Going ashore with documents and sail and sign card security

Any tips? I know you have to take your sail and sign card everywhere (I heard lanyards are a good way of keeping track of them). Of course we're taking passports but do we take them ashore while in ports? What does everyone do to make sure their personal documents and sail and sign card are secure while cruising and while in port.

we take our passports ashore. this is a highly debated topic around here. It is the lose it vs have it in an emergency debate. So, I'm not going to debate that point since it wasn't your question.

We take a backpack ashore with us, we're beach goers and we can fit most everything we need in one bag. The passports go in the same pocket every time and are never really touched. Our only real risk is a grab and go theft of our stuff onshore. We've cruised several times and have never been victimized.

The S&S stay where it normally is, for me its in my money clip for the wife, its in her wallet in her purse. No special arrangements for the cruise. Out of habit I check for money, cell phone, and watch no matter if I'm leaving my car, a meeting room or the beach. Having a lanyard would be out of routine for me and chances are higher that I would not notice I didn't have it.

Unless you're a careless person don't let the nerves get to you. Rarely will you be separated from your belongings.

Onboard the PP are in the safe with copies in a separate location. S&S are alway on my person or the desk when I'm asleep.

We kept our sail and sign cards on us (on lanyards like you said)...even in port. After the initial boarding, we kept the documents/passports in our safe for the remainder of the cruise, until debarkation upon the end of the cruise.

You have to take your sign and sail card with you. They swipe it when you get on and off the ship. We also take our drivers licences for photo id, as that is needed at some ports. They recommend that you do not take your passport off the ship, so we leave them locked in the safe, but it is a good idea to have access to your passport information if you get off the ship and left behind in port so you can email your self a copy before you leave home or take a photocopy off the ship with you.

My sister and I carry a small cross body purse and carry our drivers license, S&S card, a credit card and a small amount of cash. We rarely spend money on shore other than maybe some nacho's and a couple of beers.

I have my sail and sign card with drivers license in one pocket, my wallet (with no credit cards in it) in another. I leave our documents on board but on the upcoming cruise our drivers licenses will be our documents so they will be going ashore also.

We use one of these. Waterproof and easy to keep track of.

http://www.thewaterproofstore.com/passport.html?ref=lexity&_vs=google&_vm=productsearch&adtype=pla&gclid=CIm96NeGmrwCFWxp7Aod4mwApw

Simple solution... leave passports in the room safe and carry photocopies of passports with you. Should cover most situations, albeit I'm sure someone can think of a situation where it'd be better to have the physical passports with you.

Simple solution... leave passports in the room safe and carry photocopies of passports with you. Should cover most situations, albeit I'm sure someone can think of a situation where it'd be better to have the physical passports with you.

Yep. That's an easy solution and exactly what we do, too! :)

We take our sign and sail and drivers license with us . Passports are in the safe in room . Although before we leave for the cruise we scan everything into our computer and email it ourselves so just in case something would happen all we have to do is check our email and we have a copy of everything.

We use a waterproof waistpack that we purchased on Amazon. We take our passports ashore with us. If, for some reason, we missed the ship, we will need them to fly home. We also take a credit card for the same reason. We generally do excursions involving snorkeling, but if not, we have passport pouches that we wear around our neck under our shirt.

Passport stays in the safe, Passport Card and S&S card in a lanyard on me at all times while ashore.

Thanks everyone :)

We use one of these. Waterproof and easy to keep track of.

 

http://www.thewaterproofstore.com/passport.html?ref=lexity&_vs=google&_vm=productsearch&adtype=pla&gclid=CIm96NeGmrwCFWxp7Aod4mwApw

I use something similar to this as well. When on the ship it is easy to carry my sail and sign card and gives me a place to keep receipts for any purchases without carrying a bad. If we are going onshore I add my drivers license, credit card and whatever cash we might need. It can then be put under my shirt for more security. When in Europe I used a Pacsafe backpack type purse to keep everything in, including our passports.

We use one of these. Waterproof and easy to keep track of.

 

http://www.thewaterproofstore.com/passport.html?ref=lexity&_vs=google&_vm=productsearch&adtype=pla&gclid=CIm96NeGmrwCFWxp7Aod4mwApw

That's pretty cool.

We use one of these. Waterproof and easy to keep track of.

 

http://www.thewaterproofstore.com/passport.html?ref=lexity&_vs=google&_vm=productsearch&adtype=pla&gclid=CIm96NeGmrwCFWxp7Aod4mwApw

Thanks so much for this link!!! I just ordered our waterproof case for our upcoming May cruise!

I am well traveled and have a different routine (with "routine" being the magic word for me).

