Passport questions

[rutgers1]

We are doing a 4 day cruise in April on the Dream. It is our first cruise. I had a passport 20 years ago, but no one else in the family has ever had one (wife and two kids). I don't even know how to get a passport anymore.

- What is the standard way to get one?
- How long does it take? (If the trip is in April, what is the latest I should start the paperwork?)

Is there anything else a dope like myself needs to know before he takes his family on their first cruise?

 

[rutgers1]

Another stupid question....What if I can't find my passport from long ago? I think it might have been 15 years ago (not 20 as posted above). Do I have to renew the old one, or do I need to get a new one since it has been so long?

Sorry for all of the questions!

 

[mousejunkie98]

It takes at least 8-10 weeks to get a new passport, slightly less if you're renewing one that is about to expire. They have actually been running even slower than that recently; last summer my husband and I renewed ours that were set to expire this August, and it took 10 weeks from the day I sent the paperwork via Next Day Air, and I paid to have them overnight them back to me so mailing time was not a factor. My sister's application, her first, took 13 weeks. So, unless you plan to pay for expedited services, you need to get your paperwork in ASAP! You could get lucky and get it in as little as 6 weeks, but really there is no way to know. You can monitor via a tracking number they give you, and there is a number to call if you're getting close to your departure date.

You'll need to download the paperwork or pick it up from your local post office. You fill out the forms and send them in with an OFFICIAL copy of your birth certificate and 2 official passport photos (you can get these done at the post office, a Costco or Sam's Club, some photo processing places). At the post office they'll have you swear an oath that what you're submitting is truthful, and they'll stamp it and submit it. I would recommend paying to send the application to the passport office via Priority Mail and also paying to have your passport sent back to you via the same method. It cuts the mailing times out of the process. You'll also pay the fees at the post office.

Good luck!

 

[SweetSpot]

We are doing a 4 day cruise in April on the Dream. It is our first cruise. I had a passport 20 years ago, but no one else in the family has ever had one (wife and two kids). I don't even know how to get a passport anymore.

- What is the standard way to get one?
- How long does it take? (If the trip is in April, what is the latest I should start the paperwork?)

Is there anything else a dope like myself needs to know before he takes his family on their first cruise?

There is no need to panic if you don't have enough time to get them before the cruise. You can still cruise on DCL without a passport. You need a birth certificate and photo idea. It is always better to have a passport in case of emergency but it isn't mandatory.

 

[sayhello]

Check out this link:

http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

It has all the info you need, links to forms, etc.

Personally, if you're going to get the passports, I'd start the process now. Because if you apply , and don't get them in time for your cruise, they'll also have your birth certificates, which you could have used to get on the cruise.

Sayhello

 

[Plaid Princess]

Another stupid question....What if I can't find my passport from long ago? I think it might have been 15 years ago (not 20 as posted above). Do I have to renew the old one, or do I need to get a new one since it has been so long?

Sorry for all of the questions!

Same thing happened to me... when you go to the passport website, there is actually an option for this. Basically, you are applying for a new passport, but letting the passport office know about your old one.

The whole process took about 2 months.

 

[sayhello]

Another stupid question....What if I can't find my passport from long ago? I think it might have been 15 years ago (not 20 as posted above). Do I have to renew the old one, or do I need to get a new one since it has been so long?

Sorry for all of the questions!

You need the old passport to renew. If your passport is lost, it's basically the same procedure as getting a new one. If it's been over 15 years, it's the same as getting a new one, also. So it sounds like you're all going to have to go through the new passport procedures, if you decide to get them.

Sayhello

 

[kcashner]

There is no need to panic if you don't have enough time to get them before the cruise. You can still cruise on DCL without a passport. You need a birth certificate and photo idea. It is always better to have a passport in case of emergency but it isn't mandatory.

Yes--you can do this but it must be a CERTIFIED birth certificate and a GOVERNMENT ISSUED photo ID (like driver's license, military ID, etc).

 

[goofy4tink]

If you have to get your birth certificate, or anyone else's, I would recommend getting duplicate birth certs for each person. That way you'll have one in hand if your passport gets delayed. Sure, you have to pay twice as much for two birth certs for each person but it's nice to have a couple of usable, certified ones on hand.

 

[MTmomma]

We were very lucky with our passport turn around time. We sent our paperwork in Oct 29th, and had our passports in our mailboxes on Nov 13th. We did not pay extra for expedited either.
It looks like you will just be doing a brand new passport application for each of you.

 

[AmandaRG]

We had a month turnaround time in Oct/Nov. and that included having to resend a check due to being asked for the wrong amount at the post office (so I would suggest knowing the required amount in advance by looking at the fee charts).

The post office can do your passport photo, but it is cheaper to go to Walgreens and even though we had appointments at the PO to get our photos taken, they had run out of the required paper and had to send us elsewhere to get it done. We didn't have the best experience, but I'm glad we have them!

 

[talie]

Our whole family just got passports on Tuesday. The turn around time is 4-6 weeks. The postman said that they had been running pretty consistently around 4 weeks. That being said I'd do it sooner rather than later.

 

[tvguy]

Also, both parents need to be present for a child to get a passport......although I believe there is a form that an absent parent can sign that has to be notorized to get around that. For us it was just easier to get both of us there than run around getting the form notorized.

 

[triciari]

If we don't have passports - but do have certified birth certificates and photo driver's licenses, can we get off the ship in the Bahamas?

 

[clc053103]

Also, both parents need to be present for a child to get a passport......although I believe there is a form that an absent parent can sign that has to be notorized to get around that. For us it was just easier to get both of us there than run around getting the form notorized.

FYI I learned the hard way,if you have the other parent complete the form and have it notarized, you also need a copy of the front AND back of their drivers license to apply for the passport.

 

[mnrhannah07]

I know you dont NEED a passport for the bahamas cruise, but do we need one for our western Caribbean cruise? We do have passport cards

 

[sayhello]

If we don't have passports - but do have certified birth certificates and photo driver's licenses, can we get off the ship in the Bahamas?

I know you dont NEED a passport for the bahamas cruise, but do we need one for our western Caribbean cruise? We do have passport cards

I'm assuming that you both are doing closed-loop cruises (sailing in and out of the same US port). If that is the case, then all you need is a certified birth certificate, and a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license. A passport card is also fine for either the Bahamas or the Caribbean, as long as it's a closed-loop cruise.

Sayhello

 

[triciari]

I'm assuming that you both are doing closed-loop cruises (sailing in and out of the same US port). If that is the case, then all you need is a certified birth certificate, and a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license. A passport card is also fine for either the Bahamas or the Caribbean, as long as it's a closed-loop cruise.

Sayhello

Awesome news! And can we get off the ship in the Bahamas? (I'm sure my husband will want to hit the casino!)

 

[Debers17]

Awesome news! And can we get off the ship in the Bahamas? (I'm sure my husband will want to hit the casino!)

Yes you can get off the ship, however even though your passport is not required, should an emergency occur in the Bahamas and someone in your party needed to be flown back to the US, you would not be able to do so without a passport. We always pray for the best of circumstances, but as we are traveling with children, God forbid something happens to one of us, we would rather fly into the US then be stuck in a foreign hospital. Just some food for thought.

 

[triciari]

We definitely will get our passports for our october trip, but I've just been watching the February cruises and thinking, well, maybe...