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Old Jun 2, 2008, 2:58 pm
  #1  
ecq
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passports on cruises

i will be going on a carnival cruise to canada in july. i'm wondering about the passport issue. will they stamp my passport or just look at it and ask questions?
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Old Jun 2, 2008, 3:33 pm
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Presented our passports in April when we cruised to MX on Princess. The only question asked was: "What credit card do you have to guaranty on-board charges?"
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Old Jun 2, 2008, 5:09 pm
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I agree with sonofzeus. The only thing they will really care about is how you are going to pay for onboard charges.
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Old Jun 2, 2008, 7:09 pm
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We just got back from Alaska yesterday.... when we got to Canada and got off.... Canada immigration did not even ask to see our passports.
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Old Jun 3, 2008, 8:31 am
  #5  
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thanks for all of your answers.

seems like bringing it is just to show and nothing else.
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Old Jun 3, 2008, 8:49 am
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Where are you going? On some trips, they hold it for the trip so that the customs people can come on board in each port and clear everybody at once from the passports. On other trips, they just check to see you have it, and you can leave it in the room safe for the rest of the trip.
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Old Jun 3, 2008, 11:27 am
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Originally Posted by wharvey
We just got back from Alaska yesterday.... when we got to Canada and got off.... Canada immigration did not even ask to see our passports.
Interesting. Did you disembark in vancouver? After we got off, there was a gal who did just briefly open our passports and look at us before we got into the main lobby of Canada Place. This was 2 weeks ago.

Originally Posted by cordelli
On some trips, they hold it for the trip so that the customs people can come on board in each port and clear everybody at once from the passports.
I don't like that at all and would strongly object. It's hard enough trusting myself not to lose it. But somebody else? I guess if they say that's the way they do it, we wouldn't really have a choice.
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Old Jun 3, 2008, 3:04 pm
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Originally Posted by wharvey
We just got back from Alaska yesterday.... when we got to Canada and got off.... Canada immigration did not even ask to see our passports.
Off topic...sailing Friday SF rt Alaska. Just curious on your weather and sea conditions.
Thanks in advance.
Bob
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Old Jun 3, 2008, 5:44 pm
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Originally Posted by cordelli
Where are you going? On some trips, they hold it for the trip so that the customs people can come on board in each port and clear everybody at once from the passports. On other trips, they just check to see you have it, and you can leave it in the room safe for the rest of the trip.
Originally Posted by Ripper3785
I don't like that at all and would strongly object. It's hard enough trusting myself not to lose it. But somebody else? I guess if they say that's the way they do it, we wouldn't really have a choice.
Speaking only for Disney Cruise Line as that's all we've ever sailed, DCL does indeed hold the passports on non-US citizens in a ship's safe. Master at Arms or Purser I think. Anyway, they hold the passports for pre-clearance with US CBP. Also note that the non-US folks are the ones who had to get up at some ungodly time--like an hour or two earlier--than US citizens to report for customs & immigration.

US citizens were allowed to keep their passports and we took ours to the different ports of call to have them stamped. Otherwise nobody ever asked to see them nor were they stamped coming back to the US.

Note that since the non-US citizens didn't have their passports, they needed some other form of photo ID (national ID, driver license etc) along with the Key to the World card (stateroom key) to board the ship.
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Old Jun 4, 2008, 4:44 am
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I am going on a cruise to Costa Maya, Mexico and Belize City Belize in January and I assume that I have to have a Passport. Where do you get them stamped at? It will be my first time out of the country and I am kind of a geek to get a passport stamp of my travels.

Last edited by InkedParrot; Jun 4, 2008 at 4:50 am
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Old Jun 4, 2008, 8:25 am
  #11  
ecq
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Originally Posted by cordelli
Where are you going? On some trips, they hold it for the trip so that the customs people can come on board in each port and clear everybody at once from the passports. On other trips, they just check to see you have it, and you can leave it in the room safe for the rest of the trip.
going to canada. st john and halifax. first cruise so just testing the waters.

a bit unsure about people holding my passport. but if that's what has to be done, then i guess that's fine. would not be fun for the person who has to give it all back to everyone. lol
Originally Posted by InkedParrot
I am going on a cruise to Costa Maya, Mexico and Belize City Belize in January and I assume that I have to have a Passport. Where do you get them stamped at? It will be my first time out of the country and I am kind of a geek to get a passport stamp of my travels.
i was thinking at the ports. not sure.
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Old Jun 4, 2008, 8:46 am
  #12  
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Originally Posted by InkedParrot
I am going on a cruise to Costa Maya, Mexico and Belize City Belize in January and I assume that I have to have a Passport. Where do you get them stamped at? It will be my first time out of the country and I am kind of a geek to get a passport stamp of my travels.
For cruises that leave out of the US and cruise to Mexico and the Caribbean, you don't need a passport until June 1, 2009. But if you have one, it makes life a lot easier.

The cruise line will need your passport at embarkation. They save the passport data in their systems. When you arrive at port, the local customs/immigration authority clears the boat enmasse. You don't have to go through customs/immigration individually at your ports of call.

The only thing you have to do is present your cruise id/key and a photo id to get back on board. I always use my drivers license since its easier to carry.

When the curise is over, US Immigration will look at/scan your passport when you disembark. They typically don't stamp it, but will if you ask.

The only exception is if you cruise the Caribbean and stop in St. Thomas. In this case, you have to clear US Immigration on the boat, the day you dock in St Thomas. Everyone has to present themselves, and its a royal pain. When you arrive back in Miami or San Juan, you just have to clear customs when you collect your bags.
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Old Jun 4, 2008, 1:13 pm
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Originally Posted by bob95409
Off topic...sailing Friday SF rt Alaska. Just curious on your weather and sea conditions.
Thanks in advance.
Bob
Bob,

We did Seattle RT and we could not have asked for better weather.... it kept getting mentioned by the staff.

We only had one evening where I noticed the sea conditions. Pretty smooth most of the time.

Only downside: We were not able to go completely into the Tracey Arm Fiords due to the number of broken ice islands due to the warm weather.
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Old Jun 4, 2008, 1:16 pm
  #14  
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Originally Posted by Ripper3785
Interesting. Did you disembark in vancouver? After we got off, there was a gal who did just briefly open our passports and look at us before we got into the main lobby of Canada Place. This was 2 weeks ago.

[/
We got off in Victoria, British Columbia.
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Old Jun 4, 2008, 2:23 pm
  #15  
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We took two cruises in May, one SFO/YVR and the other LAX/YVR. In both instances we had to show our passport before we boarded and the had to go through customs, and, of course, show our passports, in Vancouver.

We also had to show our passports to board the plane in Vancouver and to go through American customs. I got four passport stamps--three were automatic and one time I asked.

We did disembark once in Victoria last year and I don't think we had to show passports.
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