PASSPORT required after 12/31/05

[tvguy]

I was telling my DM, 82 about this thread. She's a frequent cruiser.
Her comment..."I remember hearing the same complaints when they started requiring licenses to drive:

 

[Disney with Triplets]

"Due to a (fill in the blank...terrorist attack, hurricane, computer failure onboard, or whatever), we have been redirected to TinBuckTwo Island off the coast of Central America. For those of you with passports, please come to Deck 10 where you will be met by US Embassy officials who will help you with your travel iteneraries and will help you travel to friendlier territories. Those of you without passports, please proceed to Deck 1 where that we will determine which kind of fish bait you are best suited for. Have a good day."

For me, it's not about government requirements or cost, it's about safety abroad. I don't know, I guess we're overreacting; however, the thought of leaving the borders of the USA without a passport never crossed our minds. Now, if we were driving into Canada for the day, we might consider it, but to be at the mercy of a cruise ship? No way. Maybe this stems from having clients on a Mediterranean cruise and colleagues abroad during the 9/11 attacks...

 

[noahsmom]

We got our passports a month ago, it took 6 weeks to get them. Even though we don't cruise until next summer the passports came in very handy when my DS and I went to Calgary 2 weeks ago.

Just as an FYI, I haven't seen this mentioned yet, the post office charges a $30 filing fee per application, so the passports cost us another $90 above the $89 & $65, plus pictures.

 

[Jennay]

Anyone here know the cost to renew a passport? Or do you have to apply again for a new one, like it was your first time? Thx for any info.

 

[DrCavin]

Anyone here know the cost to renew a passport? Or do you have to apply again for a new one, like it was your first time? Thx for any info.

Here are answers to all your questions: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

 

[DrCavin]

But BCs aren't "just as easy" - sometimes having a BC over a passport means standing in longer immigration lines, sometimes means being hassled (like the previou poster hassled by Canadian immigration in 1989).

I think JillPie was specifically refering to going on a DCL cruise there is no difference (except on the West Coast cruises)...

Just as an FYI, I haven't seen this mentioned yet, the post office charges a $30 filing fee per application, so the passports cost us another $90 above the $89 & $65, plus pictures.

Here is the itemized charges for a passport:

Age 16 and older: The passport fee is $55. The security surcharge is $12. The execution fee is $30. The total is $97.

Under Age 16: The passport fee is $40. The security surcharge is $12. The execution fee is $30. The total is $82.

Note: When applying at one of the thousands of designated application acceptance facilities in the U.S., you pay the passport fee and the security surcharge to the ''U.S. Department of State'' and the execution fee to the facility where you are applying.

 

[noahsmom]

We were charged an additional $30 per passport at our post office for processing.

 

[DrCavin]

We were charged an additional $30 per passport at our post office for processing.

Wasn't that the "Execution fee"???? or you were charged a total of $127 not counting cost of the picture????

 

[noahsmom]

I had to look it up. We were charged $186 for 2 adult and child passport. We then had to pay a separate fee of $90 which the post office called a handling fee. The check for 186 was made out to the state dept and the 90 was made out to the USPS. They just broke it down differently. The pictures were taken at Walgreens, it's about half the price there.

 

[6griswolds]

I think it all stinks too. When we found out about this awhile ago my DH said he was going to cancel the trip. The trip was already going to cost a whole lotta cash for a family of 6. (he overreacts and then gets over it as time goes by) Now we have decided to not cancel our land and sea package and bite the bullet. It means our budgeted cash for food (at the park) and souveiners have been cut way down. Or on the other hand....guess we can CHAAAARGE IT!!!!!

 

[Jsme]

I plan on buying ours one a month starting this fall. I wonder just how busy and backed up it will become when everyone starts to file for them. I really wanted to buy them at a pase of one month for budgeting purposes.

 

[Disney-Kim]

We just applied for ours yesterday at the post office. $67 per person for the passport PLUS $30 per person fee. $97 per adult.