Passports retained on the Ship

[FlyerTalker]

The passport retention issue is dependent on the country into which you are entering. On a cruise that stopped in Vietnam, all passengers were required to line up at one entrance to the theater, receive their passport, walk to the table of immigration officials, stand there while they checked for visa and confirmed face to passport photo, get back the newly stamped passport, and then hand it back to ship's personnel as we were leaving the theater through the other door.

 

In other countries, the clearance officer (that's the title of the ship's officer in charge) processes ALL of the immigration documents for officials - summaries for passengers AND crew, listing all passenger/crew names, passport information and other required data. They work long and hard to make landing as seamless and invisible to the guests as possible.

 

So, if you haven't given up your passport on a cruise, your experience doesn't translate to other areas of the world.

 

And I'll ditto Shorex in the opinion that I would rather have the ship hold my documentation than myself. I keep a photostat in my wallet, just in case that data is needed.

[CanTex]

When booking advance tickets for some attractions in Europe (e.g. the Leaning Tower of Pisa), you need to provide a passport number during the booking process. You need to present your passport when you arrive to pick up your tickets. While some sites will accept an alternate official ID, most want a passport as to them your driver's license might as well be your library card...

[Missus Makkem]

Just off a med cruise on the Navigator of the seas and they did indeed keep the passports of all non Europeans untill the last day of cruise when they all had to go and collect them.

[romeyvanb]

I also sailed the Med in 2006 and Princess did take out passports for the duration of the cruise. When I got it back I noticed it had been stamped before and after Turkey. This June I sailed the Baltics once again on Princess and they did not take our passports. I think it depends on the itinerary.

[NautiqueBelle]

My experience with Passports:

 

In 1993,1994,1995, I was sailing on Royal Cruise Lines (not RCCL) in the Baltic and in the Med. Our American passports were held throughout the cruise. In some ports, they were given back to us as we had to go through individual scrutiny and have our passports stamped as we got off the ship -- Russia and Israel come to mind, maybe some other places, as well. After we returned to ship, we had to turn over our passports again. These were very port intensive cruises and many, many different countries involved. It could be the cruise line needed to maintain control of the passports for efficient clearing of the ship, etc. I never questioned it and didn't worry about it.

 

I don't remember if HAL ever held my passport in Europe or not, but I do not believe they did.

 

I know for sure RCI never held my passport in the past 6 or so European/Transatlantic cruises I've made between 2002 and 2008. Now, RCI has called us to the dining room when doing a Western TA and had us present our passport for immigration officials who were onboard. These were stamped and given back to us immediately. We've always had our passports with us throughout the cruise.