Question for past British Isles cruisers on Princess: Get to keep passport?

[Floppy McTurnriver]

Hello,

 

Hoping that any recent passengers on a Princess British Isles cruise could confirm if passports need to be forfeited to the ship upon embarkation? (I'm assuming this is not necessary because it's the British Isles, but wanted to confirm for peace of mind.)

 

I'm planning on spending overnight on land during an overnight port stay in Dublin and might need my passport to check into hotels/inns/b&bs in Ireland?

 

much appreciated and thanks in advance

[trosebery]

We handed them in when we left Southampton and did not get them back until the day before we were supposed to arrive in Le Havre, France.

 

(This was last August. Our passports were Canadian passports.)

[Floppy McTurnriver]

thanks trosebery,

 

also being cdn, that was the first-hand feedback I was hoping for. Seems the passport policy might not be consistent across all sailings and ships? (just read another BI cruise review where the passengers were given back their passports midway thru the cruise)

 

Maybe i'll tackle this from another angle and see what the document requirements are from Irish accommodations instead.

[trosebery]

thanks trosebery,

 

also being cdn, that was the first-hand feedback I was hoping for. Seems the passport policy might not be consistent across all sailings and ships? (just read another BI cruise review where the passengers were given back their passports midway thru the cruise)

 

Maybe i'll tackle this from another angle and see what the document requirements are from Irish accommodations instead.

 

Yes, it must very much depend on in which order you visit the ports when they need the passports from you and when you get them back.

 

And thinking on it, we might have gotten the passports back after our first Scottish port, on the sea day after the late-night stay in Glasgow (for the Edinburgh Tattoo)? I might be fuzzy on that because we were very fuzzy after the Tattoo! But it was definitely after all the Irish ports.

 

I would indeed check what your Irish accommodations need. We have never required passports when checking in to a hotel in an EU country?

 

Where are you going on your Dublin overnight?

[Floppy McTurnriver]

Haha. Don't have exact destination just yet, just a general idea where my sister would like to visit. She's a disciple to Lonely Planet travel guides and their recommendations are on Ireland's west coast eg) Galway, Aran island, Cliffs of Moher, Ring of Kerry, etc.

 

The option is either do a 1 wk pre-cruise land tour with Intrepid. Or we try to hit as many of these places as possible during our Cork port (10 hrs) and Dublin overnight port (37 hrs)

 

Appreciate if you have any experience in those areas.

[trosebery]

Haha. Don't have exact destination just yet, just a general idea where my sister would like to visit. She's a disciple to Lonely Planet travel guides and their recommendations are on Ireland's west coast eg) Galway, Aran island, Cliffs of Moher, Ring of Kerry, etc.

 

The option is either do a 1 wk pre-cruise land tour with Intrepid. Or we try to hit as many of these places as possible during our Cork port (10 hrs) and Dublin overnight port (37 hrs)

 

Appreciate if you have any experience in those areas.

 

We didn't visit the west coast ourselves since there was already so much to see closer to Cork and Dublin -- and we hadn't visited either before. (We loved both, btw.)

 

I don't think I would be willing to undertake a lengthy drive from either on a first-time visit, especially since Irish weather is so unpredictable (we had rain in Dublin and dense fog in Belfast). Something to consider.

[Floppy McTurnriver]

don't disagree. driving on foreign roads on the opposite side is not my first on vacation. What can you tell me about your 1st time in Cork + Dublin?

[trosebery]

don't disagree. driving on foreign roads on the opposite side is not my first on vacation. What can you tell me about your 1st time in Cork + Dublin?

 

I wrote a review our our trip last year on this thread:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2539205

 

 

The TL;DR version is that from Cobh, we visited both Blarney and Kinsale, and I especially enjoyed Blarney Castle. (Even though we weren't interested in kissing the stone, we enjoyed the gardens, especially the poison garden and rock close.) In Dublin, we visited sites in the city on the first day (loved the student tour of Trinity College and the Book of Kells) and, since I have a love of prehistory, we visited Newgrange and the Hill of Tara on the second day.

[upwarduk]

I'm planning on spending overnight on land during an overnight port stay in Dublin and might need my passport to check into hotels/inns/b&bs in Ireland?

 

 

I have always been asked for my passport when checking in to foreign hotels ( even within the EU)

I suspect you will have to arrange with the ship to disembark in Dublin, so you will need it as you are entering a EU country as you are Canadian.

I would be checking with the ship.

[Floppy McTurnriver]

I wrote a review our our trip last year on this thread:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2539205

 

 

The TL;DR version is that from Cobh, we visited both Blarney and Kinsale, and I especially enjoyed Blarney Castle. (Even though we weren't interested in kissing the stone, we enjoyed the gardens, especially the poison garden and rock close.) In Dublin, we visited sites in the city on the first day (loved the student tour of Trinity College and the Book of Kells) and, since I have a love of prehistory, we visited Newgrange and the Hill of Tara on the second day.

 

 

OMG. I'm so sorry I didn't recognize your call sign. Your BI review are one of the ones I've been studying this past week. There have been several detailed BI reviews I've bookmarked for research reference. A big thanks for taking the time to share your experience.

 

I've been researching all day trying to plan how I could achieve my objectives regarding the Irish west coast and I've come to the difficult conclusion that it cannot be done satisfactory from our few Irish ports. I will have to bite the bullet and return for a land tour.

[Floppy McTurnriver]

I have always been asked for my passport when checking in to foreign hotels ( even within the EU)

I suspect you will have to arrange with the ship to disembark in Dublin, so you will need it as you are entering a EU country as you are Canadian.

I would be checking with the ship.

 

thank you UpwardUK - I've decided today to abandon my onshore overnight stay, so puts my passport issue to rest.

[Keith1010]

If you are staying at a hotel and the cruise line has your passport you just stop by the front desk on the ship to get your passport as you need it when you check into the hotel. This is common practice.

 

Also let the ship know your details so they know how to contact you.

 

And also take the phone number for the port agent.

 

Keith