Problem returning to the ship in Venice.

[Johnsanders]

During the first two visits to Venice hundreds of passengers returning to the ship have experienced problems with local security. Many had forgotten to take their passports ashore while some others had taken a photocopy of the passport which was deemed to be unacceptable. Instead a form had to be filled in, the form requiring them to fill in their name and the date!! Last week the ship had to send for more forms as the first 150 forms had been used.

 

Venice was the only port on the cruise where passports were required and strangely a photo driving licence was deemed acceptable while a passport photocopy was not. I asked the Ventura staff while lessons had not been learned from the first visit and suggested that security staff should warn passengers to carry their passports as they leave the ship.

Jim.

[Brayman]

At most of our Med ports last year we were advised to have our passports with us!

[ParCan]

Every place / country has it's rules. The local Security do a job and it's more then their jobs worth not to follow their boss.

We always take Photo ID ( Driving Licence) with us when going ashore. We don't usually take Passports unless told to do so.

 

1/2 the time P&O are unlikely to know that the local Security guys are going to ask for Passports on that particular day.

 

Be nice to the man with the hat. Do what they ask and move on !

[Johnsanders]

Every place / country has it's rules. The local Security do a job and it's more then their jobs worth not to follow their boss.

We always take Photo ID ( Driving Licence) with us when going ashore. We don't usually take Passports unless told to do so.

 

1/2 the time P&O are unlikely to know that the local Security guys are going to ask for Passports on that particular day.

 

Be nice to the man with the hat. Do what they ask and move on !

 

P&O did know as exactly the same had happened on the previous cruise. The Venice authorities did not inspect anyone leaving the ship only on return and this did not happen at any other port including three other Italian ports nor did happen on my three previous cruise visit to Venice. I carry a copy because my passport was stolen at knifepoint in Naples a few years ago.

My point was that P&O should have emphasised that things were different in Venice.

[Thejuggler]

Always take passport and EHIC card ashore. You never know when you will need it. Some Countries need a passport when using a credit card.

[Norfolk Brit]

This happened to us (but on Cunard) and many others in May last year, so they've been aware of the situation for a long time.

 

When we finally got back on board, we checked the daily programme; it was on there, but in print the size of an ant's toenail.:D

 

Mary

[supergran]

We were on this Ventura cruise from 2 to 16 April. There was an announcement made at every Italian port that we should take our passports with us when we left the ship as it was a requirement of the Italian authorities. We had a day and a half in Venice and our passports were examined both days when we returned to the ship. I believe there was a notice in the daily port guide as well. We just thought it strange as we were still in the EU.

Edited May 3, 2014 by supergran

[AchileLauro]

I believe that many European countries require their citizens to carry an identity card or some other form of photo I.D. the U.K. being one of the exceptions. Why should it come as a surprise then that the security denies access to a controlled area like a port if you can't provide any form of official photo I.D.

I agree though that perhaps the shipping line should have warned or reminded passengers of such.

[Provogirl]

We just returned from the Arcadia and the daily Horizon emphasized we all had to carry our passports in Venice and we could be fined £3,000 if we were stopped by the police and could not produce it

[davecttr]

Maybe the problem is that P&O are not making sure that passengers joining Ventura in Venice are aware of the passport requirements. A lot of those passengers will be aboard by lunchtime and may well take some time ashore during the afternoon.

[Lolra]

Just back from Venice-Genoa leg of med fly cruise and we were definitely informed that passports were required in Venice.

Not only was it printed in the horizon, it was also mentioned at the end of every disembarkation announcement.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Denarius]

When passports are required on shore this is always stated in Horizon. If people do not read this then they have only themselves to blame. To avoid embarrassment however, P&O might consider having large posters printed and displaying these next to the cruise card scanning desks at the gangway, or asking passengers to present passports when going ashore.

[Johnsanders]

I believe that many European countries require their citizens to carry an identity card or some other form of photo I.D. the U.K. being one of the exceptions. Why should it come as a surprise then that the security denies access to a controlled area like a port if you can't provide any form of official photo I.D.

I agree though that perhaps the shipping line should have warned or reminded passengers of such.

 

Perhaps I should clarify. I did see the notice in Horizon but assumed (wrongly) that the photocopy of the passport which I have used in the past with no problems would be accepted - my fault.

What I could not understand was that there was no check entering the port but only when returning to the ship.

