Passports - Copies / Originals??

[Embracedbylife]

Hi, Will be traveling on the Copenhagen return cruise on 6/15/09. Does anyone know if we will need to bring our passports with us for the following ports when we get off? I understand we need to have copies of our passports for St. Petersburg. Are black and white copies ok? How many do we need? One for each day? Thanks!

 

Stockholm - passport?

Helsinki - passport?

St. Petersburg - original or just a copy?"

Tallin - Passport?

Gydnia - Passport?

Oslo - will be disembarking here.

 

 

Thanks!

[LHT28]

You will need your passport to disembark in Russia & a copy as well if you are taking a private tour there.

 

Other ports you just need to show you Cruise card

[Embracedbylife]

Thanks for your quick reply! I'm relieved to know I won't have to carry passports everywhere, just Russia! Sounds great!

[Lair Bear]

Thanks for your quick reply! I'm relieved to know I won't have to carry passports everywhere, just Russia! Sounds great!

 

That is, if you are a US citizen. It may be different for other nationalities. But with a name like Lisa Collie you must be a Yanky.

 

Just a comment, though. We always carry a copy of our passport in our 'pouch' or money belt when we are ashore anywhere. If you should get stranded, it is best to have some ID other than a US driver's license.

[Embracedbylife]

Actually Canadian LOL. But I hold a US passport too which I will use :p

[LHT28]

I also carry a copy of the photo page of my passport with me ashore & the name/contact information of the port agent for your cruiseline

It is usually posted in the daily newsletter

[GuideDiva]

Hi, Will be traveling on the Copenhagen return cruise on 6/15/09. Does anyone know if we will need to bring our passports with us for the following ports when we get off? I understand we need to have copies of our passports for St. Petersburg. Are black and white copies ok? How many do we need? One for each day? Thanks!

 

Stockholm - passport?

Helsinki - passport?

St. Petersburg - original or just a copy?"

Tallin - Passport?

Gydnia - Passport?

Oslo - will be disembarking here.

 

 

Thanks!

If you have any reason to identify yourself, the passport is the only valid ID you have, so leave all others behind and carry your passport, that is what it is for.

In St Petersburg you will need a photocopy to be given to passport control and you will need to carry your passport with you while off the ship. Since it is not needed for anything other than passport control carry it inside all clothing and not in easy access pouches like the ones hanging on people's necks which are invitations to steal. Leave anything you would be upset if it was stolen in your cabin, you only need a little cash(Rubles) and maybe a credit card if you want more flexibility in shopping. Wallets filled with documents, personal photos and cards are not useful at all off ship and are a hassle to replace so why risk it needlessly. The chances are high that no loss will occur but if it does, you will loss time and money replacing items that should not have been off the ship in the first place.

 

A new rule this season could be a real problem for those who lose their passport; they can't leave until it is recovered or replaced. If your country is slow processing new passports it could be weeks before you can leave, and it assumes your country has a consulate in St Petersburg. It has already happened to one visitor this week from Norwegian Jewel but luckily the tour company had close contacts with the local consulate and was able to get a replacement passport almost instantly after working hours of the consulate. Don't expect such treatment from your consulate however.

[Embracedbylife]

I do understand the idea of having a valid ID, but when I travel to Europe and stay in a hotel I leave my passport in the hotel safe as it has a greater chance of getting swipped/robbed on the streets than it does in the safe - i stay at reputable hotels mind you. So i was viewing the ship as my "hotel". Only difference is it's a moving hotel, and the issue would be if we missed the ship we'd be on dock without the passport I suppose. I have planned to take the ship's tour in Gydnia so we aren't left without getting back in time there, and the other ports are within walking distance to downtown, so I just hate the idea of walking around with it on me. I'd almost rather take the chance of leaving it on the ship and having them get it back to me than waiting for a new one to be made by the embassy if it got stolen!

[RachelG]

I take a copy of my passport on every trip that requires a passport just in case. I normally leave the real passport in the safe in the cabin or hotel room; however, in Russia, you are required to carry it with you. As I had to keep telling my husband, Russia is different!

[Embracedbylife]

This is kinda what I was thinking...bring a color photocopy just in case and my driver's license and hope that we don't ever miss the ship...so in Gydnia we'll be doing the princess tour for sure as we'll be going far from the ship. I think the photocopy is my best option, and like you said original in Russia as required.

[Embracedbylife]

Alright I've changed my mind....maybe we will take them at each port....I guess women do change their minds LOL

[mascara]

I take a copy of my passport on every trip that requires a passport just in case. I normally leave the real passport in the safe in the cabin or hotel room; however, in Russia, you are required to carry it with you. As I had to keep telling my husband, Russia is different!

