Don't Take Passports Off the Ship

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

So very true! But this is not the only area where there may be different requirements.

 

Naturally, when in doubt it is a good idea to be informed in advance, something that we have not always been clever enough to do.

 

Visa requirements can also vary widely. It works both ways.

In some circumstances US citizens may have it easier, but we ran into one situation where you Australians definitely have the advantage over us.

 

Years ago on a trip to Africa, our Australian friends insisted that we must take the walk across the bridge from Zimbabwe to Zambia at Victoria Falls.

They had done it, recommended it highly as a lovely excursion for a different view of the falls, and assured us that there were no visa requirements for Zambia.

 

So we naively headed out to take the long walk across the bridge on a very hot day.

 

When we finally reached the Zambia side, we were stopped at a booth where we showed our passports, and were promptly informed that Americans needed visas.

We got absolutely nowhere with our claims of only wanting to take a brief look around for an hour or two and about how our Australian friends were warmly welcomed without visas.

 

So sadly, we turned around and headed back across the bridge.

When they stopped us on the Zimbabwe side and asked how long we were in Zambia, our reply was: About 15 minutes.

 

To this day, I think we may have the record for the world's shortest visit to Zambia.

 

Oh dear. What a shame about Zambia. But I bet you're not the only ones caught out by that. NZ people rarely need a visa these days. They must be regarded as neutral folk.

Whether I'm taking a land vacation in Europe or going on a cruise excursion, I wear a money belt under my clothing. It will contain any larger amounts of money, credit cards, passport, and any other important documents. No need to worry about getting them stolen or lost, but easy to get to if needed. I think it's the simple answer to this discussion. :)

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.

Do you take your passport when going to your local grocery store?:confused: If you are a US citizen NO passport is needed in St. Thomas unless you are arriving from a foreign country. There is a reason they are called the U.S Virgin Islands. It is true that USVI are in a separate Customs zone from the 50 States and Puerto Rico, but they are in the same Immigration zone. Needed documentation to go from New Jersey to USVI is the same as needed to go from New Jersey to New York.

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

 

So you never worry that when your wife goes to spend this copied money she'll end up doing time in some federal prison? Or is that the idea;)

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.

 

I realize that we need a valid passport that is good (6 month expiration rule) to fly and enter another country by air, but what about getting back on or off the ship in these countries that require one. Could an expired passport work, while leaving the valid passport in the safe?

 

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 also made a copy with my scanner. Venice? We didn't have to carry our passports in Venice last spring. :confused:

Do you take your passport when going to your local grocery store?:confused: If you are a US citizen NO passport is needed in St. Thomas unless you are arriving from a foreign country. There is a reason they are called the U.S Virgin Islands. It is true that USVI are in a separate Customs zone from the 50 States and Puerto Rico, but they are in the same Immigration zone. Needed documentation to go from New Jersey to USVI is the same as needed to go from New Jersey to New York.

 

You are quite correct. Bad example. My point was that any time I'm out of the CONUS I take my passport. I never rent a car so I leave my drivers license home. I have not been every where in the world but we have done several European cruises. Not once have we been asked to give up our passports.

... Once you are out of the US your passport is your only insurance against very bad things.

...My point was that any time I'm out of the CONUS I take my passport... I have not been every where in the world but we have done several European cruises. Not once have we been asked to give up our passports.

I too never leave the US (no, I don't carry my passport to Hawaii, and it is OCONUS) without my passport, but that doesn't mean that I carry it everywhere I go once I get to my destination. There are definitely pros and cons for having your passport with you, and if I am in high thief areas I certainly consider whether I think I am better off carry the passport or locking it up. I have also not been everywhere in the world, but I have been places where saner people would not have gone (the Congo, the Middle East when the US was bombing Baghdad, Argentina during the Junta and the thousands of disappeared persons, etc). I weigh what I think the odds are and act accordingly. If I have to choose between 1) my US passport or 2) knowledge and common sense "as insurance against very bad things" I personally will take #2 everytime.

 

I have never been asked to give up my passport on any cruise that started and stayed within the Schengen zone (a group of 25 European countries, plus de facto the 6 mini-states surrounded by Schengen countries). But if you cruise out of Schengen, it is not unusual for your passport to be held; I have never been on a Schengen originating cruise which visited Turkey where my passport was not held, so it most definitely does happen.

