On a Cruise when You arrive at a Port must you show your passport?Fill forms?get entry stamps like in airport?

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TINKERTOY ..... the 1 & only

NO, NO!!!! You will show your passport to the cruise line officials when you first board the ship. Since you will be required to complete your personal information well before you get to the port, including your passport number and country of issue, when you first board the ship they simply verify the information in it and return it to you (with a very few exceptions where they may need to keep it). Then you can put your passport away; lock it in the safe in your cabin because you will not need it again until your cruise ends.

When you arrive at the port to board the ship the cruise line will check your passport and other papers and then issue to you (each person in your cabin) a cruise card. The cruise card (called by different names on each cruise line) will serve as your pass to get off and back on the ship at each port stop. (It also serves as your room key and charge card for items purchased on ship).

You will NOT need your passport to get off the ship in any Caribbean, Mexico, Canadian, South America, or most European ports; just the cruise card and in some ports you may need a photo ID like a drivers license. So you will not get any country stamp (unless you cruise some places in Europe, like Germany or Russia), and you will not need to fill out any immigration or tourist papers in most places (there are a few exception to this in Europe).

When your cruise is over and your return to the port you will be required to fill out customs and immigration forms, for the US, or whatever country your cruise ends in.

jvega624

you only need to show your passport when you first get on the ship, then when they give you your room key, that is what you use to get on and off at each port. The staff does not want anyone carrying documents from port to port. once you are in the system it will show up when you scan your room key

Lahla

Yes when you first board the ship you will have to show your credentials and they will upload this info to your room key. At port of call you just need to scan room key when departing and boarding ship. When you arrive back to the mainland ( you original port of call) you will have to fill out immigration forms and show your passport, they dont usually stamp your passport but if you'd like it stamped you can ask.

Stephen M

At Ports of Call, you will need your ship ID and Photo ID to re-board. You can use your Passport as the photo ID, but other IDs like driver's license are acceptable. You will only fill out customs and immigration forms for use at debarkation. I have yet to get any stamps in my passport for cruise ports. I don't think I've ever even seen a place that provide them if you wanted them.

Charlie

If you are an American citizen, and going on a Caribbean cruise, you do NOT need a passport! passports for sea travel will not be needed until June1, 2009...and even then, "loop" cruises that begin and end in the same pot in the U.S. wii most likely not require passports.

Mica

All the forms are sent to you ahead of time. You should have them all filled in by the time you arrive at the Port. I would strongly recommend a passport for ayn travel.

Time travler

Most people fill out forms on line before they get to the port. I know Princess cruises does this. Then when you get to port, you do show your passport, your ID like a driver license and you have to have a major credit card or cash to put up with the pursers desk for expenses. After that, you head for the ship where they take your picture for security reasons. Oh, I forgot, you get a cruise card before you go to the ship. This is used every time you buy something, or leave, or come back to the ship. You also go through an machine like at the airport and your carry-on is xrayed too. That's about it. Until June 2009, you do not need a passport, but it is highly recommended in case of some sort of trouble.

tsopolly

Yep -- if you would normally need a passport to visit the country, then you need to show one when you get off the ship.

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