How to get replacement passports for my parents?
February 20, 2011 12:31 PM Subscribe
How to help my parents get new copies of their passports so they can re-enter the US at the end of a Caribbean cruise?
Parents lost passports en route to Caribbean cruise (it may have been on the way to the airport, it's unknown when they lost them). They have a police report from Ft Lauderdale police and Xeroxed copies of their passport, so the cruise folks let them on the ship. The cruise departed from Ft Lauderdale earlier today.
However, I'm worried that US customs won't let them re-enter into the US at the end of the cruise (arriving at Ft Lauderdale) after visiting non-US ports like St Thomas and St Maarten. I have already told them not to leave the ship at those ports as a precaution.
Is there anything I can do stateside to procure replacement passports while they are on the cruise before it concludes a week from today, 2/27? Has this happened to anyone while they were on a cruise? How did you get back into the country?
Parents lost passports en route to Caribbean cruise (it may have been on the way to the airport, it's unknown when they lost them). They have a police report from Ft Lauderdale police and Xeroxed copies of their passport, so the cruise folks let them on the ship. The cruise departed from Ft Lauderdale earlier today.
However, I'm worried that US customs won't let them re-enter into the US at the end of the cruise (arriving at Ft Lauderdale) after visiting non-US ports like St Thomas and St Maarten. I have already told them not to leave the ship at those ports as a precaution.
Is there anything I can do stateside to procure replacement passports while they are on the cruise before it concludes a week from today, 2/27? Has this happened to anyone while they were on a cruise? How did you get back into the country?
Have they spoken to the help desk on the cruise itself?
...I don't remember anyone actually checking my passport after a Caribbean cruise. I think I filled out paperwork that had my passport number on it, but no one asked for the passport itself.
posted by galadriel at 12:46 PM on February 20, 2011
...I don't remember anyone actually checking my passport after a Caribbean cruise. I think I filled out paperwork that had my passport number on it, but no one asked for the passport itself.
posted by galadriel at 12:46 PM on February 20, 2011
They need to contact an embassy or consulate.
Of particular note:
Of particular note:
If you are notified by a relative or friend that their U.S. passport has been lost/stolen, you may wish to contact Overseas Citizens Services , (202) 647-5225 at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. providing as much information about possible about the person's who needs passport services abroad. This will assist us in trying to verify the person's previous passport, clearing the person's name through the Department Passport Name Check System, and relaying this information to the U.S. embassy or consulate. Your relative/friend must apply for a new passport at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.posted by SMPA at 12:49 PM on February 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Here is emergency contact information for the US Embassy in the Caribbeans.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:49 PM on February 20, 2011
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:49 PM on February 20, 2011
Just a note: St. Thomas is part of the U.S. Virgin Islands. They do not need a passport for entry there, just a valid photo ID.
posted by SisterHavana at 12:50 PM on February 20, 2011
posted by SisterHavana at 12:50 PM on February 20, 2011
The WHTI passport requirement for land and sea ports of entry is relatively new. At the land crossings, they still let people in w/o a passport. Another form of ID like a driver's license and you get asked a few more questions to help prove your right to reenter the US. The copy of the passport will help the CBP punch up your parent's info and be allowed to pass quickly provided there's no warrants or they're not on some terrorist watch list. They would have the same hold up if they had the actual passports.
posted by birdherder at 12:59 PM on February 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by birdherder at 12:59 PM on February 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
My mother accidentally checked her passport in her checked luggage at the end of a cruise, and the Americans let her back in the country (despite not being American) at the end of the cruise. They looked at her driver's license, asked her several testy questions and let her come in.
If they've got copies of their passports, as well as other ID, I wouldn't worry about it overly much.
posted by jacquilynne at 12:59 PM on February 20, 2011
If they've got copies of their passports, as well as other ID, I wouldn't worry about it overly much.
posted by jacquilynne at 12:59 PM on February 20, 2011
SMPA has the right idea: call State, and they'll have procedures in place.
St Thomas is part of a U.S. territory, so passports aren't required if that's the first port of call; there's a passport office in St Thomas that might (or might not) be equipped to issue emergency documents. Sint Maartan's consular services are run out of Curaçao, which makes things trickier.
posted by holgate at 1:02 PM on February 20, 2011
St Thomas is part of a U.S. territory, so passports aren't required if that's the first port of call; there's a passport office in St Thomas that might (or might not) be equipped to issue emergency documents. Sint Maartan's consular services are run out of Curaçao, which makes things trickier.
posted by holgate at 1:02 PM on February 20, 2011
On the cruise to Cozumel and Belize I never took my passport out of my cabin. All I needed to leave/board the ship was my ship ID card and a driver's license.
posted by sbutler at 1:53 PM on February 20, 2011
posted by sbutler at 1:53 PM on February 20, 2011
I'm guessing the cruise comapnies deal with this pretty often. They should go to the customer service desk ASAP for help and see what they say. BTW--getting on a cruise ship in Caribbean ports usually only entails showing your key card and any sort of ID.
posted by MsKim at 3:13 PM on February 20, 2011
posted by MsKim at 3:13 PM on February 20, 2011
Anecdotally, someone I know left his passport in the cab on the way to the cruise ship. He was allowed to get off the ship in St. Thomas because it is located in a U.S. territory, but not at any of the other ports of call. It certainly made for a disappointing "cruise to the British Virgin Islands", but he didn't have trouble getting back into the country.
posted by easy, lucky, free at 5:30 PM on February 20, 2011
posted by easy, lucky, free at 5:30 PM on February 20, 2011
Is there anything I can do stateside to procure replacement passports while they are on the cruise before it concludes a week from today, 2/27?
