Can you get your passport back from Princess so you can take an international tour?

[A Sixth?]

As a Canadian one of the things I really hate is having to surrender my passport when I take a cruise which leaves from a US port.

 

In St Thomas in the USVIs, I was looking at booking a tour on the internet that goes to the BVI's. They require passports to check in and out of the BVI's.

 

Can I get Princess to give back my passport? Is it going to be worse than getting it back at the end of the cruise? (always a long meaningless wait & and for thaty matter, why do they take my passport and not US passports?):confused:

[crusdiva]

As a Canadian one of the things I really hate is having to surrender my passport when I take a cruise which leaves from a US port.

In St Thomas in the USVIs, I was looking at booking a tour on the internet that goes to the BVI's. They require passports to check in and out of the BVI's.

Can I get Princess to give back my passport? Is it going to be worse than getting it back at the end of the cruise? (always a long meaningless wait & and for thaty matter, why do they take my passport and not US passports?):confused:

Hi,

We had surrender our passport to Princess while in Europe on the Grand. Princess does have a system whereby you can "sign out" your passport to take ashore. They do want you to return it when you get back onboard. Also, they returned our passports to us a couple of days prior to disembarkation - no waiting in lines to pick it up.

Hope I was of some help.

[A Sixth?]

crusdiva, you are a US citizen, (right?) Believe me departing/returning to US ports for non-US types means getting inline for a few hours, wait, and have your passport returned to you by US immigration.

 

I would like to think it is as easy as you had it, but I suspect it isn't.

[newkim]

We are Canadian's too but don't remember them taking our passports when sailing in the Carribbean. I think they just checked them before boarding and then handed them back to us to keep. I don't remember standing in line to pick them up again. I do know on RCCL a few years ago they kept our passports but I never remember this on Princess. So you should be okay to book your tour. Call Princess customer service and see what they have to say.

HTH

[A Sixth?]

newkim, that would be great news, The British ships we've sailed did not seize our passports but Carnival & NCL both took them. You only get them after lining up to get them back at disembarkation.

 

I never have heard a reason why NCL and Carnival (I thought all US sailings) do this.

 

It would be great (I don't think anyone feels very good when you surender your passport) if Princess doesn't. Zipping to the BVI's sounds like a great self serve tour.

[sueandkent]

We are also Canadian and had friends from here who recently sailed the Caribbean. They didn't have to surrender their passports, only show them at embarkation.

I wasn't even expecting to have to surrender ours when we sail nor do I think I would.

[ell52]

I don't remember ever having to surrender our passports either. They just checked them and gave them back. Our last 2 cruises sailed out of San Francisco and LA (one on Princess, one on NCL). I wonder why the inconsistency or if there are other reasons for keeping/not keeping the passports.

[kate8]

We sailed in the Carribbean and French Polynesia with Princess, and never had to surrender our passports. We are Canadian. I wasn't even aware that this was happening, what is the reason??

Kathy

[A Sixth?]

I don't know when my fellow Canadians were cruising, but in 2005, departing from Miami; and in 2004 from San Juan on Caribbean sailings, we had to surrender (as all did non-US citizens) our passports to the ship. They were returned after re-claiming them (after long lines early in the morning) on disgorging day.

 

No one on NCL or Carnival could tell us why this was the policy.

 

It made no sense to us.

 

I'll call PC's and ask what the deal is. We wanted to visit the BVI's (Foxys)

[cruiseryyc]

Have been on 11 Princess cruises( Caribbean, Panama Canal, Hawaii). and have never had to give up my passport They check it upon embarkation and hand it right back.

[rickdeb]

We have never been asked to hand over our passports on Princess. Friends who have cruised on Carnival have always had to surrender their passports. No reasons given for this and makes for extremely long lineups at disembarkation. Just one more reason to stay with Princesss!

 

Debbie

[LHT28]

Yeara ago for a Caribbean cruise we did surrender our passports but go the night before disembarcation to retrieve them.

On European cruise you MUST surrender them...I take photocopies with me in case we have a problem.

[DrivesLikeMario]

You only have to surrender them for European itineraries, that I know of, if you're a US Citizen.

[RDR]

We've been on seven cruises either out of Vancouver, San Franisco or Los Angeles which included visits to Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, and Aruba and we have never had to surender our passports.

[CanTex]

At least for the Caribbean (no experience elsewhere), Princess does not ask non-US citizens to surrender their passports (or green card if a U.S. Permanent Resident).

 

On other lines (Carnival, Celebrity, RCI) my experience is that they do take them (either or both the passport and green card if you have one). This is the way I thought all cruise lines handled it until I tried Princess.

 

Fortunately I no longer have to worry about this hassle since I'm now a dual citizen (U.S. and Canada).

