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!

Charles Chatman was sent to prison  for 27 years for a crime he didn’t commit. Now, 2 years after DNA evidence from the case exonerated him, he is still having trouble getting a US passport.

According to DallasNews.com, Mr. Chatman went to jail in 1981 on a rape conviction, the result of a mistaken identification.  He always maintained his innocence, but it wasn’t until 2001 that Texas state law allowed prisoners to request DNA tests of existing evidence. It took officials two more years to find the evidence in his case, and it was not until 2007 that a test was developed that was sensitive enough to use.

In 2007, Mr. Chatman was exonerated and released from prison. He began building a new life for himself, fell in love and conceived a child.  He wanted to take his partner on a cruise for Valentine’s Day, and to do that, he needed a passport.

However, even though 2 years had passed since he was released from prison, his record still indicated to US passport officials that he was a felon who had not yet completed his sentence. If you are convicted of a felony, in most cases you can get a passport once you’ve served your sentence, but if you are still under supervision, you’re out of luck.

Since the State Department would not issue Mr. Chatman a passport, he was unable to take the cruise, and would have been out all of his money if the media hadn’t gotten involved.  Fortunately, once the situation was publicized, Carnival issued a credit.  Hopefully, he gets his US passport soon and he and his girlfriend get a much-deserved vacation!

This situation demonstrates why it’s important to apply for an expedited passport if you think there’s anything that could possibly go wrong.  The sooner you know that there’s a problem, the sooner you can get it fixed, and the less likely you are to miss your trip.

Apply for your US passport today!

Have you applied for a US passport card recently? If so, your card may be defective. The US Department of State has announced that 658  passport cards were found to be defective.

The cards in question are invalid,  which means that if you try to use them to cross into Mexico or Canada, you could find yourself in a bit of a pickle as border officers will have to use other means to verify that you are a US citizen.

How do you know if your US passport card is defective? According to the Department of State, the defective cards were all issued on March 29th. If you got a passport card on that day, check the number. If it’s between C03612551 and C03613550, you may have a defective card and will need to get it replaced.

Defective cardholders are being notified by the Department of State, so if this is an issue for you, you are probably already aware of it.  But just in case, if your passport card number falls in the range above and you have questions, you can call  the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778. That line is open between 8am and 10pm Eastern, weekdays only.

Naturally, the government is issuing “immediate replacements” for the defective cards.

Passport cards are small, wallet-sized cards that can be used as proof of citizenship for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.  However, the cards are no good for travel to countries other than those listed above, and they are no good for air travel anywhere.  For that, you need the full-sized US passport book.

If you need a US passport in a hurry, RushMyPassport can help. We provide you with clear, easy-to-follow instructions to simplify the application process. Then, we hand-deliver your passport application to the Department of State for processing in as little as 24 hours.

Apply for your US passport today!

Have you gotten one of the new US passport cards yet? If you have one, and you are driving across an international bridge into Mexico or Canada, border officials want you to take that card out of your wallet and “wave it in the air like you just don’t care” before you get to the inspection booth.

No, this isn’t some elaborate prank designed to make you look foolish for border officials’ amusement.  According to the El Paso Times,  this procedure actually helps you get through the border crossing more quickly.

Here’s how it works: about 70 feet before each inspection booth, the government has set up a sensor. Waving your card in front of the sensor allows the officer in the booth to pull up your data before you get to the booth, cutting the time for a routine crossing by about 5 seconds per vehicle.

That doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it all adds up-if everyone who crossed the El Paso border with a passport card used the system, it would save a lot of time. William Molaski, the Customs and Border Patrol port director in El Paso, told the El Paso Times that

“As more people use their cards correctly, wait times will go down. A savings of only five seconds per vehicle reduces overall crossing times by about 30 (collective) hours a day.”

The system currently only works with US passport cards, not the standard US passport books. US passport cards are small, wallet-sized cards introduced to make crossing the border easier for people who have to do it frequently.  They are only good for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, and they are no good for plane travel.

If you are on a cruise or traveling more than a short distance over the Mexican or Canadian border, it makes sense to carry a passport book with you instead of a passport card, since you would need it to fly back home in case of an emergency.

Under a relatively new law that went into effect in June of last year, passports are required for most American travelers visiting Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean.  For more information about the requirements, see the following articles:

Do You Need a Passport to Go to Mexico?

Do You Need a Passport to Go to the Caribbean?

Do You Need a Passport to Go to Canada?

If the new regulations have caught you by surprise and you needed to have your passport application in, like, yesterday, RushMyPassport.com can help. With RushMyPassport, you get personal service and attention from an experienced passport specialist, help with your application and much faster service than you can get submitting your application at the post office. In fact, RushMyPassport can have your application processed in as little as 24 hours!

Apply for your US passport today!

