Europe HAL Cruise

[springtx249]

We will be sailing this Spring on HAL to the western Mediterrean. Besides our cruise cards, do we need to carry our passports when visiting the ports?

[CruiserBruce]

Technically, no, in most countries. Turkey, Russia, Tunisia would be exceptions- you need your passports there.

 

But a look around the boards would find dozens of threads about "what ifs" and taking your passport ashore.

[Lady Arwen]

When we travel to the Med we take photocopies of our passports, birth certificates and drivers licences. Also our travel insurance card and our Canadian health card and emergency phone numbers. These copies go with us ashore and the originals stay in the safe in our cabin. We have never traveled anywhere that we needed our original documents.

[Stpatsirish]

We travelled on HAL from Amsterdam to Rome. We had to surrender our passports before reaching the UK and they were returned to us before we reached Barcelona. So we did not need them for the ports in between. The ship usually announces before hand what you will need to take with you at the ports.

[Lady Arwen]

We travelled on HAL from Amsterdam to Rome. We had to surrender our passports before reaching the UK and they were returned to us before we reached Barcelona. So we did not need them for the ports in between. The ship usually announces before hand what you will need to take with you at the ports.

Interesting! In May, on Koningsdam, we traveled from Rome to Amsterdam doing 2 UK ports and we were not required to surrender our passports at any time. I wonder why you had to do so.

[Stpatsirish]

Interesting! In May, on Koningsdam, we traveled from Rome to Amsterdam doing 2 UK ports and we were not required to surrender our passports at any time. I wonder why you had to do so.

I’m not sure why. It was the UK authorities that boarded with us in Amsterdam and they took everyone’s passports while we were travelling to Dorset. IIRC they were probably returned after we left Gibraltar. We were given a receipt when we gave them over and had to present it to get them back.

[kazu]

There have been a couple countries not mentioned by Cruiser Bruce where we did have to take our passports. I believe it was due to fear of illegal immigration at the time IIRC.

 

Generally speaking, passports are not required though. LIke Lady Arwen, we take copies of our passports, etc. Whenever we are in port and leave our passports in our safe if the ship is not hanging onto them. ;)

 

We have been on cruises where the ship does keep our passports to help with clearance and other cruises where they don't. So, the colour copies of the passports are always a good idea to have ;)

[LocoLoco1]

We keep a Passport Photocopy etc on our person. On one occasion our ship needed to leave Sweden early to avoid a coming storm. Thankfully, we who were left in Sweden only needed our HAL CruiseCard. If one falls ill or is otherwise left behind I've found the more info. and $$$ you have with you the better.