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Take passport off ship or use safe?


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Hello forumites,

 

I've seen this discussed here and there in other threads, but would like to see more opinions/experiences if possible.

 

I, personally, have been a business traveler for 20 years and have never used a hotel room safe. Only one time in 20 years have I had something go missing from my room (a credit card - and whoever took it made no attempt to actually USE it which is strange!). I've travelled internationally many times and have never let my passport out of my sight (I keep it in my laptop bag).

 

I've seen varied opinions on what to do with your passport on a cruise. Some say keep it with you at all times in a waterproof pouch, others say leave it in the safe.

 

I would lean toward the former but I'm open to advice if there are compelling reasons for the latter.

 

Thoughts?

 

Thanks

DTXCF

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The chances of someone coming into your room, accessing the safe, and stealing your passport are pretty much nil--I have never heard of this happening. The chances of you taking your passport ashore and having it lost, stolen, or damaged are small yet measurable--I've heard more than a few stories of this happening. In fact it seems to be a fairly regular occurrence.

 

If you are that worried about it being stolen from the safe, leave it with the chief purser, who will probably think you are a little wonky, but will keep it if requested.

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It depends on where you are cruising to, and whether you are going ashore independently or on a ship's excursion. Many areas of the world, there is little or no reason for your passport to leaved your cabin safe, particularly if on a ship's excursion. Other places it is required you take your passport ashore.

 

We have cruised and traveled extensively in the world. Our passport never leaves the cabin safe unless required when on a cruise. Places like the Caribbean never require your passport leave your cabin safe. But when traveling on land trips, or independently from the ship, it is always with me.

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Pickpockets are all too common in many cities. In fact when my DH was working with the US Embassy in the Czech Republic a few years ago, the first thing they recommended to him was leave his passport in the hotel room safe and carry a copy because pickpockets were rampant in Prague and US passports were highly prized and worth lots of money.

 

Unless the cruise line notifies us that it must be shown disembarking or re-embarking (as we had to do in Valparaiso Chile if I remember correctly), our passports stay in the safe and we carry copies of the passport page. If we miss the ship, the cruise line will leave the contents of the safe with the Port Agent (we always carry that contact information too).

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Pickpockets are all too common in many cities. In fact when my DH was working with the US Embassy in the Czech Republic a few years ago, the first thing they recommended to him was leave his passport in the hotel room safe and carry a copy because pickpockets were rampant in Prague and US passports were highly prized and worth lots of money.

 

Unless the cruise line notifies us that it must be shown disembarking or re-embarking (as we had to do in Valparaiso Chile if I remember correctly), our passports stay in the safe and we carry copies of the passport page. If we miss the ship, the cruise line will leave the contents of the safe with the Port Agent (we always carry that contact information too).

 

We totally agree with this advice. Make a copy of the info page and take that. Also, don't forget to take a copy of the first page of the daily when on a cruise. That has the port managers' phone number in case you have an emergency while in port.

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I don't like carrying things around with me if I don't have to so I leave them in the cabin safe unless I am visiting a country that requires them to be carried with you. I will observe that from what I've read most stolen passports are stolen because they are kept with other valuables, like a laptop, so if they are carried they should be carried separately. While pickpockets are a real threat around the world they don't randomly pick pockets, they know where the thing is that they want to steal be it a wallet, a passport or anything else. So if you keep your passport in a body pouch and don't flash it about they won't target that.

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There's really not a right or wrong answer here. Personally, I'm not going to walk around a foreign country without my passport.

 

Very true. A person must do what they are most comfortable doing. If you are more comfortable carrying your passport, then do so, but be careful with it.

 

Personally, I have walked around almost 40 countries around the world and in only a few did I have my passport with me because I was required to have it on me at all times. If it is in the safe, I always know where it is. If it is on me, it may get accidentally lost, pickpocketed, or even taken during a robbery. And then I will NEVER know where it is - or what it is being used for. If it is in the safe and you do need it for an emergency or other reason, you can easily arrange to have it retrieved if needed.

 

A co-worker a couple of decades ago traveled extensively for the company. He lost his passport in Spain on a business trip. It was subsequently used in a crime. He spent years dealing with the hassle that created for him, even though he had reported it lost.

 

Bottom line: Do what you feel is best for YOU, not for us. Just be very careful with it as it has enormous value in the black market, especially if it is an American passport.

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None of the caribbean countries require a passport from cruise passengers...leave it on the ship. If you're worried about needing it if you miss the ship, security will go into your safe and remove the contents, and leave them at the dock. They know who is and who isn't on the ship when they set sail.

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If you have read previous threads then you already know the "compelling" reasons to always use the safe in your room as well as the "compelling" reasons to always take your passport ashore. Having done all that research, you still can't make your own decision? Nothing new under the sun here.

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WE have well over 100 cruises since 1985 and only once took our passports off the ship. We were in Key West (of all places!) at the Navy pier and everyone was told to take passports or birth certificates to get back on the ship.

We have heard many cruise directors say not to take them off the ship. When they are stolen they bring BIG bucks. You will not need them ashore. Ours never come out of the safe. I have copies I sometimes take but not always.

When we started cruising all passports, that were not from the US, were taken and held by the ship until the very last morning. But, they don't do this anymore.

