who here carries thier passport with them

[ADL3]

We've done both. I'm kind of torn on the issue.

[Cthulu Fhtagn]

It is standard procedure that if a passenger does not get back on board that ships security will open the cabin safe and take control of the passengers passports.

 

Would someone care to quote from the official CCL website where this "standard procedure" can be found?

[chipmaster]

If coming from cruise ship, they have a manifest, they know you aren't on board. They will likely go to your cabin and open the safe and secure your passport and leave it with the port agent to aid you to get to the next port. But if you lost your passport in port, good luck :D

 

Its always good to have some backup. For me its cruise card, a couple CC in two places, a little local cash, and my 3rd backup CC in the safe with my passport.

 

I do the same thing when traveling to a foreign country on pleasure or business. Generally local authorties are out to help you. Its better for them to help you get to a hotel or ship where you have your things versus have NOTHING :)

 

OK OP...

 

try this...get stuck in a foreign country without your passport, credit cards or cash.

 

Just make a copy of your passport and take it with you. leave the original on the ship! If the copy gets stolen, big deal, right?

[Sarah@Sea]

I take a copy of my passport with me, and leave the real one in the safe. Do the same when I stayed two weeks in Guatamala last summer, the school and host family also advised me to NOT carry my passport around with me. I had cash and copy in a money belt. When I went to the bank to exchange money they asked for the copy of my passport. I also scan a copy of my passport and ID and e-mail it myself and non-traveling family member so it can be accessed via a computer if needed.

[disneylover89]

When my friends and I were in Alcapulco, we were walking down the street and a man came out of a taxi, grabbed my friends pocketbook, pushed her, and ran back into the cab and the cab drove away.

 

We were so happy that she was not carrying her passport with her. It was bad enough to lose her ID and money. We also worried about some one getting into our hotel room with the key that was in her bag. (this was the days when keys were given vs. key cards)

 

After that, I will never carry my passport in my bag. You just never know.

[westlab]

Where to carry copy of passport and credit cards?

I always travel with copy of passport and credit cards. Copy of my info goes in spouse's luggage and his in mine.This time I will going on a cruise without him.. meeting friends at port. Where do you carry copy of passport and credit cards when traveling alone?

[CalmCruiserNC]

i just read the most horrific story imagineable about someone getting pick pocketted and losing thier id AND passport. the cruis ship wouldnt let them back on the ship and they were in a foriegn country. :eek:

 

What am i missing here, in this story? I never ever have taken my passport off the ship..i take my sail pass, drivers license, a credit card and some cash. that is all. This guy made it sound liike he needed his passport to get back on the ship. what is that all about?

 

If i lose everything, i still have my passport, and most of my cash onboard. i then would just have to call my bank. what that guy posted was the nightmare of all nightmares.

 

Never forget that your passport's primary purpose is to identify you as an American citizen whenever you are on foreign soil. If you get stranded in another country, your passport will do you no good in the safe aboard ship. Carry your passport with you whenever you are outside of the US -- and keep a photocopy of it in your safe in case it is lost or stolen while you're in port.

 

The guy who said he couldn't get back onboard ship without his passport and sail card was exaggerating. I'm sure security stopped him initially, then handed him over to the purser's department to verify who he was.

[markstudy]

We spend all our port time in the water. So we've never taken our passports off the ship. Its interesting to see how different people enjoy their cruise vacations in so many different ways. I guess if we were "land lovers" we might carry a passport off the ship ;)

[timeoutforcruisin]

We also spend a lot of time in the water. I still carry my passport and use one of the waterproof containers you wear.

 

When we travel abroad and are staying in a hotel vs. a cruise I have left the passport in the hotel safe because the only time you would need it in that instance would be in the police questioned your identity and most of the time you would be allowed to obtain your passport from the hotel as long as it is fairly close by.

 

The risk on the cruise ship is needing the passport because you are delayed in port and the ship has sailed. A copy of the passport can be carried and you can take the copy to the US embassy so they can help you obtain a replacement passport.

 

The passport card can also be used for by the embassy to identify you instead of the copy of the passport. Even if you have the passport # written down somewhere on your person they can use that to identify you and speed up the process of issuing a replacement passport.

 

Also if you don't have your passport and you missed the ship the embassy can still help you if you leave a copy at home and someone will fax it to the embassy.

