Passport Stamping?

[Pitcruiser]

The ship held our passports on 8 night eastern med last summer and when we got them back on next to last day we had been stamped into Crete. Only time on all our cruises the ship held our passports. They were holding all non European Union passports. Thought it was unusual that only Crete was stamping in but no the other two Greek ports on the cruise.

[KirstyGee1978]

Where abouts in Grand Cayman do you get the stamp? Just where the tender boats are?

 

I've gotten for Jamaica and Cayman Islands at the dock

[startraveler]

Once you dock, go through the turnstiles, and facing the street, look to your right (but don't leave the dock!) There's an office marked immigration - just knock, enter the office, and explain that you're there to get a stamp.

 

[CruisinManiac]

Since 2000, I have been all over the Caribbean, Hawaii, the Mexican Riviera, and Eastern Europe. The only place that has ever stamped my passport was in Hawaii of all places. :rolleyes: I was disappointed that the passport was not stamped in Europe. We were on a Mediterranean cruise with HAL. The ship kept our passports until the next to last day of the cruise.

[smoosh21]

We have taken our passports ashore with us at just about every port of call we have ever been to. Often the folks on the ship can tell you where to go to get it stamped; definitely people on shore can direct you.

 

Leslie

 

I never knew this. I might have to try. I just had to renew my passport and now it looks all sad and empty with no stamps or visas. :(

[xpcdoojk]

so do you actually have to get it stamped?

 

I was reading the brochure and it says RCI hols on to your passport for the cruise?

 

Probably true for non US citizens.

 

Since, sailing from the US to the Caribbean the by far most common cruise for Americans, US citizens are not even required to have a passport, so they have no reason to hold our passports.

 

Personally, when I first travelled overseas when I was in my 20s it was cool to see stamps. Now, after travelling a lot of places, I don't even look at it except when I am standing in line to go thru customs or immigration in some country.

 

jc

[alansfreed]

The folks at the customer relations desk of Independence were very helpful to us when I asked to have our passports stamped at Christmas. They got them stamped for us in Cozumel and Grand Cayman. I had searched for a place to get it stamped it Cozumel earlier last year with no luck... but the ship's staff was wonderful.

[CruisinEars]

Why in the world would they hold your passports? That is ridiculous. When you are in a foreign country, you should have your passport on your person. What if you miss the ship? Or worse? I would be furious if they kept my passport.

[xpcdoojk]

Why in the world would they hold your passports? That is ridiculous. When you are in a foreign country, you should have your passport on your person. What if you miss the ship? Or worse? I would be furious if they kept my passport.

 

It is not a RCI only policy. I know when we were on HAL in South America they held our passports. In fact they put a sticker with my name and stateroom number on the front cover of my passport. It is still there. So save your fury for something the deserves it. I think they are required to present the passports to the authorities in some countries for some individuals. Would you want to be called at 6 am to meet the Argentinian immigration officials the morning you arrive in Buenos Aires or Tierra del Fuego?

 

jc

[crusinmama06]

Why in the world would they hold your passports? That is ridiculous. When you are in a foreign country, you should have your passport on your person. What if you miss the ship? Or worse? I would be furious if they kept my passport.

 

I agree with JC, save your fury for something else. ;) When my family from England cruised with us here from the US, the cruiseline (NCL) held their passports for the cruise. They received copies of their passports. And this was 6 years ago. So they must do it for a reason.

[GaryfmCol]

Thanks for the answers. Now I know because I never had mine stamped.

 

 

In a professional career of working 40 + years in aviation,

plus, living in Turkey, and, Germany, flying all over, with tons of stamps in

my passports over the years, I have YET had anyone ever ask me to

see my "passport stamps". In fact, my old retired passports are in

desk drawers down in the cellar....they would not get me a

cup of joe anywhere, showing them off.

 

I remember in Turkey when I lived and, worked there, I had so many stamps in my passport, the Immigration guys in Turkey, finally stopped stamping my passport (when I returned "home") and, put them on a makeshift piece of paper so as not to use up my pages...

Even one visa could take up an entire page.

[wander]

In Europe within the EU they do not even ask to see you passports when going between countries on land trips or cruises in our experience. On two land trips within the EU, we were stamped for entry into the EU and then when we left to go home, that is all. At border crossings between some EU countries there was not even a manned booth of any type you could stop at.

[RoyalCruiser2007]

I usually ask immigration control in the countries I visit to not stamp my passport unless it's required. This way I don't waste my pages with unnecessary stamps.

[KirstyGee1978]

I love the Caymans stamp! Thats great!