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We leave ours in the safe on the ship and we have a copy of it scanned and e-mailed to our own e-mail account. That makes it available to us anywhere. We do the same thing (scan and e-mail) with a copy of front and back of our credit cards we carry, our flight confirmations, excursions with private tour companies, hotel, shuttles, parking, etc. If you were to miss getting on the ship at a port, they empty your safe and leave it with the port authority. Always take the Daily newsletter from the cruise line on shore. It will have the number or the port authority in each port. The contents of your safe will be with them. That's why I also leave my prescription meds in the safe. I put all of my necessities in a zip lock in the safe. Better safe than sorry.

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We've always taken our's off the ship. I always place them all in a zip lock bag in my front pocket and when in the water, in a dive case I can take out into the water with me. Last time around, my wife had control of this case and forgot to close it properly. Fortunately, they only got a little wet. But you can imagine the first priority upon returning to the room was me with the hair dryer making sure they were dry asap. Got home and put them under some heavy books and they flattened back out nicely.

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Hello forumites,

 

I've seen this discussed here and there in other threads, but would like to see more opinions/experiences if possible.

 

I, personally, have been a business traveler for 20 years and have never used a hotel room safe. Only one time in 20 years have I had something go missing from my room (a credit card - and whoever took it made no attempt to actually USE it which is strange!). I've travelled internationally many times and have never let my passport out of my sight (I keep it in my laptop bag).

 

I've seen varied opinions on what to do with your passport on a cruise. Some say keep it with you at all times in a waterproof pouch, others say leave it in the safe.

 

 

 

I would lean toward the former but I'm open to advice if there are compelling reasons for the latter.

 

Thoughts?

 

Thanks

DTXCF

 

Like most, we leave our passports in our cabin safe & carry a photocopy of the relevant page thereof. You can also email the pertinent page of the passport to yourself.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

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The answer to the op's question is not really a matter of opinion. The following has happened on our cruises:

 

a) Cruise line kept the passports because the ship entered foreign waters at night or sometime en route and the immigration officials checked the ship's manifest and passports without passenger presence. (Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil)

b) Cruise line asked passengers to pick up passports again because immigrations officials did a face to face inspection. (Australia, Japan, Russia, Philippines)

c) Depending on the next country on the itinerary, we kept our passports or returned them to the ship.

d) Ship kept passports and provided passengers with a color copy used to leave the port area. (China)

e) Ship didn't care what we did with our passport. (Caribbean)

f) We left it on the ship in the SAFE. We were not taking the passport to the beach. Why in the safe? In case of emergencies, the ship's safety officers will open the safe and get you what's inside. They will not likely search your cabin's drawers and the pile of papers on your desk to find your passport.

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Many Europe based cruises, the ship retains your passport for port clearance at docking. Only in Russia is it needed with you, whether on your own, or a ship excursions.

 

Do not risk it, its not needed in Europe, all you can do is lose it, or have it stolen.

 

Leave on ship with the Purser or in your suite/cabin safe.

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A passport is a form of identification - the best form of identification if you're traveling. Anytime I leave the ship, I want that passport with me. It does me no good sitting in the safe in my room.

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  • 2 months later...
Many Europe based cruises, the ship retains your passport for port clearance at docking. Only in Russia is it needed with you, whether on your own, or a ship excursions.

 

Do not risk it, its not needed in Europe, all you can do is lose it, or have it stolen.

 

Leave on ship with the Purser or in your suite/cabin safe.

 

Disagree in no uncertain terms. Anytime I am in a foreign country be it Nassau or Niger my passport is with me. In my opinion it is foolhardy to risk having a problem abroad and not have a passport. As someone else stated having yout passport in your safe does you no good in Columbia.

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Many Europe based cruises, the ship retains your passport for port clearance at docking. Only in Russia is it needed with you, whether on your own, or a ship excursions.

 

Do not risk it, its not needed in Europe, all you can do is lose it, or have it stolen.

 

Leave on ship with the Purser or in your suite/cabin safe.

 

How can you possibly say a passport is not needed in Europe? Don't you realize you are in a foreign country?

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Hello forumites,

 

 

 

I've seen this discussed here and there in other threads, but would like to see more opinions/experiences if possible.

 

 

 

I, personally, have been a business traveler for 20 years and have never used a hotel room safe. Only one time in 20 years have I had something go missing from my room (a credit card - and whoever took it made no attempt to actually USE it which is strange!). I've travelled internationally many times and have never let my passport out of my sight (I keep it in my laptop bag).

 

 

 

I've seen varied opinions on what to do with your passport on a cruise. Some say keep it with you at all times in a waterproof pouch, others say leave it in the safe.

 

 

 

I would lean toward the former but I'm open to advice if there are compelling reasons for the latter.

 

 

 

Thoughts?

 

 

 

Thanks

 

DTXCF

 

 

 

Maybe a "business traveler" but, international?

 

Next time you're on a cruise, ask any officer if they ever take their passport off a ship in a country that doesn't require it. You probably can already figure out what will be the answer.

 

OR, cruise on a premium/luxury cruise line and don't be surprised when you have to surrender that passport at embarkation.

 

No savvy international traveler would ever carry a passport ashore unless a local government regulation requires it.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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How can you possibly say a passport is not needed in Europe? Don't you realize you are in a foreign country?

 

I just spent a 9 days in Germany and we left our passports in our room provided by our family. The only times we were asked for our passports were at the airport.

Edited by sparks1093
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