Passport expiring

We leave for our cruise in 3 weeks. We leave on 11/5 out of Galveston and return on 11/12. I just noticed my passport expires on 11/6/17. Can I travel without it? I am freaking out because I know I wont be able to get it renewed in time.

Find your birth certificate.

We leave for our cruise in 3 weeks. We leave on 11/5 out of Galveston and return on 11/12. I just noticed my passport expires on 11/6/17. Can I travel without it? I am freaking out because I know I wont be able to get it renewed in time.

You can pay additional and get your renewal expedited to get it on time.

If it is a round trip sailing you can use a birth certificate with a drivers license.

Use your birth certificates. If you live in a city with a passport office, you might be able to get an appointment and get the renewed right away

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

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Just remember, if you have an emergency and need to fly home from one of the Ports, you will need your Pass Port. I will never cruise without a Pass Port, closed loop or not for those un for seen emergencies.

Just remember, if you have an emergency and need to fly home from one of the Ports, you will need your Pass Port. I will never cruise without a Pass Port, closed loop or not for those un for seen emergencies.

And they would be able to get one if an emergency arose. It would simply take time and money.

OP if you're a US citizen and it's a closed loop cruise that allows travel with BC and ID, and if you don't have time to go to a same-day agency, travel with your certified BC and govt ID.

We leave for our cruise in 3 weeks. We leave on 11/5 out of Galveston and return on 11/12. I just noticed my passport expires on 11/6/17. Can I travel without it? I am freaking out because I know I wont be able to get it renewed in time.

I sent mine in not terribly long ago and got it back in 12 days, regular service. Go for it.

We leave for our cruise in 3 weeks. We leave on 11/5 out of Galveston and return on 11/12. I just noticed my passport expires on 11/6/17. Can I travel without it? I am freaking out because I know I wont be able to get it renewed in time.

I read somewhere that an expired passport can take the place of a birth certificate, so if that is still the case, then the expired passport and a non-expired government issued photo ID should work on a closed loop cruise out of a US port. I would confirm this with the cruise line.

We leave for our cruise in 3 weeks. We leave on 11/5 out of Galveston and return on 11/12. I just noticed my passport expires on 11/6/17. Can I travel without it? I am freaking out because I know I wont be able to get it renewed in time.

See https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/united-states-citizen-travel-documentation for RCI US Citizen travel document requirements. Similar FAQ answers are available for Canadian citizens, and non-US citizens.

As you will read, one can use a copy of an official birth certificate along with a government issued photo id. The text is rather unclear when using a passport if it "must" or "should" be valid for six months past the end of the cruise.

To be assured of boarding, a new passport would be ideal. But I don't think necessary. That is pure speculation on my part.

Take your passport with you. If you are using a birth certificate or copy, the passport is valid as photo id.

I read somewhere that an expired passport can take the place of a birth certificate, so if that is still the case, then the expired passport and a non-expired government issued photo ID should work on a closed loop cruise out of a US port. I would confirm this with the cruise line.

I believe the State Department accepts expired passports as proof of citizenship. Perhaps in passport applications. https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/information/citizenship-evidence.html

An additional note, your passport needs to be good for 6 months after the END of your travels. That effectively means that passports are really only good for 9.5 years instead of 10. I don't know how closely those dates are checked, but I don't want any unpleasant surprises when I travel!!

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An additional note, your passport needs to be good for 6 months after the END of your travels. That effectively means that passports are really only good for 9.5 years instead of 10. I don't know how closely those dates are checked, but I don't want any unpleasant surprises when I travel!!

 

 

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That doesn’t apply on a closed loop cruise from Galveston

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An additional note, your passport needs to be good for 6 months after the END of your travels. That effectively means that passports are really only good for 9.5 years instead of 10. I don't know how closely those dates are checked, but I don't want any unpleasant surprises when I travel!!

 

 

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This isn't true for all countries.

Also, OP, you absolutely can get a new passport well in time for your cruise.

So many replies - I cant thank everyone enough for helping me navigate all this.

Im just going to plan to bring my Birth Cert and military ID - and ill bring my passport just in case! I mean it will expired 1 day after we expired but if they can use it with government ID then Ill go with that option. It is closed loop cruise and if an emergency arose we would just take it from there. Unfortunately I do don't have the ability to go to an agency to get the passports taken care of - I have 2 special needs boys and the agency is over an hour drive each way + time at the agency. To be honest Id rather skip the vacation than deal with the 2 of them and the hassle of renewing it, cause that sounds like a hellish nightmare.

Ill hunt down my birth cert and go from there - at least I dont have to worry about getting denied boarding! Thank you all so very much <3

I believe the State Department accepts expired passports as proof of citizenship. Perhaps in passport applications. https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/information/citizenship-evidence.html

If they have expired less than 5 years prior, they can be used to renew your passport. After 5 years after expiration, you need to go through the whole passport thing again.

If you have a need (cruise or flights booked) you can get VERY fast passport service.

An additional note, your passport needs to be good for 6 months after the END of your travels. That effectively means that passports are really only good for 9.5 years instead of 10. I don't know how closely those dates are checked, but I don't want any unpleasant surprises when I travel!!