At 5,525 miles long, the US/Canadian border  is the longest border in the world.  Not all of that border is paved-some is mountain wilderness, some of it empty prairie, and some of the border runs along the Great Lakes.  If you are crossing from Canada into the United States at a border crossing in a populated area, you need a US passport, passport card or another document that’s compliant with the World Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). For more details, see Do I Need a Passport to Go to Canada?

But what if you are hiking into Canada via the backcountry? In some cases, you don’t just need a US passport, you also need a CANPASS Remote Area Border Crossing permit.  This permit is required by the Canadian government to cross the border in the following areas:

• from Pigeon River through to and including Lake of the Woods
• the Canadian shore of Lake Superior
• Cockburn Island
• Sault Ste. Marie (upper lock system)

To get one, you need to be a US citizen or permanent resident.  You must also meet Canada’s entry requirements, of course, which means you need to be healthy, have enough money to take care of yourself and have no criminal convictions.

You can apply for the permit here, using either a copy of the pages of your US passport that have your photo and your personal information or using other acceptable documentation as described on the web site.

For most people, it’s a good idea to have your US passport book handy if you are traveling to Canada, even if you are traveling by land and able to use alternative documents such as a passport card, enhanced driver’s license (only available in certain states), or a NEXUS, PASS or SENTRI card.  A US passport book is a requirement for air travel to and from Canada, so having one makes it much easier to get home quickly in case of an emergency.

If you need to get a passport quickly, using a private passport expediting service like RushMyPassport.com makes the whole process much faster and more convenient.  With RushMyPassport, you can get your passport application processed in as little as 24 hours, with no need to make an appointment and travel to a US passport agency office.

Apply for your US passport today!

Your US passport is one of your most valuable possessions, and you are probably very careful with it. However, no matter how careful we try to be, accidents happen. When it comes to passports, the most common causes of accidental damage are pets, toddlers, washing machines and for frequent travelers, normal wear and tear.

Whether your dog chewed it or you accidentally sent it through the spin cycle, you should never try to travel with a damaged passport. Any damage to the passport book makes airport authorities and border officials start thinking about potential fraud, and there is a very real possibility that you will not be allowed to travel.

To replace a damaged US passport, treat it just like you would a lost or stolen passport. Fill out Form DS-64, Statement Regarding a Lost or Stolen Passport, and describe how it was damaged.  Then, you can either send your old passport in to be canceled and leave it at that or you can go ahead and apply for a new passport in person at a passport acceptance facility (see How To Apply for a New Passport for details.)

If you currently have a damaged passport, however, there’s a good reason to apply for a replacement now-the Department of State is planning to raise passport fees later this year.

Expect it to take at least 6 weeks to replace your damaged passport if you request regular processing, and at least  weeks if you request the government’s expedited processing.  If you need a passport sooner than that, the easiest way to get one is to use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com.  We’ll walk you through the paperwork to help you avoid common mistakes that could cause delays, then personally walk your US passport application directly to the Department of State for super-fast processing-often as quick as 24 hours!

Apply for your US passport today!

It’s almost Valentine’s Day. In honor of the annual love-fest, why not plan a trip to one of the romantic cities described below? Each of the cities below is famous for having a romantic atmosphere that makes falling in love seem effortless-so much so that all 5 of them have been used as settings for some of the classic love stories of the silver screen:

Paris, France:  Paris’ reputation as the “City of Love” has made it the city of choice for romantic flicks-think Last Tango in Paris, An American in Paris, and Gigi, among many, many others. Walk along the Seine, climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and don’t forget to share a bottle of wine and some excellent chocolate with that special someone!

Rome, Italy- Used as a setting for romance movies both old (like Roman Holiday) and new (like When in Rome), a visit to the Eternal City is even better when you share it with someone else.

Casablanca, Morocco- The scene of the classic romance Casablanca is still a romantic city to visit, thanks to its mild climate and gorgeous architecture.

London- What could be more romantic than strolling through the streets of London, the scene 0f Shakespeare in Love, and many of Shakespeare’s plays as well?

Rio de Janeiro- The scene of Notorious, a 1946 romantic thriller featuring Cary Grant and Ingrid Berman, Rio de Janeiro features world-class beaches and stunning scenery.  For a romantic afternoon activity, take the glass-paneled cable car up Sugarloaf mountain.

To get to any of these cities, you need more than a taste for romance and adventure. You also need a US passport. RushMyPassport makes applying for your US passport easy and fast. We help you through the application process, providing clear, easy-to-understand instructions and a handy checklist that makes gathering the appropriate documents a breeze.

Then, we hand-deliver your passport application to the Department of State, resulting in processing times that range from 24 hours to a little over a week, depending on the option you request when you sign up.  Compare that to the normal processing time of 6 weeks for regular passport processing and 3 weeks for the government’s expedited service, and you can see why our service is the most convenient way to get a US passport quickly.

