Passports in med

[Crivan]

we are sailing on the ncl epic in August on western med cruise. Do we need our passport at each stop or is our cruise card acceptable?

[TrumpyNor]

we are sailing on the ncl epic in August on western med cruise. Do we need our passport at each stop or is our cruise card acceptable?

You normally just need a photo ID in addition to your cruise card. BUT some countries might have stricter rules than usual for the moment. We did a European NCL cruise in May, from Southampton to France, Spain and Portugal. And when we arrived in French ports (we had three French ports on our itinerary), there were multiple annoncements on board that non-EU/non-EEC citizens where obliged to carry with them original passports at all times when ashore.

[KeithJenner]

The Epic Med round trip is fairly straight forward. I have never taken my passport onshore, and haven’t ever seen or heard any instruction to do so.

 

 

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[CruiseGal999]

we are sailing on the ncl epic in August on western med cruise. Do we need our passport at each stop or is our cruise card acceptable?

 

When we were on the NCL Spirit for our Med. cruise, the ship took our passports. Just fyi ... It threw me BIG time, but it was turn it over or not get on the ship.

 

Maybe bring a copy of your passport also to keep with you.

 

I don't remember if there were any ports where the passports were given back to us to get on/off the ship. Maybe they were.

[Crivan]

Thank you all for the feed back. I have a money belt that will hold money and credit cards but I would rather not carry the passports. Carrying a photocopy sounds like a good idea.

[chloemonkey]

Thank you all for the feed back. I have a money belt that will hold money and credit cards but I would rather not carry the passports. Carrying a photocopy sounds like a good idea.

 

Been to the Med three times now....on the Epic and NEVER carried (or was asked to) our passports on to shore in any port. I DO have copies though that I carry with me? But this is more in case of illness or accident.

[zqvol]

Thank you all for the feed back. I have a money belt that will hold money and credit cards but I would rather not carry the passports. Carrying a photocopy sounds like a good idea.

 

A copy of the passport is pretty much worthless. If you are told to have your passport, then take the passport, not taking it is not an option.

[robin13]

I too also did the Epic Med cruise and NEVER took my passport with me on shore. It was locked in my cabin safe the whole time. Now I did have a copy of my passport with me but thankfully I never had to use it.

[CruiseGal999]

A copy of the passport is pretty much worthless. If you are told to have your passport, then take the passport, not taking it is not an option.

 

No one is saying to ONLY take a copy of his passport ON the cruise. They are saying to take ONLY the photocopy OFF of the ship and leave the actual passport in the safe ON the ship.

 

And if any of the prior information was confusing to the OP, this is exactly what was meant by the photocopy. ALWAYS bring your actual passport on the trip/ship.

[FreestyleNovice]

When we were on the NCL Spirit for our Med. cruise, the ship took our passports. Just fyi ... It threw me BIG time, but it was turn it over or not get on the ship.

 

Maybe bring a copy of your passport also to keep with you.

 

I don't remember if there were any ports where the passports were given back to us to get on/off the ship. Maybe they were.

 

Must have been with port of call like Turkey or similar out of the EU, for immigration purposes?

[CruiseGal999]

Must have been with port of call like Turkey or similar out of the EU, for immigration purposes?

 

 

It might have been. I really don't remember. I have a digital picture frame and it's on a table next to my sofa. ALL of those pictures from our Med cruise come up and I barely remember where they were taken, where we went, what we were doing. It was 12 days (?) and it was NON stop. It was end of July/early August. It was 100+ degrees and 95% humidity.

[tammibauer]

You normally just need a photo ID in addition to your cruise card. BUT some countries might have stricter rules than usual for the moment. We did a European NCL cruise in May, from Southampton to France, Spain and Portugal. And when we arrived in French ports (we had three French ports on our itinerary), there were multiple annoncements on board that non-EU/non-EEC citizens where obliged to carry with them original passports at all times when ashore.

 

 

Question-The NCL page shows the arrival and departure times at the port call locales. Then on the same page it says that you should plan on disembarkation being 2 hours later and show time for embarkation being 2 hours prior to departure. Am I reading that correctly?

[CruiseGal999]

Question-The NCL page shows the arrival and departure times at the port call locales. Then on the same page it says that you should plan on disembarkation being 2 hours later and show time for embarkation being 2 hours prior to departure. Am I reading that correctly?

 

You'll probably be able to disembark sooner than 2 hours after arriving into port, but don't plan on it. And definitely be on the ship when they tell you to be on the ship. IF you are taking a cruise ship excursion, the ship WILL wait for you (so it has been said here on CC many times).

 

IF you take a private tour at any port, and you are late (as in you arrive AFTER the listed departure time) the ship WILL leave without you. Just fyi.

 

These times might be padded a little because of pier runners.

[kerryincork]

The planner that is left in your room each night will have the following days on board time. Also as you are leaving the ship they have a sign up with the on board time displayed.

 

The most important thing to find out before you leave the ship is the correct time. There are different time zones in Europe but your ship may just use the originating ports time.

 

I was extremely lucky one time in Greece where we just made the last tender to the ship, as when I was on land the time on my phone updated to local time & I didn't notice the change. So my phone showed an hour Earlier than ship time.

