Fast Passport!

[andrews_dad]

Needed passport for my 6 year old son, as his old one expired (only last 5 years under age).... from appointment at the Post office to getting new one in the mail was exactly 22 days total. I did not pay for any express service or anything. I was shocked to open it in the mail. His old passport and his Birth Cert arrived in a sep envelope the next day. Awesome!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I had to renew my passport recently and it also arrived quite quickly. This is a good time of year for passports, just before the summer travel rush.

 

[Lewisc]

I submitted my renewal app on Saturday and received my passport in the mail on Friday, 6 calendar days. The passport office put my passport in the mail Thursday evening. I was close enough for next day delivery with priority mail.

This was regular service.

 

[jeffbear]

In large part the State Dept has caught up with that huge waive of passport applications that came from the changes in the Carribean about a decade ago. Now it seems to be back to the same timing it took in the old days.

 

[Capt_BJ]

I submitted my renewal app on Saturday and received my passport in the mail on Friday, 6 calendar days. The passport office put my passport in the mail Thursday evening. I was close enough for next day delivery with priority mail.

This was regular service.

THAT'S FAST

I Pri' mailed our renewals on Monday . . . .

 

[mom2maggie]

We have dragged our feet on getting passports (new, we've never had them before) prior to our May 1 cruise, and I was concerned about sending off our birth certificates and not getting them back in time. We were going to just use our birth certificates and drivers license on the cruise instead. Now I wonder if we'd have enough time?

 

[mom2maggie]

You didn't pay any extra for expedited service or express mailing?

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

We have dragged our feet on getting passports (new, we've never had them before) prior to our May 1 cruise, and I was concerned about sending off our birth certificates and not getting them back in time. We were going to just use our birth certificates and drivers license on the cruise instead. Now I wonder if we'd have enough time?

Get a passport, even if you think you might not need it for your cruise. You never know what is going to happen; what if you need to fly home from a foreign port due to an emergency? If you send in your application now, you should get your passports in plenty of time for a May 1 cruise. You can always pay for expedited processing if you are concerned.

 

[goofy4tink]

In large part the State Dept has caught up with that huge waive of passport applications that came from the changes in the Carribean about a decade ago. Now it seems to be back to the same timing it took in the old days.

This. Getting passports in a timely fashion was only an issue back when those changes were made. Everyone that was traveling in the next 6 months went crazy, trying to get their passports. The offices got swamped and way behind. It's just not an issue anymore.

If cruising, you really should have a passport. If you are off the ship and have an issue and need to fly home, from somewhere out of the country, you will not be able to do it without a passport.

 

[sam_gordon]

Get a passport, even if you think you might not need it for your cruise. You never know what is going to happen; what if you need to fly home from a foreign port due to an emergency? If you send in your application now, you should get your passports in plenty of time for a May 1 cruise. You can always pay for expedited processing if you are concerned.

I can understand the PP dilemma. What if SOMETHING happens to delay the passport? Then, they not only have the passport, they don't have a BC (because it's sent in with the application).

@mom2maggie... how difficult would it be to get another copy of BC's? For my state, you go to a certain department and can get one in ~30-60 minutes. I'm thinking you can apply for the passport, and if you don't get anything back by mid April, go get new BC copies.

This. Getting passports in a timely fashion was only an issue back when those changes were made. Everyone that was traveling in the next 6 months went crazy, trying to get their passports. The offices got swamped and way behind. It's just not an issue anymore.

If cruising, you really should have a passport. If you are off the ship and have an issue and need to fly home, from somewhere out of the country, you will not be able to do it without a passport.

That's assuming...
1) You take your passport with you into port.
OR
2) You are able to get the passport from the ship.

 

[mom2maggie]

I don't know how easy it would be to get another. I was born in Virginia, and its a naval birth certificate, as my dad was in the Navy. I live in Indiana now. I can certainly look into it!

That is my exact concern - mailing my only copy off and not having another if something happens with the delay. But to expedite would make our passports over $400 for the both of us - pretty pricey if it isn't necessary! Ah, dilemmas!

 

[mom2maggie]

Not sure if it matters, but our cruise only ports at Nassau and Castaway Cay - and we don't plan on leaving the ship at Nassau.

 

[bumbershoot]

I am a passport person, and I know that passports CAN take a nice, quick time. But in your case I doubt that even I would send off for a passport. Given that you don't live where you were born and there's a potential complication of it being a Naval BC (didn't even know there was a separate thing unless you were born outside of the US?), there's no knowledge of how long it might take to get a second certified BC.

Now if you googled around today and maybe called around and found out that you could get replacements for everyone ASAP, then I might do it. In my case, I know we could drive over and get certified copies of DH and DS's inside an hour or two. For me I could have my dad get one b/c he still lives in the state where I was born, then he could send it up to me. Easy. If it's not easy for you, it's different.

Other than that, I would take *this* trip, and then get the passports for the future once you're home.

If you have an emergency while you're gone and have to fly home...they will deal with the passport issues at that time. It will likely be more expensive than even expediting them now, but that might be more OK with you should it be necessary.



ETA....I was just googling... You said it's a naval BC but you were born IN Virginia. From what I skimmed (search term "naval birth certificate virginia") it seems that those are simply filed with the Registrar's offices in VA, so you might simply be able to request that. The main vital records place is here: http://www.vdh.state.va.us/vital_records/ They use vitalchek for their out of state requests. Might not be as hard as you thought. What seems complicated is when you're born out of the country.

 

[Lewisc]

I didn't pay extra for expedited processing or delivery. I won't be needing my passport until the end of May. I was told it would take about a month.

I did fill out the application online. The application has to be printed (pdf format), signed and submitted. The application prepared that way had a large bar code. I suspect was scanned. Might have saved a few days. I submitted my renewal application through a AAA travel show. The application was processed out of NYC, not DC.

May 1 cruise. I don't think I'd bother.

 

[mom2maggie]

Thanks everyone! I think you're right, I think I can do the Vitalchek service - I need to get out my birth certificate and see what it says. If I can get another copy, I might send off for the passport and cross my fingers that it gets here on time, so I will just wait and see.

Sorry for hijacking your post!!!