Do you take your passports with you or leave on the ship?

Having been to Italy a dozen times, this is not the case.

Only requirement we have encountered is a form of ID with photo at the Venice cruise port as well as ships card to re-board the ship. For UK travellers the best and easiest way to do this is a UK driving licence.

As others have put on Regent your passport is handed in to the purser at the start of the cruise, so that port formalities occur when docking, you do not have with you!

This is a dangerous rumour and the only people who will benefit from it are the criminal fraternity.

Actually there is no disconnect. Cruise passengers at a port call are usually considered 'in transit' which is a classification that does not require the same level of identification as a 'tourist'.

When the ship keeps your passport, it allows local immigration authorities to examine your documents (behind the scenes) quickly and easily resulting in little impact on your 'in transit' day in the port.

If you were to encounter 'legal troubles' while in port, the local authorities are well aware of the presence of ship passengers, their immigration status and where their documents are located (on the ship).

I also suspect something like this is the case, though I have found nothing confirmatory. However, there are folks who are absolutely rabid that one must always have one's passport in these countries. (For the record I am not one of them...)

Well, GrJ Berkshire, the UK Foreign Office seems to subscribe, at least in part, to what you call 'a dangerous rumour' but you'll probably be alright unless you hire a car.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy/local-laws-and-customs

I also suspect something like this is the case, though I have found nothing confirmatory. However, there are folks who are absolutely rabid that one must always have one's passport in these countries. (For the record I am not one of them...)

There is a fairly recent thread here on CC reporting that a ship was collecting passports for the immigration inspection at ports along the way.

There were a few pax who refused to comply.

They were not allowed to disembark for the day.

When we were in Istanbul some years ago we were issued Boarding Cards that had the date and ship's stamp to use as ID ashore. The ship had our passports safely stored aboard.

We will be in Rome 4 days - pre cruise. Private Vatican Tour said we need a copy on our smart phone OR to carry a hard copy and Borghese said bring the credit card (used for purchase) and drivers license to pick up tix. So due to this info, our plan in Rome was to keep them locked up in hotel safe and just carry a photo copy. (It's on my cell phone too.)

Have visited Italy every summer for the past 3 years now. Never carry my passport but I do take a photo of it on my phone and have a photocopy of it with me. We've never needed it on cruise or land holidays.

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Totally agree with bublesqueaker , do not carry passports with you.

Modern technology on phone or old fashioned photocopy will do. In identity for UK travellers a photo driving licence will do.

As posted above, you can get all sorts of advice on these boards. (...) If you think a ship's tour exempts you from missing the ship, talk to the two ship's groups that RCL left behind on our Med. cruise, it can happen.

This is deceptive wording. RCL did not say to the passengers on those tours "Hey remember our promise not to leave you behind? Well, we're not going to honour it. Too bad so sad. Find your own way to the next port, see you there, I hope you remembered your passport and credit card." The passengers on the tour may have been left behind for operational reasons, but it was still the ship's responsibility to get them back on board as soon as they could.

As a separate, and slightly nit-picky point. The law, at least in Italy, requires people to carry government-issued ID. A passport is not specifically required.

This is deceptive wording. RCL did not say to the passengers on those tours "Hey remember our promise not to leave you behind? Well, we're not going to honour it. Too bad so sad. Find your own way to the next port, see you there, I hope you remembered your passport and credit card." The passengers on the tour may have been left behind for operational reasons, but it was still the ship's responsibility to get them back on board as soon as they could.

 

As a separate, and slightly nit-picky point. The law, at least in Italy, requires people to carry government-issued ID. A passport is not specifically required.

What is the deceptive wording? Were you on those tours to know how RC handled it?

FWIW- any reputable private tour company will make sure you are reconnected with the ship - their livelihood depends on it. Everyone needs to do what they are comfortable with, I just don't believe that the scare tactic of using ships' tours solely for the reason of not missing the ship is valid. In my many years of reading CC I don't recall a case of that happening, I'm sure it has, but rarely.