 

 

None one of these procedures can be used immediately to fly out of the country in case you needed to catch the ship at the next port or be evacuated out by air due to medical emergency. You have to wait for a new passport to be issued and the embassy is not open on weekends or holidays. Only way to fly home or to another port immediately is if you have your passport.

 

So it seems to me that since I don't need the passport for ID while on the ship and can get a replacement if it is stolen or damaged, then the best option IMO is to carry the passport with me, leaving a copy on the ship.

 

With regard to the question on whether children need this. I do not have young children, so I have not experienced this personally. I think your question had to do with whether children need the passport to reboard the ship. I have only been in a couple of ports where it was announced that we would need the passport to reboard the ship and in that case I would assume that children would need whatever type of ID they needed to board initially. Most of the time the only thing needed to reboard the ship is the sign and sail card.

 

However, all of the info discussed in the previous paragraphs regarding what you need if you should have an emergency that causes you to miss the sailing time for the ship would apply to children as well and I believe that children are required to have a passport in order to board an aircraft, so required no, a good idea for emergency maybe.

 

Emergencys don't happen very often, but I would prefer to have what I need if at all possible, just in case this in the one in a million time.

[denred4]

I like the idea of having a copy on the ship. I'll make copies this week!

[markstudy]

We also spend a lot of time in the water. I still carry my passport and use one of the waterproof containers you wear.

 

Emergencys don't happen very often, but I would prefer to have what I need if at all possible, just in case this in the one in a million time.

We thought about wearing our passports underwater in a water proof case... but they are so big, its not something small and easy to stuff in your swimsuit like a credit card and drivers license.

 

I was told that a ship will empty your safe, and leave your passport with their representative at the dock if you ever missed the ship. Can anyone confirm this?

 

[cruise mackel]

I have been in ports where they asked for Passport and you have to have it on you. Once we where on a bus and customs came on the bus at the port gate and check each and every ones Passport before we could pass thru the gae to the ship. So maybe one should keep they Passport on or with them when getting off the ship.

[LemurCat]

I was told that a ship will empty your safe, and leave your passport with their representative at the dock if you ever missed the ship. Can anyone confirm this?

 

 

There is anecdotal evidence of this happening (as in people have heard of it happening or supposedly seen it happen but weren't close enough to confirm it), but there is no written policy that it actually happens.

[noblepa]

There is anecdotal evidence of this happening (as in people have heard of it happening or supposedly seen it happen but weren't close enough to confirm it), but there is no written policy that it actually happens.

 

I question whether this really happens or not, also. I don't think that you should count on it.

 

Once, in Cozumel on the Glory, I watched a family running down the pier fifteen minutes after the scheduled sailing time, and five minutes after the ship actually began to pull away. If the purser were going to leave their identification with the port agent, he/she would have already done so.

 

The ship actually stopped for these people and moved back to the pier. They extended a gangway, the people ran aboard and we were off. The was no sign of the port agent or a CCL security person (there were still other CCL ships at the pier) running up to return any documents to the ship. The tardy passengers simply boarded, the gangway was retrieved and we were off.

 

I, for one, absolutely will not count on anyone from the ship getting my passport and leaving it with the port agent. Many people here recommend against it, but I always take my passport when I go ashore. That's what it is for. I often take it, even when we go ashore in a US territory, like St. Thomas or San Juan. Sure, I could fly home, but it might be a problem to fly ahead and catch up to the ship in a foreign port.

 

My feeling is that, if you're not going to use your passport for its intended purpose, you might as well leave it at home. Better yet, save yourself the $135 and don't bother getting one. For now, a certified birth certificate is sufficient for closed-loop cruises.

 

YMMV.

 

EDIT: Just a thought. It may be more common on cruises where the purser collects passports for them to leave it with a port agent. In that case, it would only take a few minutes to retrieve a tardy passenger's passport from the purser's office. It could take a half hour or more to search someone's cabin, especially if there were more than one late passenger. I think, if they did it in Caribbean ports, you would hear more about people arriving five minutes before sailing, only to find that their passport had been given to the port agent, in anticipation of them missing the ship. I've never heard of THAT happeing.

 

Paul

[KruznKel]

i know a dl may not get you back in the country, but it is all that is needed to get back on your ship. we are just told to have a picture id along with our sail passes and show them together.

 

Bringing a passport off the ship seems to me to be a recipe for disaster. that is the last thing i would take off the ship because if i lost that on a beach or whatever i am screwed.

