I’m an idiot. Don’t be like me.

[harleyquinn]

We sail out on our first cruise on June 25. We booked about 10 weeks before departure and decided to roll the dice and see if we can get passports before that. I didn’t realize that we had to mail in our birth certificates with the applications. Fast forward to today, 5 days until the 30 day mark, and I realize that we don’t have our birth certificates, the government does!

So I just bought copies from our state, which will be here in 3 weeks. (Yes, cutting that close too) Hopefully I will still be able to check in with photos of the copies (not certified, just normal copies) of our birth certificates, otherwise, I guess we’re getting a very late PAT.

Don‘t let this be you!

 

[HerRoyalHighness]

We sail out on our first cruise on June 25. We booked about 10 weeks before departure and decided to roll the dice and see if we can get passports before that. I didn’t realize that we had to mail in our birth certificates with the applications. Fast forward to today, 5 days until the 30 day mark, and I realize that we don’t have our birth certificates, the government does!

So I just bought copies from our state, which will be here in 3 weeks. (Yes, cutting that close too) Hopefully I will still be able to check in with photos of the copies (not certified, just normal copies) of our birth certificates, otherwise, I guess we’re getting a very late PAT.

Don‘t let this be you!

You should be able to go in person and get official sealed certificates

 

[harleyquinn]

Yes, we should, but we don’t have time this next week to do so I ordered them online. But if it comes down to the wire, we’re prepared to do that. I’m mostly annoyed that I completely didn’t think about needing them once I sent them off for the passports, knowing that there was a very good chance that we won’t get our passports before the cruise.

Watch our copies and new passports will come right after we leave.
At least I have the Covid testing planned!

 

[Dug720]

You should be able to go in person and get official sealed certificates

Assuming you live in the state where you were born. Not everyone does.

 

[EilonwyWanderer]

Oh I can one up that one--ordered brand new passports for the entire family months before our first cruise! Put them in a safe place.

Morning of traveling for the cruise thought they were in the suitcases. Nope. Tore the house apart. Could not find them. Confirmed with DCL all we needed was birth certificates. Find everyone but mine. Had to go down to city hall and pay to get one. Nearly missed our flights.

Got back home passports still missing. Called and reported them missing after another couple of months.

Two months after reporting them missing we are going on another trip. Husband pulls a duffel bag out of the closet and guess what.

Passports were there. Had to pay to get all brand new ones. It was the worst.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

My daughter and I needed passports for our first Disney cruise (before Covid). Sent in all information and then mine came back denied. Turns out I didn't have, or ever had, an "official" birth certificate. I used what I thought was my birth certificate for 30 plus years, even when I got married out of state in FL at WDW. Thankfully I was able to get it all in order thanks to my sister. I lived 3000 miles away from where I was born so she was able to get me my birth certificate.

 

[harleyquinn]

My daughter and I needed passports for our first Disney cruise (before Covid). Sent in all information and then mine came back denied. Turns out I didn't have, or ever had, an "official" birth certificate. I used what I thought was my birth certificate for 30 plus years, even when I got married out of state in FL at WDW. Thankfully I was able to get it all in order thanks to my sister. I lived 3000 miles away from where I was born so she was able to get me my birth certificate.

Oh boy! Thank goodness for your sister!

Oh I can one up that one--ordered brand new passports for the entire family months before our first cruise! Put them in a safe place.

Morning of traveling for the cruise thought they were in the suitcases. Nope. Tore the house apart. Could not find them. Confirmed with DCL all we needed was birth certificates. Find everyone but mine. Had to go down to city hall and pay to get one. Nearly missed our flights.

Got back home passports still missing. Called and reported them missing after another couple of months.

Two months after reporting them missing we are going on another trip. Husband pulls a duffel bag out of the closet and guess what.

Passports were there. Had to pay to get all brand new ones. It was the worst.

Thank you for making me feel better. I’ve learned the hard way to put my husband in charge of important documents!

 

[mousefan73]

Hope You guys to realize that having birth certificates for application is not the issue but the fact that it can take many many months to even get your passport application through. People have been waiting fir almost and paying express or a third party is no guarantee

 

[Jillpie]

I'd like to try and make you feel better. We applied for passport renewals mid May. I anticipated not getting them for about 10 weeks. We got our new passports 3 weeks later!! So you may get them quicker than you think. Also, you can get an update by googling "Passport status". Put your info in, and they'll update your status. Good luck!

 

[nancipants]

My daughter and I needed passports for our first Disney cruise (before Covid). Sent in all information and then mine came back denied. Turns out I didn't have, or ever had, an "official" birth certificate. I used what I thought was my birth certificate for 30 plus years, even when I got married out of state in FL at WDW. Thankfully I was able to get it all in order thanks to my sister. I lived 3000 miles away from where I was born so she was able to get me my birth certificate.

My mom is turning 75 in September and we are taking her on her first Disney cruise in August. She’s been on a cruise before when she was in her 20s and did an Atlantic crossing and sailed around Italy, but never went out of the country since then. I applied for a new passport for her (since of course she didn’t have her old one) in November, and got a letter in January saying her birth certificate didn’t meet requirements. Of course, the letter didn’t say WHY, just a list of reasons that might be possible. I’m assuming it wasn’t certified. And of course, I didn’t think to have her make a copy to keep at home while the passport application processed. I ordered a new birth certificate for her from NY (we live in FL), thinking we’d have plenty of time. She just got it LAST WEEK. Almost four months. I was so relieved when it finally shipped. I had her make several copies so we can use that for the cruise if necessary, but I’m going to send in the certified BC to see if she’ll get the passport in time. SO glad I started the process early or we would have been screwed for the cruise!

