Do we just give it up on the passports?

[lpjpane]

It's all very frustrating. We applied on March 31st and it still shows processing. I feel better at this point since I got a copy of my birth certificate in the mail today and I know DH's is coming.

 

Do I call my Congressman's office in Washington or the local one? Does it matter? If I call the passport office and it's not 2 weeks before my travel date - will they tell me to call back? I'm also concerned because I don't think I put a specific travel date - just August.

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

ITA 19 weeks is way too long! :eek:

 

***

[margaritadenise]

If your travel date is approaching you can call the passport hotline directly. I did this two times for two different passports and I received them within 36 hours (less than 18 hours for one).

[Nliedel]

This whole mess is a MESS and I'm so tired of it. I just wish they would hire who they need to hire, or back off.

[frope]

Call your state's representative's office -- we did that, they were very helpful and we had them within 3 days of calling. (Called Monday, got them on Wed or Thurs)

[Esmerelda]

Thanks gang, I hadn't thought of calling the state's office. I am going to do just that this coming week. The thought of having to get all 4 birth certificates again (at $15 each!) and then a certified copy of my divorce papers (which I called, that cost $25 at the County...!) I am not spending another $100 bucks or so just to replace what I should already have gotten back. We applied on April 4 so this coming week is about 15 or so. I still cannot believe we have heard nothing. The computer still just says "processing"....I really really do NOT like that word.....lol

 

 

Esmerelda....

[BTSEN5]

We are traveling on AOS on 07/22. We applied for our passports at the end of February - and still the website says they are being processed. Amazing, how fast they were at cashing the check in comparison to the actual processing.

 

At any rate, we have tried to call, sent emails, etc. Do we even bother with it anymore? I could call my congressman's office, but is it worth the hassle?

 

Of course, then there is the whole birth certificate situation. Since we had to send ours in with our passport applications, we do not have a copy of my husband's. We are in Indiana and he was born in Michigan. We can enlist his parents help in getting a copy but, again, it is just irritating that I have to go through the hassle and the additional expense when I felt like I applied in a reasonably amount of time.

 

I mean, come'on - it has been 19 weeks since we applied. Part of me is spoiling for a fight on principal - the other part doesn't want the hassle, since I'm already trying to get ready for the trip. I'm torn.

 

 

My friend needed her son's passport so he could go on a mission trip and the week before, they did not have it. They had to call their congressman, but ended up being told they had to travel to Washington, DC to get it. Once they got to DC, a three hour drive, they were told there that it was enroute to their house. They got home in time to have it redelivered. This was the day before the trip. It was an awful experience for them, but calling their congressman seemed to get the ball rolling, even though they had to make the unnecessary trip to DC.

[CruisanSusan]

I applied for my passport on 4/14/07 at a passport fair at my library. I'm sailing to Bermuda on 9/22. I just received it Thursday, 7/12, by FedEx overnight express. I heard that the passport office got extra help and it looks like they are spending extra money to get them out by overnight express (or is that the way they usually send them?). I'm happy but, of course, my Mom & sister waited until June to apply and they are still waiting. We knew that we did not need passports to cruise from Philly (we live in the suburbs) to Bermuda but my Mom is 85 yrs. old and we wanted to be prepared for emergency travel. We'll use photo copies of their applications if the need arises.

 

Susan

[Bare0128]

applied 3/22, got them delivered by fed-x overnite this morning!!

 

considering beginning the renewal process so we might have new ones before these expire!!

[amybear912]

applied 3/22, got them delivered by fed-x overnite this morning!!

 

considering beginning the renewal process so we might have new ones before these expire!!

 

 

You're already too late... should have applied for the renewal before you applied for the actual passport...:D

[deborahjo]

Feb 12th applied for 1-renewal and 1-passport. Went thru our postmaster. We got them the 2nd week of May. We got a tracking number on a friday and DH passport showed up the next monday and my renewal showed up on the following friday.

[lpjpane]

If they're sending them FedEx, does someone need to be around to sign for it? That'll be my next stressing point. What if no one is home to sign?

[lvlady]

My daughter in Las Vegas applied for a passport for my granddaughter in March, My daughter in NJ applied within 2 days of that for hers. We leave 7/29. Well my daughter has recv'd her passport a week ago. My granddaughter has arrived in Texas for the summer, and still no passport. Now if one does come for her it will go to her home address in Las Vegas and have to be forwarded to me. We asked to do expited, but the passport agent said there was plenty of time. The passport was esitmated to arrive the 3rd week of June. Didn"t happen. I now found that as a grandmother in a different state from where the passport was applied for, I am practically none existant. So with MY passport, My daughters Passport, a certified letter of permission to take my granddaughter out of the US, A certified medical permission letter, and a Birth Certificate for my granddaughter ( just got) off we will go. I expect to see the passport after we return. I still an contacting Congressmen and anyone who will listen. We keep you informed.

Hooray! My daughter just got my granddaughters Passport on Friday, now she it mail it from Las Vegas to Texas, and we have 2 weeks before we go. Thanks for all the info we gathered here. Hope everyone gets their passports on time.

sailing 7/29/07 on the Rhapsody out of Galveston, TX

[zephyr17]

A lady I work with applied for passport renewals for herself and her DH... She got hers first (after about 2 months of waiting) and the minute she opened it, it fell apart in her hands-- the picture fell out of the laminated page and the whole booket fell apart. She called the passport office and was told she would have to re-apply and pay for a brand new passport-- WRONG! Her DH's passport just arrived after 4 months and when he opened it, the picture was of a WOMAN!! So much for our national security--- what a mess.

