Expedited Passports

If you’re going on a cruise, you’ll have a much better time if you have everything you need with you when you get on the boat. It can be tough to remember everything you need to pack. This packing list will help you get started:

• Clothes: Mostly light, summer stuff, but also include some comfortable warmer clothes as well. Additionally, most cruise ships don’t allow jeans and T-shirts in the dining cabin for dinner, so bring appropriate clothing for that. Bring at least one (preferably 2) formal outfits for the formal dinner nights.
• Sunscreen: SPF 15 or higher
• Aloe vera or other sunburn treatment
• Sunglasses
• Personal care necessities, like your toothbrush, hairbrush and toiletries.
• Swimwear
• Medical insurance information
• Travel insurance information, if applicable
• Tickets and other documentation related to the cruise
• Airline ticket information and hotel confirmations, if applicable
• Your camera
• Basic medical stuff, like ibuprofen or acetaminophen, band-aids, antibiotic ointment, antacids and anti-diarrheal medication
• Dramamine or other medication for motion sickness
• Insect repellant
• Money belt or pouch to keep your money protected during shore excursions
• Stuff to read and/or listen to

If you’ll be leaving the country on your cruise, there’s one item that should be on the top of your list: Your US passport. Passports are required unless you are traveling to Mexico, the Caribbean or Canada on a closed-loop cruise, one that begins and ends at the same US port. For a closed-loop cruise to one of these regions, you can get by with a driver’s license and a birth certificate (or other form of US citizenship.)

However, even for closed-loop cruises, it’s still a good idea to bring your US passport with you.  You need a passport to fly anywhere outside of the US, so having your passport with you will make it much easier to get home in a hurry if you have an emergency of some sort. Also, if you don’t make it back to the boat on time during a shore excursion, if you have your passport you can fly to the next port and catch up with it. Finally, some cruise lines may require you to bring a passport even for closed-loop cruises, so call and ask if you have any questions.

If you need a US passport in a hurry, we can help. RushMyPassport can deliver your application directly to the Department of State, for processing times as fast as 24 hours!

Apply for your US passport today!

Something old? Check.  Something new? Check. Something borrowed? Check. Valid passport? Hey,wait a minute…

These days, cruise ship weddings are replacing more expensive destination weddings as the ceremony of choice for budget-conscious couples who love to travel. The NileGuidance blog reports that the number of couples getting married on a cruise ship has risen by 60% in the past decade.  Cruise ship weddings are quite affordable, even if you don’t have a lot of money to spend-Carnival Cruise’s basic ceremony costs $1,195, and for an additional $600, you get a reception with your family and friends before the boat sails. Just make sure nobody tries to stow away in your cabin!

According to SmartMoney.com, the average wedding in the US costs between $21,000 and $24,000, making the cost of a cruise ship wedding seem downright frugal in comparison. Plus, you don’t have to worry about planning your honeymoon-just sail off into the sunset once you’ve said your vows.

If you’re sailing out of the country, one must-have cruise ship wedding accessory is a US passport. Since June of 2009, a passport has been required to cross the border into Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean by land or sea. Technically, you can get by with just a driver’s license and birth certificate if you are sailing to one of those three regions and your cruise begins and ends at the same US port.  However, passports are required for all international air travel, so you’re much better off if you have one with you just in case something comes up during the cruise and you have to fly back.

Applying for a passport usually takes approximately 6 weeks for regular service and three weeks for the government’s expedited service. You can get an expedited passport more quickly bu using a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com.  We provide detailed, clear instructions to help you complete your expedited passport application; and then we hand-deliver it to the US Department of State.  With our service, your expedited passport could be on its way back to you in as little as 24 hours!

Apply for your expedited passport today!

Cruises have become an increasingly popular way to travel.  In fact, per Wikipedia, the American cruise industry has added nine cruise ships each year since 2001. In 2010, over $18 million American passengers are expected to spend $27 billion on cruising.

One reason that cruises are so popular is that booking a cruise can seem much less daunting than planning a similar vacation on your own.  However, you do need make sure that you have all the necessary travel documents for your cruise, or you may find yourself watching forlornly as your ship leaves port without you.

Do you need a passport to go on a cruise? That depends on where you are going.  If your boat only stops at US ports, then no passport is necessary.  If you are cruising outside of the Western Hemisphere, you definitely need a passport.

However, if you are cruising from the US to Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean, the rules are a little more complicated.

