HELP! Passport expires a few weeks after end of cruise; is this a problem?

[akl432]

We will be traveling to St. Thomas/St. John and St. Maarten on the May 9-16 Eastern cruise. My passport expires on May 31. I shouldn't have a problem re-entering the US (and I'm bringing my birth certificate and driver's license just in case since those documents are accepted through May 1 for entry back into the US for cruise passengers), but will this be a problem for entering St. Maarten? My dad just got his passport renewed, and in his papers it said that if your passport has less than 6 months' validity, be aware that some countries will not permit you to enter.

I assume I will be okay entering St. Thomas since it's a U.S. Virgin Island, but St. Maaarten is Dutch/French. Will I be able to enter St. Maarten on May 13 with a passport that expires on May 31? I am starting to panic!!

 

[Mrsjvb]

like you already found out.,official regs state you must six months left on it before you can enter. you may have to contact the embassy directly to find out their policy.

you may get lucky since it is a regular cruise stop.

 

[jilljill]

You will be fine.
Not all countries have the 6 month requirement.

 

[daveyc150]

I think that for the US you need to have at least 3 months left on your passport before they will allow you to enter the country.

 

[lbgraves]

Since you will be returning from your cruise on May 16 you don't even need a passport to cruise. The change does not take place until June 1, 2009. If you take it with you just in case of an emergency it will get you back into the country via air.

 

[akl432]

I know I don't need a passport to re-enter the U.S. after a cruise (through May 31). But the question is whether St. Maarten will allow me to enter that country on a passport that expires in a few weeks.

Does St. Maarten require passports for day cruise passengers? I know they are required for overnight visits, but what about day visitors from U.S. cruise ships?

 

[lbgraves]

I know I don't need a passport to re-enter the U.S. after a cruise (through May 31). But the question is whether St. Maarten will allow me to enter that country on a passport that expires in a few weeks.

Does St. Maarten require passports for day cruise passengers? I know they are required for overnight visits, but what about day visitors from U.S. cruise ships?

Passports have not been required for any DCL passenger except for those on the TA & Med cruises in 2007 and EB PC repo 2008 cruises so the regular ports that DCL goes to do not require anyone to have a passport. I haven't seen anything saying that this is going to change even after the June 1, 2009 date for the US.

All you will need is an official birth certificate and a driver's license.

 

[akl432]

Great! Thank you!!

 

[Grumpymom73]

My family just came back from the April 11-18 Eastern. We sailed without passports and had no problem getting off the ship in St. Maarteen.

 

[wwe]

We are leaving on the seven day western on May 30. I just saw this thread about the expiring passport. We come back from Western Caribbean June 6 and my passport expires June 21. Am I ok or do I need to expedite a renewal? I thought I could still get back ok, but what if something happened and I had to fly with an almost expired pp back to the US?

Thanks

 

[BamaBornNemoNut]

Welcome wwe!! With less than 5 weeks to go now I don't know if I would chance not getting the expedited renewal complete since doesn't that require the old passport to be out of your hands?? This board is full of folks that cruise with passports (sorry, I will be using a passport card for the first time on the Magic for the May30 Western). Hopefully someone will give you their experience with one that was due to expire only days after the ship returned.

 

[kcashner]

I called DCL and asked about the 6 month requirement due to the expiration date on one of our passports. The CM said that the 6 month requirement had nothing to do with the US or DCL; it is imposed by some European countries. The only requirement on Caribbean cruises is that it be valid on the last day of the cruise.

 

[philatiger]

Passports have not been required for any DCL passenger except for those on the TA & Med cruises in 2007 and EB PC repo 2008 cruises so the regular ports that DCL goes to do not require anyone to have a passport. I haven't seen anything saying that this is going to change even after the June 1, 2009 date for the US.

All you will need is an official birth certificate and a driver's license.

Western goes to Cozumel....we don't need passports?

 

[Sleepyluke]

The getting on and off with the cruise will not be your problem, as stated before, it will be the getting back in the country if you were somehow left or for medical reasons, you may have a very difficult time getting back in the US. You may be jsut fine, but more likely than not, they will make your life very miserable for a while even if they choose to let you in. But, you are not likely to get your passport back before you go, so go and have a good time and don't worry about it, too late now!!!

And I am not meaning that sarcastically, really i would not give up the passport now for expidited just in case...

 

[kcashner]

Western goes to Cozumel....we don't need passports?

Not at this time.

 

[akl432]

I also called DCL today and they said it wouldn't be a problem. PP, you're right -- passports are not required for the eastern Caribbean cruise.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

I have never understood the policies of must have 3mo or 6mo left on the passport before expiration date. What is that about anyway? I mean what is the point of the expiration date if the TRUE expiration date is really 3mo or 6mo before that? It's stupid IMO.... makes no sense.... brain does not compute why this is. (and it feels like getting ripped off- you know told you have such and such amount of time with each passport but wait- you really don't since you can't really USE it all the way up to the expiration date of the passport)

 

[akl432]

I have never understood the policies of must have 3mo or 6mo left on the passport before expiration date. What is that about anyway? I mean what is the point of the expiration date if the TRUE expiration date is really 3mo or 6mo before that? It's stupid IMO.... makes no sense.... brain does not compute why this is. (and it feels like getting ripped off- you know told you have such and such amount of time with each passport but wait- you really don't since you can't really USE it all the way up to the expiration date of the passport)

I totally agree! That's why it never even occurred to me to renew my passport two months ago (when I booked the cruise). You would think, if a passport says it expires on X date, it expires on X date, not 3-6 months before! Oh well, I'm just glad I'll be able to visit St. Maarten during our cruise, and I will be renewing my passport as soon as I get back! Lesson learned!

 

[Cruise]

I have never understood the policies of must have 3mo or 6mo left on the passport before expiration date. What is that about anyway? I mean what is the point of the expiration date if the TRUE expiration date is really 3mo or 6mo before that? It's stupid IMO.... makes no sense.... brain does not compute why this is. (and it feels like getting ripped off- you know told you have such and such amount of time with each passport but wait- you really don't since you can't really USE it all the way up to the expiration date of the passport)

It's due to the time you'll actually be in the country that you're visiting. Some countries allow visitor visas for 3 to 6 months. They can also sometimes be extended an additional 3-6 months. If they let you enter on a passport that only had 1 month left on it, then you could technically still be in that country when your passport officially expired and, therefore "stuck" there. Basically, they're saying your passport has to have enough time on it to cover the amount of time you're allowed to visit their country. As previously stated though, not all countries have these requirements.

 

[akl432]

Just got back from our cruise. For what it's worth, no one checked our passports at either St. Maarten or St. Thomas. Just needed the room key card to get off the ship.