Passport Renewal - it's been 12 weeks so far

[BND]

A lot of people have reported never seeing anything except "in process" on the website.  I've seen a lot of reports where people have received theirs and it still states that so just be aware that the status doesn't really mean anything.  I also requested e-mail updates so we'll see if that happens.

 

Last time I renewed in 2014, it took two weeks from mailing to receipt and I'm pretty sure my status never changed.  

[toxicfairy]

County store up my way just told me yesterday it's average of 13 weeks as of now. I need mine renewed due to name change. Luckily I'm not in any rush. Although we did just get invited to join a group in October for a very tempting price😃🤞

[jean87510]

My oldest son applied for a new passport which he expedited and status was unavailable for weeks.  He applied in beginning of April.  Received it 7 weeks later.  Never once did his status change nor did they email him to let him know it was processed.  Still no birth certificate returned so unfortunately we had to request one from the state.  The day he received his passport the status was still unavailable.  So who knows?  At least he got it.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

FYI

 

I was on a reposition cruise in May that required a passport. [I have mine]  Many of the passengers did not know they would need this.  They had cruised [some of them] many times with ID and a birth certificate. A few months before the cruise passports became a topic of conversation and that is when many realized they needed them. This was a huge topic on FB and CC roll call for months.

 

Some called RCL and were told they did not need a passport. [but they did] This delayed those further. 

 

In the end all of the non-passport book holders applied and expediated the applications and paid for rush shipping.  A few passengers did not get the passports by a few days before the cruise and cancelled because they had pre-cruise air travel/hotel reservations and wanted to cut their losses.  I really felt sorry for them.

 

Others got them within a week or two of travel. They also mentioned the status online never changed.  As it became near our travel date there were a few tactics that were used.  Calling a congressional rep seemed to really speed things along.  There is a number to call on the online passport site, but you must be within 2 weeks.  It was reported they really did not want to hear from you until 1 week before travel.  Others called arranged in person visits to an official passport office.  Some drove several hours to do this.  In the end, almost everyone got a passport except those that were traveling before the cruise and would not be home to receive a last minute mailing of the passport.   

 

I will say that at least one person used a passport card to board the ship and was not stopped.  i am not suggesting that.  It is not supposed to be acceptable for an open loop cruise.  However, he posted that it worked for him.  YMMV

 

It was taking at least 12-14 weeks to get the expedited passports.  

 

 

 

[topnole]

2 hours ago, toxicfairy said:

County store up my way just told me yesterday it's average of 13 weeks as of now. I need mine renewed due to name change. Luckily I'm not in any rush. Although we did just get invited to join a group in October for a very tempting price😃🤞

For us you go to the county clerk office to process applications in person. The guy that handled the applications for my kids talked me out of expedited based on trip dates.  He said it says 6-8 weeks (or whatever it was at the time) and pointed to the date at end max time to get them back which was well before our trip.  
 

What I realized later is these folks really have no idea.   They don’t work for the state department and are just guessing like anyone else.  The guy was 100% confident in what he was

telling me and had been processing applications for years (as he told me).  It’s the only reason I didn’t choose expedited.  
 

I wouldn’t trust what anyone says that doesn’t work for the state department.  If you need it within several weeks after the longest normal time frame,

you should 100% do expedited or be prepared for the potential of a lot of

stress and/or to miss going.  Of course, for many cruises a passport isn’t needed.  But if it is needed, do it well ahead of time or expedite it.  
 

If not for our congressional office getting involved, we may have missed our trip.  In fact, if I didn’t hear a call at nearly 10pm at night from the passport office out west that was working on them, we would’ve driving 10+ hours round trip 2

days before our trip with the hopes of getting an emergency passports completed for 2 of my kids. The other had arrived a month earlier even though all sent out in the same envelope.  
 

We were past our original max time and to get them processed they charged me the expedited fee plus express mail.  I was grateful to get them processed at that point, but what a scam.  Can you imagine if a business did that to you.  

[KP@Sea]

We applied in October 2022 and received them in less than 6 weeks. However, my photo was on my husband’s passport and his was on mine. We had to start from the beginning and pay for expedited processing/shipping to receive the correct ones in time. At least we didn’t have to pay the fees again

[Ferry_Watcher]

The other day we had to deny a passenger boarding because they had sent in their passport for renewal (they have an overseas trip later this year), but sadly they didn't bring the required alternative proof of citizenship for their closed loop cruise.   The passenger that didn't have their passport was a naturalized US citizen, and did not bring along their actual Naturalization Certificate, they only brought a copy of it, and unfortunately we needed the original.  The rest of the travel party did sail.

