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Passport expiring within six months - OK for cruise to Canada?


bryanilee
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Hi, I'm traveling on a Holland America cruise that starts from Boston in a few days and ends in Montreal. My passport expires almost 5 months after the cruise - will they allow me to board? I am a US citizen with a US passport.

 

I've seen similar threads on cruisecritic, but I'm seeing something that I didn't see mentioned in these other threads.

 

When I first went through their check-in process, I saw they said they "highly recommend" a passport that expires at least six months after the end of the cruise, and thought that it was just a recommendation "just in case".

 

Just yesterday I took a closer look at the boarding pass and read this section, after where they say "highly recommends": "For U.S. and Canadian Citizens

Travel by Land or Sea:

Travel document requirements vary based on cruise itinerary and

whether international flights are required. For voyages that are

scheduled to end outside the U.S., a passport that is valid for six

months beyond the completion date of your travel is required"

 

The confusing thing is after visiting a bunch of websites, it doesn't look like Canada actually has this requirement. And on top of this, during the check-in process they asked for my passport information including expiration date, and apparently it went through ok - wouldn't they have rejected the check-in at that point if it was actually required? They did give me a boarding pass.

 

If it were a few weeks before the cruise, I would probably just try to expedite it, but at this point just a few days before, the headache of trying to get the passport before the cruise is not too much better than the headache of taking the chance of not being allowed to board and having to expedite in Boston, and then catch the cruise potentially at the next stop in Bar Harbor...

 

(And pet peeve - why would they say "highly recommends" if it's actually required)?

 

Thank you for any information on this you can provide!

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The Government of Canada only requires that your passport be valid for the duration of your visit. I suggest that you contact HAL to determine whether they will impose their own restrictions and not let you board, but I really doubt that it's an issue.

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If you haven't already, I would call HAL ASAP. If they say it won't be a problem, get that in writing to show a check-in clerk who may be "going by the book". Do you have HAL's "cancel for any reason" insurance?

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Try to get a urgent replacement Passport if you can. It just takes one person to say "No" as they are doing what they were told to do and will not risk their job over what their boss told them. Bring a birth certificate just encase. I have gotten next day passport before, but it was not cheap. There is a State Department passport office in Boston if you are local.

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Following some of the advice here, I called a Holland America number, and the agent told me that she couldn't say yes or no, but that it was not a Holland America policy (it's up to the countries). Suggested calling a consulate.

 

So should I trust that agent? :-) Because I'm pretty sure Canada doesn't have that requirement. I'm tempted to try calling Holland America again and see if I get a different agent and a different answer...

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Ok, I called a slightly different Holland America line, and got a different agent. This person told me that it should be no problem - the passport only has to be valid for the duration of the travel (for this specific cruise and a US citizen with a US passport).

 

So I'm going to just chance it and hope they let me on board. If they don't and this turns into my own personal "Amazing Race", I'll post again and you can all tell "told you so..." :p:p

 

(Note I am NOT recommending that anyone else do it this way - if I had noticed this three weeks ago I would have definitely tried to get the expedited passport).

 

Thank you everyone!

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Although the U.S. requires Canadians to have a passport to enter the States, Canada does not require Americans to provide a passport to enter Canada. That being said, it may be a HAL rule. I would call HAL.

 

This is not quite correct; Canadians with Enhanced Drivers Licenses, Global Entry, Nexus or FAST IDs can enter the US without a passport.

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Ok, I called a slightly different Holland America line, and got a different agent. This person told me that it should be no problem - the passport only has to be valid for the duration of the travel (for this specific cruise and a US citizen with a US passport).

 

So I'm going to just chance it and hope they let me on board. If they don't and this turns into my own personal "Amazing Race", I'll post again and you can all tell "told you so..." :p:p

 

(Note I am NOT recommending that anyone else do it this way - if I had noticed this three weeks ago I would have definitely tried to get the expedited passport).

 

Thank you everyone!

 

You are very brave to chance it. We have been on cruises where people were denied boarding. Do you really want to take that risk? Just because you found someone at HAL that said it was OK does not mean that it actually is - unless you have something in writing which may make a difference.

