Passports in Eastern Mediterranean ports:fyi

[MimiDo]

My husband and I just returned from our Greek Isles cruise on the Star Princess -- and it was fabulous -- and I wanted to post answers here to some of the questions I had before the cruise. Cruise Critic is a great source of info!

 

I was worried about whether we would need to carry our US passports when we got off the ship, especially because we had planned some beach time. We were required to show our passports when we got off and back on the ship in Dubrovnik, Croatia, which was our first stop. But we only had to have our cruise card when we got off the boat in Corfu and Mykonos (but we carried a color xerox of our passport). One day before we docked at Ephesus, Turkey our passports were collected by our Room Steward (this was explained in the Patter newsletter, and we got individual receipt stubs for each passport), and held for "stamping and processing" by the ship. They were returned to us one day later.

 

So the only port where we had to carry our passports off the ship was Dubrovnik; we didn't need to do that in Corfu, Mykonos, Katakolon, Ephesus, Rhodes, Athens, or Naples.

[texancruzer]

When we sailed the E. Med on Solstice, our passports were taken at checkin in Rome. We sailed to Santorini, Mykonos and then Istanbul and Kusadasi Turkey. Then to Athens. We had to pick them up on the sea day after Athens. Then to Naples and back to Rome to disembark.

 

So almost the whole trip we were without them. This was our first cruise where we had to turn them in and it felt weird even though we don't take them onshore with us. We ALWAYS take color copies tho along with the front page of the newsletter which lists the port contact for the ship (just in case !)

 

So, a good rule of thumb is to always take some color copies with you (the pursers desk will make them for you too). You never know when you will need a copy.

[tom_uk]

My husband and I just returned from our Greek Isles cruise on the Star Princess -- and it was fabulous -- and I wanted to post answers here to some of the questions I had before the cruise. Cruise Critic is a great source of info!

 

.....

 

So the only port where we had to carry our passports off the ship was Dubrovnik; we didn't need to do that in Corfu, Mykonos, Katakolon, Ephesus, Rhodes, Athens, or Naples.

 

Carrying your passports seem to be a requirement in Croatia. We had to do so in both Dubrovnik and Korcula. In Dubrovnik they were even checked as we left the port - the coach stopped at the port gate, a Croatian border guard got on and checked that everyone on the coach had one in their hand. It didn't happen on the coach I was on, but I did hear that passengers on other coaches who didn't have their passports with them weren't allowed out of the port.

[cruisemom42]

Thanks for posting; it's always good to have the most updated information about this, as requirements sometimes change.

 

The lines I've cruised with have always been very good about alerting passengers (via the ship's daily program) when passports are required ashore, or if there is any sort of additional requirement (e.g., the boarding cards sometimes used in Turkey).

[Mands&Ian]

When we sailed the E. Med on Solstice, our passports were taken at checkin in Rome. We sailed to Santorini, Mykonos and then Istanbul and Kusadasi Turkey. Then to Athens. We had to pick them up on the sea day after Athens. Then to Naples and back to Rome to disembark.

 

 

That sounds logical; if you flew into Italy then you entered the Schengen area there. The ports of Civitaveccia, Santorini and Mykonos are all within Schengen, Turkey isn't, Pireaus is. So rather than come round and ask for passports post-Mykonos they kept hold of them until after you were in Greece and therefore back in Schegen.

 

Carrying your passports seem to be a requirement in Croatia. We had to do so in both Dubrovnik and Korcula.

 

We didn't in Dubrovnik so I'm not sure it's so clear-cut. Off the boat, into a tender, step off in the old city and no one batted an eyelid.

 

Mands

[UKBayern]

I thought the Star Princess was very efficient in collecting the passports at your cabin by the steward, rather than having to stand in a long line. The only thing is that the arranged times you had to be in your cabin were a bit akward.

[6rugrats]

 

We didn't in Dubrovnik so I'm not sure it's so clear-cut. Off the boat, into a tender, step off in the old city and no one batted an eyelid.

 

Mands

 

Agree; we also did not have to carry passports off the ship in Dubrovnik. This was also on a Windstar cruise.

[tom_uk]

We didn't in Dubrovnik so I'm not sure it's so clear-cut. Off the boat, into a tender, step off in the old city and no one batted an eyelid.

 

Mands

 

That must have been because you tendered straight into the old town harbour. we docked at Buza (?) harbour a couple of miles away, and had shuttle buses to the edge of the Old town. Buza harbour is a secure area - there was definitely a closed gate at the dock entrance where the bus had to stop & passengers were checked.

 

So if you're tendering you may not need them, whereas if you're docking you may.

[Mands&Ian]

That must have been because you tendered straight into the old town harbour. we docked at Buza (?) harbour a couple of miles away, and had shuttle buses to the edge of the Old town. Buza harbour is a secure area - there was definitely a closed gate at the dock entrance where the bus had to stop & passengers were checked.

 

So if you're tendering you may not need them, whereas if you're docking you may.

 

Could be. Maybe if the ship is small enough to dock at the old town then the officials come aboard and do the paperwork there. For larger ships, who dock at Gruz, perhaps they don't.

 

Mands

[jocap]

We've been reading about passports being shown in Croatia more and more recently.

An Australian national, whose passport was in reception's care was turned off the bus in no uncertain terms on the cruise Tom is talking about. The immigration officer who boarded our bus really seemed as if he was checking that we all had EU passports, as he didn't examine them in detail.

Perhaps it won't be as strict now that Croatia is in line to be accepted into the EU in the next 2 years.

Jo.

[DarkSunGlasses]

Knowing what you need to carry is very handy. We are on the Star Princess the end of July. Any port highlights for you?