passport question/vent...

[truax0124]

We applied for ours on May 24 and received them on Aug 9... 11 weeks...

 

How can you tell where it was processed? We live in Louisiana and the return address on the envelop says Miami... Go figure!

[ShedQueen77]

The luck of the draw I guess. Ours went out of Waterloo IA. And the sad thing is, we do not even need our until December when we go to Texas for the winter. We got them for a trip to Mexico but we of course will need them for Europe too. I just feel so bad for the cruises that are waiting for theirs and they need them a lot sooner than we do.

 

Ours went out of Clinton, which isn't too far away from you. Go figure! :rolleyes:

 

I feel so badly for those who are stuck in limbo as well. I've been there and it was just so darn frustrating! I'm afraid we'd still be in Passport Purgatory if it weren't for my fiance's impulsive USMC buddies. They were the ones who threw together the impromptu reunion in Spain, which got our Passports to us a little earlier! :)

[ShedQueen77]

We applied for ours on May 24 and received them on Aug 9... 11 weeks...

 

How can you tell where it was processed? We live in Louisiana and the return address on the envelop says Miami... Go figure!

 

I was told by the operator at the Processing center. Usually the return address is where your Passport was processed at. Interesting how far those applications travel, huh? ;)

[Pegs222]

Ours went out of Clinton, which isn't too far away from you. Go figure! :rolleyes:

 

I feel so badly for those who are stuck in limbo as well. I've been there and it was just so darn frustrating! I'm afraid we'd still be in Passport Purgatory if it weren't for my fiance's impulsive USMC buddies. They were the ones who threw together the impromptu reunion in Spain, which got our Passports to us a little earlier! :)

 

I see you are getting married on the 30th of December on one of Carnival's ship, how exciting. I am so happy for you. I hope you have a happy marriage and a wonderful cruise. Please bring back lots of pictures to share.

[neverpar]

I'm from Utah and mine came from S.C...Charleston I believe....my friends came from New Hampshire! We applied at the same office just different days...so try and figure that one out!

[ShedQueen77]

I see you are getting married on the 30th of December on one of Carnival's ship, how exciting. I am so happy for you. I hope you have a happy marriage and a wonderful cruise. Please bring back lots of pictures to share.

 

Thank you very much! I'm sure we'll come back with a million photos! :) I'll definitely post them when we return.

[leeanninfla]

I am waiting until the week before our cruise next month, going into the office in Miami and getting the passports for my middle daughter and I. Only because I will be going on another cruise the day we get back, and being in the Travel Industry I never know when another cruise will come about for me, and my daughter will be going to Italy with school in March. I am not waiting 16+ weeks for it to come in the mail, when I can drop off the paperwork, hit the beach, come back in 6 hours and pick it up the same day. It will cost the same as if it was mailed off to expedite, but hey, no waiting.

[jessemon]

I applied on April 16th (not expedited) for a Carribean cruise, January 2008 and have not received mine yet. I called today and the lady asked me if I was "kidding" because I called and my trip is not until January. I told her I was NOT kidding as I paid $100.00 and applied almost four months ago. It just says "processing" and when I call on the phone the reps tell me the same thing I see online??!! p.s. Mine is with the New Hampshire office.

I am sorry but, I don't see why you have posted this or why you are venting. You have 5...count them 5 months before you need the passports.

Stop calling and e-mailing them. You are slowing down the processing of my passport and others by bothering them. I need mine in 9 weeks.........Leave them alone.....let them do their job...That's only two months and I'm not bugging them yet.;)

GEEZ........:p ;)

[fllady61]

I am sorry but, I don't see why you have posted this or why you are venting. You have 5...count them 5 months before you need the passports.

Stop calling and e-mailing them. You are slowing down the processing of my passport and others by bothering them. I need mine in 9 weeks.........Leave them alone.....let them do their job...That's only two months and I'm not bugging them yet.;)

GEEZ........:p ;)

 

 

Actually, it was postponed again. It is now June of 08 the last I heard. Unless they changed it again. and if you are worried about being left and needing to get home, I found this interesting.

 

The U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security announced Friday, June 8, that U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or countries in the Caribbean region, who have applied for, but not yet received passports, can re-enter the United States by air. This accommodation does not mean that Americans are exempt from meeting the entry requirements of Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or countries in the Caribbean region, some of which require a passport, certified birth certificate, or other evidence of citizenship for entry.

