Newbie question about checking in at the port

[lukydog]

We are platinum on Carnival but have never sailed with Holland before. We are sailing to Alaska in June on the Noordam (so excited!) and on looking at the Holland website I see this: Passports are normally surrendered to and held by the pursers on board to facilitate clearances in ports of call. It is prudent to photocopy the identification page of your passport and pack it separately, in case of loss or damage to the original

 

Does Holland really keep your passport while you are on the cruise or do they just check it when boarding and give it back to you?

[Alberta Quilter]

They will on certain itineraries; I'm sure that's just a blanket statement on the website. I don't think they will ask you for them on an Alaskan cruise.

 

I've had to surrender my passport on South America, Baltic and Med cruises. If you do have to give it them, you will get a receipt for it. They'll give it back to you for the ports in which you need to provide your passport personally but it really helps speed things up when they have it for the authorities.

[Mary Ellen]

On HAL, passports are only collected and held if needed by immigration officials of the countries on your itinerary. That isn't the case on a typical Alaskan cruise. Only when we've boarded in Asia, heading to Alaska, has HAL collected our passports. They were returned before we reached Kodiak.

[Kamloops50]

We are platinum on Carnival but have never sailed with Holland before. We are sailing to Alaska in June on the Noordam (so excited!) and on looking at the Holland website I see this: Passports are normally surrendered to and held by the pursers on board to facilitate clearances in ports of call. It is prudent to photocopy the identification page of your passport and pack it separately, in case of loss or damage to the original

 

Does Holland really keep your passport while you are on the cruise or do they just check it when boarding and give it back to you?

Holland America or any cruise line don't hold passports in Alaska or any cruise that does the Caribbean, Mexico , Hawaii or the Panama Canal.

 

[SilvertoGold]

Not in Alaska.

 

HAL likes blanket statements like that to cover all eventualities and confuses everyone.

 

Have a super first HAL cruise on a lovely ship!!

[lukydog]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I figured that was only the case if you were visiting Asia or Europe but thought I would check with the seasoned Holland cruisers ;)

[dakrewser]

And please, don't call the cruise line "Holland" (a nickname for The Netherlands), which immediately marks you as a rookie. It's Holland-America, or more frequently HAL (as seen in the replies to your post). Also note that Americans don't need a passport to cruise to Alaska (a birth certificate and driver's license works just as well).

[Alberta Quilter]

And please, don't call the cruise line "Holland" (a nickname for The Netherlands), which immediately marks you as a rookie. It's Holland-America, or more frequently HAL (as seen in the replies to your post). Also note that Americans don't need a passport to cruise to Alaska (a birth certificate and driver's license works just as well).

 

Americans will require a passport, on an Alaskan cruise, if the ship starts, stops or ends in Canada!

[Kamloops50]

And please, don't call the cruise line "Holland" (a nickname for The Netherlands), which immediately marks you as a rookie. It's Holland-America, or more frequently HAL (as seen in the replies to your post). Also note that Americans don't need a passport to cruise to Alaska (a birth certificate and driver's license works just as well).

 

OP mentioned the Noordam . It sails to Alaska from Vancouver Canada.

Passport is required from the US even by road . There are excursions in Skagway that require passports .

[just_cruising_along]

If you are flying into Canada, then you must have a passport a driver's license will no longer do.

 

It is also important to remember, if you are returning home to the US, you must provide evidence of both your U.S. citizenship and your identity when you reenter the United States.

 

For many land or sea trips this means you can travel using the new U.S. passport card instead of the normal passport book. A traveler’s passport be valid for at least six months beyond the dates of the trip.

 

In regards to the driver's license, it has to be a special a State Issued Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL) – (valid for land and sea border crossings only -- no air portion of your trip). This type of license is only issued in the following: Michigan, New York, Vermont and Washington and in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec, to applicants that can prove identity and citizenship.

 

A passport is the preferred document and you will not have to surrender it for an Alaskan cruise.

[dakrewser]

From the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA):

 

"If you are a U.S. citizen, ensure you carry proof of citizenship such as a passport, birth certificate, a certificate of citizenship or naturalization, or a Certificate of Indian Status along with photo identification. If you are a U.S. permanent resident, ensure you carry proof of your status such as a U.S. Permanent Resident Card."

 

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/td-dv-eng.html

[lukydog]

Yes, we are flying into and boarding at Vancouver. We always take our passport when traveling. We've never had to turn over our passport on initial boarding, so hence the question to the HAL ( ;) ) seasoned travelers. Love CC...always full of great info.

[Kamloops50]

Last year you checked in with the cruise line . Then you proceeded thru security followed by US Customs.

[just_cruising_along]

Yes, we are flying into and boarding at Vancouver. We always take our passport when traveling. We've never had to turn over our passport on initial boarding, so hence the question to the HAL ( ;) ) seasoned travelers. Love CC...always full of great info.

 

You should have a wonderful trip! Alaska is amazing. :)