E-mail from HAL - passports

[tomc]

I would imagine the e-mail went out in batches so it doesn't trigger spam blockers.

[BJane]

I got the e-mail today and am feeling quite smug that I'm on my second passport which won't expire until 2008. At my "advanced" age I may expire before the passport! At least the picture looks more like I do now than my drivers license photo. They keep renewing the license by mail so I have the same picture I've had for years. Of course I could go down and get a new picture taken, but one doesn't want to face the long lines at the DMV if one doesn't have to.

[elmorejj]

I also rec`d the email today. I have had a passport for well over 50 years........both in the UK and the USA. I recently sent in my husbands for renewal (it expires in Feb, but was thinking of the 6 month thing) and its been 6 weeks now and still haven`t got it back. Talked to my DIL who is a passport officer at the PO and she said original ones are taking up to 3 months and renewals up to 8 weeks. So if you haven`t got one yet, and are travelling after Dec. 31st to the Carib. you`d better step on it..........jean :cool:

[DeltaBC]

We are Canadians. We live 10 mins from the US border and have friends who are in Washington,Point Roberts and are asked for our passport with every entry.More so when there is an alert.So when going for dinner with them we leave early.Thats how it should be.

[Oceanwench]

Didn't receive the email (yet) and they do have our address as well. Maybe it's because we're already booked in 2005 and have filled out our immigration info and they would know we have our passports and they are still good for a couple more years, As others have said, it's the easiest and best form of I.D. you can carry. We also have the main info page copied and reduced and laminated so we can carry them with us when we go ashore and leave our "real" passport in our room safe. :):)

 

We already sailed once this year with HAL, and filled out the immigration info. They know we have passports which are current.

Still got the e-mail!!!

[Grumpy1]

Depending on your Email provider and your spam settings, the Email may be in a spam folder or may not get delivered at all. I use AOL and always have to look at the spam folder before dumping it. Just a slight change in the Email return address is enough to get it caught in the filter.

[kelelmel]

Thanks for the info. I don't have a passport but will be making an appointment to get one this week. I am surprised at how expensive they are.

 

~Kelly

[TidePrideGA]

We're sailing two weeks before we would be *required* to have one, but these boards convinced me to go ahead and get them. DS and I applied for ours yesterday; DH is still waiting on a certified copy of his birth certificate.

 

As for it being well publicized, I'm extremely well read and do some Congressional lobbying (on Health Care issues) and I don't think I would have had a clue if I had not read it on HAL's web site - and I wouldn't have been reading HAL's web site if I wasn't planning our first cruise.

 

When people are really going to get caught by surprise by this is after 12/31/07 when one will be required to go to the Mexican border towns like Tiajuana.

[Oceanwench]

I was aware of this before receiving the e-mail from HAL, but I am not sure where I read about it.

I think possibly in a cruise-related magazine from our TA.

Since DH and I both have had passports for years, it didn't concern me!

[Himself]

I always carry a passport anyway. I DID get the e-mail from HAL.

TOMC you do NOt need one to go to Hawaii. However, If you are going to the People's republic of Massachussets, you might need one.

[dakrewser]

Yep, I also received the e-mail today. No problem with a passport, but I did hear on one of these forums that a Visa will be necessary for Venezuela. HAL has Venezuela on my Oct. 29, 2005 itinerary.

 

Yes, the Venezualan govt (like that in Brazil) is in a snit with the US so is throwing up roadblocks and bottlenecks for US citizens traveling there.

 

Note that when we docked at Isla de Margarita in fall '03 no visa was required.

[MISSYLOU]

Yep we got the email. Have always felt much better having a passport with me.

[mrsraggy]

I got the memo. Mine was addressed to "Valued Ancient Mariner, which is fitting. I have a passport and, thankfully, it won't expire until well after I'm dead.

 

I feel very official now. I never felt truly American with just my birth certificate. Now I have a passport with an embedded chip! May be I should dunk it in some salsa..:D

 

Happy sailing.

