Surrender passports?

[duckie0517]

I read a few threads and it sounds like I would have to surrender my passport when I arrive on the ship and I don't see it again until the cruise is over. Is this correct?

 

[bkline]

In 10 cruises, I have never had my passport taken. In fact, on many cruises where immigration is required upon visiting St. Thomas, you would have to show your passport or other approved documentation.

 

[BuzzBoyMom]

I too remember a non-US citizen posting the same thing. Being a US citizen like bkline, I've never surrendered mine, but perhaps someone else has had this experience. Have you asked DCL directly?

 

[lbgraves]

I also remember a thread about non US citizens having to do this. I will try to search for it.

 

[lbgraves]

Here is the thread that discussed this in detail.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=919802&highlight=passport

 

[mommasita]

Hi, I am also a NON-US Citizen, and each and every time, we did surrender our passports opon check-in...THere was no problem with this, we did bring a photocopy with us, and made sure we had 2 picture ID...You really only need one photo ID, but I am a tad obsessive...THe first cruise we were a little apprehensive, but we went with it, and all was well..

When you go through Customs (ex..St. Thomas), you do get your passports back, and then return them once again. This is done very painlessly....And on the last morning of the cruise, the same thing...YOu go a little earlier than US citizens, and receive your passport to keep, and clear customs right then and there..

 

[Mortlives]

Mommasita, maybe you can answer a question I asked on another thread and haven't gotten an answer to: Someone wrote that we would need to bring cash to pay the US customs officials? Why would we need to do that? We're travellers in their country. Do you know? Is there some sort of strange rule at play here?

 

[DrCavin]

Mommasita, maybe you can answer a question I asked on another thread and haven't gotten an answer to: Someone wrote that we would need to bring cash to pay the US customs officials? Why would we need to do that? We're travellers in their country. Do you know? Is there some sort of strange rule at play here?

Maybe for duty tax if you exceed the limit of items purchased or someone was joking about paying off the Custom offical so that you could keep the passport

 

[MrsJobba1]

I am from UK.

When you check in as reported you hand your passport over and get a white reciept for it ( Do not lose this). When you leave the ship all non- Us have to go @ 6am to customs ( usually in the theatre), be there early as in Aug we waited for an hour as only 2 customs guys turned up @6. Around 7am another 2 arrived and things moved alot faster. ALL members of your family must attend this. You exchange your reciept for you passport just outside the theatre.

After this we then go for breakfast and leave the ship

Hope that helps

 

[ivanova]

Mommasita, maybe you can answer a question I asked on another thread and haven't gotten an answer to: Someone wrote that we would need to bring cash to pay the US customs officials? Why would we need to do that? We're travellers in their country. Do you know? Is there some sort of strange rule at play here?

Here's what I found on the Customs and Border Patrol website:

Articles brought into the United States are subject to duty and internal revenue tax unless they are prohibited entry, but visitors or nonresidents, are allowed certain exemptions and privileges.

So even though you are a nonresident, if you exceed the exemption you would be required to pay duty - which needs to be in cash, they do not except credit cards.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I am from UK.

When you check in as reported you hand your passport over and get a white reciept for it ( Do not lose this). When you leave the ship all non- Us have to go @ 6am to customs ( usually in the theatre), be there early as in Aug we waited for an hour as only 2 customs guys turned up @6. Around 7am another 2 arrived and things moved alot faster. ALL members of your family must attend this. You exchange your reciept for you passport just outside the theatre.

After this we then go for breakfast and leave the ship

Hope that helps

I also confirm from the cruises i have taken this is correct, also take care if from the UK try ot get other photo I/D upgrade your D/L is a good Idea to get on or off the ship in port, however if requested they will photocopy your passport before taking it into custody.

Some other cruise lines hand these back on the evening of the last night when you have to go to immigration, with officers coming on at the last port of call, that was far better than getting up by 6.00am

 

[Mortlives]

So even though you are a nonresident, if you exceed the exemption you would be required to pay duty - which needs to be in cash, they do not except credit cards.

Not that I think we're in any danger of this, but did they happen to mention what the exemption limit for non-residents is?

 

[Cruisin]

We have always had to surrender our passports on any cruise that we had taken. No big deal, we just did it.