 

Why do people think a copy of their passport is valid id?? Would you ever, say, take a photocopy of your driver's license to a bar and expect it to pass for age verification? Would you try to board an airplane with a photocopy of your driver's license? Then what would make a photocopy of your passport of any more value than the paper it was printed on?

 

The only thing a copy of your passport is good for is knowing your passport number when you go to the consulate when yours is lost or stolen. Again, and I've said this before, how many of you, personally, have been availed of your wallet/personal belongings while travelling? Probably very, very few. You should carry your passport with you whenever you are on foreign soil (sometimes hotels keep them, I know), and especially when in port from a cruise.

 

I do not understand the aversion to carrying a passport. How would you exit, say, Poland, and enter any other country on the planet without your passport on your person?? Even if immigration wasn't the issue, that photocopy of your passport's not going to get you past airport security. Your passport is a replaceable item, and it's not that big a deal to have it replaced. A hassle, sure. Even more-so if you've been stranded in port and don't have a passport to catch up with your very expensive cruise in the next country, I'd say.

[GuideDiva]

Mascara is right, the ONLY form of ID you have is your passport, not a photocopy. A photocopy is only useful to help a consulate figure out who you are because your passport number is on it. Besides the suggestion of a color copy of passports that is illegal under US law is ill advised.

 

The passport is not an attractive item for pickpockets, they have no use for it so it is tossed out. Usually the passports are turned in when found, in fact the majority are recovered but not when a ship is still in port. Thieves want credit cards for 30 minutes only. That is all the time they have before it is reported stolen( for which you need to identify yourself) and the card number is canceled. But that is enough time to extract up to the limit in fake purchases. For some reason many tourists think their passport is valuable to other people, it is not. Fake passports are too easy to get directly from consulates so your is not needed, and the new embedded chip style have enough biometric data to prevent it from passing another person using your card.

 

Almost all thefts are fully preventable, men carrying wallets in rear pockets or women with loosely slung purse straps over one shoulder(as opposed to a longer strap over the head) are really dumb ways to carry valuables. Cameras are also a theft item now that the used market for DSLRs is so active, a good quality Nikon or Canon can easily fetch $1000 or more, yet are normally slung over shoulders or held lightly in one hand. That is an invitation for a thief who only has to run by a distracted tourist and make $1000. Some places are really bad for that, such as Southern Europe and Rome in particular and Northern Europe countries including Russia are pretty safe....but why tempt someone?

 

In EU countries, there is no need to present your passport to enter, only when you need to identify yourself when in the city such as if you get lost or if there is a desire to make a large purchase, seeking emergency medical attention, contacting the police or any government services etc. It is just plain silly to be afraid of using the passport for the only reason it exists, to identify you.

Wear a passport in an inside pocket or inside your clothing. If you wear it inside often, get a moisture proof cover so perspiration does not ruin the passport. A passport that has been wet and is stained with water marks is often not accepted at borders.

Chances are that you will not need it at all while off the ship so you do not need it to be convenient to either yourself or to a thief. But if you do need to identify yourself, there it is. It is of no use to you if you need the ID and are detained for lack of it, while the ship sails without you but with your passport safely sitting in your ex-cabin. Ever try to replace an official document in another country and with no ID?

 

One poster mentioned only those on independent tours need present a photocopy when entering Russia. No, that is not correct, all passengers using visa free entry must present one. Immigration officials view independent or ship tours identically, after all, they are all conducted under the same rules an d by the same people, tour companies authorized by the Russian government to host and sponsor visitors without visas. The ship does not host anyone or conduct any tours, they are not tour operators, just the agent that sold it so have no authority or rights in any country beyond that of a sales agent.

Those with visas in their passports do not need the photocopy since they enter as a completely different class of visitor, a Tourist Visa.

 

A new requirement, which I wrote about before, started May1st. Those entering Russia much fill out a Migration card, a small simple 2 part form that is handed in when showing your passport and tour ticket to the immigration officials on the first morning.

[eh2zed]

More often now cruise lines are embargoing passports upon embarkation and retaining them for the entire cruise only returning them for ports that require them on your person. Surveys show the majority only carry a copy of the passport when ashore when the actual passport is not required. There are pros and cons of either way. When ashore there really is no need for your passport. The main situation would be if you missed the ship. In that case make sure you have the contact info for the ships shore agent provided on your daily bulletin.

[LHT28]

More often now cruise lines are embargoing passports upon embarkation and retaining them for the entire cruise only returning them for ports that require them on your person.

 

It is usually for non-U.S. citizens they seem to keep them

WE have always (except once) had them held by the cruise line.

 

Lyn