Is it true they hold your passports?

[ksc1984]

I am cruising to a South America. Is it true that the passports are held by the ship? Why is this so? Do you recommend carrying a copy with you when on excursions? Thank you

[Kiwi Kruzer]

I am cruising to a South America. Is it true that the passports are held by the ship? Why is this so? Do you recommend carrying a copy with you when on excursions? Thank you

 

 

Yes it is quite usual.

Saves you heaps of time lining up when you are visiting several countries on your cruise.

They should give you a receipt for your passport and you hand this in to get your passport back.

We always take at least 2 photocopies/scans of the passports first page, the one with your photo and details, and take that with us when we travel.

 

[TiogaCruiser]

And how about in south American hotels? Do they usually take your passport?

 

~TC

[Krazy Kruizers]

when we were in rio -- the hotel did not take and hold our passports

 

but once on the ship -- yes they held our passports

 

i always carry with me colored copies of our passports -- have been doning this since the 70's for both land trips and all cruises

[Jade13]

We have never had HAL or Celebrity ever hold our passports.

 

Azamara held our passports while in Asia, but gave them back to us when we left the ship overnight and needed them to fly to meet the ship the next day. They took them from us on our way up the gangway.

 

We are not as concerned with the ship holding the passports as we used to be, but only if there is a clear understanding that they give them to the port authority should you miss the ship departure. If you need to fly to catch up with the ship you will need them.

 

We will need them next year when we leave the ship for a few days and catch back up with the ship in another country.

[kazu]

I have had the ships hold our passports - depending upon the ports. But it has been a while since they held onto them. I am wondering if with the joy of electronics they can now clear their passengers. We always travel with 2 colour copies as well.

 

Hotels in Europe and South America will take your passport for an hour or so to 'clear' you. They then return them to you. I have never had a hotel keep mine.

 

I always use my copies when I am out and about - our passports stay locked up in our safe. Taking our colour copies and our photo driver licenses seems to meet most requirements in most ports. :D

[Baystate]

I would have a real problem with anyone taking my passport. Personally, I would avoid any line that would do so. I can't imagine in today's world that sort of thing would be necessary.

[Crazy Gramps]

I have 2

I keep one and hand over the other.

 

Sometimes dual citizenship has advantages

 

Gramps

[cnbfrank]

The Veendam held our passports. I believe it saved quite a bit of time - that there were Chilean immigration staff on board who processed/stamped the passports without needing to see us individually. We also travel with photocopy backups, but had no need of them on this trip.

[cruz chic]

I would have a real problem with anyone taking my passport. Personally, I would avoid any line that would do so. I can't imagine in today's world that sort of thing would be necessary.

I'd advise that you don't take a trip to South America then. It's been my expereince that they do take them for that. I wasn't thrilled with the situation but it is what it is.

[Coolcruise02]

I would have a real problem with anyone taking my passport. Personally, I would avoid any line that would do so. I can't imagine in today's world that sort of thing would be necessary.

 

Then you better pay very close attention to what countries you are cruising to on ANY cruise line.

 

~In Dec on the Veendam they took our passports. ( I did sign it out in Ushuaia so I could get the "end of the world stamp")

~On Carnival Dream they took it. (Italy, Croatia, Spain)

~On Royal Caribbean Legend of the Seas they took it. (Italy, Greece, Egypt, Turkey)

 

They do give you a receipt and I have my own copy!

[whogo]

What scenario are you imagining that requires a passport? If you are left behind the passport will be left with the port agent.

 

Having the Veendam hold our passports on our South America cruise was the best thing that they could have done. HAL took our passports upon boarding in Valparaiso, Chile and handled all immigration tasks for stops in Chile, Argentina, Falkland Islands, Uruguay, and Argentina (again).

 

The last thing a cruise passenger wants is to have to present himself in person to immigration in a bunch of foreign countries. Such in person immigration dealings are done in the early hours of the morning with long, slow moving lines with 1200 other passengers and a number of PA announcements for missing passengers to present themselves before anyone is allowed off the ship.

