Passport Renewal Question

We booked a cruise this week going to Nassau, San Juan, and St. Thomas leaving on September 18, 2016. I just looked at my dh's passport and it expires on 3/7/2017. We will renew it but am concerned that if I do it before this cruise it may not come back in time. Does anyone have recent experience in renewing passports and how long it is taking? The web site states 6 weeks but not sure how accurate that is. I know I can pay for expedited processing if needed. Just would like an idea of the current time frame.

My other concern is the Bahamas requires that you have at least 6 months left on your passport before it expires. I don't think this applies when on a cruise - not sure but I do know it might be an issue if one of us became ill there and had to stay.

Any help is greatly apprecited

... My other concern is the Bahamas requires that you have at least 6 months left on your passport before it expires. I don't think this applies when on a cruise - not sure but I do know it might be an issue if one of us became ill there and had to stay.

 

Any help is greatly apprecited

You are correct, the 6 month requirement does not apply when on a cruise.

I can't think of any reason to renew it before the Sept 16' cruise. If someone became ill in the Bahama's you'd fly back to the US just fine on the existing passport, they aren't going to hold you captive there :)

We just renewed 2 passports. Not expedited and it took less than 4 weeks. Either way, with your old one or applying for a new one, you'll be fine....enjoy the cruise!!

Thank you so much for all of the quick replies.

I just went through the same dilemma and did a bunch of research on it. I have never heard of the six month rule not applying to cruises. I found this site https://www.passportsandvisas.com/cruise which they suggest you have a valid passport for 6months. In case you miss the boat and need to go to the next destination, get sick etc. They actually don't say either way on if you would be denied boarding or not.

The Bahamas is one of the countries which has the 6 month rule (http://www.uspassporthelpguide.com/six-months-validity-rule/) so I would rather be safe than sorry and renew the passports. Alternately, you could also take your birth certificates and DL just to make sure you don't get denied boarding.

I just went through the same dilemma and did a bunch of research on it. I have never heard of the six month rule not applying to cruises. I found this site https://www.passportsandvisas.com/cruise which they suggest you have a valid passport for 6months. In case you miss the boat and need to go to the next destination, get sick etc. They actually don't say either way on if you would be denied boarding or not.

 

The Bahamas is one of the countries which has the 6 month rule (http://www.uspassporthelpguide.com/six-months-validity-rule/) so I would rather be safe than sorry and renew the passports. Alternately, you could also take your birth certificates and DL just to make sure you don't get denied boarding.

Those are third party sites that went to charge you a fee to do what you can do yourself. Try this link:

https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports.html

The six month rule does not apply if you are traveling to the Bahamas on a cruise ship.

We mailed our renewal apps from MD to PA on 7/1/16. Just got new passports yesterday! Quick service right now:p

It is a closed loop cruise. Driver's license and original birth certificate is all that is required for the cruise. Your passport will work just fine if you need to leave in a hurry.

I just went through the same dilemma and did a bunch of research on it. I have never heard of the six month rule not applying to cruises. I found this site https://www.passportsandvisas.com/cruise which they suggest you have a valid passport for 6months. In case you miss the boat and need to go to the next destination, get sick etc. They actually don't say either way on if you would be denied boarding or not.

 

The Bahamas is one of the countries which has the 6 month rule (http://www.uspassporthelpguide.com/six-months-validity-rule/) so I would rather be safe than sorry and renew the passports. Alternately, you could also take your birth certificates and DL just to make sure you don't get denied boarding.

almost all counties have a 6 month rule. But it's for flying to the country, not visiting one day on a cruise ship

Actually, I just checked and The Bahamas doesn't have a 6 month rule.

https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/the-bahamas.html

Of the four countries I tried, only one had a six month rule, but I agree, that doesn't apply to a closed loop cruise anyway.

Ours expire in Nov 16. Because we are cruising monthly beginning late August, I decided to go ahead and get them renewed now.

Sent them in June 28th and we had them back July 18th, so very fast, right at 3 weeks.

I agree with the other's above that advised you'll be fine with the current passport you're holding.

I mailed my forms to renew mine on July 1st and received mine back on July 14th.... and my old passport back on July 18th...very quick turnaround and not expedited either.

My wife's was less than 3 weeks!

Here we go with another passport thread - : popcorn:

Here we go with another passport thread - : popcorn:

Lightly buttered with a pinch of snark for me. Lol

Just renewed ours.took 2 weeks!

We mailed our renewal apps from MD to PA on 7/1/16. Just got new passports yesterday! Quick service right now:p

We had to renew ours a couple of years ago and it took about three weeks out of NOLA.

Another passport processed in exactly 21 days in June. If you just go ahead and renew it, you won't have to worry about it for another ten years :)

Ours took three weeks and I didn't ask for expedited processing.

We booked a cruise this week going to Nassau, San Juan, and St. Thomas leaving on September 18, 2016. I just looked at my dh's passport and it expires on 3/7/2017.....

 

My other concern is the Bahamas requires that you have at least 6 months left on your passport before it expires.

I see you live in SD. I will assume that your husband is a US citizen.

St Thomas and San Juan are part of the US.

Bahamas:

http://www.bahamas.com/entry-requirements

says to see cbp.gov. Which of course has nothing, LOL. All the actual Bahamas-based websites I found said to go to CBP. Odd.

So the previously linked to State Dept page is a good one.

No issues with the passport, since they only require it to be valid for your trip.

I'm a proponent of passports and of accurate info, and having that expiration date on this passport isn't something I would worry about at all.

[That passportguidehelp site is painful. They cannot possibly keep things up to date.

The first time DH traveled to Italy a few years ago they had one requirement for US. Then a year later it changed. It might have changed back. Do you think taht website is checking on requirements every day?

Italy right now has the 6 month rule, per State Dept. It's not listed on that site. And the Bahamas is, but they don't have that rule.]

I just did a normal renewal, processed thru my local post office. It took exactly seven days to be issued, and I received it a week later. Extremely fast, imho....