The final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which became law on June 1, 2009, requires American citizens traveling to Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean by land or by sea to present one of the following documents to re-enter the country:

• A US passport book
• A US passport card (Note: Unlike the US passport book, the US passport card is not valid for air travel)
• A NEXUS, SENTRI, or FAST card
• An enhanced driver’s license (only available in certain states)

However, there are a few exceptions to the passport requirement for cruises in the Western Hemisphere:

• US citizens on a closed-loop cruise, one that begins and ends at the same US port, can use a driver’s license or government-issued ID card and a birth certificate, certificate of naturalization or certificate of citizenship.
• Children under the age of 16 traveling by land or sea can use their birth certificates, as can children under the age of 19 if they are under adult supervision and are traveling with an organization such as a school group, church group, volunteer organization or sports team. (more…)

All Larry and Gladys Williams wanted was to go on a cruise to Alaska. However, their dream was denied when they showed up  at port in Seattle without passports, according to the Dallas Morning News. Larry Williams had assumed that passports weren’t necessary for the journey, since the cruise began in Seattle and ended in Alaska.

However, the ship wasn’t sailing straight from Seattle to Alaska-there was also a stop at a Canadian port.   The final part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, a new law that went into effect on June 1, 2009, requires Americans traveling from the US to Canada (or Mexico, or the Caribbean)  to carry their passports.

Since they didn’t have the appropriate documentation, the couple was sent home.  They planned to try again this year, but the US Department of State required additional documentation when Gladys wasn’t able to present an acceptable birth certificate.  She finally has a new passport now, and they plan to set sail next year!

The moral of the story? Apply for a passport as soon as possible.  As Gladys told the Dallas Morning News, “You just never know what kind of problem you may run into. I should have done this years ago.”

If you need a new passport, an expediting company like RushMyPassport.com can assist you with the application process. You’ll work with a professional passport specialist and get detailed instructions to help you navigate the application process. Plus, we’ll forward your application by hand to the Department of State, resulting in processing times as short as 24 hours.

Apply for your new passport with RushMyPassport.com today!

According to this article in the Miami Herald, now is the time to score great deals on transatlantic cruises. In the fall, cruise lines move their ships from the soon-to-be chilly waters off the coast of Europe to the always-sunny waters off the Caribbean. That means that you can save big-the Miami Herald article says that many cruise lines are offering cabins for as low as $100 per night!

What can you expect on a transatlantic cruise? Well, the weather may not always be perfect, and you’ll spend several days in a row on the boat as the ship crosses the Atlantic Ocean. However, most cruise lines add ports of call to the beginning AND the end of the trip-so if you can’t decide between a European cruise or a Caribbean cruise, you can get the best of both worlds!

Of course, to take advantage of these great deals, you will need a passport.  Most of the cruises take place in October and November, so remember to apply well in advance of your sailing date to ensure you have your passport in hand.

Currently, if you apply directly through the passport office, you can expect to wait at least 6 weeks for your passport to arrive. If you apply for the government’s expedited service, you can expect to wait at least 3 weeks.  That doesn’t allow as much spare time as it might seem-if you haven’t crossed all your t’s and dotted all your i’s on your passport application, it could be rejected and you would have to apply again.

The best way to ensure that you have your passport on time is to apply for an express passport private passport expediting service. An expediting service will help you with the paperwork to make sure you don’t make any mistakes, greatly improving the chances that your passport application will be processed the first time.

You’ll get your passport more quickly, too. Expediting companies offer express passport processing times that can be as quick as 24 hours.

Don’t let the ship sail without you-order your express passport today!

A cruise is a wonderful way to relax…there’s lots of food, lots of drinks and a chance to stop at a variety of interesting and cool destinations while you work on a killer suntan. What could be more luxurious than that?

This summer and fall, luxury doesn’t have to cost that much. The slow tourist season has led cruise lines to slash their prices and hold some incredible sales. For example, check out these cruise deals posted on the New York Times.  A 12-day cruise from Lisbon to Miami is only $2,655, while an 11-day cruise from Costa Rica to Miami is only $2,831.  These rates are for deluxe staterooms, and you get a credit of up to $1,000 to spend onboard. Nice!

The sale ends tomorrow, though, so you’d better book quickly! Also, to make sure that you allow enough time before your cruise to apply for a passport or renew a passport if necessary. Currently, it takes at least 6 weeks to get a passport if you apply with normal processing. Even applying for expedited service directly from the government can take almost a month or more.

