{"id":1677,"date":"2011-05-29T09:24:08","date_gmt":"2011-05-29T14:24:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rushmypassport.com\/blog\/?p=1677"},"modified":"2023-06-29T07:30:28","modified_gmt":"2023-06-29T07:30:28","slug":"get-your-passport-application-in-now-to-see-captain-kidds-shipwreck","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rushmypassport.com\/blog\/get-your-passport-application-in-now-to-see-captain-kidds-shipwreck\/","title":{"rendered":"Get Your Passport Application in Now for the Dominican Republic"},"content":{"rendered":"

Aarrr, me hearties! If the new Pirates of the Caribbean <\/em>movie has you craving a taste of the pirate’s life, you need to book tickets to the Dominican Republic this summer. A few years ago, divers exploring the reefs off Catalina island stumbled upon the skeletal remains of Quedagh Merchant<\/em>, a ship last captained by a real<\/em> pirate of the Caribbean, Captain Kidd.<\/p>\n

The ship, laden with treasure, was captured by Kidd and his crew off the coast of India in 1698. It was one of Captain Kidd’s only successful plunders- he was technically a privateer, or a pirate employed by the British Navy to capture other pirates and prey on the ships of rival navies. So, he didn’t attack every ship he came across. This enraged his crew, which was far less concerned with staying on the good side of the Royal Navy.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, even the Quedagh Merchant<\/em> was not technically legal prey – although it flew under a French flag, the captain was an Englishman. With a price on his head, Captain Kidd left the boat in the Caribbean with his “trusted” crew, and sailed to New York to try to clear his name.<\/p>\n

Of course, as soon as his ship passed the horizon, his crew took the opportunity to sink the Quedagh Merchant <\/em>and make off with the treasure. Pirates, right? What can you do?<\/p>\n

In New York, Kidd was arrested and taken to England, where he was convicted of piracy and hung. His decaying body was placed in a gibbet over the Thames, where it remained for the next 20 years as a warning to others.<\/p>\n

What of the Quedagh Merchant? <\/em>Discovered in 2007, it was dedicated this month as an underwater museum and nature preserve. According to Science Daily<\/a>, it is expected to become quite popular:<\/p>\n

“As the interest in eco-tourism and unique vacation destinations continues to grow, this Living Museum of the Sea is predicted to be a sought-after destination for those seeking underwater adventures combined with significant 17th century maritime history representative of the Golden Age of Piracy in the Caribbean.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Get your passport application in now, and you can be one of the first to visit. If you’re traveling by air, you must have a US passport book. The Dominican Republic falls under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, so if you’re traveling by sea, you can get by with a passport card. Please note that while you could technically use an enhanced driver’s license for sea travel, the Dominican Republic might not let you in if you do. The US Department of State<\/a> says, “We strongly recommend that all U.S. citizens have a valid U.S. passport in their possession prior to their arrival in the Dominican Republic. Attempting to enter on expired or invalid documents can result in direct return to the United States.”<\/p>\n

Passport applications take about 6 weeks to process, so if you plan to go this summer you should submit yours as soon as possible. If you request expedited processing and pay the additional $60 fee, you’ll still be stuck waiting 3 weeks, so planning ahead is essential.<\/p>\n

If you do need to get your passport application processed more quickly, you have two options: Make an appointment to turn it in at one of the 25 regional passport agency offices in the US, or submit your application with a private passport expediter like RushMyPassport, which allows you to get fast processing without the need to make an appointment or wait in line.<\/p>\n

Ready to sail the high seas? Let us help expedite your passport application<\/a> today!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Aarrr, me hearties! If the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie has you craving the pirate’s life, you need to turn in your passport application and book tickets to the Dominican Republic this summer. A few years ago, divers exploring the reefs off Catalina island stumbled upon the skeletal remains of Quedagh Merchant, a ship last captained by a real pirate of the Caribbean, Captain Kidd. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[78,105,27,270],"class_list":["post-1677","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-announcements","tag-caribbean-travel","tag-destinations","tag-passport-application","tag-pirates"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t