[SaylorGirl]

You only have to surrender them for European itineraries, that I know of, if you're a US Citizen.

 

We were just on the Star Princess for a Baltic cruise less than a month ago and we never had to surrender our passports.

[A Sixth?]

So, Princess will not take away my passport! Great!

I have no idea why other cruise companies do. They really have no right; it's on loan to me by the Canadian Gov't.

On the Carnival site some time ago I was told it was US law. I pointed out that the ships aren't even American (Bahamian registered) Now I know that it’s the Cruise Companies who’ve decided to confiscate passports.

So, anyone have any idea why they’d do such a thing?

Princess passport policy just gave me another reason to sail with them again…

[LHT28]

So, anyone have any idea why they’d do such a thing?

 

Princess passport policy just gave me another reason to sail with them again…

 

So they can clear customs in other countries easier I suppose but you can always ask for your passport back .

Ask for a receipt if you are worried I have never had a problem loaning them my passport.

[catsdinner]

We had to give ours up on RCCL a couple years ago for the Panama Canal trip. When we asked why they said "you can keep them if you want and get up at 5 am to clear customs". We decided to let them keep them. On Princess last year we didn't have to give them up. I thought it was just because of itinerary but after reading this thread guess it is a cruise line thing.

[chasetf]

I don't remember ever having to surrender our passports either. They just checked them and gave them back. Our last 2 cruises sailed out of San Francisco and LA (one on Princess, one on NCL). I wonder why the inconsistency or if there are other reasons for keeping/not keeping the passports.

Whether they pick up passports depends on the itenary. We sailed b2b in Tahiti. First leg was to go to Cook Islands... they kept our passports. The Cook Island stop was cancelled because of a tropical storm... we stayed in French Polynesia... they returned our passports soon after the change was announced. Next cruise we went to the Marquesas Islands.. they did not pick up our passports.

 

On the Grand last month they picked them up. I think it was because of our stop in Turkey. After our call in Turkey, they were returned to our room (first time that happened because on previous trips we had to go stand in line to get them)

[A Sixth?]

So they can clear customs in other countries easier I suppose but you can always ask for your passport back .

Ask for a receipt if you are worried I have never had a problem loaning them my passport.

 

Well, that isn't true; otherwise they'd also need US passports as well wouldn't they? And we still needed to see US customs and Immigration before being allowed to leave the ship.

They do give you a receipt for the passports they seize. It not just the massive line up to get them back that pisses most of us off, it the fact that they really have no right to hold them. (save the fact that they won’t let you aboard if you don’t do as you’re told.)

[LHT28]

Well, that isn't true; otherwise they'd also need US passports as well wouldn't they? And we still needed to see US customs and Immigration before being allowed to leave the ship.

 

 

I don't know about Princess but on other cruiselines for European cruises they take EVERYONES passport.

 

We have always been able to pick up our passports the night before disembarkation so maybe this is something new.... just like having to fill in forms before we leave Canada to say where we will be going in the USA.

[JLC@SD]

It is not the Cruise Ships decision whether to collect passports. It is the requirement of Customs of the country to be visited that dictates whether a passport is collected. I do not think the ship wants to be responsible for retaining and then responsible for returning passports unless Customs require it.

 

In Europe it is not unusual to have the passports of hotel occupants xeroxed and the information transmitted to local authorities. It is all a part the increased security measures we have experienced.

 

Ships have been turned away from ports because immigation information (your passport) was incomplete or missing. A ship was denied entry at St. Thomas recently and Tiger Wood's yacht was denied entry to Puerto Rico because the authorities were not properly notified.

 

Personally I welcome the increased scrutiy and inceased security.:)

[HighFlyer]

We (Canadians) just came back from a Princess cruise that called in St. Thomas with a foreign port before and after. Princess did not take our passports at embarkation, just verified the information and the photo. We took an RCL cruise with similar ports a few years ago, and had to surrender our passports at embarkation. So I'd say it's a cruise line policy.

[Starbright]

crusdiva, you are a US citizen, (right?) Believe me departing/returning to US ports for non-US types means getting inline for a few hours, wait, and have your passport returned to you by US immigration.

 

I would like to think it is as easy as you had it, but I suspect it isn't.

 

We were recently on the Grand in the Med. We're British Citizens. Our passports were held by Princess for the whole cruise and returned to us the day before departure. They were just left in the cabin for us by the steward. No queueing and no problem.

 

However, last year on the Golden in the Caribbean we did have to queue to get the passports back. Even worse we had to wait in a huge line at immigration in San Juan. The lines for US citizens moved really fast, but we all had to wait around whilst every passenger had their fingerprints and irises scanned!