Don't Take Passports Off the Ship

My son and DIL just returned from an X cruise and they felt terrible for a couple they met on the ship. While out on a tour, this couple either lost or had stolen, both their passports, all their credit cards and driver's licenses. They, for whatever reason, couldn't remember if they could have left their possessions on the bus or in a taxi or had them stolen while touring. He saw them sitting in the US Custom's waiting area, trying to figure out what to do.

Excelllent advice! We had to take our seapasses and a picture ID when we left the ship at some ports.

Deciding that our drivers' licenses were less valuable than our passports, we opted to take the drivers' licenses and leave the passports on board. Those poor people!

We always leave our passports locked in the cabin safe but make photocopies before leaving for the cruise to take with us ashore. In case we ever got stranded, we feel we'd have an easier time getting back home or to the next port - but without the stress of having to think about losing the actual passport.

Not excellent advice nor is it correct for every situation. In Alaska, if you take the White Pass RR or rent a car and head across the border into the Youkon, you must have your passport to renter the US.

The best advice is, know where you are going and what is needed.

We keep our passports in the safe and just take a copy of them with us as our photo ID.

LuLu

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Not excellent advice nor is it correct for every situation. In Alaska, if you take the White Pass RR or rent a car and head across the border into the Youkon, you must have your passport to renter the US.

The best advice is, know where you are going and what is needed.

You are absolutely correct. I was addressing where one only needs a "photo ID" to get back on the ship; I should have been more clear.

We keep our passports in the safe and just take a copy of them with us as our photo ID.