Edited by Boytjie
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The site https://fastportpassport.com/blog/six-month-validity-passport-rule says:

 

6 Months Validity Passport Rule Exceptions

 

Some countries are more relaxed about the 6-month passport validity rule. Canada and Mexico are the two most commonly traveled countries that now often enforce the passport validity rule (only 3 months validity needed for Canada and Mexico). Again, please be sure to check with each countries entry and exit travel requirements before you go as the requirements are subject to change. As a general rule, you should have at least six months validity on your passport before you travel.

 

So: with 5 months on yours you should be good to go!!

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I would hope that with all the thousands of US passengers that HAL takes to Canada, they would not deny boarding to a cruiser with more than 3 months validity on his passport.

 

 

From the US Department of State:

 

PASSPORT VALIDITY:

Valid at time of entry. If you are transiting Canada en route to Europe, your passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond your planned date of departure from the Schengen area.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Canada.html

 

 

From the Government of Canada:

If you are a citizen of the United States, you need a passport to fly to or transit through a Canadian airport, but not to enter Canada by land or by boat. You must carry proof of your citizenship, such as a birth certificate, certificate of citizenship or naturalization, or a Certificate of Indian Status, as well as photo identification. If you are a permanent resident of Canada or the U.S, you should bring your Permanent Resident Card with you.
https://travel.gc.ca/returning/travelling-to-canada
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OP, I would print off the HAL rules that cat133 so kindly posted and bring them with you.

 

I would also be tempted to email HAL rather than rely on a phone call and get if confirmed in writing.

 

Bring that email with you for double proof. JMO though.

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Although the U.S. requires Canadians to have a passport to enter the States, Canada does not require Americans to provide a passport to enter Canada. That being said, it may be a HAL rule. I would call HAL.

That's not true, Canadians do not require a passport to enter the US. For example, DW and I travel on our NEXUS cards, and there are several other accepted forms of documentation. You might want to read up on the actual requirements: https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/619/~/visiting-the-u.s.---documents-required-for-canadian-citizens-%2F-residents-%2F

 

Edited to say that I have now read Boytjie's earlier post saying the same thing. Apologies.

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OP, I would print off the HAL rules that cat133 so kindly posted and bring them with you.

 

I would also be tempted to email HAL rather than rely on a phone call and get if confirmed in writing.

 

Bring that email with you for double proof. JMO though.

 

 

 

IF OP is in Boston ( IF ??) maybe he could go to Passport Office and get it renewed.

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Get a new passport. In Canada they add the time from your old passport onto your new passport.

 

 

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Since OP is a US citizen, with a US passport that's a moot point.

 

In the US, when you renew, the new passport is good for 10 years (for adults) from date of issue, regardless of how much time was left on your old passport. We renewed our passports and lost 9 months because we needed a passport that wasn't expiring when we took our trip to China last year.

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Get a new passport. In Canada they add the time from your old passport onto your new passport.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

They have never added time to mine. I renew early to meet travel requirements and the date starts when they process it. 10 years exactly. My previous time has always been lost.

 

I suspect it is the same in U.S. which is where the OP is from.

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I asked a supervisor at checkin that question. He said HAL would allow you to board as long as the passport was valid until the end of the cruise for cruises to countries where passport not required or the countries had no expiration requirement. However that is not the case when a country does have a requirement for a minimum of time past entry date. Then HAL will impose the same requirement on the cruiser.

 

 

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They have never added time to mine. I renew early to meet travel requirements and the date starts when they process it. 10 years exactly. My previous time has always been lost.

 

I suspect it is the same in U.S. which is where the OP is from.

 

 

 

 

Yes, It is the same in U.S. I have lost months several times when I did early renewal but, so what?

 

Not a big deal IMO I would far rather that than stress about upcoming expiartion.

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Get a new passport. In Canada they add the time from your old passport onto your new passport.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

I've held a Canadian passport for over 50 years, renewing it every 5 years, although my current one is valid for 10 years. Not once has any remaining time on the old passport been added to the new; it's simply 5 (or 10) years from the date of issue.

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