Passport collection

[Zynga]

Going on the Getaway Baltic cruise in July and wondered if the passports are collected onboard.

Dread the thought of the line up to retrieve them at St Petersburg.

Zynga

[PopPopBear]

Hi Zynga,

 

My wife & I cruised the Baltic on the Star last September. Passports were not collected onboard. I would expect the same for your cruise.

[SantaFeFan]

Going on the Getaway Baltic cruise in July and wondered if the passports are collected onboard.

Dread the thought of the line up to retrieve them at St Petersburg.

Zynga

 

Hi Zynga,

 

My wife & I cruised the Baltic on the Star last September. Passports were not collected onboard. I would expect the same for your cruise.

 

We have been on two cruises that required the ship to hold our passports for certain countries - South America and Asia. Our Baltic cruise did not. The process to retrieve our passports was quite easy and quick on those cruises that took them. They gave us a time frame spanning four hours to go to one of the lounges where they had several tables set up, each with a part of the alphabet posted - example, A-D, E-H, etc. You went to the line that matched the first letter in your last name. In both cases, we were there less than 5 minutes.

[paul929207]

When collected, our passports have always been returned to us by our cabin steward

[Hlitner]

On a Baltic itinerary it is possible (but not definite) that your Passport will be collected at embarkation. When this happens, it is done because the Purser's Office (onboard) needs all the Passports to meet clearance requirements at one of more ports (where authorities would come aboard and examine all Passports). If that were to happen, your Passports would be returned prior to arriving at St Petersburg...since that is one of the few European ports where passengers are required to always carry their own Passport (and have them inspected by Russian officials every time you leave or return to the ship).

 

As an aside, we were once on a HAL cruise (cannot remember which port) where the Purser needed all the Passports, and one couple refused. They worked out a deal with the purser that they would simply wait on the ship until the local authorities viewed (and stamped) their Passports...after which they could go ashore. So we arrived at the port and everyone was off the ship early in the morning. We passed this couple, who were relaxing near the Guest Relations desk and exhanged greetings. A few hours later we returned to the ship to grab some lunch before again going ashore....and that couple was still waiting (and not smiling) near Guest Relations. They later told us it was nearly 2pm until the local authorities finished with their Passports...and by that time they did not even bother going ashore. I guess they proved their point...whatever that is!

 

Hank

[Ashland]

We didn't have to turn them in for our RCI Baltic itinerary....but did for our Asia cruise...so far that's the only place we have had to.

[aquilegia]

As with paul92907, our passports have always been returned by our steward. We've never had to line up to get them. This is with Princess.

[MicCanberra]

When we did our Baltic cruise, we had our passports for the whole cruise. They were required for entry in St Petersburg customs. But we didn't have to show them elsewhere.

[zqvol]

Going on the Getaway Baltic cruise in July and wondered if the passports are collected onboard.

Dread the thought of the line up to retrieve them at St Petersburg.

Zynga

 

The answer always depends on your cruise line. On Getaway, whihc is NCL, it is the rare occasion when they collect passports.

[SantaFeFan]

The answer always depends on your cruise line. On Getaway, whihc is NCL, it is the rare occasion when they collect passports.

 

It has more to do with requirements of the countries being visited than the cruise line. Of all the cruises we have been on, only three required surrender of passports. On two, Chile to Florida via Panama Canal and Singapore to Hong Kong, they were collected for only certain countries, not all of them. Only one required it for the duration of the entire cruise, a Nile river cruise in the mid 80s. But even land hotels in Egypt required collection of passports during the stay.

[MicCanberra]

I agree, it depends on the countries being visited, I see no problems with the Baltic countries.

[Zynga]

Thank u out all for your input.

Zynga