Passport requirements on trans Panama cruise

[JudiinMt]

I've searched the boards for this exact situation, read the Princess website and called Princess.  Friends that are meeting us in LA for the trans-canal trip on 4/1 just realized that their passports are going to expire in August.   They are not willing to use an expedited service to re-new due to the cost.  I am warning them that they could be turned away at boarding.  They have talked to 2 people at Princess that say they will be fine as long as they have Birth Certificates and ID.  That is not the way I read the website for this particular cruise.

 

At this point they are planning to take their chances .... any insight or experience with a situation like this would be greatly appreciated.

[memoak]

If it is not a closed loop cruise (from and rot same port you will need a valid passport 

[cr8tiv1]

17 minutes ago, JudiinMt said:

I've searched the boards for this exact situation, read the Princess website and called Princess.  Friends that are meeting us in LA for the trans-canal trip on 4/1 just realized that their passports are going to expire in August.   They are not willing to use an expedited service to re-new due to the cost.  I am warning them that they could be turned away at boarding.  They have talked to 2 people at Princess that say they will be fine as long as they have Birth Certificates and ID.  That is not the way I read the website for this particular cruise.

 

At this point they are planning to take their chances .... any insight or experience with a situation like this would be greatly appreciated.

 

You have done more than is required as a friend.  You alerted them to the issues they may encounter.  Princess Agents are not always the best go to resource.  There is nothing more you can do since they are willing to take the risk on their travel investment.  

 

https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-74?language=en_US

 

"However, if you board a cruise ship in San Diego, California, sail through the Panama Canal (stopping at a foreign port during the cruise), and end the cruise in Miami, Florida, you have not taken a closed loop cruise. The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) requires you to travel with a valid passport (including infants)."

 

What your friends do is up to them.   

Edited March 15, 2023 by cr8tiv1

[Charles4515]

23 minutes ago, JudiinMt said:

I've searched the boards for this exact situation, read the Princess website and called Princess.  Friends that are meeting us in LA for the trans-canal trip on 4/1 just realized that their passports are going to expire in August.   They are not willing to use an expedited service to re-new due to the cost.  I am warning them that they could be turned away at boarding.  They have talked to 2 people at Princess that say they will be fine as long as they have Birth Certificates and ID.  That is not the way I read the website for this particular cruise.

 

At this point they are planning to take their chances .... any insight or experience with a situation like this would be greatly appreciated.

If that is the Los Angelos to Fort Lauderdale sailing they need a passport. It is not closed loop.

[jwattle]

I think that the question is if the passport needs to be valid for six months after, as it expires in August; for that you need to check the countries that you will visit on the cruise. They will all have websites, but as @cr8tiv1 pointed out, you have done your share. They can show up with their docs that they have and hope that none of the ports require a six month post-cruise expiration. 

Have a good cruise and worry about your cruise, not theirs! 🥂

[Guest ldtr]

34 minutes ago, JudiinMt said:

I've searched the boards for this exact situation, read the Princess website and called Princess.  Friends that are meeting us in LA for the trans-canal trip on 4/1 just realized that their passports are going to expire in August.   They are not willing to use an expedited service to re-new due to the cost.  I am warning them that they could be turned away at boarding.  They have talked to 2 people at Princess that say they will be fine as long as they have Birth Certificates and ID.  That is not the way I read the website for this particular cruise.

 

At this point they are planning to take their chances .... any insight or experience with a situation like this would be greatly appreciated.

Wonder how expedited service compares to being turned away from the cruise?  I expect the latter is far more expensive.

 

The question is if any of the countries along the cruise will require the standard 6 months on the passport.  Most do.  Without renewing they may or may not be able to get on.

 

There are 4 different countries on this cruise.  The following is from the US State department web site.

Mexico valid at time of entry

Costa Rica  valid for length of stay

Panama 3 months from date of entry

Colombia  6 months from date of entry recommended

 

So most of the countries require less than 6 months ad their passport should be fine. but Colombia is not clear and it really doesn't matter what the State Department Says, only what Princess and especially the supervisor of the person checking them in decides.

 

 

Edited March 15, 2023 by ldtr

[Charles4515]

4 minutes ago, jwattle said:

I think that the question is if the passport needs to be valid for six months after, as it expires in August; for that you need to check the countries that you will visit on the cruise. They will all have websites, but as @cr8tiv1 pointed out, you have done your share. They can show up with their docs that they have and hope that none of the ports require a six month post-cruise expiration. 

Have a good cruise and worry about your cruise, not theirs! 🥂

Ah. What threw me was they said they would use their birth certificates and ID. Birth certificates won't work at all. 

[Shelly97060]

Take a look at your travel summary and you will see the requirement for your specific cruise.

 

Here is an excerpt from a Travel Summary for an April Panama Canal - Ocean to Ocean ( Fort Lauderdale to LA) and it says passports must be valid for 6 months after completion of travel. 

[cr8tiv1]

40 minutes ago, Shelly97060 said:

Take a look at your travel summary and you will see the requirement for your specific cruise.

 

Here is an excerpt from a Travel Summary for an April Panama Canal - Ocean to Ocean ( Fort Lauderdale to LA) and it says passports must be valid for 6 months after completion of travel. 

 

Well, then.  Right in plain sight.  Great going @Shelly97060. IF this doesn't convince them, nothing will.

[startedwithamouse]

2 hours ago, JudiinMt said:

I've searched the boards for this exact situation, read the Princess website and called Princess.  Friends that are meeting us in LA for the trans-canal trip on 4/1 just realized that their passports are going to expire in August.   They are not willing to use an expedited service to re-new due to the cost.  I am warning them that they could be turned away at boarding.  They have talked to 2 people at Princess that say they will be fine as long as they have Birth Certificates and ID.  That is not the way I read the website for this particular cruise.

 

At this point they are planning to take their chances .... any insight or experience with a situation like this would be greatly appreciated.

We took this cruise last month.  Passports need to be valid for 6 months. This is in writing from Princess.  It's in writing. I suspect if they are booked, they have received the same information on their booking too. And it's on yours also.  I've attached a screen shot from our actual booking for the 15 night Ocean to Ocean Panama Canal cruise.

 

It's a lot less expensive to pay for passports than pay for a cruise you aren't able to go on.  Insurance won't cover it either, as they can't put in a claim for not reading their basic booking confirmation.

 

If they're adults, you shouldn't spend any more of your valuable time on this.  They obviously don't care.

 

Edited March 16, 2023 by startedwithamouse

[VibeGuy]

The US doesn’t have a six month validity rule and the Colombian 6 months is a “strongly suggested” per the State Departmenr, but Colombia is not one of the ports where the passports are presented for individual examination.  The only port on this itinerary where the actual passport books are examined and stamped for cruise passengers is Panama and they’re 90 day.  
 

The problems with Princess’ boilerplate are legendary at this point.  Once upon a time their reservations staff had solid resources to back up their answers but they seem to make stuff up with impunity these days. 
 

The Princess website says “Many countries require passports be valid for six months after the completion of your travel.”. This is a factual statement. Many of them do.   None on this itinerary do.  Princess may have a policy on this, but it’s not based on any legal requirements of the visited countries. 
 

 

[Guest ldtr]

7 minutes ago, VibeGuy said:

The US doesn’t have a six month validity rule and the Colombian 6 months is a “strongly suggested” per the State Departmenr, but Colombia is not one of the ports where the passports are presented for individual examination.  The only port on this itinerary where the actual passport books are examined and stamped for cruise passengers is Panama and they’re 90 day.  
 

The problems with Princess’ boilerplate are legendary at this point.  Once upon a time their reservations staff had solid resources to back up their answers but they seem to make stuff up with impunity these days. 
 

The Princess website says “Many countries require passports be valid for six months after the completion of your travel.”. This is a factual statement. Many of them do.   None on this itinerary do.  Princess may have a policy on this, but it’s not based on any legal requirements of the visited countries. 
 

 

Passport are not presented and stamped, but the ship must meet port requirements, including certifying that passengers meet specific entry requirements, and potentially providing a manifest with passport information if requested by the country.

Edited March 16, 2023 by ldtr

[Flyinby]

1 hour ago, JudiinMt said:

At this point they are planning to take their chances .... any insight or experience with a situation like this would be greatly appreciated.

If they're that casual about whether or not they get on the cruise, it's not worth worrying about.  Just go ahead and check in, and if they get hung up at check-in, no need for you to wait around for them.

 

Princess will probably go out of its way to try to help them, but If they don't make it, I'm sure you'll hear them complaining about Princess, or we'll hear about it here, about how they've been "wronged".

 

 

 

[jaycruising]

Here is another experience someone had… just my 2 cents but if I want to go on vacation I’m gonna take care of what needs to happen and not chance it… the requirements for your specific trip will be in your cruise contract and it is not up to Princess to help. 
 

 

 

[JudiinMt]

Thanks for your responses.  Like I said I know it says 6 months because of Columbia, I know it is not closed loop, I know it doesn't matter anymore when you talk to someone at Princess as you may get a different answer each time you ask.  AND I know it is not my "job" to make sure they can get onboard.  But, they are friends and they are not well traveled, relying on what the rep at Princess told them.

 

You have all just verified what I think and passed on to them.  I'll be boarding with my daughter.  Ball is in their court!

 

THANK YOU!

[Flyinby]

25 minutes ago, VibeGuy said:

The US doesn’t have a six month validity rule and the Colombian 6 months is a “strongly suggested” per the State Departmenr, but Colombia is not one of the ports where the passports are presented for individual examination.  The only port on this itinerary where the actual passport books are examined and stamped for cruise passengers is Panama and they’re 90 day.  
 

The problems with Princess’ boilerplate are legendary at this point.  Once upon a time their reservations staff had solid resources to back up their answers but they seem to make stuff up with impunity these days. 
 

The Princess website says “Many countries require passports be valid for six months after the completion of your travel.”. This is a factual statement. Many of them do.   None on this itinerary do.  Princess may have a policy on this, but it’s not based on any legal requirements of the visited countries. 
 

 

If some people have a problem dealing with a straightforward requirement like "Passports must be valid for at least six months...", think how difficult it would be for everyone if they had something like: 
"Passports must be valid for however long the longest-requirement country on the itinerary requires, if they check passports, which in some cases they may or may not, but just call us and we will check for you to see just how long it needs to be valid and whether or not they plan to check your passport when you arrive.  Of course they could change their mind and decide to check passports, but we'll gladly refund your money if you don't feel like renewing your passport at this time."

 

Some people insist on pushing the limit.  I remember that six-month requirement as being required on other cruise lines too, and it seems like good policy in general to avoid problems. Simple, straightforward, good insurance against problems, and not difficult to comply with.

[Shmoo here]

53 minutes ago, VibeGuy said:

Princess may have a policy on this, but it’s not based on any legal requirements of the visited countries. 

And that's totally what counts.  There are cruise lines that REQUIRE passengers to have passports to cruise, even if the ports they are calling at don't require them.  I think it's best to go with the most restrictive policies in such cases.

 

 

[Charles4515]

11 minutes ago, Flyinby said:

Some people insist on pushing the limit.  I remember that six-month requirement as being required on other cruise lines too, and it seems like good policy in general to avoid problems. Simple, straightforward, good insurance against problems, and not difficult to comply with.

Most cruises in the western hemisphere 6 months is not required. This cruise happens to be one of the few exceptions. 

[cr8tiv1]

1 hour ago, VibeGuy said:

The US doesn’t have a six month validity rule and the Colombian 6 months is a “strongly suggested” per the State Departmenr, but Colombia is not one of the ports where the passports are presented for individual examination.  The only port on this itinerary where the actual passport books are examined and stamped for cruise passengers is Panama and they’re 90 day.

 

I have been through the canal numerous times (Ocean to Ocean) and have never had my passport "examined" and stamped.  I made the mistake of renewing my passport with more pages.  Then they "STOPPED" stamping them since everything is digital now.  So disappointed.  Now I am stuck with this clumsy thick passport until my next renewal.  

[Charles4515]

6 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

I have been through the canal numerous times (Ocean to Ocean) and have never had my passport "examined" and stamped.  I made the mistake of renewing my passport with more pages.  Then they "STOPPED" stamping them since everything is digital now.  So disappointed.  Now I am stuck with this clumsy thick passport until my next renewal.  

I have the thick book too. But Covid really cut my travel plans so the pages won't be used before the next renewal.The only port on a cruise that examined my passport was Russia. But i have had it stamped many places traveling on land vacations and pre amd post cruise. Even though the ports don''t examine the passport book,  the cruise lines examine it for the ports. Also the cruise line can make any requirement they want even if the ports don't require 6 months. Princess saying "must" is not unambiguous. Usually they say recommended which means you don't have to have  six months. 

[Potstech]

As my post was referenced they will either have a valid passport good for the required time or they will be denied boarding.  They are the only two choices.  OP you have no control over these two choices. Hope they have a-return flight selected as my friends did not.  It cost them $950.00 to fly back to Va the same day. Tell them "Good luck" on their choice.

[Potstech]

Also for further information Passport Cards will not be good on this cruise either. State Department needs to call them by some other name as they are not good for travel to many places including SOME countries in the Caribbean.  Let us know how things go with your friends.

[Times Prince]

FYI my House of Representatives Congressman just posted
"Don't forget to check your passport’s expiration date now.
Standard processing is between 8-11 weeks.

Expedited processing is between 5-7 weeks."

----------
We recently renewed our Passport.  Sent it in by US Post on 26 Oct. and received our new passports, 15 Dec.  That's a 7 week turnaround, not bad for regular handling.   I wouldn't count on that still being the case.   

[DallasGuy75219]

4 hours ago, VibeGuy said:

The US doesn’t have a six month validity rule and the Colombian 6 months is a “strongly suggested” per the State Departmenr, but Colombia is not one of the ports where the passports are presented for individual examination.  The only port on this itinerary where the actual passport books are examined and stamped for cruise passengers is Panama and they’re 90 day.  
 

The problems with Princess’ boilerplate are legendary at this point.  Once upon a time their reservations staff had solid resources to back up their answers but they seem to make stuff up with impunity these days. 
 

The Princess website says “Many countries require passports be valid for six months after the completion of your travel.”. This is a factual statement. Many of them do.   None on this itinerary do.  Princess may have a policy on this, but it’s not based on any legal requirements of the visited countries. 

It doesn't really matter what the countries' passport requirements are.  If Princess has a requirement for 6 month validity, and in particular if it's documented in OP's friends' documents, then Princess has a valid justification for denying boarding.

[VibeGuy]

6 hours ago, ldtr said:

Passport are not presented and stamped, but the ship must meet port requirements, including certifying that passengers meet specific entry requirements, and potentially providing a manifest with passport information if requested by the country.

 

5 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

I have been through the canal numerous times (Ocean to Ocean) and have never had my passport "examined" and stamped.  I made the mistake of renewing my passport with more pages.  Then they "STOPPED" stamping them since everything is digital now.  So disappointed.  Now I am stuck with this clumsy thick passport until my next renewal.  

On my two Ocean to Ocean sailings in the last 12 months, on Princess, passports have been collected and handed to the Panamanian authorities. They were individually examined and stamped, causing on one voyage a two hour delay in leaving Fuerte Amador because the authorities still had 600 to go when the last tender was scheduled.  It was very much a return to the Old Days and the Administrative Officer onboard was going prematurely grey over it, especially after some clumsy handling nearly sent one of those 3x3x6 rolling cages, filled with trays of passports, into the marina harbour.  I have distinct stamps for both entries, one hand, one mechanical, with particular notation that the entries are by cruise ship.