 

[Cheburashka]

I hope it all works out for you. It probably will. This thread is a good heads up about documentation. It's a good idea to always have passports handy, even if you don't have immediate trip plans. They're good for 10 years for adults and 5 for kids, so it's worth the expense imo. It also serves as valid government identification for any purpose, such as proving citizenship when getting a job, or just flying domestically, etc. And then because you all have it, you're free to travel abroad if a last-minute opportunity opens up.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

My mom is turning 75 in September and we are taking her on her first Disney cruise in August. She’s been on a cruise before when she was in her 20s and did an Atlantic crossing and sailed around Italy, but never went out of the country since then. I applied for a new passport for her (since of course she didn’t have her old one) in November, and got a letter in January saying her birth certificate didn’t meet requirements. Of course, the letter didn’t say WHY, just a list of reasons that might be possible. I’m assuming it wasn’t certified. And of course, I didn’t think to have her make a copy to keep at home while the passport application processed. I ordered a new birth certificate for her from NY (we live in FL), thinking we’d have plenty of time. She just got it LAST WEEK. Almost four months. I was so relieved when it finally shipped. I had her make several copies so we can use that for the cruise if necessary, but I’m going to send in the certified BC to see if she’ll get the passport in time. SO glad I started the process early or we would have been screwed for the cruise!

MY birth certificate turned out to be the certificate/document from the hospital when/where I was born. My Mom never went to the county to get an official birth certificate, she thought that it what the hospital gave her. Same for my older sister, though she found out years before me and my cruise that it wasn't a "real" birth certificate when she got married. But she never told me about it so I never knew. I got married after her, in 2001 in October (right after 9/11) in FL at WDW and used my "not real birth certificate" for my marriage license without any problem. My sister, who married in NJ, couldn't get her marriage license with the birth certificate she had.

 

[nancipants]

MY birth certificate turned out to be the certificate/document from the hospital when/where I was born. My Mom never went to the county to get an official birth certificate, she thought that it what the hospital gave her. Same for my older sister, though she found out years before me and my cruise that it wasn't a "real" birth certificate when she got married. But she never told me about it so I never knew. I got married after her, in 2001 in October (right after 9/11) in FL at WDW and used my "not real birth certificate" for my marriage license without any problem. My sister, who married in NJ, couldn't get her marriage license with the birth certificate she had.

I’m very eager to get her original BC back to see because I bet it was the one from the hospital, too. I’m assuming mine is from the county because I got a passport and marriage license (twice) without any problems. But now I want to go check!

Sort of related, my friend found out that her mother never changed her name with social security when she got married 50 some odd years ago. LOL.

 

[shh]

I’m mostly annoyed that I completely didn’t think about needing them once I sent them off for the passports, knowing that there was a very good chance that we won’t get our passports before the cruise.

Don't be too hard on yourself. Life is so darn complicated these days - thousands of details and deadlines to remember, track, deal with: computer issues, insurance, housing challenges, financial, health/medical, job related, kid/school related - oh yeah - and a friggin' pandemic with all that entailed the past two years.

It's so easy to forget an "obvious" detail when we're all just FRIED...plain and simple. There are days I feel so tired - and a few obvious things I've forgotten or didn't think of that I get annoyed at myself for later.

 

[Micca]

Got back home passports still missing. Called and reported them missing after another couple of months.

Two months after reporting them missing we are going on another trip. Husband pulls a duffel bag out of the closet and guess what.

We have this problem with Christmas gifts, stash them in a "safe" place and then forget where we put them when it comes time to wrap. Not as critical as passports, but still stressful enough.

 

[EilonwyWanderer]

We have this problem with Christmas gifts, stash them in a "safe" place and then forget where we put them when it comes time to wrap. Not as critical as passports, but still stressful enough.

In this case the disconnect was I told my husband to "put them in the suitcase" meaning the big suitcase we always travel with and somehow in his mind that translated to "that matching duffel bag in the back of the closet that we never bring anywhere which is why it's in the back of the closet"

 

[erionm]

You also need to be aware that the birth certificates will be sent back separately from the new passports.

 

[Akck]

On a couple of side notes, it’s worthwhile to get at least 2 certified birth certificates at least for your kids. That way, you can give them one when they grow up and have a backup when they misplace it. On a more somber note, you need to get multiple certified copies of a death certificate. Many places that you need to send them to (insurance, investments, banks, etc.), will keep them for their permanent records.

 

[TestingH2O]

On a couple of side notes, it’s worthwhile to get at least 2 certified birth certificates at least for your kids. That way, you can give them one when they grow up and have a backup when they misplace it.

Or you aren't in an emergency situation when your dog takes the stack of paperwork you have laid out for the trip to the passport office and eats the BC.

 

[RJake1]

Be aware that in many States its illegal (i.e., a crime) to photocopy a birth certificate.