 

As for those that just bring a DL for photo ID and BC .. I only bring my passport so that is my photo ID.. and as I said to each their own.. I won't leave the ship without it...;)

[JerseyshoreBruce]

We never remove our passports out of the safe till we get off the ship for good. If go in the water i don't want to have to worry if its gonna get stolen. If i lose the passport im stuck....if i lose some money not a big deal. And i do have a waterproof pouch for the money but don't want everybodys thick passports in it.

[goodml]

I have not read the entire thread so this may have already been addressed but if not, I wanted to offer a different perspective. As a citizen of a country other than the US we had our passports taken by the cruiseline on the first 9 cruises we took. This was with Carnival and Royal Caribbean. Passports were taken at check in and were returned either very early on disembarkation day or on later voyages, the day before. We had no choice but to go into port without our passports. I've been told on these boards that others would never agree to hand over their passports and we should have refused. We could indeed have done that but we would not have been permitted to sail. Not much to think about.

 

For whatever reason, since 2008 we have not been required to hand over our passports on the three lines we've sailed. For twenty years we travelled to ports with our passports in the cruiseline's possession. Our personal choice is to still leave them on board. My niece had her passport pickpocketed in Paris two years ago. Big hassle. I'd rather know where it is. JMO

[ciship]

Alot of port security will ask for picture id along with your sail and sign card....all Carnival needs is your sail and sign card......

No we do not take our passport with us on shore it is locked in our cabin safe along with all our other valuables......

But some people fear they will miss the ship so they take theirs with them......

Yes passports are a hot seller on the black market......

But you do bring up a good point.......if you bring your passport on shore...don't bring your other id (drivers license) what a disaster if both are stolen or lost......

 

Children under 16 don't normally have a DL or picture ID. What then?

 

We always leave our passports in the safe and take scanned copies of each on shore.

[LemurCat]

Children under 16 don't normally have a DL or picture ID. What then?

 

You vouch for them. They aren't required to have a picture ID.

[LemurCat]

I have not read the entire thread so this may have already been addressed but if not, I wanted to offer a different perspective. As a citizen of a country other than the US we had our passports taken by the cruiseline on the first 9 cruises we took. This was with Carnival and Royal Caribbean. Passports were taken at check in and were returned either very early on disembarkation day or on later voyages, the day before. We had no choice but to go into port without our passports. I've been told on these boards that others would never agree to hand over their passports and we should have refused. We could indeed have done that but we would not have been permitted to sail. Not much to think about.

 

Well, let me ask this. Did you ever ask what the cruiseline did with those passports while you were in port?

[goodml]

Of course. We don't typically hand over our personal belongings without some assurance that they're well taken care of. We've been told on every occasion that they were to be held in the ship's vault at all times. Since no one allowed me to actually walk back there and see it sitting there I can't possibly know for certain where it was. Could have been in the guy's back pocket for all I really know. Again, it was a condition for sailing so we had to turn it over or not sail.

[LemurCat]

Of course. We don't typically hand over our personal belongings without some assurance that they're well taken care of. We've been told on every occasion that they were to be held in the ship's vault at all times. Since no one allowed me to actually walk back there and see it sitting there I can't possibly no for certain where it was. Could have been in the guy's back pocket for all I really know. Again, it was a condition for sailing so we had to turn it over or not sail.

 

Thanks for responding. I'm glad you asked. A lot of people simply wouldn't have.

[Alliea]

You should never ever be without your passport while in port.

[sjn911]

On my first cruise back in 1980..small, tiny, ship...Epirotiki (think became Sun lines)...the itinerary was Greece (round trip Athens) with Alexandria for Cairo and ___?? for Jerusalem...also of course few Greek isles..oh to do that again....and at 20.

 

 

Now..we had to turn our passports in at an officer's area as we left ship for Cairo and Jerusalem..officials came on the ship for each stop..and stayed with passport files and one saw one's passport go in...

 

Having done much of my travels solo on this grand tour and study time in Europe...would have preferred it with me..but this is how tour operated off the ship...on the bus and back to ship. Wonder how those ports are now..and what one does?

[UandMe4Ever]

We leave our Passports in the safe....we take our "Passport Card" with us into port.

 

I just love these new cards...the size of a driver's license and so convenient!!

Hi: Can you tell us how to get a "passport card". We have regular passports, which we prefer to leave in the cabin's safe and keep cc's of each with us. (We each carry the others as well).

 

A small 'passport card' sounds great.

 

Thanks in advance for your help. We live in NJ if that matters.