I ALWAYS have my passport in an inside zippered area of my purse. I don't remove it and move it to a safe or anyway else. It is "secure". My passport always goes with me. All it will take is one incident needing it, and nobody would ever not be without it again. :)

As for the sail and sign cards, there is no better way to say, I'm a cruise passenger, leaving today in port. Your name is on it. Worse are those who have their licenses also visible. No better way to say you're not home and maybe where you live. Mine is in a neck wallet that is never visible.

Not sure who the "they" is that is mentioned above claiming some kind of "support" for the "passport in the safe" support. Not good advice for me.

I am well traveled and have a different routine (with "routine" being the magic word for me).

 

I ALWAYS have my passport in an inside zippered area of my purse. I don't remove it and move it to a safe or anyway else. It is "secure". My passport always goes with me. All it will take is one incident needing it, and nobody would ever not be without it again. :)

 

As for the sail and sign cards, there is no better way to say, I'm a cruise passenger, leaving today in port. Your name is on it. Worse are those who have their licenses also visible. No better way to say you're not home and maybe where you live. Mine is in a neck wallet that is never visible.

 

Not sure who the "they" is that is mentioned above claiming some kind of "support" for the "passport in the safe" support. Not good advice for me.

"They" are the US State Department and experienced travellers. I have participated in many threads involving "take your passport ashore or keep it in the safe" and posters have quoted the State Department as recommending that one keep their passport in the safe unless they need to carry it and the vast majority of cruisers who participate in such threads leave them in the safe. This is definitely one of those questions where your answer may not be my answer and that's perfectly fine.

When I go ashore, I carry a very small pacsafe cross-body bag. It has room enough for my sign and sail card, a phone, some money and whatever other ID I take ashore with me, usually a driving licence - I'm one of those who leave their passport in the safe. There is room in the bag if I do take the passport ashore.

On board the ship, I keep my sign and sail card in my pocket, or in a little evening bag at night. I hate lanyards as they never seem to hag right, and bounce across my chest as I walk. Maybe I need to try a longer or shorter string!

I also carry a Packsafe shoulderbag.

It is relative large, but holds water, camera, passport etc. It is nice to have everything in one very safe place close to your body. There is also room for a few small souveniers you may purchase.

Find this much safer than a backpack which thiefes can open without you knowing it.

It is so practical that we also use it when we visit "safe" places.

"They" are the US State Department and experienced travellers. .

................... and every cruise line that has ever advised me on the subject.;)

But to some extent it's whatever gives the individual peace-of-mind.

Yes, there are reasons for choosing to take a passport ashore.

Depending on where your next port-of-call is, if you miss your sailing you may need your passport to catch up with the ship.

If you are arrested, you have proof positive of your identity & nationality.

Ditto if you are hospitalised.

A photocopy does make it fairly obvious that you are who you say you are, I've used it as secondary ID for car hire & credit card purchases, and it will help to speed-up a replacement passport. But it has no legal status.

Of course the main risk of taking a passport ashore is of it being lost or stolen. Big risk in some places in the world. Or if you want to take a swim. Small risk in other places if you take sensible precautions - that really means having it secured to your person such as a hidden zippered belt, not in a bag or a pocket.

But big consequences if it's lost or stolen. The biggest immediate problem is if you need it to fly home from a foreign country at the end of your cruise. The biggest long-term problem is ID theft.

It's a fact, not opinion, that there are far more cruisers who have their passports lost or stolen ashore than those who miss their sailing.

Theoretically if your passport is in your cabin safe & you fail to return by back-on-board time the crew will collect it & hand it to their port agent - possibly via the pilot's boat. I've heard stories of that happening & not happening, but I've never had to put it to the test. Port Agent contact details in the ship's daily news-sheet, it's worth taking those details ashore.

Like most folk, and in accordance with every organisation that's ever advised on the matter, I leave my passport in the cabin safe.

But each to their own.

JB :)

At one time I thought it wiser always to have the passport securely on one's person when in port (for all the abovementioned reasons). I've since changed my habits and now only carry ashore a photocopy, leaving the actual passport in the cabin safe unless the local authorities require otherwise.

Pretty much what I do to make sure my driver's license and credit cards are "secure" when I'm home.

I too had my Sea Pass on a lanyard. I had my passport card in my pocket (I kept my passport book in my cabin).

Some friends of ours recently were robbed while off on an island and both their passports were stolen along with credit cards and drivers licenses. The local police said they can't understand why Americans insist on taking their passports off cruise ships when it's not necessary, and knowing that they're targets for robbery just for passports.

Plus, some cruise lines, and for some itineraries, the ship will ate, and keep, passports for all passengers for the duration of the cruise. So, if the cruise line know you don't need your passport off the ship, who am I to argue.