Ray Goldenberg wrote:
> On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 15:21:32 -0400, "Uncle Peter"
> wrote:
>
>> It would be a cold day in hell before I hand my passport over to anyone
>> except a US immigration or US customs officer. That's crazy! What line
>> pulled that stunt? Is this a common practice?
>
> Hi Peter,
>
> Many cruise lines require your passport depending on your citizenship.
> This is not unusual at all. I see many Caribbean cruisers turn over
> their passports if they are not from the US or Canada. Many cruise
> lines in Europe require US citizens to hand over their passport so
> they can clear customs and immigrations in various countries. BTW,
> many hotels in other countries require that you leave your passport
> until you check out. Of course, you have a choice of trying to find
> a cruise line that does not have this requirement or stay at a hotel
> that does not require you to leave your passport.
>
> Best regards,
> Ray
> LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL
> 800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
> http://www.lighthousetravel.com
> --
When I travel I always carry xeroxed copies of pages 1-2 of my passport
and that's what they get to hold on to, and that has generally worked!
I have explained -- I need to have the passport "on me" when I tour
around on shore, which is a completely reasonable request!
Jeff |