Passports

[515kitty]

Why does Princess collect passports at some location and not at other European ports? Last summer did the British Isle and passports were taken at embarking and not returned till getting off the ship. Was very uneasy not having them in port stops. Will that happen in Venice doing an Med. Adriatic cruise this November.

[skynight]

Why does Princess collect passports at some location and not at other European ports? Last summer did the British Isle and passports were taken at embarking and not returned till getting off the ship. Was very uneasy not having them in port stops. Will that happen in Venice doing an Med. Adriatic cruise this November.

 

Princess collects passports when local country laws require it. Immigration regulations are not the same in all European countries.

[paul929207]

The alternative is to have people getting up at 4 or 5am for a immigration inspection.

[OCruisers]

Princess collects passports when local country laws require it. Immigration regulations are not the same in all European countries.

 

Exactly ... and sometimes they collect them and then give them back to you in ports that require the passport be presented personally ....

 

LuLu

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[cherylandtk]

Further, it also depends on your itinerary and what your prior port was. On one itinerary they might have to collect passports before you arrive in a particular port and on another itinerary they do not, even though it is the same port.

[caribill]

In some countries the passports are stamped with entry and exit stamps.

 

By the ship having the passports, it is a painless process for passengers.

 

Having 3000 passengers lined up twice for this would be very painful.

[Pam in CA]

Why does Princess collect passports at some location and not at other European ports? Last summer did the British Isle and passports were taken at embarking and not returned till getting off the ship. Was very uneasy not having them in port stops. Will that happen in Venice doing an Med. Adriatic cruise this November.

Very easy answer. In Europe, it's due to the Schengen Agreement. Whether or not your passports are taken will be depend on whether the ship is sailing from a Schengen Agreement country to a non-Schengen Agreement country, or the reverse. You can Google it but essentially, a number of European countries agreed to a common Immigration border so that every time you exit or enter the country, you don't have to go through Immigration. The Schengen Agreement is that agreement. Not all European countries are part of it. The British Isles are not which is why your passports were taken. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Agreement

 

In other parts of the world, passports are taken to expedite entry into a country. Rather than have passengers line up and go through Immigration when entering a country, the Immigration officials board the ship before arrival and process the passports. It's done for both your convenience and the country's request.

[515kitty]

I want to thank all of you for a great insight to why and how the handling of passports are done while in Europe. It would be nice if they could take the time to share briefly this because there are people that do not feel comfortable giving up there passport and not seeing it again till disembarking. Happy travel to all

[OCruisers]

I want to thank all of you for a great insight to why and how the handling of passports are done while in Europe. It would be nice if they could take the time to share briefly this because there are people that do not feel comfortable giving up there passport and not seeing it again till disembarking. Happy travel to all

 

Hopefully, knowing all of us have always gotten ours back will make you feel better. :)

 

LuLu

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[caribill]

I want to thank all of you for a great insight to why and how the handling of passports are done while in Europe.

 

Passports can also be collected when cruising in South America, Asia and Africa or to Australia.

[1965]

I've also wondered about this. I knew there had to be a good reason. Now I know. And to Pam-I've also been wondering what the Schengen Agreement is. Travelers mention it on the boards now and then, and I had no idea just what it is. I'm starting my day enlightened. Thanks everyone.:)

[flamomo]

Passports were collected a day or so before arrival in Papeete, Tahiti, on our LA-HI-Samoa-Tahiti-LA cruise a couple of years ago, and returned to us the day after departure.

I, for one, was very glad they used that method instead of standing in long immigration lines in Papeete! Having done that at the airport in Papeete a couple of years earlier told me that things there move VERY slowly. I can't imagine how long it would have taken to get everyone off the Sapphire Princess that day!!

[515kitty]

As I mentioned I am glad I started this thread as it has given all of us an insight. I just am of the age that you never when overseas let your passport out of you sight. There were days long ago that in European hotels would hold your passport I don't know that that happens any more. Happy travels to all

[1965]

As I mentioned I am glad I started this thread as it has given all of us an insight. I just am of the age that you never when overseas let your passport out of you sight. There were days long ago that in European hotels would hold your passport I don't know that that happens any more. Happy travels to all

We've had them kept and not kept. A year and a half ago on the Carnival Magic from Barcelona to Galveston I was in line for something, struck up a conversation with a lady in line. I mentioned that on the Marco Polo a few years back they kept our passports for the entire cruise from Barcelona to Rio. She got her back up and said she'd NEVER allow that to happen. One never surrenders ones passport. I tried to explain that if the ship's officials ask for it and say they're going to keep it, you surrender it or you don't sail. Finally gave up and changed the subject. :)

[PescadoAmarillo]

I used to love it when we'd surrender passports for the duration of a cruise and when we go them back there were all sorts of lovely stamps in them, kind of like souvenirs of all the places we'd visited.

[1965]

pescadoamarillo-Are you from Amarillo? We'll be driving through Amarillo on Monday on our way to Colorado for a week. Won't stop at the Big Texan this trip, but have eaten there a few times. Love it. :)

[hb1491]

On the Asia cruise 32 day we might have seen our passport 3 times the ship had them most of the time.

[Shogun]

Hi All

 

When sailing back to Southampton, from the Med customs boarded in Gib.

 

then did passport checks on sea days back to UK when we got back just walked of no passport control

 

such a nice and simple idea

 

yours Shogun

[beg3yrs]

Hi All

 

When sailing back to Southampton, from the Med customs boarded in Gib.

 

then did passport checks on sea days back to UK when we got back just walked of no passport control

 

such a nice and simple idea

 

yours Shogun

 

I've often wondered if the customs folk consider the at sea assignments to be desirable. I think it would be considered good duty but my perspective is from that of a passenger.

[marylizcat]

I am not sure it is because of the Schengen thing mentioned, because I have been on many cruises ex Southampton calling at European ports, say Belgium and France and then back to the UK and they did not keep our passports! Was it because they were British passports not US ones??? Confused!

 

 

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[FawnRiver]

I am not sure it is because of the Schengen thing mentioned, because I have been on many cruises ex Southampton calling at European ports, say Belgium and France and then back to the UK and they did not keep our passports! Was it because they were British passports not US ones??? Confused!

 

 

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I believe so.

Our passports were taken at Southampton prior to our TA last year, it would have been very nice to have a heads up about it.

[wineglass]

This is a common practice. Sometimes required by regs, sometimes just for passenger convience. Either way, have a good copy of the passport information page and always keep it with you while ashore, even if you do have your passport with you. It should be somewhere other than where your passport is. You never know. My wife had everything stolen from her purse in Genoa in the piazza while waiting for the ship bus a few years ago. The only thing they missed was the passports, but that was just luck.