led to believe the application status is updated, the site still says 10-12 weeks.

Guess what was in today's mail? DH's new passport.

 

Darcy

[annierie]

My DH's renewal was mailed on Saturday the 23rd of June. It came back on the 5th of July. It was expedited, since we are traveling in September and wanted it back. It was no hassle and we are ready to cruise.

[SheriNtexas]

I am getting really PO'd and impatient at this point with the US Passport Agency :mad: We applied for our passports at our local USPS office the last week of March (the 27th to be exact) and at the time they told us we'd receive them in 10 weeks. After a month we checked the status online and it said 10-12 weeks which I was completely fine with, but here it is well over three months and we still have not received our passports!!!! I don't know what to do . . . we are traveling in about two months and I don't want to receive them at the last minute, this is ridiculous! I tried contacting the agency directly, but they won't even bother connecting you to a representative unless you are traveling within the next two weeks. Any suggestions???

 

 

I understand your frustration because I was in the same boat (no pun intended, :D ) in early June!! The phone calls, the worrying, the checking the state dept. website 50 times a day, etc. You have 2 months until your trip so more than likely you will get them in time. However, i know from experience that you WOULD want to receive them at the last minute if that was your only option!! My daughter and I got our passports 2 days before our trip to Europe!! We HAD to have them to travel, whereas you don't have to have them for your cruise. Our passport applications were processed in Houston and they were overwhelmed and that is just one of the reasons why it took so long. Be patient, you have plenty of time to get them! Be glad that you applied now, because i think the backlog will only get worse!! It is easy for me to say this NOW since we have our passports, but if you were to do a search of my posts on passports, I was in a near state of panic, lol!!

[grandmajens]

I SO feel for you! When this whole passport mess started my husband and I were taking our last cruise. We applied for a renewal WELL in advance of the deadline.. It got closer and closer and finally I just gave in and PAID them my 69 dollar RUSH fee and they STILL wouldn't guarantee that it would be there. Mind you we applied WAY before the deadline. SO two days before we were to cruise I called my state representative and they worked for me and I had it in the mail the next day. True story, my representative really does work for me! Please call yours and explain that you turned your application in WAY ahead of time and see what they will do for you! Good luck. Robin O. Also please let me know if this helps!

[findatmyfeet]

I sent my renewal in on June 28th

checked status today and it said they were finished and it would be in the mail July 15th.

We will see lol

[PugLuvr]

I am getting really PO'd and impatient at this point with the US Passport Agency :mad: We applied for our passports at our local USPS office the last week of March (the 27th to be exact) and at the time they told us we'd receive them in 10 weeks. After a month we checked the status online and it said 10-12 weeks which I was completely fine with, but here it is well over three months and we still have not received our passports!!!! I don't know what to do . . . we are traveling in about two months and I don't want to receive them at the last minute, this is ridiculous! I tried contacting the agency directly, but they won't even bother connecting you to a representative unless you are traveling within the next two weeks. Any suggestions???

 

Even when you get within the two weeks, you don't get the results you expect. My husband ordered his in March about 14 weeks before we were to leave. At 12 weeks and 2 days he started calling. They told him they "were working on it", but he was just outside of the two weeks. So they said, they would move up our travel date so he would be within the two weeks. He called every other day that week and every day the following week, which was one before we left. They said they put notes and emailed people to get his passport to us on time, but to make a long story short we left June 17th and no passport. Guess what it came June 18th!! Oh well...it was not a big deal for us thankfully...we went through Canadian Customs w/out a problem. Apparently it is the US that has issues w/it's citizens not having passports. But when we came back in, there were no problems. They just wanted to see the paperwork showing that he had applied for it. Hopefully yours comes before you leave, but it all worked out in the end for us. Now we just have plan somewhere else to go so he can use his passport...maybe another cruise :rolleyes:

[findatmyfeet]

Yep I'm not holding my breath lol.

I have my original BC so i will use that if necessary.

I'm not sure what to put in the online sign and sail part though?

Is there a cut off time for this?

[SheriNtexas]

Yep I'm not holding my breath lol.

I have my original BC so i will use that if necessary.

I'm not sure what to put in the online sign and sail part though?

Is there a cut off time for this?

 

 

Just put that you are using a BC, then if your passport comes in you can go in and edit it and add your passport # and then uncheck the box beside BC. That is what I did. Not sure if there is a cutoff date, you can call them and ask.

[cherylandtk]

Cutoff date (for changing data online) is ~5 days before sailing. But if your passport arrives after that time frame, just bring it and adjust the information at check-in. The only cutoff for using the passport is at check-in.

[Lovely_Star]

Great news we finally received out passports on Friday the 27th . . . exactly 4 months from the date that we applied in March, so no worries now. For those of you that are using routine service with your application I would apply a minimum of 4 months in advance since that is how long it took us!