LuLu

~~~

I employ a similar strategy when shopping with my wife; I leave all the money in the safe and just bring copies.

There are some ports in Europe, Barcelona for example, where local laws require you to take your passport on shore. It has not been unknown for local officials to be at the gangway checking this. I take a photocopy as backup in case of loss.

I employ a similar strategy when shopping with my wife; I leave all the money in the safe and just bring copies.

This is an excellent idea. Something to be implemented next trip!

i employ a similar strategy when shopping with my wife; i leave all the money in the safe and just bring copies.

lol:d

Here is a link to a long thread full of debate on the do/don't carry your passport off the ship issue. 124 posts with the most recent less than a week ago.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2022204

Lots of pros and cons on both sides. Bottom line is that whether to take it off or not is a personal choice one needs to make and there is no absolutely correct answer.

I'm looking at an Alaskan excursion and one of the requirements is that you have your passport with you as you cross borders during the excursion.

Maybe the warning needs to be to take much more care with them.

Passport question aside; we only take a drivers license, SOME cash and, one credit card.

We never take ANYTHING we dont want to lose. Rings, rest of credit cards, passports, ect.)

Also, there is a question, about making copies of your passport.

Once, at a Kinko's they refused to copy ours, because they said it "was illegal to do so".

So, I went to the public library and, made a copies. So, not sure what good a copy would do.

We've not been faced with that situation.

Also, I can tell you, for what it is worth, a couple we met twice, aboard ships, once were left ashore, with nothing with them.

Long story short, because of NO passport, they were not allowed to join the ship at the next port.

Instead, they were flown to MIA, and, had to deal with customs and, immigration there. NOT pleasant... :rolleyes:

We ALWAYS take our passports with us whether we are in St. Thomas or St. Petersburg. Once you are out of the US your passport is your only insurance against very bad things.

Copies only help with a fast replacement of a document with authorities. Unless they have been certified by the country in question (which is what happened 2 weeks ago with a port stop in Shanghai) they are otherwise useless in proving identity.

Not excellent advice nor is it correct for every situation. In Alaska, if you take the White Pass RR or rent a car and head across the border into the Youkon, you must have your passport to renter the US.

The best advice is, know where you are going and what is needed.

Ditto!

This is from our tour guide in Germany. He is an American.

❈ NO MATTER WHETHER YOU BOOK WITH A CRUISE LINE, US, OR ANYONE ELSE, NEVER GET OFF THE SHIP IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY WITHOUT YOUR PASSPORT AND A CREDIT CARD!!! We will share some funny stories with you about people who made this mistake!

Here is a link to a long thread full of debate on the do/don't carry your passport off the ship issue. 124 posts with the most recent less than a week ago.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2022204

 

Lots of pros and cons on both sides. Bottom line is that whether to take it off or not is a personal choice one needs to make and there is no absolutely correct answer.

I disagree that there is no correct answer because the exception is that some ports require you to take them ashore. On our recent South Pacific cruise it was made clear repeatedly that one of the ports (sorry I forget but all the islands ran together) required you to have your passport with you. I really hated doing this because I fall firmly on the side of not taking the passport ashore, but because Celebrity was so adamant in their announcements I complied because I did not want to face problems I was warned I may have if I did not and I did not want to miss the beautiful port. It was port to swim and snorkel so we took turns watching the passports. I purchased a waterproof case to swim with for our next cruise in case this comes up again. As you pointed out this is a subjective issue, but I would never take it ashore when not required. I do always carry a copy, and when we had to take it ashore we left the copy in the safe.

We ALWAYS take our passports with us whether we are in St. Thomas or St. Petersburg. Once you are out of the US your passport is your only insurance against very bad things.

Actually, your best insurance is to be aware of your surroundings, be informed about the place you are visiting, don't flash around money, and try to blend in with the locals instead of standing out as an obvious tourist. That means keeping your important documents and valuables protected in your room. Advice I was given many years ago which I heed even today: Would you walk around with $40,000 on you while in a strange city? If you carry your passport, that is what you are doing. A passport can be worth that much on the black market, especially if it's a US. There are teams of people in almost any major city who's job is to try to separate you and your passport.

If you are not required to carry it when visiting a foreign city, don't take it. Instead, take a color copy to assist you if you are asked to produce it. If it's in your safe, you will always know exactly where it is. If you carry it and it gets stolen, you will never see it again.

I would much rather be asked by the authorities where my passport is and be able to tell them, and even make arrangements to have it retrieved from the ship if needed, than to have it stolen or lost and have ZERO idea where it is and what someone is trying to do with it.

Even the US State Department recommends keeping your passport in a safe when not needed to be with you. I would think they are much more knowledgeable about the risks and ways to protect ourselves than any of us here.

We were returning to the ship in Vancover & I had copies of our passports. Canadian security almost did not let us board because we did not have our passports. After quite a while when I told them to get someone from the ship so they could go to our cabin & into the safe to obtain our passports they finally let us board.

Would you walk around with $40,000 on you while in a strange city? If you carry your passport, that is what you are doing. A passport can be worth that much on the black market, especially if it's a US. There are teams of people in almost any major city who's job is to try to separate you and your passport.

Except that it won't cost YOU $40,000 to replace a passport so it's not a valid comparison at all. And if it's stolen insurance will cover any issues. Inconvenient of course but not the financial loss you are suggesting.

If you outright lose it well, then that's stupidity.

Even the US State Department recommends keeping your passport in a safe when not needed to be with you. I would think they are much more knowledgeable about the risks and ways to protect ourselves than any of us here.

That's sensible but the discussion is about what is needed when in a foreign port. And if I'm travelling in a foreign country and something happens like an accident and can't return to the ship then I'll need a passport to do just simple things like book a hotel room or plane ticket.

I disagree that there is no correct answer because the exception is that some ports require you to take them ashore. On our recent South Pacific cruise it was made clear repeatedly that one of the ports (sorry I forget but all the islands ran together) required you to have your passport with you. I really hated doing this because I fall firmly on the side of not taking the passport ashore, but because Celebrity was so adamant in their announcements I complied because I did not want to face problems I was warned I may have if I did not and I did not want to miss the beautiful port. It was port to swim and snorkel so we took turns watching the passports. I purchased a waterproof case to swim with for our next cruise in case this comes up again. As you pointed out this is a subjective issue, but I would never take it ashore when not required. I do always carry a copy, and when we had to take it ashore we left the copy in the safe.

Right there is no absolute answer. Usually you should not take your passport ashore but some ports you have to. Also some itineraries the ship takes and holds your passport so you can't take it ashore at some ports! I always take a copy which is what is recommended by the State Deartment.

Passport question aside; we only take a drivers license, SOME cash and, one credit card.

We never take ANYTHING we dont want to lose. Rings, rest of credit cards, passports, ect.)

 

Also, there is a question, about making copies of your passport.

Once, at a Kinko's they refused to copy ours, because they said it "was illegal to do so".

 

So, I went to the public library and, made a copies. So, not sure what good a copy would do.

We've not been faced with that situation.

 

Also, I can tell you, for what it is worth, a couplThe we met twice, aboard ships, once were left ashore, with nothing with them.

Long story short, because of NO passport, they were not allowed to join the ship at the next port.

Instead, they were flown to MIA, and, had to deal with customs and, immigration there. NOT pleasant... :rolleyes:

The State Department recommends taking a copy. Some ports you have to take the original, Russia, Venice...

It is not illegal. That Kinkos was wrong. I made my copies on my home Printer which also has a scanner.

I'm looking at an Alaskan excursion and one of the requirements is that you have your passport with you as you cross borders during the excursion.

 

Maybe the warning needs to be to take much more care with them.

If you are referring to Skagway, it is correct that you need to have your passport with you if you will be crossing the American/Canadian border. They always let us know that.

(There is an exception for a train ride where you do not actually get off the train in Canada, but for most excursions that cross the Canadian border, or if you drive across the border on your own, you need your passport.)

I disagree that there is no correct answer because the exception is that some ports require you to take them ashore.

Any senior officer on your ship should know the ship's policy for handling passports if a passenger should miss the ship.

If in doubt, simply ask.

On the cruises that I have been on, whenever this question came up the reply was consistently the same every time:

Leave your passport locked in your stateroom safe unless it is a port where you need to take it with you.

If you should miss the ship, they will retrieve the passport from your safe and leave it with the port agent.

That is the only place they will look for it, so if you neglect to leave it locked in the safe, they will not search your stateroom to look for it.

If the ship ever needs to leave port before they can get the passports off, then they give them to the pilot who signs off for them and takes them with him in his pouch, and he gives them to the port agent.

We are each free to decide for ourselves whether we prefer to follow the advice of the ship's senior officers, or some contradictory personal opinions from a few strangers on a message board. ;)

What is relevant for a USA citizen is not relevant for someone who has different citizenship.

Except that it won't cost YOU $40,000 to replace a passport so it's not a valid comparison at all. And if it's stolen insurance will cover any issues. Inconvenient of course but not the financial loss you are suggesting.

True, but the point is that it can be worth that much to a thief or robber, and they may be emboldened to attempt to force you to turn it over if you look too much like an easy target. There are many instances where passports were not lost, but were forced from the owners by persons you don't want to mess with.

That's sensible but the discussion is about what is needed when in a foreign port. And if I'm travelling in a foreign country and something happens like an accident and can't return to the ship then I'll need a passport to do just simple things like book a hotel room or plane ticket.

If not needed, then you don't need it. It's that simple. If something happens such as an accident, you know where it is and you can arrange to have it retrieved. As has been mentioned here by another poster, as well as in literally hundreds of other posts, as well as at every Q&A session with ship officers I have attended where the question was asked, your passport will be turned over to the port agent for you to retrieve if the ship has to leave without you. Unfortunately, some people insist on refusing to believe this simple fact. Don't know why, but they do.