Oceania Passport Procedures

[TM_OASIS]

Anyone have recent experience on Oceania's handling of passports? Their policy states that they hold them and return them upon end of cruise. They evidently need them for clearing customs or immigration control at various ports. However, on Regatta's trip to St. Petersburg, you need the original passport to personally clear immigration control. I might add that I am using a Russian private tour company for their tours, rather than the Regatta offerings.

[LHT28]

Like many cruise lines they should give them to you the night before disembarking in Russia.

You will also need 2 photo copies of your passport i.d. page.

I think I read some place here Oceania will also do that for you ...but maybe take copies in case they do not.

 

Lyn

[Darrell6t]

On the Nautica from Beijing to Hong Kong they kept out passports, but passed them out several times for the various immigration procedures. Sometimes it was just to show it to an official sitting in the lounge and then give it back to the pursor's office. And they gave us the copies we needed at a couple of ports. They have done all that stuff multiple times and know what to do.

[KiranK]

I was on the Regatta trip to St Petersburg a couple years ago and did a private tour too and yes they give you your passport back beacuse you will need it to get into Russia

[Leonid]

O does not keep them for Caribbean sailings. At least not the one we just did this last February.

 

I also made a copy of the picture page and the signature page; Folded them and had them laminated . If you do what I did, make sure you keep them separate.:)

[gr8aunt]

Just make sure you get a receipt for your passport when you turn it in. I had a bad experience with Oceania a few years ago. When I went to claim our passports, the woman behind the desk insisted she had already given them to me. Fortunately, they did turn up a little later, but that woman STILL insisted Oceania did not have them--even when I pointed out the Oceania rep who had just handed them to me. Had they not been found, it would have been a case of "my word against hers". I have been on two other cruise lines and have always been given a receipt for my passport when turning it in at the beginning of the cruise.

[Leonid]

Obviously you were dealing with an idiot. Good suggestion to get a receipt for your passport. Never have had a problem, but there is always a first time.

[Bengoshi]

. . . .

I also made a copy of the picture page and the signature page; Folded them and had them laminated . If you do what I did, make sure you keep them separate.:)

Good idea on the laminated copy, Leonid.

Also consider scanning the passport, and emailing the scanned copy to yourself. That way you will be able to access the copy anywhere you can access email.

[Bowie MeMe]

I have a passport page sitting where I can get to it electronically but we also have a page with coded lists of credit card numbers and the numbers to call if lost, insurance numbers, important telephone numbers (example various doctors, elderly mother's doctor numbers, insurance agency for home, neighbors etc ) and list of prescriptions. Have also scanned the RX and have them parked where I could get them if needed. Each time we travel carry a hard copy (single sheet folded in with money in neck bank). Also have the tradition of reviewing and updating these lists the week before we leave. It has come in handy a few times. Have you noticed with all the cell phone/computer dial lists, you don't "dial" anyone anymore and don't know anybody's numbers "by heart". ?

[GeriatricNurse]

Anyone have recent experience on Oceania's handling of passports? Their policy states that they hold them and return them upon end of cruise. They evidently need them for clearing customs or immigration control at various ports. However, on Regatta's trip to St. Petersburg, you need the original passport to personally clear immigration control. I might add that I am using a Russian private tour company for their tours, rather than the Regatta offerings.

 

 

Personally, I would ONLY relinquish my passport IF I were given a receipt in return, (as does HAL)!!!

[GeriatricNurse]

]Just make sure you get a receipt for your passport when you turn it in.[/u] I had a bad experience with Oceania a few years ago. When I went to claim our passports' date=' the woman behind the desk insisted she had already given them to me. Fortunately, they did turn up a little later, but that woman STILL insisted Oceania did not have them--even when I pointed out the Oceania rep who had just handed them to me. Had they not been found, it would have been a case of "my word against hers". I have been on two other cruise lines and have always been given a receipt for my passport when turning it in at the beginning of the cruise.

 

 

Exactly! HAL always gives a receipt!

