Gray area re: passports

[C-Board]

I recently booked a repositioning cruise on the Tahitian Princess from Vancouver (I am Canadian) to Hawaii on Sept 14/08. When entering my boarding info on the Princess web site I could not get any further than my passport info. I called the Princess "help" line and after conferring with a number of info officers was told I could not enter the info because my passport was not valid for 6 mths after my cruise embarcation day. It expires one month after my cruise is complete at the end of Oct/08. I find this very odd as I often cross the US border and this has never been an issue.

 

The info officer at Princess said he didn't know why, other than this is one of Princess's requirements and that some foreign ports require passports to be valid 6 mths after entering the country but as yet not the US. So I now am in the position of having to renew and pay for a passport almost a year in advance of when my last one expires. Who wants to take the chance on not getting one in time and we are experiencing long waits for apps to be processed in Can.

 

My travel agent was not aware of this policy. Can anyone give me a logical explanation or is this just another "just because".

Thks Marlene

[LHT28]

Yes in some countries entry requirement it state that your passport must be valid for X number of months after your departure ..it has been this way for quite awhile...whether it is enforced is another thing.

I would just apply in the spring for a new pasport ...the renewal process is much easier now.

we had the same problem passports expired in Aug and we travelled in Feb/March but they did not bother with us on the drive across the border.

 

You may want to give your TA this website

http://www.voyage.gc.ca/dest/ctry/profiles-en.asp

[Sundagger]

Holland America says:

 

"For travel outside of the western hemisphere countries, U.S. and Canadian citizens must have and carry a passport valid for six months beyond the duration of the cruise."

[jannandjohn]

we have to have 6 mths left on our passports after the return home date...it's to make sure you are not stranded somewhere ( for whatever reason..illness, or staying longer etc) without a valid passport..

[paul929207]

Many countries require you have a passport that is good for at least 6 months after you plan to leave their country.

[Spikesgirl]

Tahiti has very strict rules, this is one speculated reason as to why Princess is pulling out of the area after next year.

 

Guess this would be different if you were emmigrating to Tahiti, but they wouldn't let us book a hotel because we didn't have our plane tickets yet.

 

Charlie

[C-Board]

Thks all! Have had a chance to mull over your responses and at least can see some purpose to this regulation. Heaven forbid I should get stranded 6 mths in Hawaii LOL Can only dream...........................