 

Also it is usually 30 minutes all aboard for passengers. Some Mediterranean ports pick up passengers at different ports and they would have an all aboard 2 hours before departure

 

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[KeithJenner]

Question-The NCL page shows the arrival and departure times at the port call locales. Then on the same page it says that you should plan on disembarkation being 2 hours later and show time for embarkation being 2 hours prior to departure. Am I reading that correctly?

 

 

The reference to 2 hours applies to embarkation and disembarkation days only. NCL really need to make that clearer, as this question gets asked very regularly.

 

On other days you will be able to leave the ship at about the time stated in the itinerary. All aboard time is almost always 30 minutes before the time stated on the itinerary, but it’s always worth checking this when onboard (it is stated in the freestyle daily and there will be a notice at the gangway).

 

 

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[sanger727]

Must have been with port of call like Turkey or similar out of the EU, for immigration purposes?

 

 

 

We had the same situation, and yes, Turkey was a port of call. So depending on the itinerary, you may not have a choice since the cruise line would hold your passport.

 

Though I will say that I would never get off the ship without a photo ID, and in Europe I would generally use my passport as my photo ID. The reason I don’t bother in the Caribbean is because we are usually doing water excursions. Not the case in Europe and a passport is more internationally acceptable than a state driver’s license. Not to mention that a huge advantage in Europe is if you miss the boat, often catching back up is just a train or ferry ride away. But many people don’t and that works just fine for them.

 

 

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[zqvol]

No one is saying to ONLY take a copy of his passport ON the cruise. They are saying to take ONLY the photocopy OFF of the ship and leave the actual passport in the safe ON the ship.

 

And if any of the prior information was confusing to the OP, this is exactly what was meant by the photocopy. ALWAYS bring your actual passport on the trip/ship.

 

I am saying that don't waste your time with a photo copy. If you need a passport ashore it MUST be the actual passport, not a copy.

[TFLG]

Must have been with port of call like Turkey or similar out of the EU, for immigration purposes?

 

 

We did one that left from Turkey and had to hand in our passports. We got them back a few ports later and had them from the rest of the cruise. It is a little worrying handing your passport to someone on the dock when you're 10,000 miles from home.

[Sunkissed Mommy]

The reference to 2 hours applies to embarkation and disembarkation days only. NCL really need to make that clearer, as this question gets asked very regularly.

 

On other days you will be able to leave the ship at about the time stated in the itinerary. All aboard time is almost always 30 minutes before the time stated on the itinerary, but it’s always worth checking this when onboard (it is stated in the freestyle daily and there will be a notice at the gangway).

 

 

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So on cruises like the Epic in the Med. Both Barcelona and Rome, guests would need to be onboard 2 hours before departure time? Because the ships allows people to initially board in either port.

[KeithJenner]

So on cruises like the Epic in the Med. Both Barcelona and Rome, guests would need to be onboard 2 hours before departure time? Because the ships allows people to initially board in either port.

 

 

Barcelona boarders need to be on board two hours before departure in Barcelona and Rome boarders need to be onboard two hours before departure in Rome.

 

For the non embarkation port, the standard 30 minutes applies.

 

 

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[TrumpyNor]

So on cruises like the Epic in the Med. Both Barcelona and Rome, guests would need to be onboard 2 hours before departure time? Because the ships allows people to initially board in either port.

 

No, the 2 hours before departure time is ONLY for those who are embarking in that port. For the rest of the passengers, it is just a regular port on the itinerary, meaning they need to be on board min. 30 min before sailing time.

[Sunkissed Mommy]

Thanks for clarifying!

 

 

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[CruiseGal999]

I am saying that don't waste your time with a photo copy. If you need a passport ashore it MUST be the actual passport, not a copy.

 

 

Then the cruise line will let passengers know that they need to have their actual passports. But it's good to have the copy on you when you do NOT need the actual passport and you keep your actual passport safe and secure in the cabin safe.

[TruckerDave]

I will never understand the fear people have of taking their passport with them. The whole "it might get stolen" is just way to much living in fear for me. Heck, I could get hit by a bus or struck by lightning and yet I still leave my hotel or leave the ship to enjoy the city/county. I never go out in any foreign county without my passport.

[KeithJenner]

I will never understand the fear people have of taking their passport with them. The whole "it might get stolen" is just way to much living in fear for me. Heck, I could get hit by a bus or struck by lightning and yet I still leave my hotel or leave the ship to enjoy the city/county. I never go out in any foreign county without my passport.

 

I suppose it all depends on how you look at things.

 

I certainly have no fear of carrying my passport around, but I will never understand why people make such a big deal out of the passport. It is something which I require in order to cross national boundaries, or in some very specific other circumstances. When I am not doing that then I see no more reason to carry it around with me than my return airline ticket. It can stay in my cabin, or hotel room, along with all the other things which I don't need at the time.

 

I only ever carry my passport around when I know I will need it.

 

Just an observation, by the way, but I haven't noticed anyone on this thread mentioning the possibility of the passport getting stolen. Maybe I missed it.

Edited July 27, 2018 by KeithJenner