 

Let HAL take care of your passport. While it is in their custody it will not get pick pocketed. HAL will not leave it on a store counter. It will not fall out of HAL's purse. HAL will not leave your passport on a tour bus. HAL will not mislay it in your cabin.

[ricki]

Crystal always holds the passports of it's guests. They are returned to you the day before disembarkation. I certainly feel better having them hold them than carrying them around in port.

 

Ricki

[jtl513]

I would have a real problem with anyone taking my passport. Personally, I would avoid any line that would do so.

It is not the cruise line's choice, it's the regulations of the countries the ship is visiting. I'm sure the ships would prefer to not have to do it. I think you can go to the front desk in the morning and get it back for a day ashore, but we never bothered trying.

I have had the ships hold our passports - depending upon the ports. But it has been a while since they held onto them.

The Nieuw Amsterdam held ours for our East Med cruise and gave them back just before Katakolon, so I believe the reason was Turkey's requirements.

[arzz]

We do not mind the ship keeping our passports -- much preferable to those early mornings in very long lines that still happen at some ports where local authorities require it (like Japan for fingerprints, Hong Kong for temperature taking). We also find that when the ship holds the passports we get a stamp at every port. When we need to carry them ourselves to meet local requirements (like in St. Petersburg) or because we plan an overnight on shore, we pick them up before we leave and return them when we return.

 

The ship gives us a receipt, and even a xerox copy for us to hold (on at least one cruise) -- of course we always carry our own copies also.

[alpal1993]

On our Baltics cruise (Celebrity) they kept our passports,but they were returned shortly there after.We did have to present them in Russia.None of the other countries even asked to see them.We only have stamps from Amsterdam(port of Embarkation and Disembarkation) and Russia.

[Texas Tillie]

I would have a real problem with anyone taking my passport. Personally, I would avoid any line that would do so. I can't imagine in today's world that sort of thing would be necessary.

 

Don't ever book a cruise with Crystal. They hold passports no matter what the itinerary.:)

[sapete]

Although I haven't been on a crusie where this possibly could happen, it's happen to me numerous times in hotels in both Europe and Asia. I always carry a photo copy of my passport info page and on the back I have the local phone number and local address to the nearest local embassies/consulates.

[arzz]

Once you enter one of the Schengen (do I have that term right?) countries in Europe you do not need to use a passport to travel from one to the other so there is only a stamp when you enter the first country and one when you finally leave. If you enter a country that is not part of this group, then you need to show passports.

[catl331]

Once you enter one of the Schengen (do I have that term right?) countries in Europe ...

Yes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area

[janmcn]

When they take them, which they often do for various country reasons, they give you a receipt which you need to keep in order to get it back. Don't worry about it...it's a necessary evil, but keep a copy just in case.

[catl331]

... they give you a receipt which you need to keep in order to get it back.

Actually you don't really need the receipt, it just makes it easier for the ship. I know because we misplaced ours for a while, and easily got our passports back. We found the receipt afterward. :)

[whogo]

Actually you don't really need the receipt, it just makes it easier for the ship. I know because we misplaced ours for a while, and easily got our passports back. We found the receipt afterward. :)

I still have our receipts and our passports.

[kazu]

We do not mind the ship keeping our passports -- much preferable to those early mornings in very long lines that still happen at some ports where local authorities require it (like Japan for fingerprints, Hong Kong for temperature taking). We also find that when the ship holds the passports we get a stamp at every port. When we need to carry them ourselves to meet local requirements (like in St. Petersburg) or because we plan an overnight on shore, we pick them up before we leave and return them when we return.

 

The ship gives us a receipt, and even a xerox copy for us to hold (on at least one cruise) -- of course we always carry our own copies also.

 

I remember that all too well - the lines :eek: I far prefer the ship has them and clears us :D No lines, no fuss, no muss. If you don't want to tender your passport - you don't cruise.

 

We NEVER take our passport off the ship unless it is absolutely necessary. Whenever we are told we need it and i inquired, if we have our colour copy that is good enough (along with our photo driver id) so that is waht we do. Whether my passport is in the safe or in Hal's safe, it makes no difference to me - it's SAFE :)