Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Passports being stamped...

traci28

By traci28,
in Princess Cruises

Recommended Posts

nho9504

nho9504

Posted
Posted

My passport has to be renewed a few years before expiry because the pages were all stamped up by places they stamped your passport both on entry and on exit, as well as visas.

 

Some countries, such as China, require your passport has at least a full blank overlay pages before they would issue their visas - in China case, the visa is a full page one that kind of laminated on yoru passport.

 

Now I stapled the blank pages of my passport, so to prevent those careless custom/immigration officers to "waste" the blank page. Many times they dont look for empty space to put their stamp, but prefer to go to a new page to put down their marks, thus ruin a blank page.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
seastar2

seastar2

Posted
Posted

On my last few land trips my passport didn't get stamped..was told by co-worker on a business trip that some counties don't stamp passports from counties that don't require a visa (ie USA) unless you ask. USA seems to always stamp upon return via an airport from overseas.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BigBit

BigBit

Posted
Posted

I am like nh09504. I travel a lot and have about a half dozen Chinese visas and a Brazilian visa in my passport. Therefore I am usually happy if they don't stamp my passport as this gives me more space.

 

That being said, if you want your passport to show the stamps, just politely ask the customs agent to stamp it when you clear customs. They are usually happy to oblige.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
shellbeachjim

shellbeachjim

Posted
Posted

Our passports are filled with stamps (embarcation and debarcation) of countries we've visited while on cruises, and no we didn't ask anyone to stamp them for us.

 

Technically it's "immigration" who stamps your passport. "Customs" are treasury officials and are the people who take your declaration and may charge you import duties for items you bring into the country.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
JGR01

JGR01

Posted
Posted
The only way you are going to get it stamped is at the airport. Not on a cruise. Go to Bermuda and it will get stamped.

J

 

Traveling by air .. yes INTO Bermuda you will get the stamp.

 

Traveling by air BACK to the US from Bermuda .. you may or may not get the stamp by the US people.

 

Same thing seems to happen in Canada .. Into Canada YES .. back to US .. sometimes.

 

BTW .. the poster who mentioned the early-renewal because all the pages were full... should have sent the passport in (or gone to a consulate) to have pages ADDED. This is a pretty simple thing to have done.

 

AND when you passport really expires . there is an optional box you can check to have the 'expanded pages' added immediately. Any business traveler should always get the expanded (more pages) version. Saves time for the people looking for a place to stamp! Tho some countries are more specific about a full page and re-stamping a full page.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Dreamer333

Dreamer333

Posted
Posted

I remember reading here on the boards (awhile back) that if you give your passport to the pursers desk, they will have it stamped for you. (I don't know if this is CORRECT info or not, but I definitely read it here).

 

Does this sound familiar to anyone?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mrsrocster

mrsrocster

Posted
Posted

I was on a cruise that stopped in Grand Cayman a few years ago and had to find the immigration office in order to get my passport stamped. It was a short walk from the pier and not a problem at all. They were happy to stamp it.

 

In Montego Bay Jamaica, that was another story. I was lead on a wild goose chase to get it stamped and when I got to the office that supposedly stamped passports, they said they don't do them for cruise passengers! Ugh! Probably not true but there wasn't anyone else I could ask, so that was it.

 

I've never tried in Cozumel Mexico so I'm not sure how they deal with that.

 

I've been to other Caribbean islands but never had the time to find the immigration office. Hopefully I'll have another chance one day to get my passport stamped at all of the countries I've been to while on a cruise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Globaliser

Globaliser

Posted
Posted
Now I stapled the blank pages of my passport, so to prevent those careless custom/immigration officers to "waste" the blank page. Many times they dont look for empty space to put their stamp, but prefer to go to a new page to put down their marks, thus ruin a blank page.
:) I'm glad to see that I'm not the only person who does that!

 

Apparently, there are actually some countries that insist that you have a double blank page before they will issue a visa. Anything that preserves precious pages is a good thing ...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
nho9504

nho9504

Posted
Posted
:) I'm glad to see that I'm not the only person who does that!

 

Apparently, there are actually some countries that insist that you have a double blank page before they will issue a visa. Anything that preserves precious pages is a good thing ...

 

Many years ago when we did a driving trip in Europe, we were naive and turned around on the freeway to look for immigration / custom offices on the first crossing between countries because we were afraid we would be treated as illegal entry. In our trip that traversed 8 countries, ONLY GERMANY required a Visa and actually checked our passports. None other countries even cared.

 

These days I particularly HATE Canadian immigration when I entered by air - they would randomly stamped your passport - sometimes way at the back, and completely ruined the double blank pages.

 

While you can mail your passport in to add extended pages - it is such a pain at the *** and risk the passport being lost in mail. Plus the extended page passport is so thick that is not convenient to carry.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
elin

elin

Posted
Posted

 

These days I particularly HATE Canadian immigration when I entered by air - they would randomly stamped your passport - sometimes way at the back, and completely ruined the double blank pages.

 

While you can mail your passport in to add extended pages - it is such a pain at the *** and risk the passport being lost in mail. Plus the extended page passport is so thick that is not convenient to carry.

 

Try entering into the US. As a Canadian, they stamp randomly all over the place, or worse yet, stamp over very cool stamps you might happen to already have in your passport. And yes, they stamp every time you enter.

 

We live in Toronto so we go to the States a lot and we have too many US stamps.

 

But, for extra space, I'm not sure how the US passport works, but in Canada you can request a "business" passport that has extra pages in it.

 

e

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • Hurricane Zone 2024
      • Cruise Insurance Q&A w/ Steve Dasseos of Tripinsurancestore.com June 2024
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...