Passport panic!

[mrsminniemouse]

We are going on a Mediterranean cruise on Independence of the Seas on 13 August. Just realised that my ten year old son's passport expires October this year.

According to government website UK passports are only required to be valid for duration of trip when visiting EU countries. We will be visiting Gibraltar, Italy, France and Spain.

However- will RC require 3 or 6 months on our passports?

Not sure I'll be able to get an appointment at passport office in time.

 

Any experience of this?

Thanks so much.

Mandy

[mamato5girls]

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/09/231319.htm

 

According to this, it's recommended that passport have 6 months expiration to prevent delays.

[broberts]

We are going on a Mediterranean cruise on Independence of the Seas on 13 August. Just realised that my ten year old son's passport expires October this year.

According to government website UK passports are only required to be valid for duration of trip when visiting EU countries. We will be visiting Gibraltar, Italy, France and Spain.

However- will RC require 3 or 6 months on our passports?

Not sure I'll be able to get an appointment at passport office in time.

 

Any experience of this?

Thanks so much.

Mandy

 

This question would be better addressed through whoever you booked the cruise. According to https://www.royalcaribbean.co.uk/passport-information/, 6 months is "strongly recommended". That suggests it may not be a hard requirement.

Edited August 2, 2016 by broberts

[babyblue78]

I would personally do whatever it took to get an expedited passport, but that is me. I would be worried sick.

[Scotty G]

We are going on a Mediterranean cruise on Independence of the Seas on 13 August. Just realised that my ten year old son's passport expires October this year.

According to government website UK passports are only required to be valid for duration of trip when visiting EU countries. We will be visiting Gibraltar, Italy, France and Spain.

However- will RC require 3 or 6 months on our passports?

Not sure I'll be able to get an appointment at passport office in time.

 

Any experience of this?

Thanks so much.

Mandy

 

I assume you are talking about UK passport?

[MisterBill99]

This question would be better addressed through whoever you booked the cruise. According to https://www.royalcaribbean.co.uk/passport-information/, 6 months is "strongly recommended". That suggests it may not be a hard requirement.

I'm curious about this as well. I just booked a cruise for next August and our passports expire at the end of November 2017. I'd be wasting 6 months of the valid time on the passports if I have to get new passports before the cruise. Does anyone know what the reason is for this recommendation? Seems like even in the worst case where something happens and you end up in a hospital, you're not going to be there for 3 months (in which case you will have far worse problems to worry about than an expiring passport).

[broberts]

I'm curious about this as well. I just booked a cruise for next August and our passports expire at the end of November 2017. I'd be wasting 6 months of the valid time on the passports if I have to get new passports before the cruise. Does anyone know what the reason is for this recommendation? Seems like even in the worst case where something happens and you end up in a hospital, you're not going to be there for 3 months (in which case you will have far worse problems to worry about than an expiring passport).

 

The link was to the UK site and referenced British citizens. Unlike US passports, when UK passports are renewed the new expiry date can include time remaining on the old passport.

 

Is is not uncommon for countries to require visitors have a passport valid for (typically) three or six months past the date of entry. (In the Caribbean that requirement is often waived for cruise visitors. It may be so in other parts of the world.)

 

Regardless of the requirements of various countries, cruise lines impose requirements that may not make sense, but must still be met. On matters of passport longevity, it is best to check with the cruise line - through your TA if that is how you booked.

[53sunset]

The way it has been explained to me is that when you visit another country you can usually stay 6 months without a Visa. If your passport would happen to expire before the 6 months is out you might be stuck in the other country while trying to get your passport renewed so you can return home. This isn't an official statement, but only what I've been told.

[Donray]

Strongly Recommended is not the same as REQUIRED.

[JVilleGal]

I'm curious about this as well. I just booked a cruise for next August and our passports expire at the end of November 2017. I'd be wasting 6 months of the valid time on the passports if I have to get new passports before the cruise. You Does anyone know what the reason is for this recommendation? Seems like even in the worst case where something happens and you end up in a hospital, you're not going to be there for 3 months (in which case you will have far worse problems to worry about than an expiring passport).

 

 

You need to go onto the official website for each country you are visiting, transiting thru airport. And also the website of our country. Each of these will tell you how much room is REQUIRED to be left on your passport. Some country's required 6 months others require 3 months.

