Passports in the Caribbean

If you are canadian and going to St. thomas you will need your passport. As this is an american port you will need it for getting back on ship. We did not carry it and we were made to go back up to cabin and produce it to the guards.Any other island just your ship id is good.

How do I get a Passport Card? Do I need to send in my my Passport Book to get one? How much does it cost?

In St-Thomas, went on an excursion where the excursion boat picked us up just behind the ship. Upon returning, Captain of excursion boat said that he would bring us back into the cruise ship area and that we would have to show cruise card and , I am not sure, passport or photo ID. As I always did, I had left my passport in the cabin safe and had braught with me a color photocopy of it. For double safety it was in a Ziplock bag and a small water safe. Because a big ship was coming in he asked that we moved quickly off the boat where we were met by what I believe to be local authorities, two gentleman in uniform. As I opened my water safe, I saw that both :mad: the zip lock and the water safe had leaked and all I had was a , I will say very nice, watercolor where with some , well ok , a lot, of imagination you could see what was once a passport photo. The gentleman hesitated as I explained... I guess I was saved by the big ship coming in. He told me " ok for this time but if you get off the ship again, bring the original". I don't think we have passport waterproof cards in Canada. I sure would like to get one of those. Next time i'll have waterproof photo ID...

If you are canadian and going to St. thomas you will need your passport. As this is an american port you will need it for getting back on ship. We did not carry it and we were made to go back up to cabin and produce it to the guards.Any other island just your ship id is good.

Is this true? We were just in St Thomas this March and I don't remember having to take our passports ashore. :confused:

How do I get a Passport Card? Do I need to send in my my Passport Book to get one? How much does it cost?

Answers will be found at http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/information/card.html

We have been to almost every port in the Caribbean and have never had to show anything else besides the cruise ship ID to get back on board. We do carry an expired drivers license just in case but have NEVER had to show it.

I also carry a copy of my passport as it is just one piece of paper in my wallet.

We leave the passport on the ship because we believe we are more likely to lose it or have it stolen than any benefits having it with us.

Keith

How very British to make a condescending statement like that. Even with a smiley face, it's offensive. :D

 

There, I feel better now ... my apologies to every other British subject, I just hate stereotyping.

Apologies if I offended anyone at all. I was simply amused that the poster seemed not considered the possibility that his/her destination country might just want to have see his passport.

We can, by the way laugh at ourselves and our idiosyncrasies and frequently do. In fact laughing at our 'Britishness' is one of our main sources of humour.

I repeat, I am really sorry if I offended. It was not intended.

Apologies if I offended anyone at all. I was simply amused that the poster seemed not considered the possibility that his/her destination country might just want to have see his passport.

 

We can, by the way laugh at ourselves and our idiosyncrasies and frequently do. In fact laughing at our 'Britishness' is one of our main sources of humour.

 

I repeat, I am really sorry if I offended. It was not intended.

Don't apologize too profusely. Most Americans are not so easily offended.

Apologies if I offended anyone at all. I was simply amused that the poster seemed not considered the possibility that his/her destination country might just want to have see his passport.

 

We can, by the way laugh at ourselves and our idiosyncrasies and frequently do. In fact laughing at our 'Britishness' is one of our main sources of humour.

 

I repeat, I am really sorry if I offended. It was not intended.

Thanks, and we're good. I'm not "easily offended" and can also laugh at my own 'Yankishness'. However, and I won't generalize this to "Most Americans", I do get my hackles up for things that are dear to me as well as others.

Thanks, and we're good. I'm not "easily offended" and can also laugh at my own 'Yankishness'. However, and I won't generalize this to "Most Americans", I do get my hackles up for things that are dear to me as well as others.

No problem, glad we are all sorted.

Just for the record I used the phrase 'very American' not Most Americans, and I meant in the same way as Downton Abbey is 'very British' but not typical of most Britons, certainly not typical of our social structure and attitude to our fellow man, but we don't get our hackles up when someone says they love its Britishness.

Kindest

CM

Apologies if I offended anyone at all. I was simply amused that the poster seemed not considered the possibility that his/her destination country might just want to have see his passport.

 

OP was asking about the Caribbean itineraries. No port on a closed loop cruise starting in a USA port is in a country that that wants to see a passport.