What is the deceptive wording? Were you on those tours to know how RC handled it?

FWIW- any reputable private tour company will make sure you are reconnected with the ship - their livelihood depends on it. Everyone needs to do what they are comfortable with, I just don't believe that the scare tactic of using ships' tours solely for the reason of not missing the ship is valid. In my many years of reading CC I don't recall a case of that happening, I'm sure it has, but rarely.

It states clearly in the excursion booking that the ship will wait for the tour OR, if they can't wait, the cruise line will be responsible for reuniting the passengers with the ship. So no, I wasn't on those tours, but if RCL had breached the contract, I'm sure the howls of outrage would have reached me. I'm not a particular fan of ship's tours, but we do take one now and then. As recently as April we were on a Celebrity tour that arrived back in port quite a while after we should have sailed, and the ship was waiting for us. So it happens, fairly often in my experience.

PS. I also don't take my passport off the ship unless I know it will be asked for, so if you needed confirmation that we see things from completely opposite sides, there it is! :D And before you ask, I have witnessed passports for people who missed the ship being handed over to the port agent. Once for crew members who caught up at the next port, and once for a near miss, where the passengers arrived at the very last possible second, and got their passports back from the port agent before getting on the ship.

I never would do so. We just back from Italy and Greece cruise ,our passport was taken by ship and absolutely not necessary to carry it around. Miss ship? you should be complete idiot to do so . And I will never believe that RCL would leave without passengers to come back from RCL excursion. Those passengers probably decided to have more fun in port after excursion is over.

PS. I also don't take my passport off the ship unless I know it will be asked for, so if you needed confirmation that we see things from completely opposite sides, there it is! :D And before you ask, I have witnessed passports for people who missed the ship being handed over to the port agent. Once for crew members who caught up at the next port, and once for a near miss, where the passengers arrived at the very last possible second, and got their passports back from the port agent before getting on the ship.

Yes, I am sure the ship does everything possible to get passports to those left behind. We know of three separate instances of acquaintances who experienced medical emergencies ashore and were unable to continue the cruise. One did have the passports delivered to the hospital (two did not).

I never would do so. We just back from Italy and Greece cruise ,our passport was taken by ship and absolutely not necessary to carry it around. Miss ship? you should be complete idiot to do so . And I will never believe that RCL would leave without passengers to come back from RCL excursion. Those passengers probably decided to have more fun in port after excursion is over.

Believe whatever makes you happy! I have no reason to lie. It's a fact - two Amalfi coast excursions.

FWIW, I don't give a hoot whether you or others carry your passports or not. Just trying to present some things to consider. I'm sure you've made an informed decision.

Yes, I am sure the ship does everything possible to get passports to those left behind. We know of three separate instances of acquaintances who experienced medical emergencies ashore and were unable to continue the cruise. One did have the passports delivered to the hospital (two did not).

 

 

 

Believe whatever makes you happy! I have no reason to lie. It's a fact - two Amalfi coast excursions.

 

FWIW, I don't give a hoot whether you or others carry your passports or not. Just trying to present some things to consider. I'm sure you've made an informed decision.

I would like to see link for this happen on Royal. google did not give any answers.

I would like to see link for this happen on Royal. google did not give any answers.

What link? I was on the cruise where it happened. It was a topic of conversation among passengers for days.

I have also searched for ages for evidence of any private tours left behind and abandoned as well, curious as to how that might have been handled. I am also interested in reports of those having their passports pick pocketed during port visits. (Not during travel to/from destinations).

Guess they are all pretty rare instances.

What link? I was on the cruise where it happened. It was a topic of conversation among passengers for days.

I have also searched for ages for evidence of any private tours left behind and abandoned as well, curious as to how that might have been handled. I am also interested in reports of those having their passports pick pocketed during port visits. (Not during travel to/from destinations).