[navybankerteacher]

18 hours ago, Cigar King said:

I believe it's processing.  We aren't cruising until Thanksgiving so we have plenty of time.  It's just a little pain...for now.

 

On 6/10/2023 at 10:46 AM, Cigar King said:

I have several family members still waiting.  One applied in January.

If I were “still waiting” five months after applying I think I would start taking some action.

[Calif-Couple]

We just mailed in our passports (expedited) the other day for renewal. We are looking to book a NCL cruise August 27.  That’s approximately 10 weeks from now.  I am just looking for anybody that has some recent renewal times. The passport website says expedited 7-9 weeks.

 

I’m a little reluctant to pull the trigger on the cruise. Hearing from anybody will make me feel better one way or the other.

Thanks, Rick 

[kmorg1234]

The passport agency had some sort of an equipment failure a few weeks back and everything got backed up.  I saw on the national news that expedited passports were now taking 5 months to receive.  Don’t know whether they have caught up at all, but I do know my son applied for the expedited service back in February and he is still waiting.  Since our cruise is coming up in 3 weeks, we are planning to use the birth certificate/RealID option as a backup.  Not ideal, but what can you do?  

[Belletora]

53 minutes ago, Calif-Couple said:

We just mailed in our passports (expedited) the other day for renewal. We are looking to book a NCL cruise August 27.  That’s approximately 10 weeks from now.  I am just looking for anybody that has some recent renewal times. The passport website says expedited 7-9 weeks.

 

I’m a little reluctant to pull the trigger on the cruise. Hearing from anybody will make me feel better one way or the other.

Thanks, Rick 

 

I renewed mine on the last day online submissions were accepted, February 8th. I received it exactly eleven weeks later. This was BEFORE all the issues.

[Debifluff]

My passport renewal application was accepted at the passport agency on March 22 - regular service not expedited and I received my new passport May 5th.

[new_cruiser]

10 hours ago, DragonOfTheSeas said:

FYI

 

I was on a reposition cruise in May that required a passport. [I have mine]  Many of the passengers did not know they would need this.  They had cruised [some of them] many times with ID and a birth certificate. A few months before the cruise passports became a topic of conversation and that is when many realized they needed them. This was a huge topic on FB and CC roll call for months.

 

Some called RCL and were told they did not need a passport. [but they did] This delayed those further. 

 

In the end all of the non-passport book holders applied and expediated the applications and paid for rush shipping.  A few passengers did not get the passports by a few days before the cruise and cancelled because they had pre-cruise air travel/hotel reservations and wanted to cut their losses.  I really felt sorry for them.

 

Others got them within a week or two of travel. They also mentioned the status online never changed.  As it became near our travel date there were a few tactics that were used.  Calling a congressional rep seemed to really speed things along.  There is a number to call on the online passport site, but you must be within 2 weeks.  It was reported they really did not want to hear from you until 1 week before travel.  Others called arranged in person visits to an official passport office.  Some drove several hours to do this.  In the end, almost everyone got a passport except those that were traveling before the cruise and would not be home to receive a last minute mailing of the passport.   

 

I will say that at least one person used a passport card to board the ship and was not stopped.  i am not suggesting that.  It is not supposed to be acceptable for an open loop cruise.  However, he posted that it worked for him.  YMMV

 

It was taking at least 12-14 weeks to get the expedited passports.  

 

 

 

Was the repositioning from one US port to another or ending in Canada or Mexico where one might come back to the US by land (e.g. by car or train) or sea? In that case, a Passport Card would be fine. You can't use one for crossing the border by air but for land or sea crossings from Canada, Mexico, Caribbean and Bermuda, it is a passport.

 

Calling within 14 days of travel is to get an in-person passport appointment. Note, within 14 means travel needs to be less than 14 days away. So if you call, for example, on the 1st to leave on the 15th they will tell you to call back tomorrow. That's what happened when I called. I didn't get any pushback when I called the next day. They gave me an appointment at the nearest passport office for two days before my departure.

 

People who have called closer to departure have in some cases not being able to get an appointment or only having one available at an office far away. 

[DragonOfTheSeas]

1 minute ago, new_cruiser said:

Was the repositioning from one US port to another or ending in Canada or Mexico where one might come back to the US by land (e.g. by car or train) or sea? In that case, a Passport Card would be fine. You can't use one for crossing the border by air but for land or sea crossings from Canada, Mexico, Caribbean and Bermuda, it is a passport.  

