passport collection

[rfkeith10]

We are booked on an upcoming Western Med cruise aboard the Spirit. I was looking through some dailies and noticed something about the collection of passports on the 2nd day of the cruise. This is our first European cruise and we have no idea what this requirement is. Can some one enlighten us as to what this is about?

 

Thanks,

 

Ray

[Turtles06]

We are booked on an upcoming Western Med cruise aboard the Spirit. I was looking through some dailies and noticed something about the collection of passports on the 2nd day of the cruise. This is our first European cruise and we have no idea what this requirement is. Can some one enlighten us as to what this is about?

 

Thanks,

 

Ray

 

Some countries on the itinerary require the cruise line to collect all the passports; I believe this expedites clearing immigration in those countries (since the ship presents all the passports en masse). I've only had this happen in the Med; our passports were collected upon embarkation in Barcelona, kept (iirc) for Rome and Athens, and then returned to us before we docked in Izmir (Turkey) or possibly Alexandria (Egypt).

 

That was new to me back then too and I was scratching my head about it.

 

Have a great cruise!

[FreestyleNovice]

Probably a non EU port of call and re-entering the EU?

[JohnIreland]

It used to be a requirement for Turkey , but not any more.

 

Changed sometime between 2010 and 2014.

[Bocadude85]

Just off the Spirit last week. Our passports were collected before boarding the ship in Barcelona and were returned to us a day before disembarking in Venice.

[rnvaniderstine]

Just off the Spirit last week. Our passports were collected before boarding the ship in Barcelona and were returned to us a day before disembarking in Venice.

 

Good to know! Embarking on the Spirit on Sunday in Barcelona....good to know what to expect. Thanks! :)

[TrumpyNor]

I just wanted to state that this does NOT apply to all passengers. I believe the collection of passport are for non-European passengers only. I have done many European cruises and have never ever had to give them my passport. My nationality is Norwegian - Norway is NOT a member of EU, but we are a member of Schengen ("free borders in Europe").

Edited May 13, 2014 by TrumpyNor

[hawkeyetlse]

I guess it's because the Western Med cruises go to Morocco. Last year we did the Eastern Med to Turkey and we kept our passports the whole time.

[TrumpyNor]

I guess it's because the Western Med cruises go to Morocco. Last year we did the Eastern Med to Turkey and we kept our passports the whole time.

 

We did a cruise on the Spirit from Barcelona to the Canary Islands last January, and we had a stop in Morocco. Didn't have to give our European passports to anyone.....

Edited May 13, 2014 by TrumpyNor

[buckeye82]

Same cruise (Spirit-Barcelona, Morocco, Canary Islands) and didn't have to give our American passports either.

 

 

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[Bocadude85]

I guess it's because the Western Med cruises go to Morocco. Last year we did the Eastern Med to Turkey and we kept our passports the whole time.

 

 

Our cruise did not go to Morocco. We went to France, Italy, Greece, Turkey & Croatia. We were told the reason they were taking our passports was because of our stop in Turkey.

[hawkeyetlse]

Weird… I guess these things can change at any time. Or they may not have told you the real reason, or the whole reason, why they were collecting passports.

[MeHeartCruising]

This has been done on a couple of my Mediterranean cruises. I have since forgotten the exact collection/return locations/days, but when it happens it is due to a requirement of the visited country(ies). On at least one cruise, I was given a "receipt" when I turned it in. But not on all. At least once it was gathered at check-in. At least once I had to go to a dining room during a sea day to drop it off and then pick it up another day -- they assigned drop off times by the deck that your cabin was on. As we sailed between Greece and Israel on a sea day, we actually had to show up in person with our passport for an Israeli immigration official to have a chance to ask us any questions they wanted (they smiled and said nothing as they gave me the proper paperwork I needed, but didn't ask me any questions. On that cruise, the passports were gathered in advance, then we picked them up, then we met with the immigration official. So, yes, there are sometimes passport gyrations that various nationalities might need to go thru depending on the itinerary and current regulations/processes.

 

My advice... bring one or two copies of your passport with you to have in case you need some form of it while yours is out of your possession.

Edited May 13, 2014 by MeHeartCruising

[calex]

Last year we boarded the Celebrity Solstice in Ensenda and they collect the passports of everyone boarding the ship including the Americans. Two days later before getting off for the port of call in Los Angeles, we had to pick the passports up on the ship directly from U.S. Custom and Immigration Officers before leaving the ship.

 

It does not matter where you go, the local customs office can require it if they want. You just got to go with the flow...