ID necessary to reenter the ship for European Cruises

[azdmelani]

I usually take Caribbean/Mexican Riviera cruises and we just need a government issued photo ID (i.e. drivers license) to reenter the secure area by the ship.

 

For a European cruise, are we able to use our driver's license, or will we need a passport? Would a photocopy of the passport work?

 

Thanks in advance for the help

[Pia1913]

I usually take Caribbean/Mexican Riviera cruises and we just need a government issued photo ID (i.e. drivers license) to reenter the secure area by the ship.

 

For a European cruise, are we able to use our driver's license, or will we need a passport? Would a photocopy of the passport work?

 

Thanks in advance for the help

 

It is usually suggested that you carry a photo ID when leaving the ship in any port. There are very few places that you will ever need to take your passport off the ship, and if that;s the case, you will be notified in advance.

Edited May 27, 2014 by Pia1913

[croftybubbles]

I have done several European cruises and have been told to take my passport off, I however never have.

 

A photocopy and my drivers license have been fine, if my passport were stolen I can just imagine the nightmare it would be to get a temporary one issued.

 

I do find it odd that they ask you to take a passport off the ship.

 

 

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[CCFC]

Venice seems to need a passport to get back on the ship.

[Johnsanders]

Venice seems to need a passport to get back on the ship.

 

Last month a photocopy of my passport was refused in Venice but they accepted photo driving licences.

Jim.

[Pam in CA]

I do find it odd that they ask you to take a passport off the ship.

"They" is not Princess telling you to bring your passport but the country or local authorities. Princess is just alerting you to the local requirement. Whether your passport/ID is checked or not is up to the local authorities. This means that one port will check whereas another might not.

 

If your itinerary includes travel between Schengen and non-Schengen Agreement countries, Princess will collect and hold your passport. This is so the country's Immigration officials can check people's passports while on the ship. This is for the passengers' convenience so you don't have to line up and go through Immigration every time you go from a Schengen to a non-Schengen Agreement country or the reverse.

[Shogun]

Hi There

We never take our passports of ship but do carry government I D eg drivers licence or similar have been asked to show it a few times

 

Yours Shogun

 

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[Lanwood]

"They" is not Princess telling you to bring your passport but the country or local authorities. Princess is just alerting you to the local requirement. Whether your passport/ID is checked or not is up to the local authorities. This means that one port will check whereas another might not.

 

If your itinerary includes travel between Schengen and non-Schengen Agreement countries, Princess will collect and hold your passport. This is so the country's Immigration officials can check people's passports while on the ship. This is for the passengers' convenience so you don't have to line up and go through Immigration every time you go from a Schengen to a non-Schengen Agreement country or the reverse.

 

This pretty much covers it. I can only add as a partially relevant comment that some European countries (France is the main one that comes to mind at present) require you to carry identification at all times by law. I've never been asked for it, nor has anyone I know, but you don't want to be without it if asked by local police for any reason.

Edited May 28, 2014 by Lanwood

[f-mattox]

"They" is not Princess telling you to bring your passport but the country or local authorities. Princess is just alerting you to the local requirement. Whether your passport/ID is checked or not is up to the local authorities. This means that one port will check whereas another might not.

 

If your itinerary includes travel between Schengen and non-Schengen Agreement countries, Princess will collect and hold your passport. This is so the country's Immigration officials can check people's passports while on the ship. This is for the passengers' convenience so you don't have to line up and go through Immigration every time you go from a Schengen to a non-Schengen Agreement country or the reverse.

 

Thank you, Pam, for clearing this up. I mentioned on another thread some time ago that on several occasions all passports were collected for the duration of the cruise and then handed back at the end. Did I get flamed. I was crazy; that never happens; I should never surrender my passport; and on and on. Well I knew it happened but I didn't know the technical reason and now I do. Thank you again.

Edited May 28, 2014 by f-mattox

[piper28]

On the Baltic cruise a number of stops specifically said take your passport with you. That said, the only two places that actually checked it were Russia and Amsterdam (who only checked it when you *returned* to the ship, that one kinda threw me). Immigration officials can get kinda annoyed if you don't have the passport with you and they want it.

[f-mattox]

I was surprised that on a Baltic cruise on HAL a few years ago, in Russia, they accepted a photocopy of the passport. But the ship made everybody get a copy made onboard.

[Pam in CA]

Thank you, Pam, for clearing this up. I mentioned on another thread some time ago that on several occasions all passports were collected for the duration of the cruise and then handed back at the end. Did I get flamed. I was crazy; that never happens; I should never surrender my passport; and on and on. Well I knew it happened but I didn't know the technical reason and now I do. Thank you again.

Most Americans have never heard of the Schengen Agreement and are clueless about it. Can't tell you how many times someone has said, "I'll never give up my passport" only to delay the entire ship's disembarkation.

 

I remember traveling in Europe back in the 50's and 60's and it seemed you went through a border every day or so and had two Immigration inspections to go through each time as you left one country and entered the next, and every time you checked into a hotel, the hotel took your passport, returning it when you checked out. The Schengen Agreement created common immigration borders and eliminated this hassle although not all countries in Europe are part of the Agreement.

[caribill]

Two countries that come to mind which require you carry your passport (not a copy) when off the ship are Russia and Egypt. There are no dount others.

 

In Saint Petersburg your passport is stamped when leaving the ship, so it cannot be a passport copy. In Vladivostok it was stamped before leaving the ship, but you still needed to carry it.

 

Actually, you also need to take it with you if you are doing a B2B that turns around in Port Everglades as you must go through USA immigration that day.

 

And if you are on a Princess overnight tour, you need to take it to show the hotel where you are staying. And some overnight tours (such as the Taj Mahal) require airplane flight for which the passport is also needed.

[insidecabin]

Goverment issued photo ID is required in some of the countries visited on european trips.

 

Quite rare to be asked for it on the streets(by officials)

 

Returning to the ship it varies

some always ask

some never

some sometimes

Italy it has been know for them changing the requirements during the day so best to have something.

[NSWP]

We were recently on P&O UK's Arcadia in the Med. Being Australians - non EU citizens (the other 1800 on board were Brits) the ship kept our passports and we had to go to the Purser and get them back to go ashore in Italy and Greece. The Brits passports were not kept by the ship, but they still had to take them ashore. The passports were checked by Italian and Greek Customs officials on return to the ship. A bit of a pain having to get our passports and return them.

 

But the ship's staff will let you know as to where and when passports need to be taken ashore.

Edited May 28, 2014 by NSWP

[azdmelani]

Thanks all for your detailed responses :)

[CI66774]

On recent Scandinavia/Baltics cruise, only Russia reviewed and stamped passport. However, Princess always advised passengers to take passport with them while in port.