Passport question

Ok, my passport expires in February, I will be cruising in November, can I still use it? I have heard that your passport has to be good for a minimum of six months before you travel. I am going on a closed loop cruise from the US....does this apply to me?

Thanks so much:D

Ok, my passport expires in February, I will be cruising in November, can I still use it? I have heard that your passport has to be good for a minimum of six months before you travel. I am going on a closed loop cruise from the US....does this apply to me?

 

Thanks so much:D

I was concerned about my passport this past year, so I understand your concerns, but I "fixed" things in plenty of time! If I were in your shoes, I would not want to take any chances, so I recommend getting it done immediately. You might even consider the "Expedited Service" for your renewal. They do return your "old" Passport to you, so you might carry both, IF you do go ahead with renewal!

OP, it would be good to know where you're cruising from and to in order to answer your question, along with which nationality you are/passport you're using. :)

They punch your old passport which means it's an inactive passport after you renew. Just a heads up

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Absolutely need a new passport. My son was turning 16 the month his passport was expiring and we were going to Cancun that month also. I called the passport office to see if I could wait so that we could get him a full adult 10 year passport. The answer was an absolute NO. I was told you may not travel with a passport expiring within 6 months just in case something medical happens to you and you're stuck there with an expired passport. I questioned why there is an expiration date if you can't travel up to that date. Couldn't get a straight answer. Do yourself a favor and get that new passport.

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Absolutely need a new passport. My son was turning 16 the month his passport was expiring and we were going to Cancun that month also. I called the passport office to see if I could wait so that we could get him a full adult 10 year passport. The answer was an absolute NO. I was told you may not travel with a passport expiring within 6 months just in case something medical happens to you and you're stuck there with an expired passport. I questioned why there is an expiration date if you can't travel up to that date. Couldn't get a straight answer. Do yourself a favor and get that new passport.

 

 

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The rules vary by country...the majority of countries do not require 6 months validity for your passport, and your US passport is good for reentry to the US right up to its expiration date.

You can't the OP's question without knowing where they're traveling. In fact for closed loop Western Hemisphere cruises where US citizens can cruise without a passport the six month requirement, even if imposed on those entering the country by air, isn't applicable to passengers on a closed loop cruise very simply because no passport is required at all.

So even if Mexico requires six months remaining validity for persons entering by air, they don't for US citizens on a closed loop Western Hemisphere cruise.

For NCL cruises, here's the FAQ for closed loop cruises. Note that passports only must be valid, which means they can't expire before the end of the cruise. No 6 month requirement is imposed.

http://www.ncl.com/faq#documentation

Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Alaska, Mexican Riviera, Or Canada & New England Cruises

For round-trip sailings (cruises that depart from and return to the same U.S. port), you may sail with either a valid passport, proof of citizenship and a valid government-issued photo I.D. (driver’s license with a photo), or any other WHTI compliant document.

Proof of Citizenship examples include:

State certified U.S. birth certificate

Original certificate of U.S. naturalization

Original certificate of U.S. citizenship

U.S. Consular report of your birth abroad.

Baptismal paper, hospital certificates of birth and Puerto Rico birth certificates issued prior to 7/1/10 are not acceptable.

A U.S. citizen under the age of 16 do not require a government-issued photo ID.

Ok, my passport expires in February, I will be cruising in November, can I still use it? I have heard that your passport has to be good for a minimum of six months before you travel. I am going on a closed loop cruise from the US....does this apply to me?

 

Thanks so much:D

If you're a US citizen on a closed loop itinerary that is covered by the following FAQ, then your passport merely has to be valid through the end of your cruise:

http://www.ncl.com/faq#documentation

Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Alaska, Mexican Riviera, Or Canada & New England Cruises

For round-trip sailings (cruises that depart from and return to the same U.S. port), you may sail with either a valid passport, proof of citizenship and a valid government-issued photo I.D. (driver’s license with a photo), or any other WHTI compliant document.

Proof of Citizenship examples include:

State certified U.S. birth certificate

Original certificate of U.S. naturalization

Original certificate of U.S. citizenship

U.S. Consular report of your birth abroad.

