Passport

[sophiethd]

Hi,

 

I was sure that I read somewhere on this site that when you embark the ship they keep everyone's passport. I can't seem to find that information anymore and by reading other threads about passport it does not seem to be happening.

 

Was this something of the past and it's recently changed ?:confused:

 

Please let me know.

 

Thanks

[Globaliser]

As a UK passport holder, I've had this in the past on cruises in all sorts of places, but I've not experienced it recently on NCL's Caribbean cruises.

[gemsm]

Hi,

 

I was sure that I read somewhere on this site that when you embark the ship they keep everyone's passport. I can't seem to find that information anymore and by reading other threads about passport it does not seem to be happening.

 

Was this something of the past and it's recently changed ?:confused:

 

Please let me know.

 

Thanks

 

If you are a United States Citizen cruising on a ship departing from and returning to a US port then no they will not take your passport.

 

I don't know about citizens from another country departing from a US port or a US citizen departing in another country though.

[njhorseman]

Hi,

 

I was sure that I read somewhere on this site that when you embark the ship they keep everyone's passport. I can't seem to find that information anymore and by reading other threads about passport it does not seem to be happening.

 

Was this something of the past and it's recently changed ?:confused:

 

Please let me know.

 

Thanks

 

It depends on your itinerary and nationality...and the rules can be changed at any time by any country on your itinerary. It's nothing you can control and nothing to worry about.

[gemsm]

It depends on your itinerary and nationality...and the rules can be changed at any time by any country on your itinerary. It's nothing you can control and nothing to worry about.

 

Well that made the rules clear as mud -- LOL :) You would think that with something as important as passports and international travel that rules might be made clearer to the traveler but I guess that would require too much cooperation between countries :(

[njhorseman]

Well that made the rules clear as mud -- LOL :) You would think that with something as important as passports and international travel that rules might be made clearer to the traveler but I guess that would require too much cooperation between countries :(

 

 

This isn't a discussion of whether you need a passport, but rather under what circumstances the cruise line holds it. That is a function of the itinerary...for example some countries require the cruise line to have all passports ready for inspection and/or endorsement with a visa.

 

It's of no real importance to the individual cruiser...the rules are whatever a country says they are, and those rules can be changed at any time. Even within the US, CBP varies its disembarkation procedures from port to port...and even can change it from week to week. On our most recent cruise out of Philadelphia in October, CBP changed how it handled passport inspection for foreign nationals without notifying the cruise ship in advance, totally screwing up and delaying disembarkation for US citizens.

 

There's no sense agonizing over something that isn't in your control, particularly when I could give you information that is accurate today, but might be inaccurate tomorrow.

[KandJCruising]

I haven't had my passport held on any of 3 Caribbean and one N Europe cruise. The only case I've read on here of it happening was a Med cruise that included a stop in Egypt.

[gemsm]

This isn't a discussion of whether you need a passport, but rather under what circumstances the cruise line holds it. That is a function of the itinerary...for example some countries require the cruise line to have all passports ready for inspection and/or endorsement with a visa.

 

It's of no real importance to the individual cruiser...the rules are whatever a country says they are, and those rules can be changed at any time. Even within the US, CBP varies its disembarkation procedures from port to port...and even can change it from week to week. On our most recent cruise out of Philadelphia in October, CBP changed how it handled passport inspection for foreign nationals without notifying the cruise ship in advance, totally screwing up and delaying disembarkation for US citizens.

 

There's no sense agonizing over something that isn't in your control, particularly when I could give you information that is accurate today, but might be inaccurate tomorrow.

 

Oh I know...that is why I don't worry about it as long as I have my passport when I disembark. Just wish they could give you a clue before you board if you have to surrender the passport or not. I don't particularly like leaving mine out of my control when I am in a foreign country.

[njhorseman]

I haven't had my passport held on any of 3 Caribbean and one N Europe cruise. The only case I've read on here of it happening was a Med cruise that included a stop in Egypt.

 

As a US citizen you won't have your passport held on a Caribbean itinerary, but some foreign nationals do have theirs held. We had ours held on a Mediterranean itinerary that did not include a stop in Egypt, but that was a couple of years ago, and rules can change.

[sophiethd]

So if I understand correctly, i'm Canadian and i'm leaving from a US port for an Eastern Caribbean cruise, the chances are that my passport will be held ?

[SeaShark]

I also recall having read this on the boards...but I'm not clear on the exact details.

 

If memory serves :o I believe that the "passport holding" was in conjunction with the ship's visit to St Petersburg.

 

Again, as others have stated, this is only done if required by the country that you are visiting. NCL itself has no policies about holding the passport of a guest.

[gemsm]

So if I understand correctly, i'm Canadian and i'm leaving from a US port for an Eastern Caribbean cruise, the chances are that my passport will be held ?

 

chances are it won't be

[Samstress]

We are Canadians & have had to turn in our passports when we travelled from a US port.

When we were visiting ports which required a viewing of our passport, we were directed to report to a particular room in the morning, where we picked up our passport upon entering, had it inspected by a customs official of that particular port who was sitting at a desk in the room, and then handed it back in at the exit door of the room.

I think all non us citizens are required to do this.

I take photocopies of our passports with me just in case. In fact, I also take photocopies of our credit cards as well.

Cheers,

Sandy.

[DMAB]

NCL itself has no policies about holding the passport of a guest.

 

If you understand NCL's policies, please explain them to NCL so they will be able to give consistant answers when people call them.:D

 

 

I couldn't resist, even though my experience with NCLs phone answerers and website is that they are both better than HAL's, Princess's of Celebrity's. They are all incompetent, NCL's is less incompetent though.:eek:

[scchasgal]

As a US citizen you won't have your passport held on a Caribbean itinerary, but some foreign nationals do have theirs held. We had ours held on a Mediterranean itinerary that did not include a stop in Egypt, but that was a couple of years ago, and rules can change.

 

I have a foreign passport and in the caribbean itineraries I have not have it held on the last 4 years or so of cruising. Prior to that they collected them at the beginning and you got them back at the end.

 

Sometimes but not always I have to get up and report to customs on the ship at 6 am to clear customs onboard.

[zqvol]

This isn't a discussion of whether you need a passport, but rather under what circumstances the cruise line holds it. That is a function of the itinerary...for example some countries require the cruise line to have all passports ready for inspection and/or endorsement with a visa.

 

It's of no real importance to the individual cruiser...the rules are whatever a country says they are, and those rules can be changed at any time. Even within the US, CBP varies its disembarkation procedures from port to port...and even can change it from week to week. On our most recent cruise out of Philadelphia in October, CBP changed how it handled passport inspection for foreign nationals without notifying the cruise ship in advance, totally screwing up and delaying disembarkation for US citizens.

 

There's no sense agonizing over something that isn't in your control, particularly when I could give you information that is accurate today, but might be inaccurate tomorrow.

 

It is also a function of the cruise line. You will find that the mass market lines rarely hold passports, while the "luxury" lines almost always hold passports on all cruises for all passengers. BTW, we are US citizens and one line we cruise on holds all passports on all itineraries, even in the Caribbean.