Istanbul Port Closed ??

Did Celebrity indeed confiscate everyone's passports upon embarkation, and keep them for the duration of the cruise?

 

Yes, they will take them when you check in to embark. They give you a receipt. They will keep them until after your Turkey stops. Then they will deliver a notice of time and place for you to pick them up. I had a massage scheduled for my time slot so I picked them up the evening before at customer service desk.

 

We have had this done on all 4 of our Celebrity cruises that stopped in Turkey. Including the one we just did leaving Rome on April 27th.

Did Celebrity indeed confiscate everyone's passports upon embarkation, and keep them for the duration of the cruise?

Yes, they will take them when you check in to embark. They give you a receipt. They will keep them until after your Turkey stops. Then they will deliver a notice of time and place for you to pick them up. I had a massage scheduled for my time slot so I picked them up the evening before at customer service desk.

 

We have had this done on all 4 of our Celebrity cruises that stopped in Turkey. Including the one we just did leaving Rome on April 27th.

This means that all pax who leave the ship for excursions would be in the other, non-Turkey countries without a passport. I've never visited Europe without my passport, but I've also only taken land vacations in Europe. I suppose since they've been confiscating all passports for years, it must be OK with the countries of the ports of call. Thanks for the heads up.

This means that all pax who leave the ship for excursions would be in the other, non-Turkey countries without a passport. I've never visited Europe without my passport, but I've also only taken land vacations in Europe. I suppose since they've been confiscating all passports for years, it must be OK with the countries of the ports of call. Thanks for the heads up.

 

Very few countries require you to carry your passport on you at all times. The cruise lines are aware of these countries. If needed, they will give you back your passports for that country (e.g., stops in Israel) and then you will turn it in again afterwards.

 

When you are traveling on a land trip, the US Passport Agency actually recommends leaving your passport in a safe place (such as a hotel safe) rather than carrying it with you, unless the country requires it.

Edited June 18, 2015 by cruisemom42

When you are traveling on a land trip, the US Passport Agency actually recommends leaving your passport in a safe place (such as a hotel safe) rather than carrying it with you, unless the country requires it.

Good point. We usually do leave our passports in the hotel safe during our land trips, taking a copy with us during the day. If we consider the ship as our hotel, this makes sense.

I do not carry my passport with me when touring. I do carry a color copy.

 

I actually take multiple copies with me. We usually stay in apartments pre cruise in Rome and they require a copy of everyones passport.

 

In hotels it stays in the safe, when on ships it is either being held by them or in the safe.

 

I have never been asked by anyone to see my passport. I have been asked once for ID when using a credit card and I pulled out my Texas drivers license. Good enough.

 

PS: Some ports advise you to be sure and have a photo id along with your sea pass card. A valid drivers license works just fine

Edited June 18, 2015 by texancruzer

The only port I have been to where our passports were required was St. Petersburg. Otherwise, I carry a laminated color copy and always have a backup in my luggage just in case. I know a family of 6 traveling in Europe who left their backpack with all their passports on a train, never to be recovered and prompting a major upset to their travel to get to an American embassy.

 

I have never been asked by anyone to see my passport. I have been asked once for ID when using a credit card and I pulled out my Texas drivers license. Good enough.

 

As well it should be! A Texas DL should be good ANYWHERE!

The only port I have been to where our passports were required was St. Petersburg. Otherwise, I carry a laminated color copy and always have a backup in my luggage just in case. I know a family of 6 traveling in Europe who left their backpack with all their passports on a train, never to be recovered and prompting a major upset to their travel to get to an American embassy.

 

Well, if you lose your passport, you still have to get to an embassy to get a new one, I think, even if you carry a copy of it. Of course, having a copy will at least give you a jump start on the replacement process. My big fear is missing the ship at a port on a major island with little service to the mainland or where you want to go, as I'm not sure if travelers from the U.S. can travel on ferries, trains, etc. with just a driver's license. We made absolutely sure that we got back to the ship in plenty of time when we were in the Canary Islands!

as well it should be! A texas dl should be good anywhere!

 

lol !!!!!!

Can you recommend a hotel near the port? We are doing a tour once we disembark and will have to take a cab with our luggage to hotel & then meet our tour so we want something close to the port. Thanks!!