Baptismal paper, hospital certificates of birth and Puerto Rico birth certificates issued prior to 7/1/10 are not acceptable.

A U.S. citizen under the age of 16 do not require a government-issued photo ID.

Ok, my passport expires in February, I will be cruising in November, can I still use it? I have heard that your passport has to be good for a minimum of six months before you travel. I am going on a closed loop cruise from the US....does this apply to me?

 

Thanks so much:D

As a few posters indicated already, the 6 month rules does not always apply. In fact, you do not even need a passport.

BUT - since you have plenty of time to renew, why not just do that?

Ok, my passport expires in February, I will be cruising in November, can I still use it? I have heard that your passport has to be good for a minimum of six months before you travel. I am going on a closed loop cruise from the US....does this apply to me?

 

Thanks so much:D

Hi there! You did not say, but I am guessing you are talking about a USA passport? I would direct my questions to the US Department of State.

If I leave US waters or soil, I will have my passport with me. I would renew if I had a trip coming up within a year. I never know if I may need to fly back to the US. Examples: own illness, family emergencies, California earthquakes or Hawaii hurricanes (the last two within the last month). So I never know. But I am certain I will need that passport again in the years to come. So I will renew before that next trip.

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Why even open yourself up to the possibility of problems - just obtain a new passport. In the uk, the give you any remaining months left on top of the 10 years - my passport is valid for 10 years & 5 months.

Why even open yourself up to the possibility of problems - just obtain a new passport. In the uk, the give you any remaining months left on top of the 10 years - my passport is valid for 10 years & 5 months.

They don't do that for US passports. I personally don't see the possibility of a realistic problem with using the OP's current passport.

OP, it would be good to know where you're cruising from and to in order to answer your question, along with which nationality you are/passport you're using. :)

Hi, we are leaving from the US and are US citizens..thanks:D

The rules vary by country...the majority of countries do not require 6 months validity for your passport, and your US passport is good for reentry to the US right up to its expiration date.

 

You can't the OP's question without knowing where they're traveling. In fact for closed loop Western Hemisphere cruises where US citizens can cruise without a passport the six month requirement, even if imposed on those entering the country by air, isn't applicable to passengers on a closed loop cruise very simply because no passport is required at all.

 

So even if Mexico requires six months remaining validity for persons entering by air, they don't for US citizens on a closed loop Western Hemisphere cruise.

 

For NCL cruises, here's the FAQ for closed loop cruises. Note that passports only must be valid, which means they can't expire before the end of the cruise. No 6 month requirement is imposed.

 

http://www.ncl.com/faq#documentation

 

Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Alaska, Mexican Riviera, Or Canada & New England Cruises

For round-trip sailings (cruises that depart from and return to the same U.S. port), you may sail with either a valid passport, proof of citizenship and a valid government-issued photo I.D. (driver’s license with a photo), or any other WHTI compliant document.

Proof of Citizenship examples include:

State certified U.S. birth certificate

Original certificate of U.S. naturalization

Original certificate of U.S. citizenship

U.S. Consular report of your birth abroad.

Baptismal paper, hospital certificates of birth and Puerto Rico birth certificates issued prior to 7/1/10 are not acceptable.

A U.S. citizen under the age of 16 do not require a government-issued photo ID.

Thanks for the info! And the reason I don't want to get our passports renewed is>>>>>>>>>>it's a surprise for my husbands birhday and if i tell him he needs to get his passport renewed...well I think he will catch on..lol!!

Thanks everyone!

I'm leaving Sept 13 on a round trip New England cruise out of NYC and my passport expires 9/24. In researching it I also determined I don't really HAVE to have it, but will take it anyway. Would be handy if I got stuck in Canada for some reason which is the first few days of the cruise so I'd still have a week or so to get back in the US or emergency renew somehow.

I agree with others, renew your passport. You still have plenty of time using snail mail! If you decide to go without a passport, and you are a US citizen..born here, you can go on this Caribbean cruise with your certificate of birth!! This is not the one with our little footprints from the hospital! It must be a stamped (raised) certificate of birth!! Get this from the state where you were born. Along with a valid drivers license! My friend was denied passage last year because she did not have a proper birth certificate!