 

This issue is too important to be left to Cruise Critic. The airlines can also deny you is boarding if they believe your passport expiration date is not sufficient for the itinerary you you are flying.

[mrsminniemouse]

Thank you everyone. Yes it is a UK passport for a 10 year old boy. When I posted my original message late last night there was no official way I could check so I asked here in case anyone had recent experience of this.

 

You can only get the one week express service for kids and the first London appointment is on Saturday. We are due to cruise on Saturday so that does not leave a week.

 

RC are happy to let him board and according to various government websites a valid passport is required to enter France, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Gibraltar. Additional time is not obligatory. Possibly port officials will refuse him entry at one of our stops but that is a risk we have to take I think.

 

Very cross with myself for not checking earlier.

Thanks for the help and replies.

Mandy

[mrsminniemouse]

Have tried. No one day express service for kids :-(

Edited August 3, 2016 by mrsminniemouse

[mrsminniemouse]

I would personally do whatever it took to get an expedited passport, but that is me. I would be worried sick.

 

Have tried. No one day express service for kids :-(

[mrsminniemouse]

You need to go onto the official website for each country you are visiting, transiting thru airport. And also the website of our country. Each of these will tell you how much room is REQUIRED to be left on your passport. Some country's required 6 months others require 3 months.

 

This issue is too important to be left to Cruise Critic. The airlines can also deny you is boarding if they believe your passport expiration date is not sufficient for the itinerary you you are flying.

 

We aren't flying to the port. We are driving. Late at night, there was nowhere else I could ask for advice so I asked here.

[Newtoncruise]

If you extend your passport early they extend the new passport by the time remaining on the old one........so you don't lose out!

[mrsminniemouse]

If you extend your passport early they extend the new passport by the time remaining on the old one........so you don't lose out!

 

I know- but I cannot get an appointment in time to get it renewed before we cruise on Sat 13 Aug. :-(

[Newtoncruise]

Of course you can.......you might need to attend!

[mrsminniemouse]

Of course you can.......you might need to attend!

 

I have called the passport office. First appointment is on Sunday. Takes a week to process. We travel next Saturday.

[hollykimalan]

I assume you are talking about UK passport?

 

 

I assume you are American.

[mrsminniemouse]

I am English. My son is English. We have EU passports issued in UK.

[hollykimalan]

I am English. My son is English. We have EU passports issued in UK.

 

 

Yes, I did think you made that quite clear.

[Pencruise]

We are going on a Mediterranean cruise on Independence of the Seas on 13 August. Just realised that my ten year old son's passport expires October this year.

According to government website UK passports are only required to be valid for duration of trip when visiting EU countries. We will be visiting Gibraltar, Italy, France and Spain.

However- will RC require 3 or 6 months on our passports?

Not sure I'll be able to get an appointment at passport office in time.

 

Any experience of this?

Thanks so much.

Mandy

 

Call RC, if they say it is OK to board the ship with the passport then you will be fine as you do not need the passport to get on and off the ship in any of those ports - our passports were in our safe in our stateroom the whole cruise in the Med in May and June this year.

[ianb69]

If you are only travelling to other EU countries, you don't need 6 months on your passports, as long as all your passports are still valid at the end of your holiday, you're absolutely fine

[ColoradoGurl]

I'm curious about this as well. I just booked a cruise for next August and our passports expire at the end of November 2017. I'd be wasting 6 months of the valid time on the passports if I have to get new passports before the cruise. Does anyone know what the reason is for this recommendation? Seems like even in the worst case where something happens and you end up in a hospital, you're not going to be there for 3 months (in which case you will have far worse problems to worry about than an expiring passport).

 

 

I'm not sure what the reason is, but it's a pretty standard recommendation when you travel that there needs to be 6 months remaining. Just think of it as your passport expires 6 months sooner than the printed date, then you won't feel so much like it's being wasted.

 

It could be that the 6 month thing was put in place when it used to take 6 months to get a passport.

 

You're a step ahead though, at least you know when yours expires, I am shocked at how many posts I see from people who book a trip without even looking at their passports. How does that even happen? Just renew your passport, it's not wasted money and it's not giving up 6 good months of your current passport, those are dead months and only useful if you travel exactly 6 months before it expires.

 

 

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[Annabellecruiser]

To visit the countries you are going to, your passport has to be valid until you leave. So you will be fine with that. So long as Royal Caribbean don't have their own rules, and they have said you can board, then all will be well.