Do I need a passport to go on a cruise?

awol

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Absolutely. It is a condition of carriage that all guests embarking on a cruise holiday, even those visiting the British Isles, must hold a full and valid passport that conforms to the entry requirements of each destination visited, and is valid for at least 6 months after the date of return to the UK.
It is your responsibility to ensure you hold a valid passport. If you need to renew your passport, please allow at least one month for your application to be processed - and more time during peak holiday periods.

If passengers on cruise ships need a passport for UK only cruises - the above is from Fred Olsen's website - should all of us carry our passports at all times while sailing?
 

prv

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If passengers on cruise ships need a passport for UK only cruises - the above is from Fred Olsen's website - should all of us carry our passports at all times while sailing?

No.

I don’t take a dinner jacket for Formal Nights either.

Pete
 

Neeves

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I would have to assume the instructions refer to 'passengers' and 'cruises' in 'general' and there may be foreigners on the ships, the ships might sometimes travel to other countries and there is always the chance the ship need be diverted for reasons not defined on the schedule.

Are there reasons not to carry a passport, is it onerous? If you don't like the rules and regulations - taking a cruise is entirely voluntary. A bit like not taking a dinner jacket for formal night - they too are voluntary - and its hardly a 'Formal' night if you don't wear one. (well beyond the Pale), again - is is onerous to conform. I confess I would not wear one either - I'd wear full Highland Dress, accompanied by my wife in Cheong San (and we would both be proud of our choice).

I might suggest the question be directed to Fred, whom I am sure will provide a satisfactory answer.

Jonathan
 

lustyd

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I would think it depends how far off shore you went. In theory going from the scillies to Scotland you'd leave UK waters, even if you didn't stop in Ireland so it's not completely unreasonable to ask for a passport to get back in. Sailing locally there's not a chance I'd carry a passport or hand it over if asked - we are not required to carry ID in the UK.
 

TernVI

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You need passport or equivalent ID to get on a commercial domestic flight?
Disembarking from a cruise ship, you could be entering international ports and coming through customs.
A ship at sea has its own status, duty free and all that, it's not as simple a question as it first sounds.

I tend to carry my passport when sailing from Dorset to Cornwall, you never know when diverting to France might feel like a good idea!
 

JNKScot

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You need passport or equivalent ID to get on a commercial domestic flight?
Disembarking from a cruise ship, you could be entering international ports and coming through customs.
A ship at sea has its own status, duty free and all that, it's not as simple a question as it first sounds.

I tend to carry my passport when sailing from Dorset to Cornwall, you never know when diverting to France might feel like a good idea!
My Bus Pass has always been accepted as valid photo ID for domestic flights.
 

Caraway

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Are there reasons not to carry a passport, is it onerous? If you don't like the rules and regulations - taking a cruise is entirely voluntary. A bit like not taking a dinner jacket for formal night - they too are voluntary - and its hardly a 'Formal' night if you don't wear one. (well beyond the Pale), again - is is onerous to conform. I confess I would not wear one either - I'd wear full Highland Dress, accompanied by my wife in Cheong San (and we would both be proud of our choice).

I might suggest the question be directed to Fred, whom I am sure will provide a satisfactory answer.

Jonathan

It is for us. We haven't renewed ours for a while.
 

Boathook

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I tend to carry my passport when sailing from Dorset to Cornwall, you never know when diverting to France might feel like a good idea!
I was heading west one year on holiday and got fed up with beating into the wind. Turned south and had a good sail to Guernsey instead. Luckily we all had passports on board.
 

Neeves

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The UK has always had this problem of ID cards, call it a passport, in HK we had ID card, required to be carried, as passports were required to be carried if you were a visitor. Don't like the rules - don't come.

But given the issues with illegal immigrants and drug importation I really do not see why many are averse to carrying a document that cannot be easily forged that proves who you are. In Oz, and most 'place foreign' are a long way away, we are still accosted by Customs and Border Protection when offshore (from aircraft, helicopter or vessel), by VHF as to who we are and a requirement to give our Rego number - they have it all on computer and can verify what we advise. We don't find it an affront to our privacy nor personal freedom.

What is wrong with a cruise ship demanding the same sort of identification. If nothing else they need to confirm you are the person who booked the cruise.

I wonder how many people now do not have passports?

Jonathan
 

Seven Spades

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I was heading west one year on holiday and got fed up with beating into the wind. Turned south and had a good sail to Guernsey instead. Luckily we all had passports on board.
You don’t need a passport to go to Guernsey it is in the common travel area.
 

Seven Spades

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The UK has always had this problem of ID cards, call it a passport, in HK we had ID card, required to be carried, as passports were required to be carried if you were a visitor. Don't like the rules - don't come.

But given the issues with illegal immigrants and drug importation I really do not see why many are averse to carrying a document that cannot be easily forged that proves who you are. In Oz, and most 'place foreign' are a long way away, we are still accosted by Customs and Border Protection when offshore (from aircraft, helicopter or vessel), by VHF as to who we are and a requirement to give our Rego number - they have it all on computer and can verify what we advise. We don't find it an affront to our privacy nor personal freedom.

What is wrong with a cruise ship demanding the same sort of identification. If nothing else they need to confirm you are the person who booked the cruise.

I wonder how many people now do not have passports?

Jonathan
Lots of people, my parents for a start.
 

Bru

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You don’t need a passport to go to Guernsey it is in the common travel area.

True* but what if unforeseen circumstances force you to divert to a French port? Whilst the issues that would arise are not insurmountable, having a passport would make life a lot simpler!

I suspect that is one of the, if not the main, reasons why even UK only cruises require passengers to have a passport

* You do need photo ID though
 

Seven Spades

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If you are going to the c.I.’s by your own vessel you don’t need to carry any ID. The first time I flew in a plane was to Jersey and I didn’t own a passport at the time.
 

Bandit

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You don't need a passport to come to Guernsey on a private boat.

If you divert to France you do and if you decide to fly or go from Guernsey to UK or vv you now have to have a passport, photo driving licence, military id card or equivalent.

It has only recently been required by ferry CI to UK and going back a decade or more you did not need one to fly but I think it tightened up following the incorrectly named 9/11 ie 11/9/2001.

For the original post on a cruise ship in these Covid times all the passengers may be from the UK but the crew probably come from every nation under the sun so how do you tell them apart, so its probably easier to say all need passports?
 
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