Guess they are all pretty rare instances.

WEb link where I can read about what really happened and when . I cruise for 15 years and never heard about passengers missed ship from cruise excursion or even private one to be honest.

And I will never believe that RCL would leave without passengers to come back from RCL excursion.

Of course they will try not to and will plan things so that eventuality is incredibly unlikely.

The cost and hassle of leaving passengers behind will be horrendous, so they will do everything possible not to do so.

But if circumstances dictate there is no other option then I am sure they would.

The ones I have heard about weren't just excursions. There was an RCL ship docked in France somewhere a few years ago. A storm cam up, and the ship had to leave the dock early, and left many passengers behind. But of course, they met the returning passengers at the pier and took them by bus to the port that the ship had moved to.

The other one I heard about was on one of the private islands. Again, a storm came up, and they had to suspend tendering. The stranded passengers had to spend the night on the island, and were picked up the next day.

If you think a ship's tour exempts you from missing the ship, talk to the two ship's groups that RCL left behind on our Med. cruise, it can happen. We also travel extensively on land and by cruising. I know of three families who had to remain in foreign countries during port stops due to medical emergencies. The cruise line was able to get documents to the parties in one instance. I know of only one case of a stolen passport (which was replaced with minor inconvenience).

I'm curious what happened to the ships' groups that RCL left behind. Did RCL step up to the plate and ensure they reached the ship (as this is the "guarantee" most ship tours tout, e.g., that they will get you back to the ship on time OR will bear responsibility for reuniting you with the ship should the ship leave without the tour group for any reason.)

I've read of at least two other instances over the years where ship tours were stranded. One involved a HAL ship in Alaska which had to leave port early due to bad weather. HAL took all responsibility for getting the stranded passengers back to the ship. Another case involved a ship leaving port early in the Caribbean to stay ahead of a hurricane.

It's also been said that in cases of emergency there are ways to obtain certain waivers/relaxation of rules regarding passports (I think this happened when the Carnival cruise went dead in the water and passengers had to be flown home from a Caribbean port) -- including in cases like this. So I'm wondering if the affected RCL passengers faced any real issues, even if they didn't have their passports with them?

Finally, you said in an earlier port that passengers are more likely to face a medical emergency ashore that would cause them to miss the ship than to have their passports stolen. Although that might have been your experience, it's simply not borne out by the actual statistics. The British government reported recently that (in regard to UK passports) in a single year, there were significant numbers of lost/stolen passports reported in frequent tourist destinations, including Spain (>5,000!), France (1487), and Italy (1268). There were other countries listed, including the US, but since this is on the Med boards, I'll stick to those countries. US numbers are not so easy to find, but I'm guessing are similarly substantial.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/where-britons-get-their-passports-stolen-the-most/

In addition to years of land-based travel in Europe, I've taken 7 Mediterranean cruises. Just on those cruises alone I can personally attest to:

-- Five passengers having their passports lifted in Athens on a single HAL excursion.

-- Seven passengers (standing in front of me at check-in) having their passports pickpocketed in Barcelona on a pre-cruise tour. Most of them were foolish enough to have had their passports in a pants pocket.... It took them most of a day to get the needed replacement to allow them to board the ship for their cruise. Luckily they had the time.

-- A passenger arriving back in port at Civitavecchia, only to realize that she'd left her bag, with passport inside, in a taxi that she took to the train station (in Rome). Not sure what happened next; she was talking to an officer at the gangway.

-- Finally, I was pickpocketed in Barcelona -- carrying a cross-body bag held closely under my arm -- without my knowledge. Yes, they are that good.

Of course, there are many other anecdotal reports people have made through the years on CC as well including theft of passports in subways, buses, and trains in particular.

If you must carry your passport, do not trust to any method other than securely secreting it on your person (e.g., in a money belt worn under your clothing, secure inside pocket, etc.)