Should we let cruise lines take our passports?

[Balloon Man]

Personally I have never had a problem with a cruise company holding my passport, but on a thread for another line a Dutch national said that by law he couldn't allow this to happen.

 

So for the first time I read the small print in my UK passport. In seems it isn't MY passport because it is the property of "Her Majesty's Government". It should not be passed to "... an unauthorised person."

 

How do I know if my cruise line is "an authorised person"? Any ideas? What do the passports of other nationalities say?

 

In the world of cyber crime and stolen identity, is giving somebody else your passport such a good idea?

 

And if a cruise ship employee was to steal and sell the data that included passenger Passport details would it be our fault because we "colluded?"

 

I suspect that because they hold the data anyway from our booking forms - not to mention out credit card details - in a computerised format this is far more likely to be hacked than our little booklets, but in turn that raises the question "if they have this data why do they physically need to hold the passport itself?" Why not take a copy (when they take out boarding photo) and then return the original?

 

If one of the gold braided uniformed immigration staff who turn-up for breakfast in the buffet in many ports want to check the odd original passport, they could ask. I'd happily produce mine (from my safe).

 

I expect 100 CC's will tell me why I am wrong and that withholding passports will mean the end of cruising as we know it. But does anybody understand the argument?

[Travelcat2]

Sorry -- really do not understand the argument. Just being honest.

[MVPinBoynton]

I don't care if they take. Like you say, they already have all the info. I presume the immigration agents want to see the original if possible. We always keep a paper copy in our wallets and digital copy on our phones; so we will always have one with us if needed.

[wripro]

I think people are watching too much TV. Would you rather keep your passport and have to bring it to the purser's office every morning at 5AM and wait for three hours for immigration to check it? That's what would happen if the ship did not keep it.

[Rickey 88]

I don't understand your reasoning....

 

When you board a ship, you are consenting to following their rules at sea, which to most cruise lines includes the giving over of your passport to facilitate the inspection by customs and immigration officials at each port of call.

 

Should you refuse, one of two things will happen - you may be allowed to board but you will cause all other passengers on board to suffer delays while you (and you alone) are located, and presented to immigration to personally produce your passport. In the meantime, everyone else on board is inconvenienced. In the second scenario, you will be refused to board, for failing to follow the cruise lines boarding requirements.

 

Sorry if I don't understand your reason for refusal.....

[LHT28]

I would think all passports are the property of the Country of issue

Mine is the property of the Canadian Government

 

The key here is unauthorized person ..I would think the cruise line would be authorized ...

I guess those that want to argue the point could get up each morning in the port of call & present themselves to the authorities with their passport

for those port when passports have to be presented by the cruise line in case of inspection

 

How do people get a visa (if required) if you have to send your passport off to get it??

 

That said we have always gotten our passports back from the cruise line ..without a problems..so I trust them with mine

 

Lyn

[orchestrapal]

Basic short answer, if you want to cruise with a company you agree to their rules

period. You can choose not to cruise.

[Jancruz]

Basic short answer, if you want to cruise with a company you agree to their rules

period. You can choose not to cruise.

 

Could not have said it better..no passport given to them, no cruise..

Jancruz1

[MommaBear55]

Passports are only held on cruises that go to countries that require that passports be presented upon immigration. If required, then you are compelled to hand over your passport if you choose to cruise.

 

I am old enough to remember when hotels held your passport while you were a guest in their hotel.

[pacheco18]

Basic short answer, if you want to cruise with a company you agree to their rules

period. You can choose not to cruise.

 

End of discussion IMO

[DrHemlock]

MommaBear55 and others,

 

Exactly.

 

At the end of your cruise when your passport is returned by ship's personnel, it can be quite edifying to thumb through the pages and exclaim, "Oh, look, we have entry and exit stamps for (such-and-such countries)" where you had stopped along the way. It had all happened smoothly and automatically without your participation.

 

The last thing wanted by the immigration officers who board your ship at a port stop is a line-up of 700 people holding out their passports, followed by the time-consuming search for those who failed to show up…….just like the roll call at lifeboat drills where the crew always have to search for stragglers and clueless absentees.

[nana541]

Basic short answer, if you want to cruise with a company you agree to their rules

 

period. You can choose not to cruise.

 

 

Ditto!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[ronrick1943]

They need the passport to clear the ship into ports of call, it makes it easy for everyone on the ship. Simple as that! I would hate to think of the lines and wait times to get off the ship if every person kept their passport.

 

Like others have said, than don't cruise if you want to hold on to it---I don't want to be waiting for you on my cruise.

 

Rick

[Hawaiidan]

Reading James Bond.........

[Tarpeian Rock]

For what it's worth, we were just off Riviera last Friday. U.S. citizens did not have to surrender their passports, but all other nationals did. This may or may not be true for other itineraries.

[Caroldoll]

They need these to clear the ship when it comes into port. The Immigration people come on and they check all the passports. They are filed in suite numbers. Do YOU WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE for holding the ship up to clear the port. I am sure your fellow shipmates would not like that.

 

Get over it, in my opinion, give them your passport, or don't go on the cruise.

[LHT28]

For what it's worth, we were just off Riviera last Friday. U.S. citizens did not have to surrender their passports, but all other nationals did. This may or may not be true for other itineraries.

 

Most of our cruises the cruise line has kept the passports for us ;)

 

January cruise to the Southern Caribbean was the 1st cruise where they did not hold them

 

Lyn

[brian_uk]

Hey Balloon Man

 

I like your question and think it has some validity.

 

I do agree with the various responses but just supposing something something happened ......Costa Concordia for example.......how do you get home.

 

Just, I suppose a rhetorical question, but

 

Brian

[orchestrapal]

Hey Balloon Man

 

I like your question and think it has some validity.

 

I do agree with the various responses but just supposing something something happened ......Costa Concordia for example.......how do you get home.

 

Just, I suppose a rhetorical question, but

 

Brian

 

If you had made it off the Concordia your passport would have been the least of your problems.

[Mura]

If I am remembering correctly, there was at least one survivor who did indeed make it home. The company thought she was among the missing until she notified them that she'd gotten home. I think it was Germany so it does raise the question of how she got there without her passport.

 

Mura

[Travelcat2]

Agree with last post. Additionally, if you made it off of the Concordia and they had not collected your passport, it would probably have been under the water in a safe. If they did collect passports, they were still under water.

Edited April 1, 2014 by Travelcat2

[numbersix]

If I am remembering correctly, there was at least one survivor who did indeed make it home. The company thought she was among the missing until she notified them that she'd gotten home. I think it was Germany so it does raise the question of how she got there without her passport.

 

Mura

 

Italy back to Germany (even through Switzerland) is within Schengen...no passport required.

[Balloon Man]

Note as OP: "Personally I have never had a problem with a cruise company holding my passport". The question was do they have the right so to do?

 

No, I don't want my embarkation / de-embarkation refused / slowed / whatever. And it's very sad that Costa Concordia had to be brought in to this by some people to make a point. But my question was - or let me turn it about - is: "do we put ourselves at our (various) governments displeasure if we give our passports to people who are not "authorised" to hold them?"

 

I don't know.

 

CC members who do know the correct answer please respond.

Edited April 1, 2014 by Balloon Man

[LHT28]

- or let me turn it about - is: "do we put ourselves at our (various) governments displeasure if we give our passports to people who are not "authorised" to hold them?"

 

 

I do not know either

I guess the big question is who does our Governments consider "authorized to hold them" :confused:

[sitraveler]

The cruise line is authorized.

 

So are hotels where designated by their governmental authorities.