 

Wishing both of us safe travels, with no need for insurance (even if we have it)

Thom

I realize that we need a valid passport that is good (6 month expiration rule) to fly and enter another country by air, but what about getting back on or off the ship in these countries that require one. Could an expired passport work, while leaving the valid passport in the safe?

 

 

 

I also made a copy with my scanner. Venice? We didn't have to carry our passports in Venice last spring. :confused:

 

I would think that countries that require a passport for getting off the ship would require a valid passport, not an expired passport.

 

As far as Venice they told us to take our passport last October, that it was a new security measure at that port. Don't know if they are continuing that this year.

Instead of just copying the passports, I scan them and then send am e-mail to myself with the passport file attached. In addition to the hard copy that I carry with me, I can also generate another copy anywhere there is a computer.

I too never leave the US (no, I don't carry my passport to Hawaii, and it is OCONUS) without my passport, but that doesn't mean that I carry it everywhere I go once I get to my destination. There are definitely pros and cons for having your passport with you, and if I am in high thief areas I certainly consider whether I think I am better off carry the passport or locking it up. I have also not been everywhere in the world, but I have been places where saner people would not have gone (the Congo, the Middle East when the US was bombing Baghdad, Argentina during the Junta and the thousands of disappeared persons, etc). I weigh what I think the odds are and act accordingly. If I have to choose between 1) my US passport or 2) knowledge and common sense "as insurance against very bad things" I personally will take #2 everytime.

 

I have never been asked to give up my passport on any cruise that started and stayed within the Schengen zone (a group of 25 European countries, plus de facto the 6 mini-states surrounded by Schengen countries). But if you cruise out of Schengen, it is not unusual for your passport to be held; I have never been on a Schengen originating cruise which visited Turkey where my passport was not held, so it most definitely does happen.

 

Wishing both of us safe travels, with no need for insurance (even if we have it)

Thom

 

You may have heard this story. Elderly couple were in a European port. Wife carried both their passports as well as all their cash. Husband got separated from wife while in a museum. Wife went back to the ship assuming hubby was right behind. Hubby lost track of time and missed the sailing. Here is this nice old man in a foreign country without passport or any id, and no money.

 

Smooth seas to you too

You are quite correct. Bad example. My point was that any time I'm out of the CONUS I take my passport. I never rent a car so I leave my drivers license home. I have not been every where in the world but we have done several European cruises. Not once have we been asked to give up our passports.

 

It depends on the itinerary. I have had to give up my passport. If you keep doing European cruises you might end up on one where you have to give up your passport. I advise you to bring along your drivers license.

How about splitting the difference? Have a passport CARD and a standard passport. In port, take the card. If it gets lost or there's any hassle, get the original passport retrieved from the ship.

 

I find it hard to believe that a copy, color or not, of your passport would be accepted easily and at all ports when you try to reboard. As far as using an expired passport in port: having only cruised to the Caribbean, Alaska and a couple of ports in South America, I've never had port security make anything more than a cursory glance at my passport, so I doubt they'd notice if I showed them one that was expired. However, i'd never test my luck!

How about splitting the difference? Have a passport CARD and a standard passport. In port, take the card. If it gets lost or there's any hassle, get the original passport retrieved from the ship.

 

I find it hard to believe that a copy, color or not, of your passport would be accepted easily and at all ports when you try to reboard. As far as using an expired passport in port: having only cruised to the Caribbean, Alaska and a couple of ports in South America, I've never had port security make anything more than a cursory glance at my passport, so I doubt they'd notice if I showed them one that was expired. However, i'd never test my luck!

 

The Passport Card can't be used to fly back. It's really not worth the money except for frequent land border crossings. In most ports all you need is a government issued photo ID like a drivers license to reboard. As far as that goes, some ports check for ID and some only ask for your ship card. If you lose those, I have seen it happen they will call ship security. They have your photo on file so that's how you reboard. Follow the directions given by the cruise line as to what ID to take. They will inform you what kind of ID you need to reboard. The reason to take a copy is not to reboard, it is so you can get a replacement if needed. If you passport is stolen, lost, or if you do somehow miss the ship and your passport does sail away with ship the copy can be used at a US Embassy or Consulate for a replacement.