[BlueJacketsFan1]

I applied on April 16th (not expedited) for a Carribean cruise, January 2008 and have not received mine yet. I called today and the lady asked me if I was "kidding" because I called and my trip is not until January. I told her I was NOT kidding as I paid $100.00 and applied almost four months ago. It just says "processing" and when I call on the phone the reps tell me the same thing I see online??!! p.s. Mine is with the New Hampshire office.

 

Thank you, it's great to see that there are some people out there with some common since. You were smart to of applied that far in advance. Most people wait till they are within about 3-4 months, and then wonder why they don't get it right away. Everyone should of known that this would happen with delays in recieving their passports. They have had years to get ready for the deadline where they become manditory. But like most things now a days, everybody waits till the last minute and then wants everything right now. We applied for our a year in advance a few years ago on the advise of our TA. I wouldn't worry to much about it. You still have a lot of time and I would say you will get it in plenty of time for your cruise. Again thank you for thinking ahead and having enough common since to do so.

[Pegs222]

I am sorry but, I don't see why you have posted this or why you are venting. You have 5...count them 5 months before you need the passports.

Stop calling and e-mailing them. You are slowing down the processing of my passport and others by bothering them. I need mine in 9 weeks.........Leave them alone.....let them do their job...That's only two months and I'm not bugging them yet.;)

GEEZ........:p ;)

 

The poster has every right to her say, as you do. I am fairly certain that her calling and emailing will not deter them from getting your passports to you as soon as they can. Passports have been known to get lost as we know, she was just checking to make sure that has not happened to hers. FYI, the people that answer the phones are not the people that process the passports, so there was no need to get snarky with the poster.

[tsj04]

Just out of couriosity, why did you go through N.H. if you live in Va?

 

You apply through the state you LIVE in, not the state you were born in. If I would have had to do that, I would have had to get mine from 3 different states.

 

If someone told you that you get them through you birth state, they are badily misinformed. You get them through the state you live in. No if's ands or buts about it.

 

That may be why it is taking so long. NH is the hardest state to get PPT's through.

 

 

I didn't go through NH. I applied at my local post office and THEY sent it to the NH office. I have no idea how they choose. I assume it is broken up into regions???

[tsj04]

My question is where have you been for the last 4 months! Since the first of the year this has been a hot topic of conversation and it has taken people much longer than 4 months to get it. Some even got them very late when they paid to expedite them! So if you've been anywhere around, you'd know this isn't unusual at all and you're just in the same line of "processing" as alllllllll the other passport applicants.

 

 

I've been around for the last 4 months and understand that there is a backlog. As I've already stated it's just really frustrating. Thanks for your lame reply though. :rolleyes:

[tsj04]

I am sorry but, I don't see why you have posted this or why you are venting. You have 5...count them 5 months before you need the passports.

Stop calling and e-mailing them. You are slowing down the processing of my passport and others by bothering them. I need mine in 9 weeks.........Leave them alone.....let them do their job...That's only two months and I'm not bugging them yet.;)

GEEZ........:p ;)

 

Did you wait to the last minute to apply? If so, too bad for you. I KNOW I applied in more than enough time which is why I AM happy that I have some time to work with. Also, me calling them and e-mailing them is NOT slowing down the process as the phone number you call is NOT where my application is being processed so before you choose to write a sarcastic response at least know what you are talking about.:rolleyes:

[Mysticks1]

I am sorry you are having such a time with this passport mess. It seems that if they go to New Orleans, you get them back very fast. We applied on June 22, and got them yesterday, seven weeks. That seems so unfair since we do not even need them until December when we are going to Texas for the winter and hope to take a trip to Mexico. But then we do need them when we go to Europe next year, but still so unfair to all of the rest of you.

 

I just received my daughter's last Thursday (Aug. 9th) and we had applied on June 23rd. I put a travel date of Feb 2, 2008 on the application so that was just under 7 weeks.

I was surprised that it came so quickly but when we applied we were told that part of the load of applications that was going to New Orleans was going to a new processing office in Arkansas that opened the previous week(In June). I would assume that is the reason for the quicker times from New Orleans.

[phinfan63]

I was looking for the website but i finally found it.

 

It's still being processed

[Pegs222]

I was looking for the website but i finally found it.

 

It's still being processed

 

Did you leave your email addy with them so they can and will send you updates?

[Hbkb_94]

I recived mine after applying April 19th at my County Clerk Office. I was leaving for a cruise July 29th. I also was traviling to calif to spend a few weeks with my family therefore I wouldn't be home when they arrived.

I am a naturalized Citizen born in Canada but have lived here since I was 3.

