Keeping passports

[TIA]

Does Carnival-Paradise crew members or customs hold on to your
passport while you cruise? I read some lines do this. If they do, how do you know where to go to get it back? Thanks.

[Kuki]

If you are a NON US cityzen Carnival does collect your passports at check in. They'll let you know where and when you show up to get them returned.

[Mike M]

For Caribbean, Canadian and Mexico cruises U.S. passengers do not need to surrender their passports. Sorry Kuki that we treat our neighbors to the north so badly. :-)

U.S. citizens can have their passports held when they take cruises outside of these areas. They also will have to report to a specific location to pick them up on one of the last days of the cruise.

Take care,
Mike

[Marc]

My limited experience has also found some cruiselines holding onto US passports even on Caribbean cruises.

[Mike M]

Marc:
It would be awfully hard to hold onto a U.S. citizens passport in the Caribbean if they don't have to have one to get on the ship. <VBG>

What ports were involved when passports were required for all passengers? There are very few "Caribbean" cruises that go to islands that require passports for cruise passengers. However, I believe that could change at any time and a passport is always the best way to go.

Take care,
Mike

[Marc]

Radisson requires passports for all passengers for all cruises.

Hi,
To my knowledge, none of the cruise lines do that.
Cheers
CG

[Kuki]

Marc.. because your statement surprised me, I checked and found this on the Radisson web site.

For U.S. citizens embarking on a cruise that begins and/or ends in U.S. ports (i.e.: Alaska, New England & Canada, Bermuda and most Caribbean cruises,) government-issued photo identification together with an original or certified copy of your birth certificate or your naturalization certificate is usually acceptable.

[Marc]

Kuki, let me do more research. I have had them take my passport even under the conditions you mentioned.

[Mike M]

There is also one other statement on the Radisson site that concerns me.

For U.S. citizens embarking on a cruise that begins and/or ends in U.S. ports (i.e.: Alaska, New England & Canada, Bermuda and most Caribbean cruises,) government-issued photo identification together with an original or certified copy of your birth certificate or your naturalization certificate is usually acceptable. Even then, ports such as St. Maarten are now requiring passports.

************************************************** *************************************************

The U.S State Department Site as of January 9th 2005 states:

This information is current as of today, Sun Jan 09 15:53:49 2005.

Netherlands Antilles

ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS : Either a valid U.S. passport or U.S. birth certificate (original or certified copy) accompanied by a valid photo identification must be presented. While a U.S. passport is not mandatory, it is recommended since it is a more readily recognized form of positive proof of citizenship.

The statement on the Radisson website is very different than the US State Department Site and completely different than all other cruise lines. They can require what they want for identification but they should not make statements of fact that are not factual.

It would not surprise me if a passport was required and situations in which a passport will be required where one wasn't before will happen very soon. To avoid any of this. Get the passport.

Take care,
Mike