Passport Expiration Date Not 6 months from cruise boarding date

[indexcards]

I have reservation for Sailing date of April 5th and passport with expiration date of July 14th.  Princess is asking for passport to be valid for 6 months after sail date.   I noticed too late to get passport renewal.  I have been told to bring original birth certificate with me. 

Has anyone had this happen to them,  or know how this will be handled when we come with green lane clearance but this problem with passport.

 

Hope someone can give me some reassurance that all will be well.

 

Thank you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lady Arwen]

Where are you sailing from and what is your itinerary?

[startedwithamouse]

Look on your itinerary and see which countries you're going to and what their passport requirements are. 

[indexcards]

It"s the 15 day solar eclipse sailing.  Mexico Costa Rica Panama Canal Columbia and Grand Cayman.    Done these excursions on previous cruises and wasn.t even planning on getting off ship.

Leaving from Los Angeles

 

 

 

 

Edited March 23 by indexcards
forgot one port

[chamima]

17 minutes ago, indexcards said:

It"s the 15 day solar eclipse sailing.  Mexico Costa Rica Panama Canal Columbia and Grand Cayman.    Done these excursions on previous cruises and wasn.t even planning on getting off ship.

Leaving from Los Angeles

 

 

 

 

 

If it's a closed loop cruise (beginning and ending in US) you don't really need a passport. Take it anyways! But if you have one, take a certified birth certificate and driver's license also. (I over prepare)

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=closed+loop+cruise

 

And apply for your renewal as soon as you get back!!!!

 

****

Edited March 23 by chamima

[d9704011]

11 minutes ago, indexcards said:

It"s the 15 day solar eclipse sailing.  Mexico Costa Rica Panama Canal Columbia and Grand Cayman.    Done these excursions on previous cruises and wasn.t even planning on getting off ship.

Leaving from Los Angeles

 

 

 

 

You're in need for some clarification from Princess.  Colombia requires a valid passport during your stay.  Panama requires a valid passport with at least three months remaining.  You may be OK but officialdom (boarding agents) may not see it all that way if there has been instruction given to screen for six months.

[Cruise Raider]

It looks like you will need to get an expedited passport renewal or be denied boarding and possibly no refund.  A birth certificate will be useless for this itinerary.  Some countries only require 3 months of validity left of your US passport by the end of the cruise but, you won’t even be make that.  I’d get an appointment asap for that expedited renewal.  Sorry to say, it will be pricey but cheaper than losing your money for what you’ve paid for that cruise.  
 

[SCX22]

We did LAX to FLL Panama Canal cruise in January 2024.  The separate notice below stating that passports with 6 months validity after completion of travel were REQUIRED was e-mailed about 2 weeks before our sailing.  Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

[Cruise Raider]

2 minutes ago, chamima said:

 

If it's a closed loop cruise (beginning and ending in US) you don't really need a passport. Take it anyways! But if you have one, take a certified birth certificate and driver's license also. (I over prepare)

And apply for your renewal as soon as you get back!!!!

 

****

His is not a closed loop cruise.  

[memoak]

Columbia is the one country that may be an issue. If you can’t get an emergency appointment for a renewal bring everything you have passport birth cert drivers license etc.   Since it is not a closed loop cruise you really need to contact the state department for an emergency renewal otherwise you are basically hoping 

Edited March 23 by memoak

[JordanF]

Get a new passport by travelling to a passport office.  The problem is that there is a good chance that Princess won't let you board, and all the arguing about this country's rules and that country's rules won't help.  

[d9704011]

4 minutes ago, JordanF said:

Get a new passport by travelling to a passport office.  The problem is that there is a good chance that Princess won't let you board, and all the arguing about this country's rules and that country's rules won't help.  

I'm certainly no expert on the issuance of US passports but the State Department (on their website) would call this a Life-or-Death Emergency timeline and cruises don't seem to fit into the criteria for consideration.

[Lady Arwen]

1 hour ago, indexcards said:

It"s the 15 day solar eclipse sailing.  Mexico Costa Rica Panama Canal Columbia and Grand Cayman.    Done these excursions on previous cruises and wasn.t even planning on getting off ship.

Leaving from Los Angeles

 

 

 

 

You absolutely will need a valid passport.  Better get moving on that or you’ll lose your cruise.  Also, it does not matter if you plan not to get off the ship.  You will be denied boarding.

[Cruise Raider]

32 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

I'm certainly no expert on the issuance of US passports but the State Department (on their website) would call this a Life-or-Death Emergency timeline and cruises don't seem to fit into the criteria for consideration.

