Passport Delay.......

[sail7seas]

I just heard on Fox News the White House today agreed with the temporary delay with regard to requiring passports to fly from Canada/Bermuda/Mexico and Bermuda for 17 months.

So, folks....... get the applications in and have your receipt that you have applied and you won't have any problem flying home from those locations.

I feel bad for folks who missed their vacations due to lack of passports before this reprieve was announced.

[Bill S]

Sail: that is great news for a lot of people!

We have to RENEW our passports for a November E. Med Cruise, and will get the paperwork and the passports in the mail this weekend and will keep our fingers crossed that 4 months will be a long enough lead time for the renewals to be done. We will indicate that we will be travelling to Europe with the hope that the Passport folks can prioritize applications for those going to places other than Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Thanks for sharing the news!

[jhannah]

I'm sure this will help lots of people. But I think it will still add to the confusion in many people's minds.

[deepwater]

I received my passport renewal yesterday, and that was exactly 3 weeks from the day I mailed in the application. This was not for expedited service--just regular that cost $67. My cruise is not until January.

[sail7seas]

Wow, deepwater......

That's amazing!! Great you have it all ready and waiting for you when you need it.

[Green Onions]

My daughter is still waiting for her passport to arrive. She applied at the end of March (normal processing, 12 weeks before she needed it), her flight for London leaves next Wednesday. Calling the official number yields only the vague promise that they will send a message to the processing center that she really does want it before then. I guess she gets to camp out at a regional issuing office all day on Tuesday. You got to love it!

In other words, apply early.

"Every generation needs a new revolution." - Thomas Jefferson

[pms4104]

I'm sure this will help lots of people. But I think it will still add to the confusion in many people's minds.
Indeed, this whole passport needed/delayed/needed/delayed story is like the boy who cried "wolf". Makes me wonder if there will ever be a policy established and enforced. I thought the change in passport rules had to do with securing our borders ... now I'm not sure what it's about. Maybe we no longer need to be concerned with terrorism?

[Scrumpy]

Every year there will be new people who consider leaving the country - and some who will probably be unprepared to do so. I thought the rules had been fairly well-publicized, but maybe not. And, I guess some folks don't pay attention until it applies to them. Sooner or later, the government has to make the passport rules firm. I'm surprised by the reprieve...but, I guess the backlog justifies at least a temporary rule change. Seventeen months doesn't seem that temporary, though.

[CrystalLady]

I suppose I'll sound heartless, but...

SINCE EARLY LAST YEAR, cruise sites, airline sites AND travel agents have been urging people to apply for passports if they didn't already have them. We had been warning people that passports would be required and that, towards the end of 2006 there would be a crunch to receive them.

Many didn't listen...and we see the frantic results now.

[dakrewser]

I suppose I'll sound heartless, but...

SINCE EARLY LAST YEAR, cruise sites, airline sites AND travel agents have been urging people to apply for passports if they didn't already have them. We had been warning people that passports would be required and that, towards the end of 2006 there would be a crunch to receive them.

Many didn't listen...and we see the frantic results now.

Politicians listen to the whiners....

[pms4104]

Politicians listen to the whiners....
Whiners and non-whiners alike pay their salaries ... I'm thinking all the rule bending and adjusting is a concession to pressures from the travel industry. If a passport is now required for certain types of travel and a large segment of the populace, for lack of a passport, is unable to buy those trips ... guessing there'll be beds without heads in them and seats without butts on them.

[arabrab]

I received my passport renewal yesterday, and that was exactly 3 weeks from the day I mailed in the application. This was not for expedited service--just regular that cost $67. My cruise is not until January.


Congratulations, but this is also really annoying. What are they doing at the passport office so that some renewals (like this one) get processed and returned in three weeks,though the travel isn't until January, while other renewals are taking fifteen and sixteen weeks and people are missing travel planned for this summer?

I'm still grumped that my D's plain vanilla passport renewal took 12 weeks to the day.

[AmberMarie]

So, you don't need a passport to cruise until later next year, correct?

[CrystalLady]

Whiners and non-whiners alike pay their salaries ... I'm thinking all the rule bending and adjusting is a concession to pressures from the travel industry. If a passport is now required for certain types of travel and a large segment of the populace, for lack of a passport, is unable to buy those trips ... guessing there'll be beds without heads in them and seats without butts on them.

