Passport stamp Mediterranean cruise

[Anyislandwilldo]

Going on a Mediterranean cruise.  Does anyone know if the Greece ports have a place to get your passport stamped?  Santorini, Athens, Turkey

[Mike45LC]

I'll follow this thread to see the answer, but 35 years ago, on my first cruise, I tried to track down officials in the various ports to get a passport stamp in my virgin passport.  I think I got only two entry stamps, and it cost me too much time in the various ports.  And I finally gave up when I almost missed an excursion because I was looking for someone with a stamp.

[Old Fart Cruisers]

 

2 hours ago, Anyislandwilldo said:

Going on a Mediterranean cruise.  Does anyone know if the Greece ports have a place to get your passport stamped?  Santorini, Athens, Turkey

Just be sure that any stamps are done ONLY by authorized officials of the United States or a foreign country, not a novelty tourist stamp.   I had one done at the Yukon Suspension Bridge while on an excursion into Canada on an Alaskan Cruise.  About a year later a friendly United States Customs and Border Protection pointed out the stamp and told me (with a smile), that it technically makes my passport invalid.  Luckily, he just let it go and I have gotten a new passport since then.  

 

 

 

[jimbo5544]

We did all three Kudasi for Turkey, and never got a stamp.

[Anyislandwilldo]

Thanks everyone!!  Good to know I won't be wasting my time looking for a stamp.  

[SHIP_ME_OFF]

What cruiseline?  In 2008 I did a Med cruise on Royal Caribbean and we were able to get our passports stamped at each port.  From what I remember, the cruise line held onto the passports and when we got them back at the end of the trip they were stamped.  I am hoping that the same can be done on my upcoming Med cruise on NCL.

[Old Fart Cruisers]

4 hours ago, SHIP_ME_OFF said:

What cruiseline?  In 2008 I did a Med cruise on Royal Caribbean and we were able to get our passports stamped at each port.  From what I remember, the cruise line held onto the passports and when we got them back at the end of the trip they were stamped.  I am hoping that the same can be done on my upcoming Med cruise on NCL.

Back in 2008 almost every port stamped passports.  Now very few stamp anymore.

[roddy good boy]

On 4/15/2024 at 3:38 PM, Old Fart Cruisers said:

Back in 2008 almost every port stamped passports.  Now very few stamp anymore.

 I cruised on the NCL Jade in 2015 to Croatia, Greece, and Turkey and didn’t have one stamp to show for it! 

[Old Fart Cruisers]

In many countries now nobody looks at your passport, or even touches it.  You hold your own passport on a scanner, look into a facial recognition camera, and if everything checks out the gate swings open.  There are agents overseeing the process, but in many cases you might not interact with an agent at all.  So unlikely you will get very many stamps in the future. 

[Hambagahle]

Greece (not Turkey) is a member of Schengen which has passport-free travel between the member states.  If you are arriving in Greece from, say, Italy - you will not even have to show your passport unless you are using it as your ID when you check in for your flight.   Arriving in Turkey - either the key card from the ship is accepted or the ship's clearance officer will do the necessary paperwork.  I don't know if Turkey will stamp a non-Schengen passport.  They might.  

[CruiserBruce]

On 4/22/2024 at 10:51 PM, roddy good boy said:

 I cruised on the NCL Jade in 2015 to Croatia, Greece, and Turkey and didn’t have one stamp to show for it! 

Where did you enter and exit the EU at? You should have had stamps at that location. That should have been the only stamps.

[roddy good boy]

1 hour ago, CruiserBruce said:

Where did you enter and exit the EU at? You should have had stamps at that location. That should have been the only stamps.

I embarked in Venice, but also flew into Venice. I was reacting to posts that stated cruisers had received stamps from all countries visited during a cruise. Apparently, that was the case in years gone by…

[Gimb1r0]

 I remember on my first cruise, I was determined to fill up my passport with stamps from every port. But like you, I quickly realized it was eating into my precious shore time. You know, nowadays there are easier ways to verify your identity without the stamp scavenger hunt.