What is needed on excursions?

[LeRenardrouge]

Information from three ports in Italy on the Med Odyssey ocean cruise. We missed the port of Naples due to weather. As you can see, we were directed by Viking to carry our passports on shore. 

 

 

[blacksmith]

How long ago were you on a VO cruise that included Italy? A few years ago we cruised with Oceania and they retained our passport even while in Italy. 

[zitsky]

Leaving the passport with the ship is better than carrying it with you and hoping it doesn't get stolen.

[LeRenardrouge]

56 minutes ago, blacksmith said:

How long ago were you on a VO cruise that included Italy? A few years ago we cruised with Oceania and they retained our passport even while in Italy. 

 

October 16-30, 2018.

Edited September 21, 2019 by LeRenardrouge

[blacksmith]

I would probably be inclined to follow the cruise line advice, assuming that they have the most up to date info and they have my best interest in mind.

[cmaasfamily]

I mean this with the kindest intent, truly; but if you have - and benefit from - hearing aids, please bring them along. We had the unpleasant experience of highly agitated passengers demanding the tour guide speak up, when the problem lay elsewhere. QuietVox also a good option.

[pacruise804]

On 9/19/2019 at 3:25 AM, Parsley Cruises said:

All the above, and a couple of items which we always take with us, no matter which cruise line and itinerary:

 

Small bottles of water, sweets (usually individually wrapped mint flavoured) - these stave off boredom on a long coach excursion (especially if the guide is going on and on!) they also keep hunger twinges at bay, small individual portions of savoury biscuits (not as noisy or 'greasy' as crisps), and above all hand wipes.

 

Don't forget your camera, sun hat, sun screen, sun glasses (or cold weather gear if that applies).

 

Thank you for the great suggestions.  I have a question about savory biscuits (American here).  I thought biscuits were what I call cookies and crisps what I refer to as crisps.  Can biscuits also be what Americans call crackers?  I'm struggling to think of non-dessert cookies that are commercially packaged.

[Parsley Cruises]

57 minutes ago, pacruise804 said:

 

Thank you for the great suggestions.  I have a question about savory biscuits (American here).  I thought biscuits were what I call cookies and crisps what I refer to as crisps.  Can biscuits also be what Americans call crackers?  I'm struggling to think of non-dessert cookies that are commercially packaged.

Yip, for sure.  Our favourite ones have a light cheese flavour, and usually a large bag with about 7 mini bags inside.  
Also we pack breakfast biscuits, small packs of hand wipes, and small bottles of hand gel.

[Cyber Kat]

Since we have just returned from our latest ocean cruise, I thought I’d weigh in. We did the Eastern Seaboard Explorer - Montréal to NYC. In every Canadian port, they announced, “Local authorities have informed us that you must take your passport and your ships card with you when going ashore.”

 

Apparently, no one told the security people at the ports.  All they were interested in seeing most times was the ship card. Some wanted photo ID and were quite happy with an expired driver’s license (which is what we usually carry ever since my husband thought he’d lost his on our first river cruise)

 

We stopped carrying our passports after the second day.  We have been to Canada several times and never needed our American passports there.  Things do change, so we did take them the first day.  

[Parsley Cruises]

I think it depends on the port and what the circumstances are at the time in question.  There's no rhyme or reason - been to one port in a specific country and just used the ship card, next day a bit further down the coast in the same country ….. must take passport, which is something I really don't like doing.

[philw1776]

Follow Viking's passport advice.
It is port dependent and a function of that day's THREAT level often posted on port signage.
Italy most always request that cruise lines tell passengers to take their passports.  Other Western European countries not so much.
That said, only on one Italian port did they ask for our passports.  
Didn't bring it that day? You're taken out of line to be dealt with after all busloads of returning tour guests are processed.

[Cyber Kat]

On 10/13/2019 at 8:50 AM, philw1776 said:

Follow Viking's passport advice.
It is port dependent and a function of that day's THREAT level often posted on port signage.
Italy most always request that cruise lines tell passengers to take their passports.  Other Western European countries not so much.
That said, only on one Italian port did they ask for our passports.  
Didn't bring it that day? You're taken out of line to be dealt with after all busloads of returning tour guests are processed.

In Canada it seemed like just a rote thing without much thought. Apparently the port authorities were not “advising” them because the port security wasn’t asking for them. We have been to Canada many times. There was no “threat level” at all.  Canadians are quite civil. 😍

 

If they didn’t have such wicked winters, I could happily live there.