passports?

[Kentman23]

What should you do in case of a lost passport? I've read that some people email themselves a pic of their passport, or that they just bring a copy of their passport and leave it on the ship. Are either of these good ideas? My wife and I have never needed a passport to travel so this is all new to us.

[kr8z]

Not trying to be a smartass, but why do you think you may lose your passport? I have had one since infancy and have never lost one (I am 40 now).

[5waldos]

I can only tell you what we did when mine and my 3 children's passports were stolen in Thailand. We went to the US Embassy and told them. They gave us a cup of tea, a lot of sympathy, and started to work issuing us new ones. I had my kids naturalization papers, I had some id with me, we all got pictures takes, wne back about 6 hours later and they were waiting for us. Mine was temporary and I had to have it updated within ....3 months? And we were still overseas so I went to the local embassy and got it all fixed.

[K&P Luv2Cruise]

What should you do in case of a lost passport? I've read that some people email themselves a pic of their passport, or that they just bring a copy of their passport and leave it on the ship. Are either of these good ideas? My wife and I have never needed a passport to travel so this is all new to us.

 

I am a firm believer in that if you prepare for the worst, the worst probably won't happen.

 

So, I have all of our passports and important documents (Driver's License, Health Card, etc) scanned into our home computer, with a copy on the laptop we bring on trips. However, I have also emailed the scanned copies to an easily accessible email account (hotmail / gmail etc) so that if we are robbed, or we lose a piece of vital information, it is available as proof of our Citizenship.

 

Maybe I'm a little paranoid, but IMHO, better safe than sorry.:D

[Kentman23]

I am a firm believer in that if you prepare for the worst, the worst probably won't happen.

 

So, I have all of our passports and important documents (Driver's License, Health Card, etc) scanned into our home computer, with a copy on the laptop we bring on trips. However, I have also emailed the scanned copies to an easily accessible email account (hotmail / gmail etc) so that if we are robbed, or we lose a piece of vital information, it is available as proof of our Citizenship.

 

Maybe I'm a little paranoid, but IMHO, better safe than sorry.:D

 

Thank you! This is why I ask. My wife is a planner and a worrier so we're just trying to cover our bases.

[kr8z]

I can only tell you what we did when mine and my 3 children's passports were stolen in Thailand. We went to the US Embassy and told them. They gave us a cup of tea, a lot of sympathy, and started to work issuing us new ones. I had my kids naturalization papers, I had some id with me, we all got pictures takes, wne back about 6 hours later and they were waiting for us. Mine was temporary and I had to have it updated within ....3 months? And we were still overseas so I went to the local embassy and got it all fixed.

 

Oh wow! I actually scanned all of ours the other day. This is simply because hubby needs his for his leave approval. I did save them all on a thumb drive and plan on sticking that bad boy in my purse for our trips.

[elcuchio24]

What should you do in case of a lost passport? I've read that some people email themselves a pic of their passport, or that they just bring a copy of their passport and leave it on the ship. Are either of these good ideas? My wife and I have never needed a passport to travel so this is all new to us.

 

Just my opinion, but passports aren't good for much if you don't have them on your person. When we get off a ship, just like when we travel anywhere not called the US, we carry our passports. Copies are helful for getting new passports issued if you lose them, but they are not the same as a passport and can not be used to reenter the US. If you lose your passports, you'd need to contact the closest embassy.

[bythehex]

Just my opinion, but passports aren't good for much if you don't have them on your person. When we get off a ship, just like when we travel anywhere not called the US, we carry our passports. Copies are helful for getting new passports issued if you lose them, but they are not the same as a passport and can not be used to reenter the US. If you lose your passports, you'd need to contact the closest embassy.

 

Exactlty right! Best answer I've seen today.

 

I don't understand the fear most people have about taking their passports off of the ships with them. The purpose of having them in the first place is if you get left behind, or if you have to fly home, from a foreign port. They do no good sitting in the safe in your stateroom if you can't get back to your stateroom.

[klmorg]

We don't usually take our passports off the ship. They stay in the safe on the ship. I do carry copies of them, just in the rare case they may be needed to expedite a temporary passport & no one else is able to secure them from the ship. We would rather not risk the theft or loss of my passport in a foreign country. (Scanning them & emailing to yourself is also a good idea)

 

In the event something happens & the passports are needed to fly home, the local port authoirities will work with the cruise line/ship staff to help secure whatever is needed on the ship. Or another person in your party can handle that. I know this as we have had a medical emergency requiring us to fly home from a foreign country. ;)

 

This situation comes up alot on here, and there are strong feelings & arguments for both sides. It's a personal choice, and this is ours. :)

[pkrchkr]

With our passports up here there is card with the 1800# for the Canadian consulate that will direct us to the consulate in the country of our location .. I always bring a photo copy as well as my VA card and the kiddos bring student id ..

Never can be too careful eh!

[elcuchio24]

Exactlty right! Best answer I've seen today.

