What do you do about Passports?

[Shogun]

Hi Friday,

 

Naughty of you not having a European Health Insurance Card,

 

apply on line its free, it does make a big difference to level of care you

 

get, saves you telling doctor you have acredit card our full medi insurance before they start to save your life in you know what I mean.

 

AS to kusadasi or however you spell it.

 

Learn to walk fast and say no thank you, the shop keepers are the worest in the world, but can be fun. If you do go shopping play the game and never accept the first price that a shop batters down to as the guy in the next street will beat it. Watch out for all the fake stuff it is good.

 

yours Shogun

[Plainsman]

Hello everyone,

 

I was chatting to a colleague today who returned from a Princess cruise a few weeks ago.

 

She advised me to take a photocopy of our passports (the photograph page) to take on shore with us. She said that this means you can leave your passport in your safe so no chance of losing it, but you will have the info to hand if asked for it when you come back to the ship, although she did say that this is unusual (she was asked for it once on her trip)

 

I am going on a Rome - Venice cruise in just over 2 weeks (soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo excited :D)

 

Do you all think this is good advice? What do you guys do?

You don't always have the option of carrying your passport. On the Grand Med(Emerald) a couple of years ago, Princess collected all Passport after we left Venice and we made several stops before we got them back. I always carry a copy, leave the real one in the safe, and make sure I have the phone # of the Port Agent, He is the one to contact if you miss the ship. As noted, U.S. Passports are highly prized by pickpockets.

[fridaythecat.u.k.]

Hi Friday,

 

Naughty of you not having a European Health Insurance Card,

 

apply on line its free, it does make a big difference to level of care you

 

get, saves you telling doctor you have acredit card our full medi insurance before they start to save your life in you know what I mean.

 

AS to kusadasi or however you spell it.

 

Learn to walk fast and say no thank you, the shop keepers are the worest in the world, but can be fun. If you do go shopping play the game and never accept the first price that a shop batters down to as the guy in the next street will beat it. Watch out for all the fake stuff it is good.

 

yours Shogun

 

Hi Shogun

 

Thanks (yet again) for your great advice. DH goes to Europe all the time as part of his work (driving his coach) and it is not something we have ever even thought about - will apply on line now!

 

From what you say, the Turkish place (can't even be bothered to try and spell it :D) sounds like Egypt - DH and I have been to Cairo, Luxor and Sharm El-Sheik and experienced similar things in all 3 places. So I think I've got the hang of that stuff, but thanks for the warning (fore-warned is fore-armed, or whatever the saying is).

[caribill]

I would not get off the ship without it.

 

So, on the cruises where the ship collects and keeps your passport because of immigration requirements I assume you will stay on board when the ship is in a port.

[fridaythecat.u.k.]

Hi Friday,

 

Naughty of you not having a European Health Insurance Card,

 

apply on line its free, it does make a big difference to level of care you

 

get, saves you telling doctor you have acredit card our full medi insurance before they start to save your life in you know what I mean.

 

....

 

yours Shogun

 

Have just applied on line for myself and DH - took about 5 mins and cards will be with us within 7 days. Thanks for the tip, Shogun!

 

(Still confused about the passport malarkey though :D)

[Treven]

Definately take your passport with you ashore; not a photocopy. I ALWAYS take my passport with me when I'm off the ship, regardless of where I am.

[Shogun]

Hi Friday,

 

Good for you, now play safe and make sure you never need it.

 

happy safe cruising

 

yours Shogun

[captainron]

I was born in Broughty Ferry outside of Dundee and was wondering...do they actually issue UK passports anymore or have they gone in entirety to the EU passports?

 

Ciao for now!!!

[fridaythecat.u.k.]

I was born in Broughty Ferry outside of Dundee and was wondering...do they actually issue UK passports anymore or have they gone in entirety to the EU passports?

 

Ciao for now!!!

 

They are EU Passports but have the UK insignia on the front. :)

[JetJock_YHZ]

Hi Folks,

 

I always scan the photo page of our passports and send the .pdf scans via email to our Hotmail accounts.

 

We usually do not take our actual passports ashore, but rather leave them locked in our stateroom's safe.

 

In in odd event that something should happen whilst ashore, we could then go to any handy internet cafe and retrieve the necessary information to forward to the nearest Canadian Consulate.

 

We have never had to use this back-up plan, but I have heard that it works well in most places.

 

Just an FYI...

 

Carl

[fridaythecat.u.k.]

Hi Folks,

 

I always scan the photo page of our passports and send the .pdf scans via email to our Hotmail accounts.

 

We usually do not take our actual passports ashore, but rather leave them locked in our stateroom's safe.