I spoke to someone a young gal she checked on the staus of my app. and told me they were almost finished, I had explained my story and she informed me I would have them before I leave.. The young gal was right I had them Fed Ex to my parents house the next day Wow I was surprised I hadn't even had them expited, I guess it just happens that way with who you speak with on the phone and whether it's 1st thing in the morning or in the afternoon after they have spoken with dozens of people.

Good Luck in whom ever is waiting for thier passports

[aleahmach1]

My cruise is in mid January, exactly 5 months from today.:D I am off to the Passport office this afternoon. Wish me luck.......I think I am gonna need it!:rolleyes:

[Earthworm Jim]

If you have proof of passport application, you don't need your birth certificate.

 

That's if you are traveling in the western hemisphere by air before September 30, 2007. It has nothing to do with travel by sea.

[looneytunes31419]

There is an online application that you can fill out to find out what is going on with it.. you fill it out and then within 2 business days they will send you an email as to what is going on the link is

http://travel.state.gov/passport/about/npic/npic_896.html

 

fill out this application and submit it and they will respond to you.. Hope this helps

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I applied on April 16th (not expedited) for a Carribean cruise, January 2008 and have not received mine yet. I called today and the lady asked me if I was "kidding" because I called and my trip is not until January. I told her I was NOT kidding as I paid $100.00 and applied almost four months ago. It just says "processing" and when I call on the phone the reps tell me the same thing I see online??!! p.s. Mine is with the New Hampshire office.

[Earthworm Jim]

Actually, it was postponed again. It is now June of 08 the last I heard.

 

That is a proposed rule. Not official yet. As of now officially you need a passport for travel within the Western hemisphere as a of January 31, 2008. If the proposed rule is adopted, you'll be off the hook until summer 2008. (It doesn't say June 2008, only summer 2008) But if they don't adopt it, will you still have enough time to get a passport? You're almost forced to apply for one just to play it safe.

 

 

...and if you are worried about being left and needing to get home, I found this interesting.

 

The U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security announced Friday, June 8, that U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or countries in the Caribbean region, who have applied for, but not yet received passports, can re-enter the United States by air. This accommodation does not mean that Americans are exempt from meeting the entry requirements of Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or countries in the Caribbean region, some of which require a passport, certified birth certificate, or other evidence of citizenship for entry.

 

Yes, but that rule is only in effect until September 30, 2007. Will they extend it? It wouldn't surprise me, but nothing has been announced. And note you have to have a copy of your passport application in hand as a substitute for the passport itself.

[DyanaT]

My fiancee applied in March and we still haven't received it. We leave for our cruise in 20 days....

 

SUCKS!!!!

 

I know we don't technically need it anymore with the new guidelines, but it is definitely frustrating.

[arabrab]

A few clarifications:

1. You don't get to choose which center processes your passports. Even families who submit all their applications at once have often ended up with some family members' passports being processed in one location, and the rest in another.

2. New Orleans was the hell hole for passports for most of the Spring, and apparently the State Department deployed many, many people there to get them dug out. It sounds like that has worked, and now New Orleans is showing good turnaround time. That's particularly good since Congressional offices were complaining that the New Orleans office was unresponsive to their calls and faxes.

3. New Hampshire was one of the most efficient offices in the country, and a woman there seemed to be the "go to" expediter who managed to get passports out at the last moment to people all over the country. Maybe the State Department will move some of the New Orleans temporary staff up there. On the other hand, perhaps they'll instead figure out a way for their application router to route applications so that one office doesn't become backlogged while another is current.

 

I'm personally expecting the delays to increase again this fall for three reasons: 1. The demand will increase for people needing passports for winter/spring travel. 2. The summer State Department interns who were shipped from DC to passport processing centers around the country will go back to school. 3. The State Department employees who were enticed to come process passports during their annual leaves will go back to their regular postings.

 

Perhaps this issue has gotten enough attention from Rice that the State Department actually has hired enough long-term employees, but evidence to date would suggest not. Not a lot of evidence that Citicorp has fixed all of their initial processing problems yet either. (Citicorp is the contractor that receives the applications, cashes the checks, sets up the entries in the tracking system, and then forwards the applications to the processing centers.)

 

Now is none too soon to apply for a passport if you need one for a winter or spring cruise.

[Pegs222]

My fiancee applied in March and we still haven't received it. We leave for our cruise in 20 days....

 

SUCKS!!!!

 

I know we don't technically need it anymore with the new guidelines, but it is definitely frustrating.

 

Call your Congressman and or Senator. They can and will help you. They are all on their August break, but I would think their office in DC and or your state would still be open. Your fiancee should get his Passport in a few days, if you do this.

 

Good luck and have a fabulous cruise.