Passport question

[Randyk47]

While it wasn't HAL we were in the Med on Silversea just this past March. They took our passports when we boarded in Barcelona and we didn't see them until the afternoon of the last day in Istanbul some 14 days later. Ship was small enough that they actually had a specially built filing box with numbered slots for every cabin. They stuck a little sticker with our cabin number of the front of our passports and then put them in the corresponding slot. I asked and they said the box was designed to fit into a safe on the ship and unless port authorities asked for them, which they said was extremely rare, they stay there until the end of the cruise. They did give us a small card with our passport number on it that fit in the little pleather folder they provided for your cabin card. In the same folder they provided the name and number of the port agent for every stop. Nice touch. We were off the ship a lot as this cruise visited some 10 ports in 14 days and, maybe some would say luckily, but never needed our passports. A handful of the crew and passengers got stranded in Florence one night because of a train strike and had to get hotel rooms but in talking to them passports were not an issue. For obvious reasons we used our passports more on this trip than certainly any Caribbean cruise but it was amazingly easy and quick. We had to show them in San Antonio because we were starting a series of international flights, again in Dallas because British Airways and the American system didn't share the information like it was supposed to, again in London, then Barcelona, then not again until Istanbul to get off the ship, then twice the next day to get through the Istanbul airport, then London, and finally Dallas to get "back in" the US. They probably paid more attention to them in Dallas on our return than any other place but not once was it really time consuming or a hassle.

[dakrewser]

A handful of the crew and passengers got stranded in Florence one night because of a train strike and had to get hotel rooms but in talking to them passports were not an issue.

 

Then the hotel was breaking the law - In Italy, at least, they're supposed to book your passport details and turn them in to the local police station. Actually, you're supposed to report to the local police station should you wish to stay overnight, but in practice the hotels do this for you.

[Randyk47]

Then the hotel was breaking the law - In Italy, at least, they're supposed to book your passport details and turn them in to the local police station. Actually, you're supposed to report to the local police station should you wish to stay overnight, but in practice the hotels do this for you.

 

They did have the card, though obviously not a real substitute for a passport, with their passport information on it. I didn't ask for details and maybe the ship and/or port agent in Livorno assisted but the trains stopped at 10 PM and didn't start up until 8 AM the next day. Luckily we were overnighting in Livorno so it wasn't like they missed the ship. Not all the younger staff/crew got hotel rooms....some found a way to party all night long in Florence and they looked like it the next day. :D Should say that I got some kind of thought it might be wise to head back to Livorno earlier than we'd plan so we ate dinner in Florence and caught what turned out to be the last train out of Florence around 8 PM. When it pulled into the station in Livorno we knew something was amiss as the station was basically dark and they literally shut the train down minutes after we pulled into the station.

[cruisemom42]

We always carry our passports with us when leaving the ship. Most countries in the world require that you have them to present when asked. Fortunately for out fellow CC'ers, most places rarely ask.

 

Yes most countries would not ask except in cases where one would need to officially present one's passport (e.g., crossing a border). And in most countries it is NOT a requirement that you have your passport on you at all times. Even the US State Dept recommends leaving your passport in a safe (or other secure location) rather than walking around with it on your person.

 

I'm curious - what is it folks expect to be able to do with a copy of your passport?

 

 

I expect to use it to expedite getting a replacement passport, nothing more or less. I have known at least two people in Rome whose passports were stolen and who were able to get a new passport the same day WITH a copy. I do not know definitively but was told that it would've taken longer had they not had this documentation.

 

Then the hotel was breaking the law - In Italy, at least, they're supposed to book your passport details and turn them in to the local police station. Actually, you're supposed to report to the local police station should you wish to stay overnight, but in practice the hotels do this for you.

 

Yes, and in practice hotels will often accept a copy of your passport should you not want to leave the original with them. So if the stranded folks had a copy, or a passport card (as reported) or possibly access to a scanned copy that they had emailed to themselves before leaving, all of these would probably suffice in most cases.

 

After frequent travel in Italy, I think I can say that this rule is "more often honored in the breach than in the observance," as the saying goes....

[dakrewser]

I expect to use it to expedite getting a replacement passport, nothing more or less. I have known at least two people in Rome whose passports were stolen and who were able to get a new passport the same day WITH a copy. I do not know definitively but was told that it would've taken longer had they not had this documentation.

 

Exactly. So there's no need to carry it on your person, is there?

[sail7seas]

I actually don't believe it has anything to do with sufficient time.. IMO the Capt. would always authorize an Officer & a member of the HM's staff, to go into your cabin safe & give your passport to the Port Agent..Have you ever heard of a Capt. which has not done this ?

 

We leave our passports in the ship's safe & carry a color photograph of them with us, unless the Country requires us to carry our original passports..Most shops in Europe

will accept your photocopied passport along with your Drivers license & Ship card for ID..

When I first joined the Airlines in the late 50's & had to travel in Europe, Mid East, Parts of Asia, Africa & Australia, the hotels would collect our passports & take them to the local constabulary for approval & logging in.. Sometimes we did not get them back before check-out if it was only a couple of days..

 

Cheers...:)Betty

 

 

If that hotel was to be have been your last night in country, how would you fly - leave Italy - the next day without your passport? That's crazy to not have your passports returned to you.

 

I recall many of our trips to Europe, we had to surrender our passports to hotels at check in and while some were very cautious and security aware with them, others were rather sloppy. I always got a twinge when we had to losew control of them but happily we never actually had any problems.

 

[Cruising-along]

Unless we are on a ship sponsored tour, we keep our passports in our money belts under our clothing. And if we are traveling through Europe on our own, we always keep them in our money belts underneath clothing.

 

My niece's passport was stolen when she was in Thailand. No, she didn't have a money belt, she stupidly had it in her backpack. :rolleyes: It took weeks to get a new passport and get back home.

 

She had copies with her, but it still took weeks.

[cruisemom42]

Exactly. So there's no need to carry it on your person, is there?

 

Frankly, I don't "carry it on my person", I email a scanned copy to myself. (I have a secure, encrypted email for work purposes.) But I interpreted your question in the larger sense.

 

The incident I mentioned in Rome occurred when the persons had checked out of their hotel and were entering the train station in preparation for their onward trip to Florence. A personal bag containing their passports was stolen. They had the copies with them in a neck pouch.