[GeriatricNurse]

Obviously you were dealing with an idiot. Good suggestion to get a receipt for your passport. Never have had a problem, but there is always a first time.

 

 

 

Exactly correct!

[alwayscoldmom]

We were recently on the Insignia (Rio to Barcelona) and they collected the passports at embarkation, and returned them the last day of the cruise. I don't remember getting a receipt, and since we were in a penthouse our butler would have delivered them to our cabin the last night of the cruise, but we ended up picking them up from the pursers desk ourselves before our excursion in Barcelona. (We missed a port stop and got to Barcelona a day early)

[Leonid]

Something just crossed this senior mind. If you must relinquish your passport to board the ship, how can the idiots in the purser's office claim that they never received it? Even if one does get a receipt, and I intend to ask for one on my next O sailing, what happens if they do misplace it? One can demand that they pay for a replacement. In the mean time, make sure that you have a copy of the picture page and the signature page. I keep both of ours in a neck pouch, along with copies of our credit cards and drivers license.

 

Good suggestion to bring along a copy of all the supplements one takes.

[ShopperfiendTO]

Assuming it's Oceania's policy that you don't sail if you don't give them your passport (and I think this is the case), then it seems to me that a receipt isn't required when you're handing it over at embarkation. If you're on the ship when it leaves the initial port, then you *must have* given your passport.

 

So the default is that Oceania has your passport at all times during the cruise.

 

However, when you get your passport back, it would seem to me that Oceania should make *you* sign for it, to confirm that they no longer have your passport.

 

In essence, if the above policy is in place, then the default position is that Oceania must have your passport unless they can prove (by receipt signed by you) that they've given it back to you.

 

In other words, how does a receipt for handing over the passport at embarkation help to prove that a passport has or hasn't been given back to the passenger at the end of the trip? It only proves that it was given over, which has already been established by the boarding policy.

 

This will have to be modified somewhat for unusual situations where passengers are required to have their passports to go into port (e.g., Russia), but the system would still be the same.

[gr8aunt]

Simple. When they hand your passport back to you, they take back the receipt.

[lovecruisingtoo]

Exactly! HAL always gives a receipt!

 

Please don't yell.

[LHT28]

After many cruises we have never had a problem yet with our passports .

 

I do not ever remember getting a receipt from any cruise line & out of a dozen or more cruises they have always held our passports except for one.

 

Lyn

[Leonid]

I believe Crystal gave us a receipt. Can't remember if Seabourn & Silversea did.

[Druke I]

Princess gives receipts, and the late great Royal Cruise Line also gave receipts for passports.

 

I really don't remember if Oceania did when we were on Regatta in the Baltic, 8-05, or on Nautica Istanbul to Singapore, 11-06.

[ShopperfiendTO]

Simple. When they hand your passport back to you, they take back the receipt.

 

And if you don't have your receipt (lost, destroyed), do they keep your passport?

 

Of course not, but worse, at the end of the trip, what if you lost your receipt and Oceania lost your passport? Where's the evidence of who has (or should have) the passport?

 

Under the system I think would work best for everyone, on sailing Oceania's got the passport unless they can show that they gave it back to you (by your signing the receipt and they keeping a copy of it). You don't have to worry about receipts to get your passport back.

[CintiPam]

Life is short. Because I could not board without providing them with my passport, I am not interested in killing even more trees for no reason.

[Leonid]

If someone is given a receipt and is dumb enough to lose it, they should have stayed home. All those pax. who say it will never happen will be the first to complain when it does.

[cds49]

Oceania hold the passports. We just cruised from Beijing to Athens. When entering may countries Imigration reviewed and stanped the passports. In some countries we were required toi carry a photocopy and there was one in ourstateroom the night before. When we had to carry the actual passport, we picked it up the before we left the ship and returned it when we came back on board. In may ports they have to be able to produce the passports befoe being allow to depart.

 

These procedures go quite smoothly,

[agnesd]

Put all info on a flash drive.