UK Cruisers Keep Making This Passport Mistake and Being Denied Boarding

There have been lots of news headlines recently about cruisers from the UK being caught out by the “passport 10-year rule”.

In this article, we look at what this rule is, and discover why it is causing some passengers to be denied boarding onto their cruise ship.

What Is The Issue?

British travellers used to be able to carry over up to nine months validity from their old passport on to a new one.

Your new passport could then be valid for a maximum of 10 years and 9 months. (So ten years on the new passport and up to nine months from the old one).

Since Brexit, European Union countries will not accept passports issued more than 10 years ago. This is known as the “10-year rule”.

To enter certain European Union countries now, your British passport must:

• have been issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the European Union country.
  • This is from the “date of issue”
• be valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave the European Union country.
  • the “date of expiry” on your passport.

If your passport does not meet the above criteria, you will not be allowed to board your cruise ship. You will be turned away at the port – and nobody wants that!

Is The Cruise Line Responsible?

No, it is your responsibility to check you have valid documents before sailing.

Cruise lines have no choice but to turn you away, as they may face huge penalties for allowing you to travel without a valid passport.

Is My Travel Agent Responsible?

Again, no.

Don’t rely on your Travel Agent to inform you if your passport is invalid. You are responsible for checking this.

Can I Claim On My Travel Insurance?

If you have paid for a cruise but were not allowed to board because of incorrect documentation, you would not be able to claim on your travel insurance.

Again, it is solely your responsibility to make sure your documents are valid.

It is written in the cruise line terms and conditions that you must have valid documentation.

Without a valid passport, you will be in breach of the cruise line’s terms and conditions, and therefore, your travel insurance company won’t be liable.

Typical cruise ship terms and conditions:

P&O Cruises guests can only board and travel to EU or Schengen area countries if their passport was issued less than 10 years from the cruise embarkation date.
The passport must have at least three months left before the date of expiry when you disembark (regardless of whether or not the passport has an extension period).

P&O Cruises

How Much Does It Cost To Get Or Renew My Passport?

At the time of writing, it costs £88.50 for an online passport application ( new, renewal or replacement). If you apply via post, it costs £100.

A child’s passport costs £57.50, or £69 via the post.

Passports are free for people born on or before 2 September 1929.

How Long Does It Take To Renew A Passport?

Renewing a UK passport should take up to three weeks, but it can take longer during peak times.

Periods of high demand, such as before school holidays, should be avoided where possible.

I personally would apply at least a couple of months before I plan to travel.

If you need your passport issued urgently, you can go to your nearest passport office, but appointments for the issuing of passports are subject to availability.

The passport office offers two different services

One Day Premium Service

• The earliest you can get an appointment is 2 days after you apply.
• You will get your new passport at your appointment.
• You can only use this service to renew an adult passport.
• It costs £207.50 or £219.50 for a 54 page frequent traveller passport which has more pages – that is over double the amount of a normal online application.

One Week Fast Track Service

• The earliest you can get an appointment is the next day after you apply.
• Your new passport will be delivered to you by courier 1 week after your appointment.
• You can use this service to:
  • renew a passport
  • change personal details on your passport
    • Change your name, place of birth or gender for example
  • replace a lost, stolen or damaged passport
  • get a childs passport

It costs:

• £166.50 for an adult passport or £178.50 for a 54 page frequent traveller passport with extra pages
• £135.50 for a child passport or £147.50 for a 54 page frequent traveller passport with extra pages.

*All amounts quoted are correct at the time of writing in 2024.

When I sailed onboard Spectrum of the Seas in Asia, Royal Caribbean took my passport away and kept it for the duration of the cruise. Find out more about that here:

Before You Go

Find out what are the most confiscated items from cruisers in the article below:

These Are The 5 Items Most Regularly Confiscated by Cruise Lines

Find out the most common reasons that people are denied boarding here:

These Are The 5 Most Common Reasons Guests Are Denied Boarding on Cruise Ships