things to take when you go ashore in ports

[skellis]

I have been reading the boards for quite some time, and have not seen one of the most important things to take with you when you leave the ship in ports of call (except for my own post). TAKE THAT DAY"S PRINCESS PATTER. It tells you when you have to be back on board, and if due to forgetfulness or accident or traffic, you miss the ship it contains the Port agent for that port, whose job it is to help you in such a disaster. They don't pay for your transportation (so bring a credit card and a copy of your passport) but they can facilitate your return to the ship or home as the case may be. On one of my Mediterranean cruises two passengers, despite the warnings at the gangway went to a beach on Rhodes and showed up an hour late with only their beach towels and cruise cards. :eek: The next port was two days later in Israel. When they finally rejoined the ship they said it took hours to find someone to help them and were finally guided to the Port Agent. Two years ago a couple took a private tour to the mountains outside of Mazatlan and the car broke down. The Port agent (when they finally found him) arranged for him to get to the next port at their own expense.:( It could make a disaster a lot more bearable just to have that address and phone number at hand.

[Woodmnky]

Thank you for that information. I had never thought about that.

I always make sure that I have a credit card and any necessary medication as the last thing that I want to do is be without my asthma inhaler while stuck in a foreign country.

[Colo Cruiser]

I have been reading the boards for quite some time, and have not seen one of the most important things to take with you when you leave the ship in ports of call (except for my own post). TAKE THAT DAY"S PRINCESS PATTER. It tells you when you have to be back on board, and if due to forgetfulness or accident or traffic, you miss the ship it contains the Port agent for that port, whose job it is to help you in such a disaster. They don't pay for your transportation (so bring a credit card and a copy of your passport) but they can facilitate your return to the ship or home as the case may be. On one of my Mediterranean cruises two passengers, despite the warnings at the gangway went to a beach on Rhodes and showed up an hour late with only their beach towels and cruise cards. :eek: The next port was two days later in Israel. When they finally rejoined the ship they said it took hours to find someone to help them and were finally guided to the Port Agent. Two years ago a couple took a private tour to the mountains outside of Mazatlan and the car broke down. The Port agent (when they finally found him) arranged for him to get to the next port at their own expense.:( It could make a disaster a lot more bearable just to have that address and phone number at hand.

 

Good point. :)

[Solara]

If I don't take the entire patter, I'll still make sure to copy down the important info about the port agent. Thanks for bringing that to our attention.

[caribill]

They don't pay for your transportation (so bring a credit card and a copy of your passport) but they can facilitate your return to the ship or home as the case may be.

 

 

A copy of a passport may help in getting a replacement, but it will not get you from one country to another, even if the other is the USA.

[chasetf]

A copy of a passport may help in getting a replacement, but it will not get you from one country to another, even if the other is the USA.

and..... that is why we always carry the original. :D ;)

[NeurosurgeryNP]

and..... that is why we always carry the original. :D ;)

We always carry our original passports with us - just in case of accident or illness that requires us to fly home. We also take the Patter with us.

[Renmar]

We always carry our original passports with us - just in case of accident or illness that requires us to fly home. We also take the Patter with us.

Friends of us just came back from a HAL cruise to Europe via Greenland & Iceland.

The cruiseline collected the passports from all Pax and kept them until disembarkation. Does Princess do the same?

We are going on the Diamond to China next week and I hate to think what could happen if something goes wrong and we are without our passports.

[Solara]

Friends of us just came back from a HAL cruise to Europe via Greenland & Iceland.

The cruiseline collected the passports from all Pax and kept them until disembarkation. Does Princess do the same?

We are going on the Diamond to China next week and I hate to think what could happen if something goes wrong and we are without our passports.

That's never happend to us.

[Treven]

Nor to me.

[Tennessee88]

on our Euro Cruise on the Grand in May/June they took them up and kept them till the end of the cruise

[chrysalis]

Friends of us just came back from a HAL cruise to Europe via Greenland & Iceland.

The cruiseline collected the passports from all Pax and kept them until disembarkation. Does Princess do the same?

We are going on the Diamond to China next week and I hate to think what could happen if something goes wrong and we are without our passports.

 

yes, it has happened to us on Princess....so we make sure we take photocopies ashore with us.

[terrierjohn]

A copy of a passport may help in getting a replacement, but it will not get you from one country to another, even if the other is the USA.

It probably would, I had my passport stolen on holiday once and was told I needed either a copy or, in my case, a police report, in order to board the plane.

[caribill]

The cruiseline collected the passports from all Pax and kept them until disembarkation. Does Princess do the same?

 

They do this when the authorities of one or more of the countries visited must see (or be able to see) the passports in order to clear the ship for disembarkation at a port. Especially true if you need a visa to enter the country.

 

So, it may or may not happen on the cruise you are taking.

[Lionesss]

You really brought up an interesting point about the Port Authority.

We just returned from the Mariner last month.

And I thought I was well read, reading the compass and all. I never came across anything mentioning the Port Authority. This will definetly come in handy the next time we travel.

I wonder if they are located near where you go through security to get back on the ship?

I don't mean to capitalize on your thread, but does anyone know?

Later

[califlady]

Was on a Princess cruise from Aukland, New Zealand to Sydney, Aus. in 2002. They did take our passports and returned them after we arrived in Australia.

[chasetf]

Was on a Princess cruise from Aukland, New Zealand to Sydney, Aus. in 2002. They did take our passports and returned them after we arrived in Australia.

We did the same cruise in reverse (Sydney to Auckland) and they did not collect them. Must have been an Aussie requirement or a new / old policy change.

[chasetf]

Friends of us just came back from a HAL cruise to Europe via Greenland & Iceland.

The cruiseline collected the passports from all Pax and kept them until disembarkation. Does Princess do the same?

We are going on the Diamond to China next week and I hate to think what could happen if something goes wrong and we are without our passports.

It is a requirement levied by the country and not the cruiseline. We had that happen on some of our cruises. On one of our Tahiti cruises we were scheduled to go to the Cook Islands. They collected our passports are embarkation. We had to divert because of a cyclone in the Cook Island area... and that evening of the cancellation we got our passports returned to our cabins.