Passport validity problem

[Jerielco4]

I have a cruise sailing from Barcelona, Spain on April 23rd - 30th 2023. I am a United States citizen. My passport expires 27th of August 2023. I was not told anything about the passport laws (needs to be valid 6 months before and after cruise). If I renew now, I’ll still be about 3 months short to my cruise. If I don’t renew I’ll be about 2 months short. Do I need to cancel my cruise?

[Xaa]

I don't understand the issue with renewing now?  I would do it.  Today.

[JazzBassMan]

If you want to be safe make sure you pay the extra fee for an expedited renewal. Extra 60 bucks, but worth it for peace of mind IMO.

[SweetPea]

There is no issue renewing your passport now. The requirements are you have at least 6 months left and two blank pages. (There is no requirement for your passport to be valid 6 months before.)

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/before-you-go/travelers-with-special-considerations/cruise-ship-passengers.html

 

Relevant part:

 

Apply early for your passport, or make sure your current one will be valid at least six months beyond your travel dates and has two or more blank pages. Your cruise company may also require you to have a passport even if U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) does not.

[tjcruisers]

Do it now, pay a little extra to be it expedited.  If you've already made final payment, too late to really cancel

[FireFishII]

3 hours ago, Jerielco4 said:

I have a cruise sailing from Barcelona, Spain on April 23rd - 30th 2023. I am a United States citizen. My passport expires 27th of August 2023. I was not told anything about the passport laws (needs to be valid 6 months before and after cruise). If I renew now, I’ll still be about 3 months short to my cruise. If I don’t renew I’ll be about 2 months short. Do I need to cancel my cruise?

I don't know who told you that your passport needs to be valid for 6 months after the cruise.  Depending on which countries you visite, it may be 6 months before the cruise. 

This is the information I found:

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-passport/renew.html#:~:text=We recommend renewing your passport,about your destination's entry requirements.

"We recommend renewing your passport well ahead of any planned international travel, even if it still has a few months validity left on it. Some countries require that your passport be valid at least six months beyond the dates of your trip." 

 

As far as researching a country's requirement about passport, you can check out this website:

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages.html

I hope this helps. 

 

[Atlantix2000]

4 hours ago, Jerielco4 said:

I have a cruise sailing from Barcelona, Spain on April 23rd - 30th 2023. I am a United States citizen. My passport expires 27th of August 2023. I was not told anything about the passport laws (needs to be valid 6 months before and after cruise). If I renew now, I’ll still be about 3 months short to my cruise. If I don’t renew I’ll be about 2 months short. Do I need to cancel my cruise?

I've never heard of a requirement for a passport to be valid for any amount of time before a trip.  Once you get a passport, you can immediately travel using it.  Even if such a rule existed, you already have a passport so there's no concern.  Your passport has been valid since August of 2013 or even longer if this isn't your first renewal!

[Happy Cruisers]

Renew.  Today.  Honest to goodness, I submitted mine for renewal on Wednesday 1/4 and had it in hand last Saturday the 21st.  I selected expedited service, sent it priority mail overnight to the State Department, and paid for them to send it back to me the same way.  This is not the time to save a few bucks, select every expedite option they have. And, most importantly, learn from your oversight so that you're not in this situation ever again!  God forbid you didn't realize until presenting for embarkation, then you'd really be out of luck. 

Just a point of order, you'll always want to review the entry requirements for each country you're visiting to ensure your paperwork is in order (e.g., that your passport is valid long enough).  Relying on the travel company for handholding is a recipe for disappointment.  6 months is very common for American passport holders since we get "spot Visas" in about any country we'd wish to enter that are generally valid for a touristic visit of about the same length (with some nuanced exceptions, of course). 

There are many who might suggest you "go for broke" and not renew for purposes of your cruise.  I would keep in mind that it is you (and not the proverbial "some guy on the internet") who would be denied boarding and denied a refund for your cruise if your paperwork is not in order when you present for embarkation.  Choose your own adventure, but like all others on this forum, this is just yet another opinion of some guy on the internet. 

[smokeybandit]

RC recommends a 6 month buffer on your passport, but I don't think RC sails to any country right now that has a law requiring it. Some have a 3 month requirement though.