[bobpatj]

We get very few e-mails from HAL, but this one arrived today. Thanks, HAL for the good information.

[tomc]

Himself--

TOMC you do NOt need one to go to Hawaii.

Well, after hearing every single CD on every single cruise claim they have been asked if pax can use US stamps in Alaska, I thought I'd be the first to ask if pax need passports to go to Hawaii. Beat the CD's to the punch with their "this one really happened to me, honest."

[Cruiseoften]

[quote name='kelelmel']Thanks for the info. I don't have a passport but will be making an appointment to get one this week. I am surprised at how expensive they are.

~Kelly[/QUOTE]

:rolleyes: EXPENSIVE??????????? Where have you been these past few years?

A Passport is valid for 10 years - a real bargain!!!!!!!!

:eek:

[mrsred]

Got the e-mail, and it's only been a week since they made us leave the Zui after our little trip to the Western Caribbean (meanies).

Nice that they let people know...but I don't travel without a passport since my active duty days when I didn't need one.

Not sure I want to keep this one for 10 years though...unless I still look like an oompa loompa a decade from now! :p

~e

[tomc]

[quote]my active duty days when I didn't need one.[/quote] My brother used to travel on his Uncle's yacht, went to all different countries on cruises, no passport, never paid a cent. They even let him steer.

[K&RCurt]

I got the email today.


My passport expires 8/'06 an i plan on renewing as soon as we get back from our cruise in January. We have to get the applications for our DD's done this week before they go off to college as we will need them for the Navigator cruise.

In my case it has been good to have, as I have been asked to go on quite a few business trips to Europe because "someone" had to go and I had a passport.

[mrsred]

[quote name='tomc']My brother used to travel on his Uncle's yacht, went to all different countries on cruises, no passport, never paid a cent. They even let him steer.[/QUOTE]

I'd like to travel around on a yacht! For free...well even better! Lucky bugger!

The Army actually paid me to see other countries....in a round about sort of way ;)

~e

[wrp96]

[quote name='tomc'][b]Himself--[/b] Well, after hearing [i]every single CD on every single cruise[/i] claim they have been asked if pax can use US stamps in Alaska, I thought I'd be the first to ask if pax need passports to go to Hawaii. Beat the CD's to the punch with their "this one really happened to me, honest."[/QUOTE]

You wouldn't be the first to ask about Hawaii either. I grew up in Alaska, and believe me asking if US stamps would work in Alaska is only one of numerous questions people ask (Do you speak English comes to mind). Several friends from Hawaii were asked similar questions, except they never got asked "isn't it cold there?"

[VegasF1]

Even though we're not members of the Mariner Society.... (yet! ;) ) both my wife and I received the passport email from HAL. Only the first paragraph differed from the one LAFFNVEGAS posted:
"Because you have previously expressed interest in a Holland America Line cruise, we want to make sure that you are aware of the latest information regarding passport requirements to assist in your future planning efforts."
I've got to say though... I agree that passports are a bit on the expensive side... Family of three, two new and one renewal. That's close to $300.00 with pics and all... all in one month... woof!

[geocruiser]

Hi,

I also received the E-mail.

Geo

[vicocala]

I won't be a Mariner for a couple more months but I recieved the e-mail. I am signed up for their specials though so that is why I recieved it.

I ordered my passport back in May after hearing about the April changes, and knowing I would soon start traveling internationally, my wife and I ordered ours because we knew their would be an end-of-year rush. It still took almost 8 weeks instead of the promised six thru the Miami branch.

I am glad to have one finally and look forward to seeing a bit of the world.

[Kathyh1313]

We got one of these e-mails too. DH and I have not yet sailed on HAL.
We are looking at the Volendam for January.
The e-mail was addressed: Because you have expressed interest in sailing on HAL.

DH is a foreign national, so his passport must always be current. I have had a passport since I was 21. Don't want to say how long that has been..LOL.

I think this is a wonderful requirement. A passport is the best form of ID.

Happy cruising, Kathy