Excuse me, but why blame the travel industry when the travel industry (as I mentioned above) has been urging people since early last year (2006) to get their passports. Many procrastinated, and now they're finding themselves in trouble that they helped create for themselves.

[sail7seas]

I so agree with CrystalLady. For so long, many here have harped repeatedly Get Your Passport, Get Your Passpport blah blah blah and people always had an excuse why they wouldn't/didn't.

There really was a great deal of publicity and notice about it.
I'm sorry for those who are now stressed and hope it works out okay for you but few who have found their way to Internet Cruise Bulletin Boards can claim to have been taken by surprise. IMO

Host Walt put a sticky re: Passports at the top of the HAL page AGES ago.

AmberMarie: You do not need a passport to sail from a U.S. Port to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or anywhere in the Caribbean. What you DO need is a raised seal birth certificate and a government issued photo ID. What you ALSO need is a receipt showing you have applied for and are awaiting receipt of your passport IF IF IF you should find the need to fly home from one of the ports on your cruise which is outside the U.S. or its territories. The temporary extension for passports applies to air travel. If you should become ill or have a family emergency at home or need to fly home for any reason, you will need proof of application for the passport (or the actual passport) in order to fly back to the U.S.

[Tricia724]

What are they doing at the passport office so that some renewals (like this one) get processed and returned in three weeks,though the travel isn't until January, while other renewals are taking fifteen and sixteen weeks and people are missing travel planned for this summer?

It may depend upon where you live and which regional agency you use to process your application. It makes sense to me that some of the agencies would receive a higher volume of applications and be busier than others simply because of the population demographics in the states they serve, and.....as with individuals.....some agencies may simply be more efficient.

[yiddishkopf]

My passport expired in April and I began the process of getting a new one in early March. It took 3 months to the day for my passport to arrive. I hear about faster and better service, but it certainly didn't happen with my application. We don't travel out of the country until April of 08 when we are booked on the Osaka to Vancouver trip.

[98Charlie]

So, you don't need a passport to cruise until later next year, correct?It's not fully approved yet.

It has been passed by the House of Representatives. Still needs Senate passage and signature of the President.

I believe I saw that the Pres is OK with the delay. If that is the case, its up to the Senate.

Charlie

[llachance]

the regional office to RENEW my daughter's passport is in Carolina. We live in Northern California. We submitted her passport in February for a trip at the end of July. Should have been plenty of time. Then the whole world had to get their passports expedited whether they were traveling or not and piles upon piles started to happen. Given that some people get their passports in three weeks and others have waited 12 and more it is becoming more obvious that first in first out isn't happening, nor is there a lot of attention being paid to travel dates! Since my daughter needs a VISA for her trip at the end of July we contacted our congresswoman. She has had contact with the congresswoman's aide. I don't know if it will make any difference or not. BTW - this is her 3rd renewal. She couldn't renew by mail because she was under 16 when she got her last passport. We have never traveled without them :) If I had known that it was take 5 months I probably would have paid the expediting fee. But expediting or not there should be a first in first out rule and I still can't figure out why her renewal had to go all the way to the east coast!

[doctork]

Not all who are delayed in receiving passports are guilty of procrastination. The announcement of average 10 - 12 weeks+ processing time is relatively recent, while many mailed their applications "timely" when the State Department was still claiming a turnaround time of 4 - 6 weeks. They had no way of knowing they needed to pay the $60 fee for expediting the application if the trip was closer than three months.

Others have to renew between overseas trips within a limited time frame, or have an unexpected need to travel on short notice. I'm surprised that the State Department did not anticipate the increased demand that would result from increased requirements, and increase staff appropriately.

[peaches from georgia]

At some point if there is to be any attempt at security the government is going to have to set a definite date for passports and mean it for once. How many years has the deadline for passports been set and then postponed. Several. Nothing is going to change this time either because people will still not apply for their passports until the deadline nears and this will happen all over again. A postponement again is too much.

[pms4104]

At some point if there is to be any attempt at security the government is going to have to set a definite date for passports and mean it for once. How many years has the deadline for passports been set and then postponed. Several. Nothing is going to change this time either because people will still not apply for their passports until the deadline nears and this will happen all over again. A postponement again is too much.