 

This sounds fishy to me. They haven't laminated pictures in the last few years -- they are digitally printed on the passport itself so there is nothing to fall out.

[powderqn]

Its funny how many passengers waited until after Christmas last year to process their passports. Last year you would have had your passports within six weeks, two weeks expedited. We have known for three years we will eventually need a passport to travel abroad. Yes. its been that long.

 

Those who told you to wait until this year to process your passport were very wrong. And its going to get worst for next years land crossings. Much worst.

 

This wasn't an option for me (and probably many, many more cruisers that need to renew). My passport expires 7/31/07. We cruised in April, so I needed my passport...I sent my renewal application when we returned the first week of May in anticipation of our September cruise, just as the passport explosion was rising its ugly head. I'm still waiting. I couldn't renew before then, as I had a cruise the end of year, and at that time there was not "problems" getting passports. So I thought I was fine holding on to my passport until after my April cruise. Hopefully, it will get here before the September cruise; 20 weeks!

Strange thing...my daughter applied for a name change 2 weeks after I sent in my renewal (to the same PO box) for our December cruise and got her new passport in 8 days!!! Go figure...she doesn't need it until December and they send hers right away.

[lpjpane]

Strange thing...my daughter applied for a name change 2 weeks after I sent in my renewal (to the same PO box) for our December cruise and got her new passport in 8 days!!! Go figure...she doesn't need it until December and they send hers right away.

 

See - that's what's driving me crazy! :mad: I read were some people are getting them in record time with no expedites! What about those of us who are waiting past our 10-12 weeks with travel dates quickly approaching?

[drgouveia]

DH and I applied May 15 and are leaving 8/30 for Mediterranean. Not surprised, nothing yet. When I checked status, his showed up, mine did not. I called, waited 35 minutes. When the CSR answered the phone and asked me when I was leaving, he almost hung up on me. Low and behold, they had my last name spelled wrong. He "assured" me we would have them on time. I'm not so sure. I'll hold my breath a few more weeks.

[OceanCruise]

Applied over 16 weeks ago and still haven't received routine renewal. It is really aggravating that it is taking so long.

[CruisanSusan]

If they're sending them FedEx, does someone need to be around to sign for it? That'll be my next stressing point. What if no one is home to sign?

 

I was not at home for the delivery. I rent a home but my landlady lives nearby in another home on the same farm property. The houses are not numbered ( numbers are on the mailboxes on the street) and the FedEx guy went to my landlady's house and asked for me. She said that she could sign for the package. He said that it was a passport and he was not supposed to do that. She told him that if he couldn't do that for security reasons he probably shouldn't have told her that it was a passport. He left it with her anyway...thank goodness.

Anyway, I really don't know if your FedEx delivery person will be as nice. I think FedEx , like UPS, has regular routes for deliveries. Maybe if you call Fed Ex they could notify the regular route person to give permission to leave with a neighbor...???....Just a thought........Also, maybe if you're not home, they leave a note and you contact them as to when would be a good time to deliver...???.... good luck!

[gnparend]

!> Renewal of passports goes through a different section so turn around is usually about 4 weeks. But new PP are way behind.

 

http://www.vitalchek.com will get you a birth certificate and you can get it FedEx overnight or 3 day service. Also be sure to check the RCCL site for Travel Docs. The goverment on June 3 relaxed the requirements but they require your proof of application for passport.

 

Good Luck

 

It unfortuate and you don't want to here this but many years ago (16 yrs) we heard bad stories of couples who go sick or hurt and had to leave the ship and the trouble they had without passports in foriegn countries, so we applied back then. So we aren't in that horror world you live in now. We have friends who are going through the same problem.

 

For those who are getting passports for minor children be aware both parents must sign the application. This may be especially tough for single parents when they have lost contact with the other parent.

[rikv1971]

I received my passport after waiting 11 weeks just to find they misspelled my name. I just sent it overnight back to the LA processing center to be corrected. I have 14 weeks, so hopefully it makes it back in time.

[kevin123]

Received my passport after 25 days!!! I am prior military and also have

a current security clearence.

[SpringHillCruiser]

This may have been posted on another thread, but I heard on the news this week that they were having retired passport employees come out of retirement to help address the backlog.

[johnjen]

The way I see it, the times are changing. They are so backlogged in getting passports on time to people who need to leave the country.

 

For example, when we return, we're getting our son's passport renewed for our trip to Alaska in three years time. His expired just this year. It's best to be safe. For us, we're lucky in that our passports don't expire until 2012.

[marci22]

I had sent 3 passports for -renewal- on March 23rd, from a passport office, and I just received them yesterday, July 18th.

 

I had called the number on the website and -they- sent an 'urgent email' as she called it (traveling less than 2 weeks time). I received them about a week later, by Priority mail. (the passport website advised me that my passports had been sent, and would arrive sometime before 7/30 (just past my actual departure date)

 

Out of 3, 3 came back with the old passports, and 2 came back with bc's (one missing, I was told to wait a few days before writing the office via US mail).