The super short and entire answer to this question is "No." On to the bigger issue of what your parents can do.
travel.state.gov is your friend. Here's the specific page for Lost or Stolen Passports:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/lost/lost_848.html
Which lists two ways to report a lost/stolen passport:
1. By phone. 1-877-487-2778 This is only open certain times, and not again until this Tuesday.
2. By form. The DS-64 can be submitted at an Acceptance Facility (which don't exist outside of the US) in conjunction with a request for a new passport, or mailed separately to the address on the linked page. One important thing here is that as soon as they officially report their passports as lost/stolen, those passports will be no good at all. So if they turn up somewhere along the way and your 'rents have already called them in, they'll be utterly useless (and maybe even a hindrance at that point).
Sadly, neither of those options are really viable for US citizen travelers who are already overseas.
Your parents' best recourse is, like mentioned above, to contact the cruise help desk and look into visiting the nearest US Embassy. They may be able to arrange emergency/temp passports there, as well as reliably report their current passports as lost/stolen.
Like others have mentioned above, the WHTI is a relatively recent thing that covers land and sea travel in the western hemisphere (including the Caribbean). It's not as restrictive as full-on international travel.
posted by carsonb at 5:32 PM on February 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
The super short and entire answer to this question is "No." On to the bigger issue of what your parents can do.
travel.state.gov is your friend. Here's the specific page for Lost or Stolen Passports:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/lost/lost_848.html
Which lists two ways to report a lost/stolen passport:
1. By phone. 1-877-487-2778 This is only open certain times, and not again until this Tuesday.
2. By form. The DS-64 can be submitted at an Acceptance Facility (which don't exist outside of the US) in conjunction with a request for a new passport, or mailed separately to the address on the linked page. One important thing here is that as soon as they officially report their passports as lost/stolen, those passports will be no good at all. So if they turn up somewhere along the way and your 'rents have already called them in, they'll be utterly useless (and maybe even a hindrance at that point).
Sadly, neither of those options are really viable for US citizen travelers who are already overseas.
Your parents' best recourse is, like mentioned above, to contact the cruise help desk and look into visiting the nearest US Embassy. They may be able to arrange emergency/temp passports there, as well as reliably report their current passports as lost/stolen.
Like others have mentioned above, the WHTI is a relatively recent thing that covers land and sea travel in the western hemisphere (including the Caribbean). It's not as restrictive as full-on international travel.
posted by carsonb at 5:32 PM on February 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
If they are US citizens, for a round-trip ("closed loop") cruise that only goes to the Western Hemisphere, they are not actually required to have a passport. They just need government-issued photo ID and proof of citizenship (US birth certificate, or certificate of naturalization).
(Selfish self-link article here. US Customs and Border patrol link here.)
If they don't have the necessary documents with them, you could potentially arrange to have them sent via FedEx or DHL to one of the cruise's upcoming ports. If you're going down this route, I'd strongly recommend coordinating with the cruise line. They don't want hassles with US CBP either, so they have incentive to help. That would take the form of connecting you with their local "port agent" (contractors they have in every port). I'd aim for St. Thomas rather than other ports because (a) it's a pretty big, developed port and (b) your parents' cell phones will almost certainly have coverage at normal US rates.
One last piece of advice: they need to be very, very careful to be back at the ship extra early. If they're late and the ship sails without them, they will be stuck on whatever island they're at until they can get an emergency passport issued.
posted by CruiseSavvy at 9:22 PM on February 20, 2011
(Selfish self-link article here. US Customs and Border patrol link here.)
If they don't have the necessary documents with them, you could potentially arrange to have them sent via FedEx or DHL to one of the cruise's upcoming ports. If you're going down this route, I'd strongly recommend coordinating with the cruise line. They don't want hassles with US CBP either, so they have incentive to help. That would take the form of connecting you with their local "port agent" (contractors they have in every port). I'd aim for St. Thomas rather than other ports because (a) it's a pretty big, developed port and (b) your parents' cell phones will almost certainly have coverage at normal US rates.
One last piece of advice: they need to be very, very careful to be back at the ship extra early. If they're late and the ship sails without them, they will be stuck on whatever island they're at until they can get an emergency passport issued.
posted by CruiseSavvy at 9:22 PM on February 20, 2011
Seconding trying to do everything at St. Thomas. My boss was just there; he was able to do everything he wanted, including accessing our enterprise server with his BlackBerry without incurring additional charges.
posted by SMPA at 3:24 AM on February 22, 2011
posted by SMPA at 3:24 AM on February 22, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:38 PM on February 20, 2011