Apply for your US passport today!

Where is your US passport right now? Is it squirreled away in your desk drawer? In your purse? Still in the passport holder you wore around your neck on your last trip?

Wrong, says Jean Chatzky of The Daily Journal.  According to Chatzky, because your passport is such an important document, it needs to be located somewhere safe, where you can find it instantly if you have to leave your house in an emergency.  She suggests making a list of all things you would want to take with you in an emergency-your US passport, birth certificate, backups of important family photos, bank account information and any other documents that are important and hard to replace.

You might think that the best place to store these original documents would be in a bank vault somewhere, but Chatzky advises against this because you might need the documents in a hurry. She says that it’s best to store copies of your US passport and other important documents in a safe deposit box. However, your original passport should be located with the other documents somewhere in your house.

Of course, disasters don’t always wait until you are home to strike. So, ideally, you should store your US passport and everything else in a fireproof, waterproof safe.  Just don’t lose the key or forget the combination!

It’s 10:30 pm. Do you know where your US passport is? If you do happen to lose your passport, you need to report is missing immediately by calling 1-877-487-2778 between 8 am and 10 pm. Then, you’ll need to submit Forms DS-11 (Passport Application) and DS-64 (Statement Regarding a Lost or Stolen Passport).

Passport applications normally take about 6 weeks to process if you request normal processing, and about 3 weeks if you request the government’s expedited processing. If you need your passport faster, using a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com is the quickest and easiest option. Depending on the processing option you choose, RushMyPassport can have your passport processed in as little as 24 hours!

Apply for a passport with us today.

Are you looking for a cheap way to see the Caribbean? If you don’t mind working and learning new skills, you can often find a position as a crew member on a private boat. If you have experience sailing, you might even make a little bit of cash. But don’t worry, some boats will take you even if you are a complete landlubber, although you might have to pay a small fee each night for the privilege.

The New York Times’ Frugal Traveler wrote an excellent article about his experiences as  part of the crew on a schooner called the S.V. Illusion, which took him around the Caribbean for the bargain price of $55 per day. Go read the entire article…it sounds like he had one heck of a trip!

You may not need prior sailing experience to get a job on a schooner, but there’s one thing you definitely do need: a US passport. This is true even if you are just sailing to the Mexico, Caribbean or to Canada.  In June of this year, the final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) became effective, requiring that US citizens traveling to Mexico, the Caribbean or Canada by land or by sea carry US passports prove their identity and citizenship.

One of the exceptions to the WHTI is for cruise ship passengers on closed-loop cruises (cruises that begin and end at the same US port).  However, joining the crew of a private boat is not the same as sailing on a cruise ship. You must have a US passport to re-enter the country.

Don’t let the ship sail without you-make sure to allow enough time for your new passport to arrive in the mail. If you apply with regular service, you should allow at least 6 weeks for it to arrive in the mail. The government’s expedited service takes about 3 weeks.

For faster passport service, a private passport expediting service like RushMyPassport.com is a great investment. With RushMyPassport, you’ll be assigned a case manager who will help you with the process of filling out your paperwork and gathering the necessary documents. Then, we’ll hand-deliver your application to the Department of State, for processing times as low as 24 hours.

Apply for your US passport today!

Have you always wanted to be a travel writer? Do you dream of visiting Japan? Rough Guides has a new contest that could help you jump-start your career. Jaunted has the scoop: apparently, they are offering a chance to get training and experience as a professional travel writer for free. If you win the contest, you get a free trip to Tokyo, Japan. While you’re there, you’ll be doing research and writing to update the Rough Guides to Tokyo.

You’ll work with a “writing mentor” and spend 7 days traveling, staying in different hotels and working on the guidebook. Of course, all work and no play makes for a dull vacation. So, after you’re done, you’ll get a 4 day tour to yourself.

You can enter by submitting your best 500 word travel writing sample. You must write about one of the following topics:

• A Journey that Changed Lives
• Responsible Travel
• Adventure in an Unknown Culture
• A Memorable Experience Involving Food in a Foreign Country

To enter, you have to meet 3 qualifications:

• You must be over 18.
• You must not be a professional writer (curses!).
• You must have a valid US passport.
• You must be ready to go in February 2010.

What if you love to travel but don’t have a US passport? No problem-the applications aren’t due until December 21st, so you still have time to apply.

Of course, if you apply with normal processing, it will take at least 6 weeks for you to get your passport back. Expedited service from the government takes about 3 weeks. To get your passport more quickly, of course, you can use a private expediting company like RushMyPassport.com.

An expediting company forwards your application to the US Department of State for much faster processing-anywhere from 24 hours to around a week, depending on the option you choose.

Ready to make your travel writing dream come true? Apply for your US passport today!