We went last week on a Royal Caribbean Cruise out of Los Angeles and they did not take our passports We have cruised with Royal Caribbean before and our passports were kept. This time we just kept wondering if the check in girl had made a mistake and should have kept them. We used them as identification at the ports and no one questioned it.

I have no idea why we were allowed to keep them this time but we didn't argue

 

[ivanova]

Not that I think we're in any danger of this, but did they happen to mention what the exemption limit for non-residents is?

I couldn't readily find that info on the website.... Not sure if its the same as for US citizens....

 

[mmouse37]

We have always had to surrender our passports on any cruise that we had taken. No big deal, we just did it.

We went last week on a Royal Caribbean Cruise out of Los Angeles and they did not take our passports We have cruised with Royal Caribbean before and our passports were kept. This time we just kept wondering if the check in girl had made a mistake and should have kept them. We used them as identification at the ports and no one questioned it.

I have no idea why we were allowed to keep them this time but we didn't argue

Just curious which ship you were on......my son just came back from RCCL on Monarch of the Seas (3 day to Ensenada from LA)....he really missed DCL's service (he has been on 10 DCL cruises). He found the staff in general to be rude....each time he asked for an additional entree or something from room service he would receive remarks and attitude....this is coming from a 20 year old who definately know the difference between good service and bad....he kept trying to explain to the others that cruised with him that on DCL the service is top notch and they bend over backwards to accomodate you. He was so upset by the service that he plans on writing a letter. He even said the cruise staff member who was running Karaoke was drinking wine and rudely commenting on each performer's song. He has also been on Carnival cruise where the service was great....he was really upset with the staff on the Monarch...he said they seemed genuinely unhappy to be on that ship.

 

[duckie0517]

Thank you. This has been very informative. I appreciate all of you providing information and sharing your experiences.

 

[Cruisin]

Just curious which ship you were on......my son just came back from RCCL on Monarch of the Seas (3 day to Ensenada from LA)....he really missed DCL's service (he has been on 10 DCL cruises). He found the staff in general to be rude....each time he asked for an additional entree or something from room service he would receive remarks and attitude....this is coming from a 20 year old who definately know the difference between good service and bad....he kept trying to explain to the others that cruised with him that on DCL the service is top notch and they bend over backwards to accomodate you. He was so upset by the service that he plans on writing a letter. He even said the cruise staff member who was running Karaoke was drinking wine and rudely commenting on each performer's song. He has also been on Carnival cruise where the service was great....he was really upset with the staff on the Monarch...he said they seemed genuinely unhappy to be on that ship.

We were on the November 7th ~~4 day sailing of the Monarch of the Seas.

We spent the whole time on the ship saying..... well, this is NOT a Disney ship

We had absolutely no problem with any crew members that we encountered. Our room steward was a great guy, always smiling, always eager to please.

Our dining room servers were nothing special but they got the job done. They weren't rude to us but they didn't have the same enthusiasm as most Disney servers do.

There were lots of little differences that we noted between the service, the food and the general overall experience between the Royal Caribbean and Disney Cruise Line.

We've decided that we've become spoiled by cruising so many times with Disney

 

[ivanova]

We were on the November 7th ~~4 day sailing of the Monarch of the Seas.

We spent the whole time on the ship saying..... well, this is NOT a Disney ship

We had absolutely no problem with any crew members that we encountered. Our room steward was a great guy, always smiling, always eager to please.

Our dining room servers were nothing special but they got the job done. They weren't rude to us but they didn't have the same enthusiasm as most Disney servers do.

There were lots of little differences that we noted between the service, the food and the general overall experience between the Royal Caribbean and Disney Cruise Line.

We've decided that we've become spoiled by cruising so many times with Disney

LOL - we boarded the Monarch for the 3 nighter on Friday Nov. 11th

We didn't have issues with any of the employees or quality of food ... there were some issues with the staterooms (and smell of sewage in some of the halls/rooms).

 

[Cruisin]

LOL - we boarded the Monarch for the 3 nighter on Friday Nov. 11th

We didn't have issues with any of the employees or quality of food ... there were some issues with the staterooms (and smell of sewage in some of the halls/rooms).

That's cool.

Yes we did notice some sewage smells off and on too.