HEADSHOTS??????????????

[Flossbolna]

So....I kind of forgot when I took mine that this is the picture that pops up for everything you use your key for. So I took mine still in my pajamas, no makeup, not even sure if I really brushed my hair first. It was just an oh crap, I need this to check in photo. LOL

Next cruise, I will be better prepared!

That’s a good point!!

 

[n2mm]

The photo is also supposed to be recent. I was going to reuse my photo on my last cruise, but the instructions said that it had to be taken within the last 30? days.

Never saw that. I’ve been using our headshots since august 2021. total 10 times now. I guess at midnight I missed that, esp since I don’t really read it anymore.

 

[Calantha]

Never saw that. I’ve been using our headshots since august 2021. total 10 times now. I guess at midnight I missed that, esp since I don’t really read it anymore.

yeah, i haven't updated in a long time - I am doing my son's for the next cruise, since he was 5 in the last one, and is now 8.

 

[mmouse37]

So....I kind of forgot when I took mine that this is the picture that pops up for everything you use your key for. So I took mine still in my pajamas, no makeup, not even sure if I really brushed my hair first. It was just an oh crap, I need this to check in photo. LOL

Next cruise, I will be better prepared!

During online check in I ran upstairs and woke up my husband at 12:15 am and told him to get up and stand against the wall and look straight ahead....and that I had to take his picture. He didn't know what was going on! I had forgotten to take it before check in.

 

[mmouse37]

The photo is also supposed to be recent. I was going to reuse my photo on my last cruise, but the instructions said that it had to be taken within the last 30? days.

That I never saw!!! I used the same pic from 2021 when cruising started to just this past March.

 

[n2mm]

During online check in I ran upstairs and woke up my husband at 12:15 am and told him to get up and stand against the wall and look straight ahead....and that I had to take his picture. He didn't know what was going on! I had forgotten to take it before check in.

I remember people posting pictures of their kids after waking them for the pictures.

 

[RedHead0186]

That I never saw!!! I used the same pic from 2021 when cruising started to just this past March.

Me either. Totally used my same picture from my September 2022 sailing when I checked in for my Wish April sailing this year. (I mean, I don't think my appearance changed that much in 7 months, but oops?)

 

[WDWAtLast]

Planning our first cruise for January 2024 - so I have a lot of time before check in!
But I do have a question about headshots: one of my college age kiddos changes her hair color often. Green, red, blue, etc. Will it matter if her hair is a different color on the cruise versus her headshot? Or should I insist she keep it the same color as the photo we use?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Planning our first cruise for January 2024 - so I have a lot of time before check in!
But I do have a question about headshots: one of my college age kiddos changes her hair color often. Green, red, blue, etc. Will it matter if her hair is a different color on the cruise versus her headshot? Or should I insist she keep it the same color as the photo we use?

I would doubt it's an issue. If they don't like the photo she has on file when you check in at the port, they'll take another one (happened to my husband).

 

[Snowwhyt]

The photo is also supposed to be recent. I was going to reuse my photo on my last cruise, but the instructions said that it had to be taken within the last 30? days.

But I’m not aging gracefully! I have used some pictures that were almost 2 years old on my last cruise earlier this year. We live in different parts of the state so I was not expecting the photo request and wanted that PAT so we would not miss lunch. I figured I could change them later but never did.

First time I had to do that I used my 2016 Disney Alaska cruise photo. Oops

Planning our first cruise for January 2024 - so I have a lot of time before check in!
But I do have a question about headshots: one of my college age kiddos changes her hair color often. Green, red, blue, etc. Will it matter if her hair is a different color on the cruise versus her headshot? Or should I insist she keep it the same color as the photo we use?

No hair color should be fine. Just have her pull as much of the color behind her as possible so she can change it without it being the focus of the photo.

 

[Geomom]

Planning our first cruise for January 2024 - so I have a lot of time before check in!
But I do have a question about headshots: one of my college age kiddos changes her hair color often. Green, red, blue, etc. Will it matter if her hair is a different color on the cruise versus her headshot? Or should I insist she keep it the same color as the photo we use?

It's no problem. My kids change hair color often and it was in the faded bleached blonde state when we took the photo and bright orange/pink on the ship.

 

[greeneyedchick]

Does it have to be a passport type headshot or any photo? Our kids’ passports just expired. Not sure if there is time to renew. And if we renew in time, does the photo have to be the same?

I just renewed my daughter's passport this morning. The sign said 13 weeks for passport processing plus 1 month for mail delivery. Over 4 months to get a passport. 7-9 weeks plus mail time if you pay for expedited.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

I just renewed my daughter's passport this morning. The sign said 13 weeks for passport processing plus 1 month for mail delivery. Over 4 months to get a passport. 7-9 weeks plus mail time if you pay for expedited.

Good grief. We are actually going tomorrow. We have to go together because our two youngest kids are minors— I think that’s why. Total PITA. I remember when I was in college and went and got my first passport AT A PASSPORT OFFICE. Same damn day. No big deal. Like why don’t we have the ability to go to passport offices anymore? We have to go to the post office or some other random place and get major attitude from some disgruntled person who makes it their mission in life to try and prevent you from completing the task at hand. Unbelievable.