 

I don't understand the fear most people have about taking their passports off of the ships with them. The purpose of having them in the first place is if you get left behind, or if you have to fly home, from a foreign port. They do no good sitting in the safe in your stateroom if you can't get back to your stateroom.

 

I think it comes down to folks who aren't frequent international travelers get nervous about losing their passport. I get it. But you have just as much chance of losing your wallet, cell phone, etc. I've traveled around allot, and I figure if I didn't lose it while it was in my back pocket from a month while trapsing through europe or where ever, it'll probably be ok for 5 hours in Cozumel.

[aashleyjc]

Another option if you are traveling to the Carribbean or Mexico is to get the passport card. My husband and I carry our passport cards on us and leave the paper passport books onboard in the safe. That way we always have always have something with us without having to carry the passport itself.

[thinfool]

Exactlty right! Best answer I've seen today.

 

I don't understand the fear most people have about taking their passports off of the ships with them. The purpose of having them in the first place is if you get left behind, or if you have to fly home, from a foreign port. They do no good sitting in the safe in your stateroom if you can't get back to your stateroom.

 

So...how will you deal with it if the ship takes your passport, as often happens in the Med., and doesn't return it until the end of your cruise?

[elcuchio24]

Another option if you are traveling to the Carribbean or Mexico is to get the passport card. My husband and I carry our passport cards on us and leave the paper passport books onboard in the safe. That way we always have always have something with us without having to carry the passport itself.

 

are you aware that you can't use the card for air travel? So if you had to fly back from one of the islands, it would be useless. It would be the same as just having your BC and DL.

[serene56]

Not trying to be a smartass, but why do you think you may lose your passport? I have had one since infancy and have never lost one (I am 40 now).

 

stuff happens. I had one for three years and lost if in Aruba.

(being excited and not paying attention I laid it down to dig in my bag and never picked it back up. )

We realized it was missing when we got in the room and were unpacking and I wanted to put them in the safe. We took a cab back to the air port-

it was not there- went to Lost and found--nothing.

(we called morning and evening every day and it was never turned back in.

 

We needed to go to the police office and put in a report that needed to be printed out and presented when we go through Customs/immigration at the airport.

 

THe report was printed in dutch- the Aruba side had no problems but the american side had to do a search on the passport data base (took 45 minutes) then asked me all the security questions.

 

When we got home I needed to fill out paper work and submit that. I got a letter about 3 weeks later that the passport is no longer good and if I found it not to use it because I will be detained.

 

Going to a consulat is the best way but the nearest consulate is in Curaca.

[aashleyjc]

are you aware that you can't use the card for air travel? So if you had to fly back from one of the islands, it would be useless. It would be the same as just having your BC and DL.

 

Yes, but it is better than nothing. I would rather lose my passport card in port and still have my passport onboard than lose my passport in port and have nothing.

[elcuchio24]

Yes, but it is better than nothing. I would rather lose my passport card in port and still have my passport onboard than lose my passport in port and have nothing.

 

Better than nothing? Like I said, it would be exactly the same as not having a passport at all. If you aren't going to take your actual passport, a BC/DL would be just the same as a card without the additional cost. Cards are for crossing the boarder by land....mexico/us, canada/us etc. Allot of folks up here have them if they live in northern Maine and commute of have family over the boarder.

 

The whole point of having a passport is so that if somthing happens, and the ship leaves, you can fly home, or to the next port. If your passport is aboard the very ship that you missed, kinda defeats the point.

[KimmiePie]

So based on what I have read on the boards so far, everyone really thinks it is the best idea to have a passport. We are going on a closed loop cruise and a passport is not required. I am thinking maybe I should get them for all of us anyway, but really wonder if it is worth the aggrevation. Thoughts?

[nutley chick]

Better than nothing? Like I said, it would be exactly the same as not having a passport at all. If you aren't going to take your actual passport, a BC/DL would be just the same as a card without the additional cost. Cards are for crossing the boarder by land....mexico/us, canada/us etc. Allot of folks up here have them if they live in northern Maine and commute of have family over the boarder.

 

The whole point of having a passport is so that if somthing happens, and the ship leaves, you can fly home, or to the next port. If your passport is aboard the very ship that you missed, kinda defeats the point.

 

This is exactly what scares me the most. I do everything to make sure that I'm on the ship before it leaves but you just never know. Now if your passport is on the ship you will have no way to get home or the next port. OMG.

[elcuchio24]

So based on what I have read on the boards so far, everyone really thinks it is the best idea to have a passport. We are going on a closed loop cruise and a passport is not required. I am thinking maybe I should get them for all of us anyway, but really wonder if it is worth the aggrevation. Thoughts?

 

My thought is you'll get alot of varying opinions. We always carry passports, but we also do alot of other international travel other than cruises. You will probably never have an emergency or miss the ship on one of the island, but you never know. It's a risk/reward question. IMO--if you can afford it, and/or if you plan on international travel other than closed loop cruise, get one. I know that I would never leave US land without one.