 

In in odd event that something should happen whilst ashore, we could then go to any handy internet cafe and retrieve the necessary information to forward to the nearest Canadian Consulate.

 

We have never had to use this back-up plan, but I have heard that it works well in most places.

 

Just an FYI...

 

Carl

 

Excellent advice - thank you :)

[Hlitner]

We have done a lot of crusing in Europe and Asia and it is very common for the ship to take your passport at embarkation (they are usually returned one or two days before the end of the cruise). We actually witnessed a couple try to refuse to turn-in their passport at embarkation (this was on the Emerald Princess) and the situation turned somewhat ugly. Finally, a supervisor came along and told the couple that they had two choices, turn over their passports or not board the ship (those stuck behind them in line were quietly clapping). And yes, they did finally surrender their passports. In some ports the cruise line is required to have all the passports ready for examination by local authorities. As to photocopies, we know of two good reasons to have a photocopy of your main passport page. If you want to cash a travelers check in some banks, they will require your passport number (a copy is good enough). It also can come in handy if you miss the ship and have to get yourself to the next port on your own.

 

Hank

[captainron]

Hello Non-Europeans,

 

For those of you who are not European or have never lived in Europe, it is not uncommon (really it's quite normal) for hotel guests to relinquish their passports to the hotel reception for safe keeping. :eek:

 

Bottom line is...don't care if you're American, Canadian or whatever, if you want accommodation just hand over your passport...if not you find a place to sleep on the street. :p

 

AND SO IT IS IN EUROPE AND EUROPEAN DESTINATIONS visited by cruise ships. If you want the accommodation (and the cruise), hand it in quickly and don't p(etc) off the rest of the lineup behind you. It makes you look like a complete ass in front of 2200+ other passengers (You people know who you are). :rolleyes:

 

...and before you get p(etc) off at me and say that never happens, I was born in Scotland, lived there for 10 years, moved to Canada, travelled the US and Canada extensively, lived in Germany and travelled Europe and North Africa extensively for four years and am a proud citizen of both Canada and the UK...and it happens all too often, so please for the sake of doing things right (you know when in Rome do as the Romans), hand in the passport as requested.

 

You are holding up 2200 people from attacking the Horizon Buffet. :D

 

Ciao for now!!!

[satxdiver]

<snip>As to photocopies, we know of two good reasons to have a photocopy of your main passport page. If you want to cash a travelers check in some banks, they will require your passport number (a copy is good enough). It also can come in handy if you miss the ship and have to get yourself to the next port on your own.

 

Hank

 

You have to have a passport to buy an airline ticket back into the USA. Photocopies will not work. However with the photocopy you can go to the nearest US Embassy/Consulate and get a replacement. Remember though this is the US government bureaucrats at work and speed is not in their vocabulary!

[Stevesan]

We have done a lot of crusing in Europe and Asia and it is very common for the ship to take your passport at embarkation (they are usually returned one or two days before the end of the cruise). We actually witnessed a couple try to refuse to turn-in their passport at embarkation (this was on the Emerald Princess) and the situation turned somewhat ugly. Finally, a supervisor came along and told the couple that they had two choices, turn over their passports or not board the ship (those stuck behind them in line were quietly clapping). And yes, they did finally surrender their passports. In some ports the cruise line is required to have all the passports ready for examination by local authorities. As to photocopies, we know of two good reasons to have a photocopy of your main passport page. If you want to cash a travelers check in some banks, they will require your passport number (a copy is good enough). It also can come in handy if you miss the ship and have to get yourself to the next port on your own.

 

Hank

 

True, but the front desk will always return your passport while in port (after the ship/boat has cleared). Of course, you must return it when reboarding.

The purser won't refuse. He/she knows there are financial transactions that require a passport for identification.

[rebeccalouise]

If you were to lose your ship card- then the photocopy would be a good idea to have as a backup but I have never been asked to show any id- other than my ship card when boarding a ship in Europe (and I have been on 4 European cruises to different ports).

 

I do know that some people will do an overnight in a hotel in Rome (if the ship is docked overnight in Citivecchia) and you do have to have your passport to check into a hotel in Rome or on land in Europe (all guests do).

[caribill]

True, but the front desk will always return your passport while in port (after the ship/boat has cleared). Of course, you must return it when reboarding.

The purser won't refuse.

 

 

I can see the line now of 3100 people each morning at the purser's desk picking up their passport for the day and then again each afternoon returning it for the night.

[cruiseryyc]

Have been to Europe several times - when asked, yes I did leave my passport with hotel. On my Med cruise last year, Princess did NOT take my passport except for one night before landing in Gilbraltor, it was returned the next day and we took ours with us each day off the ship.