It is actually for life or death emergencies or immediate travel.   

[wolfie11]

There’s a Regional Passport Agency office in Boston.  You may be able to get an appointment next week and your passport a few days later.

[indexcards]

When I contacted Princess, one rep told me no problem, and was going to send me an email to confirm this,   It never came so I called again and this rep told me to bring birth certificate for boarding.   It is all so confusing,  my exp. date was entered on my ap when I reserved cruise' I never had a reason to worry until I got the booking confirmation yesterday that mentioned the 6 month requirement.   How do I get a straight answer from princess.

[dog]

2 minutes ago, indexcards said:

When I contacted Princess, one rep told me no problem, and was going to send me an email to confirm this,   It never came so I called again and this rep told me to bring birth certificate for boarding.   It is all so confusing,  my exp. date was entered on my ap when I reserved cruise' I never had a reason to worry until I got the booking confirmation yesterday that mentioned the 6 month requirement.   How do I get a straight answer from princess.

You won’t.

 

There are many very inexperienced people answering Princess phones now.

You May be stopped from even embarking. Does not matter whether you stay on ship at ports.

Get the new passport now.

[SCX22]

Wouldn't rely on what Princess reps told you.  You need a passport with 6 months validity after travel or risk being denied boarding.

 

In 2022, the same situation happened with a closed loop Panama Canal cruise on Princess.  If these passengers were denied boarding in FLL on a closed loop cruise, despite what they were told by a Princess rep prior to boarding, then you chances are even higher on a one way cruise. That's why the separate "Passport Notification" is e-mailed.  See link of thread below.

 

 

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

Why try to risk it? get a new passport 🙂 

[TRLD]

Just did the same route in February

 

Princess was very clear about the passport requirements for this trip.  One was hitting  countries for which a passport would be required even if it was closed loop.

 

Passports are required for international travel and for all air departures to or from the United States. Passports must be valid for six months after the completion of travel and
contain enough blank pages for entry and exit endorsements and any required visas. Names on passports and the booking must match. If minors are traveling with only one adult
21 years of age or older, Princess requires that all passengers travelling in the party must present a valid passport at embarkation.

[Torfamm]

2 hours ago, indexcards said:

When I contacted Princess, one rep told me no problem, and was going to send me an email to confirm this,   It never came so I called again and this rep told me to bring birth certificate for boarding.   It is all so confusing,  my exp. date was entered on my ap when I reserved cruise' I never had a reason to worry until I got the booking confirmation yesterday that mentioned the 6 month requirement.   How do I get a straight answer from princess.

Look at your travel summary. The passport requirements for your itinerary appear under the Important Notices section. That is the straight answer. Hopefully you can get a new passport in time!

 

[AZjohn]

There are private companies that can get your passport renewed in 72 hours.

What the fees are I don’t know but, businesses I was employed with used them (it was not a matter of life or death someone previously posted)

 

Hope you jump on that Monday OP so you can go on your cruise (sounds really fun way to see the eclipse😊).

 

Cheers 

[Arizona Wildcat]

As said, get with a passport expeditor TOMORROW morning.  Probably 90% change you will not be allowed to board.

 

This is really a simple requirement.  A phone rep could easily have heard you say your cruise started and ended in the US and thought it was closed loop.  It is not and any cruise stopping in Colombia requires a passport with 6 months anyway.

You have time to get it renewed for a few extra dollars.  Better than being left at the pier.

 

Have used a courier service that cost about $120 and had passport in 4 days!  Just do a Google search.

Edited March 24 by Arizona Wildcat

[capriccio]

5 hours ago, d9704011 said:

I'm certainly no expert on the issuance of US passports but the State Department (on their website) would call this a Life-or-Death Emergency timeline and cruises don't seem to fit into the criteria for consideration.

No but it would qualify as Urgent Travel Service ("Serve customers by appointment only who have urgent travel to a foreign country in the next 14 calendar days" )

 

 

 

See https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast/passport-agencies.html for a country map with the locations of all the Passport Agencies and Centers (one is located in Boston).

 

Make sure you bring proof of the cruise:  "If you are traveling by land or sea to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean, you can provide a hotel reservation, cruise tickets, or international car insurance."

 

Before using a private company check out the State Department's page on using them:  https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast/courier-and-expeditor-companies.html

 

 

 

 

Edited March 24 by capriccio

[Outerdog]

4 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

It is actually for life or death emergencies or immediate travel.   

 

Doesn't look that way to me. It's life or death AND immediate travel. Not "or".

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast.html