 

[Kwami]

Good grief. We are actually going tomorrow. We have to go together because our two youngest kids are minors— I think that’s why. Total PITA. I remember when I was in college and went and got my first passport AT A PASSPORT OFFICE. Same damn day. No big deal. Like why don’t we have the ability to go to passport offices anymore? We have to go to the post office or some other random place and get major attitude from some disgruntled person who makes it their mission in life to try and prevent you from completing the task at hand. Unbelievable.

Why not the post office? It seems silly to have an office just for passports. Better to put the people and machines in the larger post offices. The whole thing where it gets mailed around and takes forever is ridiculous, though.

You can check passport processing times here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/processing-times.html

The latest update is from March, though. Since that update is worse than the previous one (February) and that one is worse than the previous one (January), I'm betting that the current processing times are worse than what the website shows. Absurd.

 

[Calantha]

Good grief. We are actually going tomorrow. We have to go together because our two youngest kids are minors— I think that’s why. Total PITA. I remember when I was in college and went and got my first passport AT A PASSPORT OFFICE. Same damn day. No big deal. Like why don’t we have the ability to go to passport offices anymore? We have to go to the post office or some other random place and get major attitude from some disgruntled person who makes it their mission in life to try and prevent you from completing the task at hand. Unbelievable.

We just renewed my son's passport in May when we returned from our Magic sailing, and actually the lady at the Post Office was very kind and efficient. The problem was their camera was broken for photos. She had a list of alternative places (e.g., Staples) and basically said "I'll hold the paperwork, go get the picture, and bring it right back to me, you don't have to wait in line again." And so he did. Only a minor delay.

Of course, who knows when we'll actually get it, but at least we're not departing again until the end of October.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Why not the post office? It seems silly to have an office just for passports. Better to put the people and machines in the larger post offices. The whole thing where it gets mailed around and takes forever is ridiculous, though.

You can check passport processing times here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/processing-times.html

The latest update is from March, though. Since that update is worse than the previous one (February) and that one is worse than the previous one (January), I'm betting that the current processing times are worse than what the website shows. Absurd.

Because you should be able to get it same day. I got my first one same day thirty something years ago. And because our local post offices are awful and only “open” for very limited days and hours for passports and require an appointment. Because I don’t like handing over social security numbers to the miserable people in our post office. No offense, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they are selling them on the side. We’ve decided to go to one of our local courthouses that also does it (during very limited hours/days). Last time we drove two hours each way to go to a university international travel office that does it to avoid the post office. Adding the post office or whoever into the mix obviously also makes the process longer. It’s just preposterous if you ask me.

 

[Kwami]

Because you should be able to get it same day. I got my first one same day thirty something years ago. And because our local post offices are awful and only “open” for very limited days and hours for passports and require an appointment. Because I don’t like handing over social security numbers to the miserable people in our post office. No offense, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they are selling them on the side. We’ve decided to go to one of our local courthouses that also does it (during very limited hours/days). Last time we drove two hours each way to go to a university international travel office that does it to avoid the post office. Adding the post office or whoever into the mix obviously also makes the process longer. It’s just preposterous if you ask me.

Why would someone working at a "passport office" be any more or less trustworthy than someone working at a post office? Maybe your local post office sucks, but there are plenty of good ones out there. The machines that print passports could just as easily be installed at post office instead of opening a whole new office somewhere just for passports.

Anyway, there are still passport agencies out there that will print you a passport within a day (or maybe two). But, they're reserved for people who need a passport that quickly and can't be used for routine applications and renewals.

 

[danikoski]

We just renewed my son's passport in May when we returned from our Magic sailing, and actually the lady at the Post Office was very kind and efficient. The problem was their camera was broken for photos. She had a list of alternative places (e.g., Staples) and basically said "I'll hold the paperwork, go get the picture, and bring it right back to me, you don't have to wait in line again." And so he did. Only a minor delay.

Of course, who knows when we'll actually get it, but at least we're not departing again until the end of October.

We did our passport applications May 16, received by passport office May 18, and saw online that our passports have been approved and shipped and should arrive next week. We did get expedited because I need them for August for check in. Hopefully they don't get lost in the mail. But the process at the post office for applying was quite smooth. We made a morning appointment and were done with three of us in about 20 to 30 minutes. They only have certain people at our post office that do passports because they have to take extra training and such. And the person we worked with was great.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Why would someone working at a "passport office" be any more or less trustworthy than someone working at a post office? Maybe your local post office sucks, but there are plenty of good ones out there. The machines that print passports could just as easily be installed at post office instead of opening a whole new office somewhere just for passports.

Anyway, there are still passport agencies out there that will print you a passport within a day (or maybe two). But, they're reserved for people who need a passport that quickly and can't be used for routine applications and renewals.

I guess we just disagree about this. For me the experience has deteriorated into a third world type experience. My experience at 18 was from another world, a functional, rational world. Our local post office is not a sophisticated place. We are lucky to get our mail. I wouldn’t trust them with anything. I went there recently to see if I could find a missing package— OMG.

 

[Kwami]

I guess we just disagree about this. For me the experience has deteriorated into a third world type experience. My experience at 18 was from another world, a functional, rational world. Our local post office is not a sophisticated place. We are lucky to get our mail. I wouldn’t trust them with anything. I went there recently to see if I could find a missing package— OMG.

Fine, but maybe your experience isn't typical. And I still don't understand why you think a new office would be any better.