Thread: Passports?first time cruiser....

Yep, right out of the State Department's website; Some countries require that a traveler’s U.S. passport be valid at least six months or longer beyond the dates of the trip.

Of course, since they don't list the countries, everyone has adopted the policy to be on the safe side. In fact, here's what RCCL says about it;

Royal Caribbean International strongly recommends that all guests travel with a passport that is valid for at least 6 months beyond the end of the cruise.

So, while it's not required, it is highly recommended if traveling outside the country as it's better to be safe than sorry.

And another thing that alot of people aren't aware of is they should register their trip whenever traveling overseas. You can receive free travel updates about where you're going as well as other information. It's called STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program); https://step.state.gov/step/

Pete

And while we are on the topic of registration, always tell your credit card compnies whe you are traveling outside the country. They monitor credit card use and will deny transactions as "suspicious use".

Great reminder, Neal! And not only the credit cards, but your debit cards as well.

And that brings up another point; when using an ATM card in the US, you are given a choice whether you want to withdraw money from your checking or savings accounts. In Europe, you're not given a choice - it only offers withdrawals from your checking account. So if you have money in your savings account that you planned to use for spending, make sure to transfer it to your checking account before you leave.

We use our credit cards for big purchases and our debit card at ATM's to get cash. Which adds another point; when using debit/credit cards in a foreign country, your bank may or may not add a foreign transaction fee. And while their currency exchange rate is not as good as some, they're usually not bad and definitely MUCH better than those currency exchange kiosks in the airports - those things are a rip off!!

Pete

Also, if getting a passport for a minor child, you and the other parent must go with the child in person, even for renewals.

The first couple of times we got a passport for the girl, I just went with the documentation, two prints of a new passport photo, and my checkbook...but that changed by the time I was getting her second renewal.

And note, everyone needs to bring in (or mail) two copies of that photo. If you go to the Auto Club or another place where you can get the photos taken, they'll know that (or should). You can have a friend take yours too, but we learned (the one time we did this), it really is a major pain as there are a ton of rules concerning quality and proportions (size of head, etc.).

Oh boy, and Patty is right about that. The photo has to be of a certain size, the face has to occupy a certain portion of the picture, it has to be full frontal with no concealing glasses or headgear unless such items are of a religious nature, no shadows, and the list goes on and on!

Passport Photo Requirements

When I went to the post office to get my passport, I was told to get the photos taken at CVS.

Yep, CVS, Walgreen's, or Walmart - they all work just fine and they're not expensive (about $7 to $10) for two pictures.

Pete

Took Deb's and mine tonight. Have to figure out how to load them into my new computer. Grrrr....

We got our passport pictures taken at Costco.