 

Almost all travel sites and books will advise you not to take it with you if you don't have too. Leave it in a safe. But it is not absolutist advice. Sometimes you are going to have to have it with you. Like Russia. And yep, passports get stolen there. Not as much as Italy and Spain where you don't have to have it with you. The odds are more likely that it will get stolen or lost if you have it on you than that you will miss the ship or your hotel will be robbed or burn down. That does not mean it is not possible you will miss the ship or the hotel safe could be robbed. That's why you keep a copy elsewhere. I keep a paper copy and a copy in Dropbox in case I need a replacement.

Edited April 20, 2014 by Charles4515

How about splitting the difference? Have a passport CARD and a standard passport. In port, take the card. If it gets lost or there's any hassle, get the original passport retrieved from the ship.

 

 

There's no such thing as a passport card in most countries. Maybe even only the USA has one.

I always take a copy which is what is recommended by the State Deartment.

 

I keep reading where folks say the State Dept recommends taking a copy. They do, but I don't see where they say "Use it instead of the original." This site also points out the passport can be crucial in foreign lands and that some countries do not require them. Any person who misses their ship and has to fly home will need a passport. (I think we've all agreed on that point.)

 

A passport is an internationally recognized travel document that verifies your identity and citizenship....Some countries may allow you to enter with only a birth certificate, or with a birth certificate and a driver’s license, but all persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air, must present a valid passport to reenter the United States.

 

Make two photocopies of all your travel documents in case of emergency or if your documents are lost or stolen. Leave one copy with a friend or relative at home. Carry the other copy with you stored separately from the originals.

 

Paraphrased from http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/go/checklist.html

I realize that we need a valid passport that is good (6 month expiration rule) to fly and enter another country by air, but what about getting back on or off the ship in these countries that require one. Could an expired passport work, while leaving the valid passport in the safe?

 

 

 

I also made a copy with my scanner. Venice? We didn't have to carry our passports in Venice last spring. :confused:

 

I keep reading where folks say the State Dept recommends taking a copy. They do, but I don't see where they say "Use it instead of the original." This site also points out the passport can be crucial in foreign lands and that some countries do not require them. Any person who misses their ship and has to fly home will need a passport. (I think we've all agreed on that point.)

 

A passport is an internationally recognized travel document that verifies your identity and citizenship....Some countries may allow you to enter with only a birth certificate, or with a birth certificate and a driver’s license, but all persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air, must present a valid passport to reenter the United States.

 

Make two photocopies of all your travel documents in case of emergency or if your documents are lost or stolen. Leave one copy with a friend or relative at home. Carry the other copy with you stored separately from the originals.

 

Paraphrased from http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/go/checklist.html

 

Of course the copy can't be used instead of the original. The copy is in case you need a replacement. The thread in general ia about taking passports off the ship. In general the advice of most travel gurus is not the title of the thread statement which is......Don't take them off the ship. The advice of travel gurus is......Don't take them if you don't have to.

 

The odds are greater in my opinion that something will happen to your passports if you take them off the ship than the odds you will miss the ship. I leave them on the ship unless I have to take them off. But really, I don't think there is a right or wrong answer for everyone. Like everything there are pluses and minuses to each course of action. All should do what they are comfortable doing. I am comfortable leaving them on the ship. Others are comfortable always having them on their person. So people should do whichever they are comfortable doing.

Edited April 22, 2014 by Charles4515

If you carry it and it gets stolen, you will never see it again.

 

I don't consider it the end of the world if I have to replace mine.

 

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.

 

For me, it's because the only person I can be 100% sure of is me. They say they will leave it with the port agent, they say that's their policy, people have reported that's what happened to them. But I'd rather not be counting on someone else; I am more comfortable having it with me.

 

 

The bottom line is that there are 2 schools of thought on this issue. One is that if you carry your passport ashore you are at great risk of losing it or having it stolen so you shouldn't take it, and they likewise assume the chance of missing the ship is minimal. The other side says I trust myself to keep it safe so that the chance of lost/theft is minimal, but I can conceive any number of unexpected reasons why I might end up missing the ship.

 

If you don't take it and you miss the ship, is it guaranteed that the port agent will have it? No. They probably will, but I don't trust a "policy." I want it with me, to make booking a hotel for the night and the first available flight as easy as possible.

If you do take it and it's lost or stolen, I personally don't see that as a big deal. You can always replace it when you get home.