I have heard that your passport has to be good for a minimum of six months before you travel.

 

Thanks so much:D

I am going to comment on the 6 month rule. DW and I did not know about our cruise until about two months before our first cruise (it was a gift for our wedding) which means that after all of the paper work and everything we did not receive until just under a month before sailing. We were fine with what we received. Now that was nine years ago and I know lots of the rules change, but as others have pointed out, you have plenty of time now and you are aware of there might be some type of issue. If I was in your shoes I would take care of the problem well before there is an actual problem (and no I am not inferring there will be a problem just saying I would take care of it now).

I agree with others, renew your passport. You still have plenty of time using snail mail! If you decide to go without a passport, and you are a US citizen..born here, you can go on this Caribbean cruise with your certificate of birth!! This is not the one with our little footprints from the hospital! It must be a stamped (raised) certificate of birth!! Get this from the state where you were born. Along with a valid drivers license! My friend was denied passage last year because she did not have a proper birth certificate!

The OP has a valid passport and would presumably be using it for the cruise. It expires a couple of months after the cruise finishes.

I am going to comment on the 6 month rule. DW and I did not know about our cruise until about two months before our first cruise (it was a gift for our wedding) which means that after all of the paper work and everything we did not receive until just under a month before sailing. We were fine with what we received. Now that was nine years ago and I know lots of the rules change, but as others have pointed out, you have plenty of time now and you are aware of there might be some type of issue. If I was in your shoes I would take care of the problem well before there is an actual problem (and no I am not inferring there will be a problem just saying I would take care of it now).

In general advance preparation is good advice. That said in this case it is not necessary to renew early. The 6 month rule means that certain (actually most) countries will only allow entry with more than 6 months of validity on the passport remaining.

As others have said the OP does not even need a passport for this trip. Therefore the only purpose of the passport is to expedite return to the United States via Air (in an emergency etc). You can use a passport up until its last day of validity for this purpose.

We ordered our passports to be renewed last September. We did not use expedited service. We had them in two weeks.

Ok, my passport expires in February, I will be cruising in November, can I still use it? I have heard that your passport has to be good for a minimum of six months before you travel. I am going on a closed loop cruise from the US....does this apply to me?

 

Thanks so much:D

I wouldn't take chances, just renewal it. Matter of fact, if you do it in in the 1st week of February, you're probably get it back at the end of February or early March, even if you do it the super slo-mo cheap way. In other words, the earlier you do it, the faster you'll get it back.

Don't renew until Feb if they don't expire before then. No need to lose those months when purchasing a new passport. Now if you were planning to fly to mexico in January, that's another story.....

Thanks for the info! And the reason I don't want to get our passports renewed is>>>>>>>>>>it's a surprise for my husbands birhday and if i tell him he needs to get his passport renewed...well I think he will catch on..lol!!

Thanks everyone!

Just renew it yourself and make sure you get the mail each day.

Just renew it yourself and make sure you get the mail each day.

A passport renewal requires a completed application, signed by the applicant, the expiring passport, as well as a current photo that meets passport specifications.

I don't think it's a very smart idea for someone to complete another individual's application (even their spouse's) and forge their signature.

Thanks for the info! And the reason I don't want to get our passports renewed is>>>>>>>>>>it's a surprise for my husbands birhday and if i tell him he needs to get his passport renewed...well I think he will catch on..lol!!

Thanks everyone!

If you do it now, instead of February, you can tell him reason why is because you don't want to wait til the last minute and not able to get a nice impromptu vacation in Spring. Or something to that effect....:confused:

Anyone else got some good lies, so the husband doesn't catch on? Help her out here...

If you do it now, instead of February, you can tell him reason why is because you don't want to wait til the last minute and not able to get a nice impromptu vacation in Spring. Or something to that effect....:confused:

 

 

Anyone else got some good lies, so the husband doesn't catch on? Help her out here...

No need to come up with lies, the passports are good the way that they are.