To Have or Not to Have . . . A Passport!

If the passport laws and changes have confused you, you are not alone. So let me clarify it for you.

If you are cruising in 2007 from a U.S. port city and returning to a U.S. port city, and your cruise includes ports of call in the Western Hemisphere (Canada, Mexico the Caribbean or Bermuda), you do not need a passport in 2007. However, if you are flying outside the country to embark on your cruise or you fly home from a non U.S. port, you do have to have a passport now. Please remember, however, that even if you cruise without a passport in the Western Hemisphere and something occurred which would require you to disembark the ship and fly home from a city outside the U.S. even in the Western Hemisphere, you would NOT be able to fly home without a passport.

The U.S. government has not yet issued a final deadline regarding the travel document deadlines for cruises within the Western Hemisphere in 2008 but you can expect the law to state that you will have to have a passport by spring or summer of 2008.

Regarding air travel inside the Western Hemisphere, which includes Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda they previously stated that effective in 2007, a valid passport would be required. However, the record-breaking demand for passports was just too much for the Passport Agencies to contend with so the law has been amended as follows: 

• From now until September 30, 2007, U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda who have applied for but not yet received passports can temporarily enter and depart the U.S. by air without a passport.
• To do so, a U.S. citizen MUST HAVE a government issued photo ID and Dept. of State official proof of application for their passport.
• Adults who have applied for but not yet received their passports should present the government issued photo ID and an official proof of application from the U.S. Dept of State. Children under the age of 16 years traveling with their parents or legal guardian will be permitted to travel with the child's proof of application as well.
• The Dept of State official proof of passport application can be obtained by going on line to www.travel.state.gov however, the latest post on this site indicates that it is taking up to two weeks just to get the official application receipt. So PLEASE don't think you can apply for your passport today, get a receipt the next day and travel within two to three weeks. It is NOT going to happen.
• Those without the official receipt and the other documentation noted above will in no way be allowed to travel.
• Also, please remember this exemption is only good through September 30. Effective October 1st, you will have to have your passport.
• For any travel outside the Western Hemisphere, the regular passport rules that have always been in existence still apply and you will have to have a passport. This exemption is only for the Western Hemisphere and only until September 30, 2007.

Folks, it goes without saying, the best way and the safest way to travel is with a valid passport. In 2008 you will have to have them to travel anywhere outside of the U.S. and since it is taking months to get them I highly recommend you apply now if you do not have one. They are good for ten years and they will enable you to take advantage of good pricing on many type of travel all over the world. You can download passport applications from my website, www.eaglesnestvacations.com  Just click on "Travel Tools" on the title bar, then "Passports" and follow the instructions.

I would greatly appreciate your comments on this post!

Thanks so much.

Diane

Comments

[Shannon]

We were fortunate that we rec'd our passports in less than 6 weeks when we applied last fall. We took your advice & applied for our daughter's passport as well...although she hasn't traveled out of the country with us yet. We are grateful that we have all of our documents in order for the trips that we are planning in the future.