Yet another passport update

[TurtleMomma]

Just off the phone with the passport people. The 10 week processing time STARTS when they cash your check.........not when you drop off your application according to the person I just got off the phone with. She said it is "usually" 2-3 weeks between dropping off the application and cashing the check. In my particular case it was 6 weeks. Then they are taking on average 10 weeks from there she said. I applied 12 weeks ago today. Sail on Monday (leave my house on Sunday), they are "working" on it. We were told yesterday it would be in the mail by 5pm yesterday, when I called back to see if they were mailed they said no, and that the person never should have told me that they would be. So I told the person, so .... if it doesn't get overnighted today I'm SOL, and she said in her oh so cheery voice.....we can overnight it on Saturday....well that doesn't do me any good when I am leaving my house at 5am! So...it's either today or nothing. Fingers crossed that they either get it out today, or my trip goes smooth and I don't need the passport.

 

Cora

[Lisichka]

Just off the phone with the passport people. The 10 week processing time STARTS when they cash your check.........not when you drop off your application according to the person I just got off the phone with. She said it is "usually" 2-3 weeks between dropping off the application and cashing the check. In my particular case it was 6 weeks. Then they are taking on average 10 weeks from there she said. I applied 12 weeks ago today. Sail on Monday (leave my house on Sunday), they are "working" on it. We were told yesterday it would be in the mail by 5pm yesterday, when I called back to see if they were mailed they said no, and that the person never should have told me that they would be. So I told the person, so .... if it doesn't get overnighted today I'm SOL, and she said in her oh so cheery voice.....we can overnight it on Saturday....well that doesn't do me any good when I am leaving my house at 5am! So...it's either today or nothing. Fingers crossed that they either get it out today, or my trip goes smooth and I don't need the passport.

 

Cora

 

Did you contact them any time prior to this? Did you put your date of the trip on your application? I think it is always wise to put your date of trip about 4 weeks ahead of when you are actually traveling.....

 

(I put in my son's application about 5 weeks ago. Check has not been cashed, no status online).

[DecafMom]

I don't know where you're going on your trip, but a friend of mine sailed without a passport in February. They let her on the ship just fine but told her she may have problems when she came back. She just told the guy at the customs desk that she didn't have a passport, but she had her birth certificate, driver's license, and social security card. He let her through with no problems. I hope yours arrives today and you don't have to worry about it!

[USCTrojans_Fan]

Reading all of the close calls that people on here have in regards to their Passports is pretty stressful. I have my appointment tomorrow and we don't leave on our cruise until January 5th. There is a real problem with the system if come December I'm still waiting!:eek: I put the actual date that we are sailing on the application. Is it far enough out that I shouldn't worry? Or should I go back and put a date that is several weeks earlier?

[irb33785-2]

If you are cruising in the Caribbean, leaving from a US port and returning to a US port, you will not need the passport for the remainder of the year. Certified birth cert and photo ID will suffice. If flying back into the country, you will definitely need the passport.

[Silque1964]

I started bugging them at 2 weeks from trip date, and the darned things came TWO DAYS before our trip!

[BethV114]

I started calling last Thursday (5/3) and received my passport in the mail on the following Wednesday (5/9) via Priority Mail after having sent it in in February.

Is this a new passport application or just a name change? Mine was just a name change following my wedding last year, but it still took them since the end of February and I don't think they had really worked on it until I called since the date on the passport is 5/5/07.

I'll keep my fingers crossed that yours goes out today so that will be one less thing to worry about while you're supposed to be out having fun.:eek:

[i-m-ed]

Assuming you are going to Caribbean or Mexico you do not yet need a passport so you are ok. If it doesn't come I would print out page below and take it with your birth certificate and DL to pier and all should be fine.

 

Our children's passports expire in January and I'm thinking I'm just going to renew them now.

 

Taken from the passport website....

 

 

* Beginning January 23, 2007, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document, or an Alien Registration Card, Form I-551, if applicable.

* As early as January 1, 2008, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea (including ferries), may be required to present a valid passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security. While recent legislative changes permit a later deadline, the Departments of State and Homeland Security are working to meet all requirements as soon as possible. Ample advance notice will be provided to enable the public to obtain passports or passport cards for land/sea entries.

[Lisichka]

If you are cruising in the Caribbean, leaving from a US port and returning to a US port, you will not need the passport for the remainder of the year. Certified birth cert and photo ID will suffice. If flying back into the country, you will definitely need the passport.

 

I think the reason many of us want a passport rather than just a BC is because you just never know what could happen on a cruise. If you miss the ship and have to fly to the next port you can only do so if you have a passport. Same for medical reasons: if something were to happen and you have to fly home, you can't if you just have a BC.

[i-m-ed]

I think the reason many of us want a passport rather than just a BC is because you just never know what could happen on a cruise. If you miss the ship and have to fly to the next port you can only do so if you have a passport. Same for medical reasons: if something were to happen and you have to fly home, you can't if you just have a BC.

 

Agreed, but if I were going on a cruise and didn't have one I wouldn't worry too much about because there is nothing I can do about it and I would still be able to go. FWIW, we always had passports but never carry them on shore with us so if something catastrophic were to happen we still might be SOL as we probably wouldn't think or be able to return to the ship for passports until after it has left port. The way I see it that's what the American Consulate is for.

[Jfeasel]

My family of 4 applied on Feb. 20 and received them May 7, 11 weeks. 3 of them were renewals and 1 was new. If you're going just to the Caribbean, the problem is you have to send an original birth certificate with your passport application. So if your passport doesn't come in time for your trip, you're left scrambling for a new official birth certificate!