Our cruise was from Fort Lauderdale to Baltimore. 

 

1 minute ago, new_cruiser said:

Calling within 14 days of travel is to get an in-person passport appointment. Note, within 14 means travel needs to be less than 14 days away. So if you call, for example, on the 1st to leave on the 15th they will tell you to call back tomorrow. That's what happened when I called. I didn't get any pushback when I called the next day. They gave me an appointment at the nearest passport office for two days before my departure.

A number of passengers were successful in getting appointments using this number.

1 minute ago, new_cruiser said:

 

People who have called closer to departure have in some cases not being able to get an appointment or only having one available at an office far away. 

This was true for some on our cruise.  Some of them got help from their congressional reps. 

 

The whole passport situation is a big issue for travel.  I hope it is resolved soon.  Our DS's family will take their first cruise in October.  They just applied for passports this month. Fingers crossed they arrive in time. They can cruise with birth certificates + ID but would rather not go that route. 

[new_cruiser]

9 minutes ago, DragonOfTheSeas said:

Our cruise was from Fort Lauderdale to Baltimore

A passport card is valid for a cruise like that. We used our passport cards to board a Vancouver to Seward cruise some years ago. We had our passport books with us because we had flown into Vancouver but passport cards were new to us and I wanted to see if it worked.

 

Yes, I hope they get wait times down to more normal soon.

Edited June 12, 2023 by new_cruiser

[The P]

The passport agency got my renewal on April 12 and I received my not expedited new passport on June 8.

[RB9643]

4 hours ago, Calif-Couple said:

 

I’m a little reluctant to pull the trigger on the cruise. Hearing from anybody will make me feel better one way or the other.

 

 

You can travel with just a birth certificate and driver's license if your cruise is close-looped (starting and ending at the same US port).

 

Not that I would recommend doing that, for a number reasons, but it is an option if you don't get your passports back in time.

 

 

[Host Kat]

7 hours ago, Calif-Couple said:

We just mailed in our passports (expedited) the other day for renewal. We are looking to book a NCL cruise August 27.  That’s approximately 10 weeks from now.  I am just looking for anybody that has some recent renewal times. The passport website says expedited 7-9 weeks.

 

I’m a little reluctant to pull the trigger on the cruise. Hearing from anybody will make me feel better one way or the other.

Thanks, Rick 

 

@Calif-Couple

 

Your new thread has been moved to the correct forum & merged into an existing thread regarding the same topic. Read back through this thread. You are not alone.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Host Kat

[Philob]

"I’m a little reluctant to pull the trigger on the cruise. Hearing from anybody will make me feel better one way or the other."

 

It used to be contacting your Congressional representative to help, but even they are saying they can't help much now. One of them (NJ) had a press conference about this issue and came out with the slogan: "LOOK BEFORE YOU BOOK".

 

He's pressing for more funding, but you know how that goes.....

 

IMO you are doing the right thing and wait until you have your passports in hand before booking. If it's a closed loop cruise and you can travel with id and birth certificate then go for it, knowing the consequences of not having a passport.

 

 

Edited June 12, 2023 by Philob

[CunucuMom]

I had never heard of a closed-loop cruise until today so I probably wasted time and $$ getting my expedited passport renewal in the mail for my September ABC island cruise.  Anyway, packet was received by Philadelphia office on Saturday 6/10.  Too soon for online status updates.  Worst case, it looks like I can use my DL and birth cert so hubby won't have to sail without me after all. 😁

[acct1975]

I've been waiting 5 months...they did cash my check immediately though! To top if off, last week I got a letter form them that they needed me to complete the renewal form again. They said something was missing, I know there wasn't which leads me to believe someone there lost it. I sail in mid-July. Will give it another week before I call to inquire. Passports are getting to be a pain in the a$$.

 

My son's passport expires in Feb 2024. Might start the renewal process long before then

[CarpeDiem2]

Once passport status on the US Passport website has changed to “APPROVED and being printed,” does anyone know how long it might take to receive the passport?

(Expedited passport / expedited shipping.)

Edited June 12, 2023 by CarpeDiem2

[laudergayle]

Does the website also show status for renewals? What is the web address?

[acct1975]

1 hour ago, laudergayle said:

Does the website also show status for renewals? What is the web address?

I just did a google search for passport status and it took me to the Dept of State section on their website

[laudergayle]

Just now, acct1975 said:

I just did a google search for passport status and it took me to the Dept of State section on their website

I did that a couple days ago and all I saw was phone numbers…but I just did another search snd found the site.  Thanks.