Children's Passports Just Arrived! WOW! That was FAST!

[LoveThatMouse!]

Just to be safe, we went ahead and applied for passports for our children for our upcoming cruise....

We applied at our local Post Office (Helpful hint...make an appointment),on December 28, 2006 and paid extra to have them expedited. They arrived just minutes ago, January 10, 2007! That's a 13 day turn around during the holiday season!

Now that's FAST!!!!
WAY TO GO Passport Office and the United States Postal Service!

 

[mommasita]

That is great news...Even during holidays, pretty impressive indeed.

 

[mmouse37]

That was a quick turnaround time....

I applied for my renewal on December 5th (did not use expedited service) and according to the website should get them back about January 14th....about six week turn around.

We have no trips in the immediate future so I did not do expedited service.

Glad they came so fast for you!!! I know even though I don't have any trips currently planned I am always at the mailbox hoping they came back early!!!

Funny though....they cashed my check immediately!!! LOL!!!!

 

[Bugdozer]

Just to be safe, we went ahead and applied for passports for our children for our upcoming cruise....

We applied at our local Post Office (Helpful hint...make an appointment),on December 28, 2006 and paid extra to have them expedited. They arrived just minutes ago, January 10, 2007! That's a 13 day turn around during the holiday season!

Now that's FAST!!!!
WAY TO GO Passport Office and the United States Postal Service!

Hi,

We had to do the same thing. They were not able to book my son's Make A Wish trip for April without copies of the passports-they said if we did not hurry may loose that date. So 5 of us the day after Christmas went to the post Office and applied with the expedited service. I was thrilled to see them show up 12 days later. Another hint-have your pictures done elsewhere. The Post Office wanted $15 a person. We got them done at Walgreen's for $7.99 a person.

Bug

 

[akdaisy]

I dot my DD3's Passport photos done at Walgreens. Big mistake. It took the girl three attempts to get the picture right, and we were there for over an hour. They were blurry. I told her they were blurry, but walked out of there because we just had to leave. I went to the PO to apply for her passport and the lady was appalled that Walgreen's took such awful pictures, and wouldn't accept them.

She took DDs photo, they were perfect. It took 3 minutes and $15. I would have rather paid that in the beginning.

Don't waste your time in Walgreens. What a joke. That was my first (and last) time ever stepping foot in one.

 

[LoveThatMouse!]

We actually took our children's photos ourselves.

For anyone wanting to do the same, you can find all of the information on what type background to use, the proper sizing of the picture etc. on the govt. website....
http://travel.state.gov/passport/guide/composition/composition_874.html

 

[jenpan]

They must be working quickly. We applied the Monday before Thanksgiving and received ours Dec. 27. Just about 4 weeks and we didn't do expedited service. Now we can be ready for our cruise and any other trips which might pop-up!!!!!

 

[beachwench]

Friend that is sailing with my group (Jan 20, 2007) applied in August, it was lost. Applied again in November and its now January 10 and still no passport. She lives in North Carolina. Anyone else in NC have long waits?

 

[akdaisy]

Friend that is sailing with my group (Jan 20, 2007) applied in August, it was lost. Applied again in November and its now January 10 and still no passport. She lives in North Carolina. Anyone else in NC have long waits?

We are in NC. My renewal passport came within a month, and my DD3's came in 6 weeks. No expedited service.

When your friend goes to travel.state.gov and checks her status, what does it say? It should give a locator number and an estimated date of delivery.

 

[akdaisy]

We actually took our children's photos ourselves.

For anyone wanting to do the same, you can find all of the information on what type background to use, the proper sizing of the picture etc. on the govt. website....
http://travel.state.gov/passport/guide/composition/composition_874.html

I did see that! Unfortunately not until after I had sent away for her passport. Oh well, I'll do it next time!

 

[jbuckent]

Friend that is sailing with my group (Jan 20, 2007) applied in August, it was lost. Applied again in November and its now January 10 and still no passport. She lives in North Carolina. Anyone else in NC have long waits?

We just went through this also to sail Jan 20, have her call the number on this link.
http://travel.state.gov/passport/about/npic/npic_898.html

We applied with plenty of time, DH for a renewal and DD for her first. We applied November 3rd, 6 weeks later DHs arrived. A week and half later hers still wasn't here so I started to get worried. I gave them a call to find out they sent it to the wrong address. The guy said he would send another out and gave me the tracking number. I checked the tracking number the next morning to find out it was number for the passport sent with the wrong address! So I called back and they had no indication I called the day prior. This gal told me I was going to need to send in a form that said the passport was never received but because it was so close to leaving she said someone would call me back with a number to fax the form in. The next day, a Friday, I got a call with the fax number, and the lady said to wait until Wednesday and they would see if her passport was returned yet, if not they would go ahead and reissue one. So Wednesday I get a call to let me know they did not receive it so I should fax the form and they would send a new one right out. Friday I get another call asking if I've received the passport yet, nope, so the guy said he would start to create the new one (I thought they were asking if I received the new one yet!). He gave me a new tracking number with FedEx, who doesn't deliver on the weekends, and the next morning I could see it was at the FedEx location in the next town over. It arrived on Monday. It was such a huge mess! Once they finally created it though it came SUPER fast!

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

DH works for the USPS and says "Thanks!"

Honestly, I was shocked at the speed mine came, even without expediting it. From the government, no less. And here I thought the only speedy ones in the government were the ones who send out tax bills!!!

 

[TheTexasKid]

That was fast. My old passport expires in May of this year, at which time I hope to be in Spain with DCL. So, I applied in February, hoping to beat the rush for passports, and got caught up in the rush. Even paying to have the passport application expedited, it took four weeks for my new passport to arrive by mail. And I sweated every day it didn't come.

As a member of AAA, I got my passport photos taken at AAA. I also picked up my passport application there. It took several times to get the photograph, because I couldn't keep my eyes open, when the light flashed.
A terrible photograph, but more me than the photographer. But, I'm so glad I don't have to worry anymore, about my new passport, I'll just suck it up for the next ten years. Until I have to get a new one.

One piece of good news, is that the closest post office to where I live, is one that accepts and processes passport applications.