[reallyitsmema]

Reading all of the close calls that people on here have in regards to their Passports is pretty stressful. I have my appointment tomorrow and we don't leave on our cruise until January 5th. There is a real problem with the system if come December I'm still waiting!:eek: I put the actual date that we are sailing on the application. Is it far enough out that I shouldn't worry? Or should I go back and put a date that is several weeks earlier?

You have over 6 months before your trip so I really see no need to lie about you travel date. Many people have been cutting it too close. We applied on January 23rd and got ours on March 14th. Most people who applied around that time had a much longer wait time. We aren't traveling until June but I didn't want to stress over the whole situation.

[lilrere]

I leave Wednesday but I told the passport people tomorrow. My passport is suppose to be here today according to Fedex.:D So they are cutting it close. I applied mid February for a name change and I had to call and email multiple times. I did end up paying extra to rush it about two weeks ago. Some people said they did not charge them but I guess it depends on who you talk to at the agency. One person told me the only way to get it on time was to drive to the nearest passport agency but I live about 8 hours away and that was not even the agency processing my passport. So good luck to everyone!

Has anyone heard of anyone not getting their passport on time?

[louanne93]

We applied 8 weeks ago and I just checked the online status...It said my application could not be found. What do you do then?:confused:

[TurtleMomma]

Did you contact them any time prior to this? Did you put your date of the trip on your application? I think it is always wise to put your date of trip about 4 weeks ahead of when you are actually traveling.....

 

(I put in my son's application about 5 weeks ago. Check has not been cashed, no status online).

 

 

I have been contacting them daily (twice a day) for 2 weeks. IMO Lying on your application just screws up the people that are actually telling the truth on their application. They process by due date. Yes I put my actual travel date on my application.

[TurtleMomma]

I don't know where you're going on your trip, but a friend of mine sailed without a passport in February. They let her on the ship just fine but told her she may have problems when she came back. She just told the guy at the customs desk that she didn't have a passport, but she had her birth certificate, driver's license, and social security card. He let her through with no problems. I hope yours arrives today and you don't have to worry about it!

 

 

Cruising in the Bahama's. Hoping all goes fine. Have all other docs, but wanted passport "just in case"

[TurtleMomma]

I started calling last Thursday (5/3) and received my passport in the mail on the following Wednesday (5/9) via Priority Mail after having sent it in in February.

 

Is this a new passport application or just a name change? Mine was just a name change following my wedding last year, but it still took them since the end of February and I don't think they had really worked on it until I called since the date on the passport is 5/5/07.

 

I'll keep my fingers crossed that yours goes out today so that will be one less thing to worry about while you're supposed to be out having fun.:eek:

 

New application.

[TurtleMomma]

My family of 4 applied on Feb. 20 and received them May 7, 11 weeks. 3 of them were renewals and 1 was new. If you're going just to the Caribbean, the problem is you have to send an original birth certificate with your passport application. So if your passport doesn't come in time for your trip, you're left scrambling for a new official birth certificate!

 

Getting BC's in VT isn't that difficult and when I got them I got 2, so I could have one with me and they could have one. We have our ID's etc. I just really wanted people to know that they don't start counting processing time until they cash the check.

[TurtleMomma]

I leave Wednesday but I told the passport people tomorrow. My passport is suppose to be here today according to Fedex.:D So they are cutting it close. I applied mid February for a name change and I had to call and email multiple times. I did end up paying extra to rush it about two weeks ago. Some people said they did not charge them but I guess it depends on who you talk to at the agency. One person told me the only way to get it on time was to drive to the nearest passport agency but I live about 8 hours away and that was not even the agency processing my passport. So good luck to everyone!

Has anyone heard of anyone not getting their passport on time?

 

The only time they expedite for free is when your application has been in processing for over 4 weeks and you dont have a "batch" number yet. If you get your batch # after 4 weeks they expedite for free.

 

I started calling on mine on April 30, was told they could expedite for free on May 4 if it had no batch #. It didn't get a batch # until May 9, and my travel date is May 13. (applied Feb 16 - they put it in their system April 12)

[TurtleMomma]

We applied 8 weeks ago and I just checked the online status...It said my application could not be found. What do you do then?:confused:

 

Keep waiting. If your travel date is in 14 days or less you can call. They won't talk to you unless your travel date is within 14 days. Of course you could lie........but personally I don't lie.

[mollyeilis]

Same for medical reasons: if something were to happen and you have to fly home, you can't if you just have a BC.

 

Passport website is pretty clear that they have measures in place for those who are in emergency situations and need to fly home without a passport.

[lilrere]

Fed Ex just dropped my passport off!:D :D

It was printed yesterday and delivered today!

I am one very happy lady!:D :D

Now time to pack............:eek:

[TurtleMomma]

I won't be getting my passport in time for this trip. Oh well.

[Lisichka]

Passport website is pretty clear that they have measures in place for those who are in emergency situations and need to fly home without a passport.

 

That may be true for some, but not for others. While I live in the U.S., my family still lives in Holland. My uncle died yesterday. Had I been on a cruise, no way would I have been able to fly to Holland to go to his funeral, and then back to the U.S. without a passport.

[i-m-ed]

That may be true for some, but not for others. While I live in the U.S., my family still lives in Holland. My uncle died yesterday. Had I been on a cruise, no way would I have been able to fly to Holland to go to his funeral, and then back to the U.S. without a passport.

 

First, sorry to hear about your uncle. But wouldn't you still have the same problem if you were at home and didn't have a passport? I have family working in Shanghai and I'm not sure we would be able to get to them if anything were to happen even though we all have passports. FWIW, I've had a passport all of my adult life and my children have had them since they were toddlers, it's just something we have always done.