Fortunately, there is an easy way to get a fast passport. If you apply for your passport using a private expediting company, you’ll benefit from personal attention from trained passport professionals. They can really help make it easier to get through the application paperwork.  They also specialize in fast passport processing, delivering your application directly to the State Department so that it can be processed in as little as 24 hours!

Don’t miss the boat-apply for a fast passport today!

Do you have a wedding in your near future? Congratulations! Have you started planning your honeymoon yet? Many couples want to start their new life together by going somewhere new and exotic. However, the inevitable hassles involved in international travel can be stressful for newlyweds….or anyone else for that matter!

After all the stress involved in planning a wedding, you and your new spouse will probably want to relax. A honeymoon cruise may be just what the doctor ordered-you still get to go somewhere new and exciting, but the cruise line takes care of all the logistics for you.  Cruises are also a cheaper way to travel outside of the country, especially right now, when there are so many sales going on.

Destinations For Leisure has a post with some great recommendations for couples planning a honeymoon cruise. First, make sure to look for cruises that offer complimentary services to honeymooners. Also, if you’ve never been on a cruise before, choose a short cruise with a lot of time in port-nothing ruins a honeymoon like seasickness!

When you plan a honeymoon cruise, you also need to make arrangements for obtaining a passport if the cruise will take you outside of the US. Starting June 1st,2009, land and sea travelers to Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean will need passports to reenter the US in many cases.

Obtaining a passport involves filling out the appropriate application forms, submitting proof of identification and proof of citizenship, and paying the appropriate government fees. Fees vary depending on whether you are applying for a new passport or a renewal-you can view current fees here.

Obtaining a passport does take some time-at least 2 to 3 months for the government’s regular service, and at least 3 weeks for their expedited service. To ensure your honeymoon goes smoothly, use a private passport expediting company if you are short on time. An expediting company can have your passport application processed in as little as 24 hours, depending on how fast you need it.

International cruise coming up? Visit our website and find out just how easy obtaining a passport can be!

Still trying to come up with ideas for Mother’s Day? Cruises have become surprisingly affordable-why not pitch in with your siblings and get her a cruise? For example, the Travel Deals blog has a link to some great deals on Caribbean cruises, starting as low as $179!

Remember, though, that travel requirements for cruises to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean are changing.  Currently, travelers on cruises to these regions can use photo ID and proof of citizenship, like a birth certificate, to re-enter the United States. However, starting June 1st, 2009, passports will be required for adults on cruises to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean, unless the cruises begin and end at the same US port.

If you’re purchasing a cruise for Mom this year, make sure to check with the cruise line to see if passports will be required. If your mother doesn’t have a passport, you can help her apply for an expedited passport if she needs one. Since most of the cruises that are on sale leave within the next month or so, the best way to make sure Mom has her passport in time is to use a private passport expediting service. Although the US Department of State offers expedited service, their expedited service currently takes at least 3 weeks door-to-door.  An expediting company can have her expedited passport application processed in as little as 24 hours, so she won’t have to worry about being left in port.

Order an expedited passport today, and get ready to enjoy life on the high seas!

Are you trying to decide what to do when the kids get out of school for summer vacation? Here’s a surprisingly cheap idea: take the family on  a cruise! B-Net.com has a post up that describes the deep discounts the cruise industry is offering to keep itself afloat.  According to the post, some cruises are even cheaper than staying in a nice hotel!

Of course, if you have little ones, you’ll want to make sure they have fun, too.  Royal Caribbean is offering family-friendly Nickelodeon-themed cruises over the summer. So, adults get all the luxuries of life at sea, and kids get green slime and their favorite Nickelodeon characters. Everyone wins!

If you decide to take the family on a cruise, remember that you may need passports. Currently, only air passengers need US passports to enter the country from Mexico or the Caribbean. However, on June 1st, 2009, the rules change and getting a passport will become a necessity for land and sea passengers as well.  (more…)

UPDATE: Passport requirements for many cruises have changed . Please see this article for updated information.

Are you considering taking off on a cruise to the Caribbean for some fun in the sun? How about sailing to Mexico or Canada? Starting June 1, new passport regulations go into effect, and you may need to pack your passport.

What are the new passport requirements for cruises? Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, starting June 1 passengers on cruises that go outside the US will need a passport to re-enter the country.  There are two exceptions: (more…)