 

Just dont want to look crazy turning up asking for a passport stamp!

 

I'll try Jamaica as well!

 

Should I leave it for the ship to try and get them or just do it myself?

 

 

Once you dock, go through the turnstiles, and facing the street, look to your right (but don't leave the dock!) There's an office marked immigration - just knock, enter the office, and explain that you're there to get a stamp.

 

[CruisinManiac]

It is not a RCI only policy. I know when we were on HAL in South America they held our passports. In fact they put a sticker with my name and stateroom number on the front cover of my passport. It is still there. So save your fury for something the deserves it. I think they are required to present the passports to the authorities in some countries for some individuals. Would you want to be called at 6 am to meet the Argentinian immigration officials the morning you arrive in Buenos Aires or Tierra del Fuego?

 

jc

 

That's exactly right, and I still have my sticker on the front of mine! :D

 

When we were on HAL, I just took a copy of my passport with me in port. I also carried my photo ID because they asked for it in just about every port. Normally I just show my passport photo.

[xpcdoojk]

[quote name='CruisinManiac']That's exactly right, and I still have my sticker on the front of mine! :D

When we were on HAL, I just took a copy of my passport with me in port. I also carried my photo ID because they asked for it in just about every port. Normally I just show my passport photo.[/quote]

I know when we were in Germany, Switzerland and Austria last summer on a land vacation, every hotel required me to show my passport, and I imagine that there are some nationalities that the hotel will hold you passport while you are in their hotel. Somethings are just the way things are. The border quards in Austria on entry were very thorough when we crossed from Switzerland, and they scrutinized my passport, my auto stickers (including the way I had applied the window stickers to my car), and everything they could imagine to. Very intimidating.

jc

[startraveler]

[quote name='KirstyGee1978']I love the Caymans stamp! Thats great!

Just dont want to look crazy turning up asking for a passport stamp!

I'll try Jamaica as well!

Should I leave it for the ship to try and get them or just do it myself?[/quote]

Jamaica looks like this (notice the two day stay they gave me):
[URL]http://www.flickr.com/photos/45855752@N00/2960596006/[/URL]

Although earlier they looked like this (I'm thinking this was specifically for cruise ship visitors):
[URL]http://www.rathburn.net/visa/jamaica/jamaica.html[/URL]

Try the ship first. If they say no, you haven't lost anything by trying.

[nellydean]

The only time we've done this was on our first cruise ten years ago, when we called into Tunis (Tunisia). My husband and daughter went on an excursion, but I stayed onboard with our son, who was only five at the time and had not been vaccinated - however, we both got off specifically to have our passports stamped by immigration and then promptly got back on again - it proved that we had stepped foot in Africa, albeit for just a few feet on the dock :)

[ddgleason]

I am so glad I am not the only one that wants a stamp! I know it is trivial and I know it won't matter, but I still want it!!! We have never had passports before since we always cruised on domestic sailings so now that we have applied for passports I am eagerly awaiting that first stamp. And we are only going to Mexico! (I don't care- still want a stamp in my brand new passport!)

Off Topic- CruisinMama, I see you still have the diamond icon in your sig. Did you get to keep your bonus status then? I think you deserve it!

[K&Rs Mom]

Has anyone gotten stamps on St Martin? Do they do separate stamps for the French & Dutch sides? Do you need ID to cross between the two?

Thanks!

[xpcdoojk]

There is no border crossing in St Maarten that I have ever seen. We have many times hired a cab and gone to the other side of the island for shopping and beach.

No clue where to get your passport stamped though.

jc

[startraveler]

I've tried in St. Maarten/St. Martin _twice_ and been unable to. Hopefully, the third time will be the charm as we visit there on Oasis in 2010.

Last time, we were told that the office on the Dutch side was too far to walk from the pier. We were looking for the Tourist Office on the French side in Marigot. In hindsight, perhaps we should have headed toward the pier and the ferry to Anguilla and asked there (since Anguilla is a separate country and thus there has to be some sort of immigration control.)

[startraveler]

Oh, and I don't know if it's the same type of stamp for those who ask as opposed to those who enter the country by some means other than cruise ship, but apparently there are two different stamps:

[URL]http://www.rathburn.net/visa/st_martin/st_martin.html[/URL]

[TravellerMel]

[quote name='cruisenfever']And here I thought that we were the only ones that spent time in the various ports looking for the local Customs/Immigration Officer.:D[/quote]

I'm not always successful, but I always look! I've had success in Jamaica and Grand Cayman - still trying to find the immigration office in Cozumel...