 

Both sides have good arguments, and it comes down to what each person feels most comfortable with. And neither side is likely to convince the other. :)

I don't consider it the end of the world if I have to replace mine.

 

No, but why unnecessarily put yourself in that position? :confused:

 

For me, it's because the only person I can be 100% sure of is me. They say they will leave it with the port agent, they say that's their policy, people have reported that's what happened to them. But I'd rather not be counting on someone else; I am more comfortable having it with me.

 

Deep rooted trust issues are a pain, aren't they? :)

 

If you do take it and it's lost or stolen, I personally don't see that as a big deal. You can always replace it when you get home.

 

Here is where your argument falls flat. Without it, you won't be allowed back into the states, if that is where you are from. And, you probably won't be allowed to board an international flight without one in most countries.

 

Both sides have good arguments, and it comes down to what each person feels most comfortable with. And neither side is likely to convince the other. :)

 

Agreed. As my father used to say: "Everyone has the right to be wrong". :D

 

When the US State Department, the cruise lines, and most travel experts recommend something, that advice should be strongly considered. When the majority of experts agree on something, it must be valid advice. But then again, we are occasional travelers, so we must know much more than they do about such things. :cool:

Edited April 22, 2014 by fortinweb

... Without [your passport], you won't be allowed back into the states, if that is where you are from. And, you probably won't be allowed to board an international flight without one in most countries...

I am in agreement with most of what you have said. However, if you are a US citizen and you manage to make it to the US border without a passport you will be allowed entry - eventually after numerous checks. Your chances of being allowed on a scheduled commercial flight to the US without a passport are essentially zero. As a side note, in 2013 both RCI and Carnival had cruises which were scheduled as closed loops (hence a passport was not required) that ended up aborting in foreign countries. Passengers without passports were accommodated with little hassle both on the charter flights back to the US and by CBP when the flights arrived in the US.

 

Thom

I am in agreement with most of what you have said. However, if you are a US citizen and you manage to make it to the US border without a passport you will be allowed entry - eventually after numerous checks. Your chances of being allowed on a scheduled commercial flight to the US without a passport are essentially zero. As a side note, in 2013 both RCI and Carnival had cruises which were scheduled as closed loops (hence a passport was not required) that ended up aborting in foreign countries. Passengers without passports were accommodated with little hassle both on the charter flights back to the US and by CBP when the flights arrived in the US.

 

Thom

 

Yes, if you manage to get to the border it will be a hassle but they will allow entry.

 

In an emergency situation like those cruises that aborted, the cruise line can get a waiver of passengers having a passport. The state department sends a letter to their immigration agents to let those passengers back in without a passport.

I agree that it is a personal decision that only you can make for yourself/family. I personally do not take my passport off the ship unless I HAVE to (i.e. its required). But we travel in the Caribean and we: (1) stay in the main tourist areas; (2) do not venture too far from the ship; (3) use public transportation like taxis (we don't rent a car) (4) keep track of time and plan to get back to the area near the port 2 hours before the ship leaves. Our excursions are usually to a beach, downtown shopping area, or popular restaurant/bar (i.e. Senor Frogs, Margaritaville, etc) where the locals know what time the ship leaves. Based upon our travel plans, we have very limited and minimal risk of missing the ship, unless get robbed/kidnapped and then the passports are no help anyway. The risks of us losing our passports or having them stolen are greater. So we do not take them. Now, if we were in Europe or somewhere else it might be a different story. Or if we had a different travel style. It may not work for everyone, but it does for me.

When the majority of experts agree on something, it must be valid advice.

Like global warming.:rolleyes:

Many good points here. I agree that no matter which option you choose for yourself on your travels, that you should carry at least one color photocopy of your passport page with you. I scan my passport into an encrypted file and email a copy to me and to a trusted friend (who is staying home - poor friend :(). You will be able to get to your email account in case of an emergency and if you are in a coma or something your ICE (in case of emergency) contact will also have an electronic copy (which he can forward to the proper authorities if need be).

 

My BIL is a pilot who flies internationally, and his employer has a copy of his passport and prior to his getting married, my DH was his ICE and had a ecopy. So far he's never needed it (although he had to have two sets of extra pages sewn into his passport this last 10-year period :) )

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.

 

Russia is another country that a passport might or is a must. You can be stopped on the street and asked to see your Passport and resident card or hotel card. Richard