Not exactly true. SOME countries require that your passport be good for 6 months after you leave the country.

The US only requires that the passport be valid the day you return to the US.

On most cruise destinations you do not need a passport, so it doesn't have to have 6 months validity after returning.

But the OP has a passport that expires while ON the cruise. In that case, I would renew the passport. MUCH less headache than trying to fix it ifyou have to disembark due to medical issue, or just plain miss the ship.

An additional note, your passport needs to be good for 6 months after the END of your travels. That effectively means that passports are really only good for 9.5 years instead of 10. I don't know how closely those dates are checked, but I don't want any unpleasant surprises when I travel!!

 

 

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This is not true. Think about it. If you can use a BC and DL, why would you need 6 months left on your passport?

SOME countries require 6 months remaining on your passport, the US and most Caribbean (I think Cuba is the exception) countries do not.

Renew: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/services/expedited.html

Most post offices are Passport Acceptance Centers. I would use Overnight for the documents

Less than

2-3 weeksI'm traveling within 2 weeks or need a foreign visa within 4 weeksExpeditedMake an appointment at a passport agency or center

I read somewhere that an expired passport can take the place of a birth certificate, so if that is still the case, then the expired passport and a non-expired government issued photo ID should work on a closed loop cruise out of a US port. I would confirm this with the cruise line.

I have never heard that -- definitely confirm with the cruise line.

OP, you probably have a birth certificate already (you had to have one to get the original passport). Bring that (and a driver's license) with you. I personally would not pay the expedited fees.

If you need the passport for other travel (and since you didn't note it's expiring, I'm guessing your old passport's spending lots of time in your file cabinet), send it away today -- okay, tomorrow; today's Sunday -- and hope for it to return in time. If it doesn't, you'll be fine with the birth certificate and driver's license. The vast, vast, vast majority of cruisers do not experience an emergency that requires anything more than these two items.

Why not just renew by mail using expedited service? Overnighting it there and Paying for overnight shipping back got mine last month in a week...

Seems much less hassle than all the other options and/or risks proposed...

So many replies - I cant thank everyone enough for helping me navigate all this.

Im just going to plan to bring my Birth Cert and military ID - and ill bring my passport just in case! I mean it will expired 1 day after we expired but if they can use it with government ID then Ill go with that option. It is closed loop cruise and if an emergency arose we would just take it from there. Unfortunately I do don't have the ability to go to an agency to get the passports taken care of - I have 2 special needs boys and the agency is over an hour drive each way + time at the agency. To be honest Id rather skip the vacation than deal with the 2 of them and the hassle of renewing it, cause that sounds like a hellish nightmare.

Ill hunt down my birth cert and go from there - at least I dont have to worry about getting denied boarding! Thank you all so very much <3

If willing to travel without the passport as a just in case measure, you could send off the renewal form, fee, picture, and old passport by mail now and maybe it would come back quickly. If not then you'll have it for future trips.

Do the expedited service. The regular service says 4-6 weeks but ours are expected to be back in 2 without the expidited rush. Once you send everything in, you can see the progress on their website. You definitely have enough time and will have less to worry about 😉

If the passport is still valid, or expired for less than 5 years you can renew by mail, no need to go to a passport application center.

Fill out the form, get a new picture send this, the old passport and a check and IME I got my new passport in less than 2 weeks.

I sent via priority mail which gives you a tracking number .... passport office now returns via priority mail under regular service ....

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

the site I linked has a place for 'tracking' ... HINT

IME the tracking said my passport was 'processing' for 2 weeks after it was delivered...... When you get into the system there will be an option to sign up for e-mail notifications of progress. IME you can not sign up until your renewal has entered the system (aka, confirmation it was IN the system), but then you can sign up easily and I got e-mail notifications in a very timely manner - these told me when it had gone in the outgoing mail .... as I recall it even gave me the tracking number ....

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the 6 month validity warning is a 'generic' thing and as many have mentioned is mostly moot for Caribbean or Central American / Mexico destinations. HOWEVER the 'Schengen' countries of Europe (26 at this time), and some other places, REQUIRE a passport to be valid for the 3 month period of an 'automatic' tourist VISA PLUS 3 months past the date of planned departure, assumed to be after the full 3 months initially granted.

Don't blame me ... their rules! https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/go/schengen-fact-sheet.html

therefore to be simple the State Depertment recommends EVERYONE have a minimum of 6 months validity on their passport (perhaps knowing so FEW will check the spefic rules for their destinations)

Why does a cruise line say 6 months ..... cuz they do transatlantics that go to Schengen countries and people seldom read the BIG print, much less the fine print .....

This is not true.

Some countries may require you to have a passport that doesn't expire until 6 months after you initially enter THEIR country.

For United States citizens, you can leave the country whenever you want, and you can use your passport to reenter the United States up to the date that your passport expires

An additional note, your passport needs to be good for 6 months after the END of your travels. That effectively means that passports are really only good for 9.5 years instead of 10. I don't know how closely those dates are checked, but I don't want any unpleasant surprises when I travel!!

 

 

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