And ... by January 2009 we'll be looking at new faces in Washington and it'll be interesting to see if they cave in to the whining and moaning and delay the deadline even further out. Hmmm ... maybe there no longer is any concern about securing our borders. That's what I thought this was all about ... fighting the global war on terrorism and knowing who is coming into this country.

To Crystal Lady ... I referred to "pressure" from the industry and not "blame". The reality is that people have been accustomed to travelling freely without passport for certain types of travel forever. Call it the American sense of entitlement, if you will. If a passport will be required, and some 75% of the populace here doesn't have one, they cannot take the trips they've gone on in the past. And, yes, that impacts the revenue stream of travel providers. And, likely, those passportless hoardes whine about it to Washington and to their T/A ... more pressure. People should stop worrying about whether a passport is needed and just get one ... that's the global reality these days. If you don't/won't get a passport ... stay home and stop whining!

[donaldsc]

Indeed, this whole passport needed/delayed/needed/delayed story is like the boy who cried "wolf". Makes me wonder if there will ever be a policy established and enforced. I thought the change in passport rules had to do with securing our borders ... now I'm not sure what it's about. Maybe we no longer need to be concerned with terrorism?

I agree with you completely. Stupid people who do not plan ahead should suffer the consequences of their acts.

I doubt if most of them will learn from the experience but a few might.

DARWIN RULES!!

DON

[CruiseReg]

One thing that I'm worried about is DD. She's had a passport since before she was a year old and her passport is expiring next October and we'll need to try to time her renewel application so we don't miss out on potential travel. We tend to book cruises either a month or two prior or 7-8 months out. We may do her passport early, like as soon as we return from our December cruise - just in case we're still in our crazy perpetual delay cycle.

[DMRick]

I'm not sure what to do about ours. We have a cruise in July and another in September and then in November. Our passports expire in February, but most of our cruise papers say that we need to make sure we don't expire within 6 months of the end of a trip. The plan right now is to send them in July 20th, and hope we have them back by the Sept 9th trip...but boy, would I be sweating. We have another cruise in November, so we can't wait until after the Sept trip..we'll need them then too. Will we be covered if they aren't back? Or should we not send them in, since we aren't flying out of the country. But then we are flying out of the country (Ireland) in March..so we'll need to have them renewed..and hopefully sending them in the first of December would get them back in time for the March trip. Boy, these long wait times are unbelievable.

Any suggestions? I just hate to let it out of my hand.

[98Charlie]

I'm not sure what to do about ours. We have a cruise in July and another in September and then in November. Our passports expire in February, but most of our cruise papers say that we need to make sure we don't expire within 6 months of the end of a trip. The plan right now is to send them in July 20th, and hope we have them back by the Sept 9th trip...but boy, would I be sweating. We have another cruise in November, so we can't wait until after the Sept trip..we'll need them then too. Will we be covered if they aren't back? Or should we not send them in, since we aren't flying out of the country. But then we are flying out of the country (Ireland) in March..so we'll need to have them renewed..and hopefully sending them in the first of December would get them back in time for the March trip. Boy, these long wait times are unbelievable.

Any suggestions? I just hate to let it out of my hand.I would seriously be looking at expedited service or a trip to one of the passport offices (if it is a reasonable distance) that can do it on the spot.

It does seem that reports on renewals are indicating a shorter turn around time. But, I wouldn't be betting the ranch (or vacation) on that:eek:

If you go with the "in person" option, I would call ahead and make sure that they can do a renewal. Renewals seem to go to different locations than initial applications.

Charlie

[DMRick]

We're not close to one of the places. I just wonder..if we send it in after our July trip..do we really need it for our Sept trip, or just proof we sent it in? We aren't flying for our Sept trip..we're leaving out of NYC. I don't think we have to have one really, do we? We're going to Bermuda, but not flying.

[98Charlie]

Rick

If the delay is approved (not a done deal yet) I think that you would be able to take the September cruise using your birth certificate and drivers license. For the renewal of the passport you only send in your old passport, the new picture and, of course, money.

If you go that way, I would get the pics done and have the paperwork ready before the next cruise. Then just drop it in the mail the day you get back.

OTOH, you can't be the only person that has run into this situation. Maybe call them and see what they suggest. Click here for the link to Department of State Passport Home Page (http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html).

