Tarpeian Rock Posted March 2, 2014 #1 Share Posted March 2, 2014 Going over the cruise documents in anticipation of our first O cruise in 2 weeks. Couple of items raised questions: Does O really take and hold passports for the entire cruise, or only for some itineraries? We've never had to surrender our passports before and am not particularly comfortable with the idea of our passports kicking around in a cardboard box under someone's desk, let alone worrying whether they make it from the pier onto the ship after check-in. The cruise documentation also refers to muster drill taking place within the first 24 hours. I thought that since the Concordia disaster, ships didn't even move away from the pier until the drill had taken place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitraveler Posted March 2, 2014 #2 Share Posted March 2, 2014 Drill will be before sail away. On our last Caribbean Oceania cruise, passports were examined and given back at check in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted March 2, 2014 #3 Share Posted March 2, 2014 It may depend on the itinerary & your citizenship We have always had ours taken on Caribbean cruises ...last cruise in Jan they did not take them Europe it is hit or miss ..depends on if you are required to carry them on shore or not Highly unlikely they are in a cardboard box under someones desk:rolleyes: Muster will be before you sail usually 5:15-5:30 pm if sailaway is 6pm Check the Currents when you get in your cabin Lyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orchestrapal Posted March 2, 2014 #4 Share Posted March 2, 2014 Passports may be kept for the entire cruise or not. I assure you O is very careful in handling passports and we have never been Worried about their safety. Keep copies of your passports in your possession. Relax and enjoy your cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no fuss travel Posted March 2, 2014 #5 Share Posted March 2, 2014 On our last cruise, passports were taken by Oceania personnel in the lounge aboard ship, so the passports were on the ship when taken from us. We had to collect them twice I think for a couple of countries where we were required to have our passports on us while on land. We always carry a copy each of our passport page with the information so if it ever got lost we have the necessary documentation to get a new passport quickly. We also leave a copy with our son back home that he can email to us in an emergency. Muster drill takes place before the ship can sail. If you are on a cruise longer than 14 days, you will have a drill every 14 days until the end of the cruise. It is compulsory to attend each one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ronrick1943 Posted March 2, 2014 #6 Share Posted March 2, 2014 They didn't keep the passports on the Rome cruise we took. Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack1 Posted March 2, 2014 #7 Share Posted March 2, 2014 (edited) On the Marina Feb 2, 2014 from Tahiti to Sydney the first muster drill was done the morning of Feb 3rd (before we got off the ship in Bora Bora). So sometimes the drill is not done before sail away but I think they really do try to get it done before they sail. So O/P is correct when he/she read it will take place within 24 hours. They were recording cabin #'s as you went into your muster station. Our passports were taken at check in and not given back until Australia. Edited March 2, 2014 by Jack1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floridiana Posted March 2, 2014 #8 Share Posted March 2, 2014 If you are on a cruise longer than 14 days, you will have a drill every 14 days until the end of the cruise. It is compulsory to attend each one. Isn't this only true if new passengers join after 14 days? Then a new drill is mandatory for everyone. On our long cruises with the same passengers, we only had a drill at the beginning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack1 Posted March 2, 2014 #9 Share Posted March 2, 2014 (edited) Isn't this only true if new passengers join after 14 days? Then a new drill is mandatory for everyone. On our long cruises with the same passengers, we only had a drill at the beginning. Our 18 day cruise in Feb 2014 had 2 muster drills. Both were compulsary to attend and we didn't take on any new passengers from Day 1. Edited March 2, 2014 by Jack1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickey 88 Posted March 2, 2014 #10 Share Posted March 2, 2014 Isn't this only true if new passengers join after 14 days? Then a new drill is mandatory for everyone. On our long cruises with the same passengers, we only had a drill at the beginning. The so-called life boat drill is mandatory due to SOLAS rules. Those passengers who are continuing on for a second cruise on the same ship are usually not excused from missing the drill a second time. (Oh I know some have tried it - and may have gotten away with it, but several captains I can think of are sticklers for the rules. I've seen them send crew members out to find those who tried to skip out. They were then herded before the other waiting passengers who were rather vocal about being kept waiting) ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no fuss travel Posted March 2, 2014 #11 Share Posted March 2, 2014 Isn't this only true if new passengers join after 14 days? Then a new drill is mandatory for everyone. On our long cruises with the same passengers, we only had a drill at the beginning. No, we were on a 30 day cruise with no new passenger pickup except for entertainers and we had to do 2 muster drills, The first one was done prior to leaving Cape Town and the second was done on the 16th day of the cruise. As we overnighted in Cape Town before sailing, they were able to do the first muster drill on the second night, otherwise we would have had to do a third muster drill the day we arrived in Singapore, or maybe not as we were not sailing again. It is now required by law. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edgee Posted March 3, 2014 #12 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Going over the cruise documents in anticipation of our first O cruise in 2 weeks. Couple of items raised questions: Does O really take and hold passports for the entire cruise, or only for some itineraries? We've never had to surrender our passports before and am not particularly comfortable with the idea of our passports kicking around in a cardboard box under someone's desk, let alone worrying whether they make it from the pier onto the ship after check-in. The cruise documentation also refers to muster drill taking place within the first 24 hours. I thought that since the Concordia disaster, ships didn't even move away from the pier until the drill had taken place. Muster drill on our recent Oceania cruise occurred at 4:15p.m. prior to sailing. As a fairly experienced cruiser, I find that cruise lines generally do not make the decision about whether or not to collect your passports. It depends on the countries being visited and the requirements for each country. With all due respect, being "uncomfortable" about giving up your passport to the cruise line is like being uncomfortable about going through airline security, if you want to travel you must do it. To be fair to your point, however, I have heard of passengers who insist on carrying their passports with them whenever they go ashore and I believe on some cruise lines it is possible to sign passports out and then return them when you come back to the ship. Not sure about Oceania. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted March 3, 2014 #13 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Our 18 day cruise in Feb 2014 had 2 muster drills. Both were compulsary to attend and we didn't take on any new passengers from Day 1. Our last 18 day cruise this Feb. they did 2 muster drills and took our passports when we got on and gave them back before we reached Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted March 3, 2014 #14 Share Posted March 3, 2014 We all seem to be saying the same things but I'll chime in anyway. Our passports have been taken by every cruiseline we've sailed on, although mostly we've been on Renaissance/Oceania. It's a while since we've done the Caribbean (like 10 years or so) but my recollection is that they did so as well -- that would be Oceania and Cunard. On recent cruises, and also our BCN-Rio TA in November, we were occasionally returned our passports when we were in countries that required us to carry them. If we were towards the end of the cruise, we were allowed to keep them. But sometimes we've had to return them. Our 18 day TA had a second boat drill around the 2 week point. All cruiselines seem to have tightened up restrictions since the Concordia accident. In the past we occasionally had a drill AFTER setting sail, but not since Concordia. In April 2009 we boarded Regatta VERY late for a Miami-BCN cruise. We were late because I needed to replace my passport that day. We were just too tired go to the drill which was called about the time we got to our cabin. They let us pass it up. I don't think they would do so today. Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no fuss travel Posted March 3, 2014 #15 Share Posted March 3, 2014 We were doing a B2B and forgot about the drill until we heard the ships horn. We hurried back to the ship as we were in port at the time and arrived late to the drill, but they had been calling for our stateroom number and we had to attend. Some of the other passengers doing the B2B cruises were still on tour and had to attend a separate muster drill when they got back to the ship that day as the ship was not sailing until 10 pm and the muster drill was held at 5:30 pm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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