Do I need to carry my passport in European ports?

I know I don't need to carry my passport off the ship in the in the Caribbean, Canada and Mexico. However I am not familiar with whether I'll need to carry it with me in Italy, France, Monaco, Spain and Portugal or should it be left in my cabin safe?

Any suggestions? thankx

Steve

I know in France & the Netherlands we were supposed to

Usually Oceania will have a note in the CURRENTS the night before if you need to take your passport ashore

No, you are not required to carry your passport ashore in any of those countries.

As a rule, it's best not to carry your passport around with you anywhere unless legally required to do so or there is some specific reason such as visiting the local US embassy.

However, it is always a good idea anywhere in the world to carry with you a photocopy of the main double-page of your passport containing your photograph and passport info. Also, when visiting a country that requires Americans to have a tourist visa, carry a photocopy of that visa page as well.

In case of accident, injury or run-in with the authorities, that photocopy provides proof of your citizenship and right to be there until such time as you can return to your safe deposit box to procure the actual document.

I understood that you have your ship identity card with you, which is evidence that the authorities have checked everyone's passport and authorised the shop's arrival and disembarkation in the port.

Unless you are in China!

An announcement will be made before debarkation begins. Venice checks Passports on return to the ship. There are others but I have slept since then.

I'll leave it safe and sound in the cabin safe as I usually do unless otherwise instructed in the daily blurb. ;)

I understood that you have your ship identity card with you, which is evidence that the authorities have checked everyone's passport and authorised the shop's arrival and disembarkation in the port.

 

Unless you are in China!

Or Russia! :)

No one has mentioned our experience -- that in general the ship holds the passports (unless you will need them on shore) so it's usually not a matter of carrying them or keeping them in the safe.

Yes, in some countries you need to have it with you.

But we always carry a photocopy of our passport just in case. We've never had to use it, however.

Mura

(I don't remember needing our passports when we did a Viking trip in China but it's the fact that I just don't remember WHAT we did there. We definitely needed passports when we were in St. Petersburg on Renaissance because we were using a private guide who did not offer a group visa.)

We were instructed to, and were passport checked in Canada!!!

I know I don't need to carry my passport off the ship in the in the Caribbean, Canada and Mexico. However I am not familiar with whether I'll need to carry it with me in Italy, France, Monaco, Spain and Portugal or should it be left in my cabin safe?

 

Any suggestions? thankx

Steve

Steve:

As Mura mentioned, our experience is that the ship holds all passports, except in rare occasions. I think in some places the passports have to be checked by authorities before the ship is cleared. You may end up seeing unexpected stamps on your passport pages.

We also have photocopies of the passport page with our (lovely) picture and passport number. Stan & I each carry a copy of both our passports in case one gets lost or stolen.

See you in just over a week. We board on Tuesday. I really must start packing.

Marilyn

Sitraveler is right about Canada! I'd forgotten about that and we were there only a few months ago. I confess that seemed rather odd.

We had one port last November on our BCN-Rio TA -- Brazil maybe? -- where they were telling us to take passports, but then the policy was relaxed so that we didn't need them after all.

Mura

Steve:

As Mura mentioned, our experience is that the ship holds all passports, except in rare occasions. I think in some places the passports have to be checked by authorities before the ship is cleared. You may end up seeing unexpected stamps on your passport pages.

 

We also have photocopies of the passport page with our (lovely) picture and passport number. Stan & I each carry a copy of both our passports in case one gets lost or stolen.

 

See you in just over a week. We board on Tuesday. I really must start packing.

 

Marilyn

OMG it is almost that soon for you cause of the B2B!!! I've begun gathering my clothes and various items but haven't done the packing yet.

I also hold a photo copy of my credit cards in the room safe in case something happens to them. You do know the passport copy is useless except for you to know what your name and passport number is in case old timers disease strikes. :p

OMG it is almost that soon for you cause of the B2B!!! I've begun gathering my clothes and various items but haven't done the packing yet.

 

I also hold a photo copy of my credit cards in the room safe in case something happens to them. You do know the passport copy is useless except for you to know what your name and passport number is in case old timers disease strikes. :p

Old Timers Disease does not strike. It is with me always.

Yes, I realize the copy won't get me past a border, should I be on the run, but it is i.d. and, again, O collects the passports so it's better than nothing.

M.

It is also wise to carry extra passport pictures if you have them. We ran into several Asian countries that required a passport picture with their visa application (filled out on board) at the last minute to get off the ship. There was a scramble to get pictures taken locally. The ship tried to use the photos taken upon boarding but they were not acceptable.

Also if you have to go to the embassy to replace a lost passport, heaven forbid, you will have the pictures already.

Lastly many transport passes for land based trips want a photo.

So, if you have them, take them.

In a lot of European countries foreigners (and in many cases also nationals of those countries) have to have a valid government-issued ID on them. NOT a driving license - a passport OR an ID card. As a Swiss I have both and take the latter. BUT I have found that taking a photocopy of the "face page" of the passport is fine too. In some places on cruises we have done the cruise line put a copy of the passport on our door the night before docking with instructions to take it ashore with us. And if the photocopy won't do then then cruise line will give the passports back for you to take on shore. Bottom line is that they know the requirements and can be trusted to see you know them too AND those vary from country to country.

When we were in Barcelona pre-cruise last November we went to Sagrada Familia. We had memberships which gave us free entry and jump the line privileges. But I was informed that we needed our passports as proof of identity. In the end they relented and let us in even though we hadn't thought to bring them with us. The clerk informed us that in Barcelona you are always supposed to have proof of identity with you.

We'll be in Barcelona again next October but our visit will be mid-cruise (usually we're there pre- or post-cruise). It will be interesting to see if the ship gives us back our passports for that visit. Usually the ship holds them for us unless we will need them on shore which usually is not the case.

Mura

Left Nautica on the 9th - cruise was Copenhagen to Lisbon. Oceania never collected our passports, but in certain of the ports - Amsterdam, Bruges, and a couple in France, we were required to carry passports with us. I guess it depends on the customs regulations in each port. However, in Porto, Lisbon because were going to the synagogue, our tour guide informed us we would need them. Oceania will advise the night before if you need your passports! If we didn't, we just kept them in the safe.

I generally carry a driver's license and a copy of my passport.

1. On a Nautica Baltic cruise last summer, O didn't collect anyone's passport. But we were required to carry our passports ashore in St. Petersburg.

2. Riviera TA last Nov. I believe O kept Canadian passports. Not needed until Miami arrival.

3. This March on Regatta all passports were kept until after departing Argentina. They weren't needed until flying out of Rio.

JMBobB

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We just returned from a cruise with stops in France and Spain. We received a note in our cabin saying we would need our passports if we went ashore. The local authorities did, indeed, check each persons passport before allowing us back on board.

Just our experience. :)

Thankx all. I think I got it. They'll tell you when you'll need to take it and I'll need it in at least France and Spain. :-)