Charlie

[arabrab]

I would seriously be looking at expedited service or a trip to one of the passport offices (if it is a reasonable distance) that can do it on the spot.

It does seem that reports on renewals are indicating a shorter turn around time. But, I wouldn't be betting the ranch (or vacation) on that:eek:

If you go with the "in person" option, I would call ahead and make sure that they can do a renewal. Renewals seem to go to different locations than initial applications.

Charlie


Expedite for sure -- D's unexpedited renewal took exactly 12 weeks. Make sure you write EXPEDITE in large letters on the outside of the envelope you send it in. Measure the photographic image yourself and make sure that it meets the passport guidelines.

[sail7seas]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm not sure what to do about ours. We have a cruise in July and another in September and then in November. Our passports expire in February, but most of our cruise papers say that we need to make sure we don't expire within 6 months of the end of a trip. The plan right now is to send them in July 20th, and hope we have them back by the Sept 9th trip...but boy, would I be sweating. We have another cruise in November, so we can't wait until after the Sept trip..we'll need them then too. Will we be covered if they aren't back? Or should we not send them in, since we aren't flying out of the country. But then we are flying out of the country (Ireland) in March..so we'll need to have them renewed..and hopefully sending them in the first of December would get them back in time for the March trip. Boy, these long wait times are unbelievable.

Any suggestions? I just hate to let it out of my hand.

We ran into a similar situation. We had so many cruises booked there wasn't a significant period of time between when we could comfortably give them up to send for renewal. What I ultimately did was send them about 8 months prior to expiration date which worked out fine for us. I chose a time when we knew the next cruise we were taking did not require a passport and the passport for flying from Caribbean/Canada etc requirement had not yet gone into effect. The crunch had barely started and we had them back in 8 - 10 weeks......I can't remember exactly what now. It's too late for you to do that now but it may help someone else to consider doing the same.


The day they announced the newest postponement for requiring passports, two of the Fox ladies were speaking about it.

One of them said she had used a passport expeditor to walk her passport through and get it renewed. She paid, for sure, but she had it in ten days or less. There are some very legitimate companies who do this service for you.....for a price.They go to the passport center and stand in line until it gets renewed on the spot.

If you do not live near a Passport center where you can go yourself, I'd definitely use a hired expeditor.

[Jade13]

We ran into a similar situation. We had so many cruises booked there wasn't a significant period of time between when we could comfortably give them up to send for renewal. What I ultimately did was send them about 8 months prior to expiration date which worked out fine for us. I chose a time when we knew the next cruise we were taking did not require a passport and the passport for flying from Caribbean/Canada etc requirement had not yet gone into effect. The crunch had barely started and we had them back in 8 - 10 weeks......I can't remember exactly what now. It's too late for you to do that now but it may help someone else to consider doing the same.
.

Wouldn't it have been easier just to walk into the passport office since you live in Boston?

[Green Onions]

My D's passport arrived yesterday (Saturday) which she needed for a Wednesday departure. The government did deliver the passport towards the end of the 10-12 week window that was promised.

The annoying part about the whole thing was that the only status we could get the whole time was that it was being processed. If you are within two weeks of leaving, you can call the toll free number, and, after many tries, get to wait on hold for an hour to be told:

"We will send a message to the processing center to expedite this application"

The first time she got through, she was able to add an overnight FED-EX delivery.

When told the same boiler plate response on Friday, my D stated that this was the same thing we had been told before. The representative said "Well, as it gets closer to your departure date they take these urgent messages more seriously"

Apparently they did and she ended up with a happy ending. I would conclude that the feedback you get is vague, but make sure you keep calling and your prayers going upward. Oh, and like the others said, renew early because they will wait until you really need it.

[sail7seas]

Wouldn't it have been easier just to walk into the passport office since you live in Boston?



We live in the 'burbs'.... not in the city. I knew we had the time; I planned ahead and allowed adequate time so there was no need for me to go to extra effort. Why make a trip into the city? Stand in line at the passport office and possibly pay more?

For people who leave it to last minute, they have to jump through hoops if that is what it takes.

[bobpatj]

We sent in our RENEWAL applications in mid-March, and are still waiting. Our cruise is in mid-September, so we figured there was plenty of time. We will need visas for travel in China, so we hope they get here soon!:eek: