Passport Question

[Harley167]

Has anyone else had trouble renewing your passport? Our cruise buddies for our May 14th cruise on the Glory out of New Orleans, has been waiting 8 weeks so far for his Passport Renewal, and nothing yet! Starting to get worried!

[UGACamper]

Passport office has had a huge influx of new and renewals since international travel is open. We expedited for that reason and we are on our 5th week waiting. Even expedited is 5-7 weeks now. There are renewal agencies that you can use in a rush but it’s going to be about $800 when all is said and done. But it works. 

[Harley167]

1 minute ago, UGACamper said:

Passport office has had a huge influx of new and renewals since international travel is open. We expedited for that reason and we are on our 5th week waiting. Even expedited is 5-7 weeks now. There are renewal agencies that you can use in a rush but it’s going to be about $800 when all is said and done. But it works. 

Wow! That is crazy!! Fingers crossed !

[Philob]

TV news reports 8-10 weeks expedited, 10-13 weeks regular. 

 

They can try to make an appointment with their nearest passport office, but it has to be within certain number of days before travel, but the website and telephone #s are slammed.

 

 

[Elaine5715]

58 minutes ago, Harley167 said:

Has anyone else had trouble renewing your passport? Our cruise buddies for our May 14th cruise on the Glory out of New Orleans, has been waiting 8 weeks so far for his Passport Renewal, and nothing yet! Starting to get worried!

They can go online to set what the status is of their application.

[Harley167]

7 minutes ago, Philob said:

TV news reports 8-10 weeks expedited, 10-13 weeks regular. 

 

They can try to make an appointment with their nearest passport office, but it has to be within certain number of days before travel, but the website and telephone #s are slammed.

 

 

Thanks for the advice!

[Harley167]

7 minutes ago, Philob said:

TV news reports 8-10 weeks expedited, 10-13 weeks regular. 

 

They can try to make an appointment with their nearest passport office, but it has to be within certain number of days before travel, but the website and telephone #s are slammed.

 

 

OMG! This is awful! I will let them know

[LHT28]

Do they require a passport to sail??

Good  to have  but  usually US citizens can sail on closed loop cruises with BC & Government issued photo I.D.

 

Or has that changed ?

 

[Shmoo here]

59 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Do they require a passport to sail??

Good  to have  but  usually US citizens can sail on closed loop cruises with BC & Government issued photo I.D.

 

Or has that changed ?

 

Depends on the cruise and/or the cruise line.  Some cruise lines require passports for all passengers, regardless of legal requirements.

 

 

[Essiesmom]

And sometimes depends on the ports visited.  EM

there have been other recent threads about this.  Some suggest contacting their congressman or senator for help.  EM

Edited April 18, 2023 by Essiesmom

[LHT28]

9 hours ago, Shmoo here said:

Depends on the cruise and/or the cruise line.  Some cruise lines require passports for all passengers, regardless of legal requirements.

 

 

Thanks   did not think Carnival required  passports for all

 

[Mum2Mercury]

You just never know.  My husband and I sent ours out at the same time: 

 

- His zipped back in something like three weeks. 

 

- Mine didn't come and didn't come.  I had resigned myself to sailing with my birth certificate ... I had already packed it.  I had literally had just placed our suitcases in the trunk of the car for the next morning's drive, and I went to the mailbox ... where my passport was waiting!  My husband saw me opening it and whooped, "The luck of you Irish!"  

[Harley167]

2 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

You just never know.  My husband and I sent ours out at the same time: 

 

- His zipped back in something like three weeks. 

 

- Mine didn't come and didn't come.  I had resigned myself to sailing with my birth certificate ... I had already packed it.  I had literally had just placed our suitcases in the trunk of the car for the next morning's drive, and I went to the mailbox ... where my passport was waiting!  My husband saw me opening it and whooped, "The luck of you Irish!"  

Wow! Lucky you!!!

 

[Softail1340]

For those that have renewed there passport by mail lately has the turn around times been similar to what they are stating? Does the website let you know when it’s in process and also the other stages? Thx Larry

[Smileyatsea]

I can't speak to renewing by mail, but I'll respond anyway.  🙂

 

I submitted an online renewal at the beginning of January.  I paid for expedited service.  I just got my passport last week.  So, that was 12 weeks for what was supposed to be around 6 weeks.  It did read as "In Process" much of that time.  Then moved to printed and shipped within one hour when it finally went out.   

 

I have read so much stuff on passport renewals in the past month as I was an anxiety-ridden mess wondering where my passport was.  Reddit actually has a lot on what a mess the whole thing is right now.

 

Bottom line, do it by mail (online portal is closed now anyways).  If you can, go ahead and pay for expedited processing.  If you want to add expedited afterwards, it takes a month now (they tell you this) to even add the expedited processing.

 

It really just depends on what passport office processes it.  Your renewal can go to any of them once you mail it in and the one that processes it may not be the one where it is printed.  Some are faster and you get a less than one month turnaround for a regular processed renewal and others are taking four months.  You never know.   

 

Good luck.

[Softail1340]

I sent mine in the mail March 31st for expedited. Sent priority express and they got it the next day and cashed my check a day later. My status is still showing not available but it’s been just about 2 weeks. I also paid for the 1-2 day mail when it’s done. I need it in about 18 weeks. Just would like to see it get updated on the system 

[pilot]

I did an online application on January 31.  I did not pay for expedited service. I received an email the same day stating routine applications were 6-9 weeks.

 

On February 6 I received another email stating that my application was being reviewed.  This email said processing is now 8-11 weeks.

 

When I checked my status on the site it stated "in Process".

 

April 12 the status changed to "Printed".

 

April 13 the status changed to "Shipped".

 

I received the passport in the mail April 14

 

Total time 10 weeks and 3 days for normal service.

[WestLakeGirl]

42 minutes ago, Softail1340 said:

For those that have renewed there passport by mail lately has the turn around times been similar to what they are stating? Does the website let you know when it’s in process and also the other stages? Thx Larry

US? uK? Australian? Canadian?

[Softail1340]

Sorry US

[saltycat]

Mailed ours on March 13th Did expedited service and 2 day delivery got both of them back in 2 weeks and 2 days…

[Baystate]

My husband and I mailed ours 2 day by usps and had them expedited with a 2 day return and it took 4 weeks almost to the day.

[Softail1340]

2 minutes ago, saltycat said:

Mailed ours on March 13th Did expedited service and 2 day delivery got both of them back in 2 weeks and 2 days…

Did your status change to process quick

[Softail1340]

2 minutes ago, Baystate said:

My husband and I mailed ours 2 day by usps and had them expedited with a 2 day return and it took 4 weeks almost to the day.

How long before your status showed in process? When did you mail in?

[Baystate]

Mailed it in Massachusetts on March 6th, started processing on March 8th and received them on April 11th

 

[bEwAbG]

This can vary by region.  My local congressman said in his recent email update that they were currently unable to submit casework requests to the DC processing center at all because of the severe backlog for this area.

 

Reddit is a good resource to figure out where your passport is and how long service is taking at that location.

Edited April 18, 2023 by bEwAbG