It also puzzled me why they would not accept a photocopy of my passport when all of us, including those with no ID at all were allowed through after complying a form which consisted of a place for our name and date.

The fact that many of us had to wait for over thirty minutes for a new batch of the forms after the first 150 had been used suggests that many people had made the same mistake and P&O could have perhaps learned from the previous cruise and emphasised that Venice was different and saved the crew and passengers a lot of hassle.

[supergran]

Perhaps I should clarify. I did see the notice in Horizon but assumed (wrongly) that the photocopy of the passport which I have used in the past with no problems would be accepted - my fault.

What I could not understand was that there was no check entering the port but only when returning to the ship.

It also puzzled me why they would not accept a photocopy of my passport when all of us, including those with no ID at all were allowed through after complying a form which consisted of a place for our name and date.

The fact that many of us had to wait for over thirty minutes for a new batch of the forms after the first 150 had been used suggests that many people had made the same mistake and P&O could have perhaps learned from the previous cruise and emphasised that Venice was different and saved the crew and passengers a lot of hassle.[/quote.

 

If P & O tell you to take your passport with you and you don't listen you can hardly blame them when you, and all the others who didn't listen, have a long wait to get back on to the ship. I don't like taking our passports ashore in case we lose them but if that is the rule then we have to comply. I just think if we are all in the EU with its 'freedom of movement' we shouldn't 't need to do this.

[Lolra]

We did also see signage up at the gangplank as you exited the ship, so perhaps the lessons have been learnt.

I assume they were stricter at Venice and genoa as they were embarkation ports.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[AchileLauro]

They tend to be stricter in Venice and Genoa because large numbers of illegal immigrants have congregated in those centres something that hasn't happened to any significant degree elsewhere.

 

Supergran you still have freedom of movement but as I mentioned earlier most European countries require everyone to carry photo I.D. but as we don't have that in the U.K. the nearest thing is your passport. You might not like carrying your passport but it is a requirement in the absence of a suitable alternative personal I.D. card.

Edited May 3, 2014 by AchileLauro

[supergran]

They tend to be stricter in Venice and Genoa because large numbers of illegal immigrants have congregated in those centres something that hasn't happened to any significant degree elsewhere.

 

Supergran you still have freedom of movement but as I mentioned earlier most European countries require everyone to carry photo I.D. but as we don't have that in the U.K. the nearest thing is your passport. You might not like carrying your passport but it is a requirement in the absence of a suitable alternative personal I.D. card.

 

I might not not like carrying it but we do always comply. I leave a copy of our passports in the safe onboard.

:)

[Johnsanders]

If P & O tell you to take your passport with you and you don't listen you can hardly blame them when you, and all the others who didn't listen, have a long wait to get back on to the ship. I don't like taking our passports ashore in case we lose them but if that is the rule then we have to comply. I just think if we are all in the EU with its 'freedom of movement' we shouldn't 't need to do this.

 

I know I will regret not letting this go but I wish people would read what was actually written. I realise that Ventura have no responsibility for the unique and strange decision to allow passengers ashore without checks yet apply stringent and inconsistent checks to board the ship in Venice. I accept that it was my fault that a photocopy was not accepted even though there were no checks at all in any other ports including the Italian ones for Genoa, Rome, Naples and Livorno.

My point was that as the same thing had happened the previous visit, Ventura, who have a duty of care to all passengers, even "all the others who do not listen" should have emphasised that Venice was different.

I had a conversation about this with a senior officer and suggested that passengers should show that they have their passports as they leave the ship in Venice so those without could return to their cabin to collect them thus saving passengers and crew alike problems later on. I was assured that new procedures will apply when the ship returns to Venice on Tuesday.

My original post was only intended to warn CC readers.

[supergran]

I appreciate that you were being helpful and warning CC users. I was just trying to say that on our cruise P & O did warn passengers, by announcements and notices. They can only do so much but some people will still not listen. I wasn't getting at you as you took what you thought as suitable ID. :)

[higgib]

We visited Venice 2 years ago with another cruise line. We complied with the request to carry passports, and when we returned to the ship were confronted with an enormous queue. We stood in this queue for an hour and a half,(in baking heat) and on reaching the front discovered that 2 security officers were x raying passengers bags as well as checking passports. We were then finally allowed back on board, where the ship's security x rayed our bags again. Out of 7 ports, 4 of which were in Italy, this was the only place this happened.