I'm still curious about the earlier post that said Canadians have to bring their passports when they go ashore in St Thomas. Can anyone confirm this? I don't think it's true, but I know things change very quickly in this world. ;)

Both times we had to have our passports in st. thomas. Americans do not as it is an american port. Canadians had to. Also we had to show them in puerto rico aslo as that is an american port to. We will be heading there next week so will let you know again what happens.

Both times we had to have our passports in st. thomas. Americans do not as it is an american port. Canadians had to. Also we had to show them in puerto rico aslo as that is an american port to. We will be heading there next week so will let you know again what happens.

Please do, thanks. My memory may just be faulty (which could totally be the case), because we were in Puerto Rico a few years ago and I don't recall bringing our passports there either. I've just checked with my husband and he doesn't think we brought them ashore with us in St Thomas in March.:confused:

Last time we renewed our passports we also got passport cards. Take both when we cruise and leave our passports in the safe and take our passport cards with us when we go on shore. Maybe a bit over the top but it works for us.

It would actually make more sense to take your passports ashore and keep the passport cards on the ship! Should something happen (miss the ship, medical emergency) and you have to fly back to the USA from a non-US island, you will need your passport. Your passport card will enable you to enter the US via ship (should you lose the passport).

An Enhanced Drivers License will also get you back into the USA.

 

An Enhanced Drivers License will also get you back into the USA.

Can you fly back to the US with Enhanced Drivers License ?

It would actually make more sense to take your passports ashore and keep the passport cards on the ship! Should something happen (miss the ship, medical emergency) and you have to fly back to the USA from a non-US island, you will need your passport. Your passport card will enable you to enter the US via ship (should you lose the passport).

 

An Enhanced Drivers License will also get you back into the USA.

If you don't make it back to the ship, the ship will land your documents.

Can you fly back to the US with Enhanced Drivers License ?

No. It can be used at land crossings with Canada and Mexico and closed loop cruise ships.

I never leave the ship without enough ID to get home should a emergency occur. That means having my passport, not a photo copy. Photo copy is useless for travel. If you were to get hit by a car and end up unconscious in a hospital at least you have everything needed to take a flight as soon as possible. It could be days before or a week before princess is able to get your passport to you. I don't want to be stuck in a 3rd world hospital. you could be on a island without a embassy or consulate to help you.

Can you fly back to the US with Enhanced Drivers License ?

I meant to say the EDL works similar to the passport card.

How very American. Have you not considered the possibility that airlines check it when leaving the country in order to be sure that you have it, so that you can be admitted to your destination country (as) if you do not have it and are not admitted, they are in effect stuck with you. :D

 

I must remember to tell the person in the black uniform at MIA, that "I'm pretty sure that the primary, maybe only real, purpose of my passport is to allow me to be readmitted to the UK". On the other hand, given the warning signs at US immigration control about not making jokes, it doesn't seem like a good idea, so I don't think I'll try. :eek:

 

Seriously, the attitude to transit cruise passengers throughout the Caribbean is that you are a 'citizen of the ship' and your primary ID is your cruise ship pass. However, if you miss the ship, then you may need something more substantial than your cruise pass in order to get through local border control and catch up with the ship.

Your smarmy, typical British attempt at sarcasm is noted. However I will remind you that my post said, "primary purpose," not only purpose. All of that notwithstanding you are generally correct about immigration or customs agents in foreign counties demanding my passport on entry, and why the airline or cruise line demands to see it before boarding. They have that right and opportunity. However, I must state that in recent travels through Denmark, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy, my passport, other than on initial entry was never asked for. There are no longer any border active checkpoints that I saw.

My other statement that I would not set foot off of the ship, on foreign soil, without it. No one may wish to see it, but if circumstances require verification that one is a citizen of the US, or any other country, it will suddenly become extremely important. Saying that the only safe place for it, as some have, is tantamount to saying that the only safe place for your automobile is in your garage.

If you don't make it back to the ship, the ship will land your documents.

I have heard this often here but wonder if one can rely on it and if it always happens.

When the ship is ready to sail do they really have time to go to each missing person's cabin to get passports (and hoping everyone puts it in the safe)?

I think this thread need's to die a quiet death.

Apologies if I offended anyone at all. I was simply amused that the poster seemed not considered the possibility that his/her destination country might just want to have see his passport.

 

We can, by the way laugh at ourselves and our idiosyncrasies and frequently do. In fact laughing at our 'Britishness' is one of our main sources of humour.

 

I repeat, I am really sorry if I offended. It was not intended.

I thought your post was funny as heck. No apology needed. :D