Leaving your passport on board?

[dwjoe]

It comes down to weighing the risk of loss/damage/theft vs the risk of being stranded unexpectedly ashore.

 

I have PP book and PP card, and if going to a beach or active excursion, I usually leave the book in the safe and take the card. Aside from the risk of theft, the PP book is bulky to carry and vulnerable to water damage. The PP card isn't. If I was going on a bus tour in town I might take the book and leave the card in the safe.

 

There is still value in having a PP book on the ship as you covered against eventualities such as:

-illness developed on the ship and needing to fly home

-emergency back home requiring you to terminate the cruise early

-emergency in port as long as you (or the ship's agent) can get to your book before the ship sails

[billie5]

It seems that it's mostly the Americans (and I'm one too) that are passport phobic. People from other countries just take it as a matter of course to use them. Maybe it's because most Americans don't travel that much outside of the US.

 

Well, let's see. I've traveled in over 100 countries and still leave my passport in the cabin safe when I can. I rather doubt your conclusion above.

 

I am a former consul for American citizen services and served in both the Caribbean and Europe. I almost never take my passport out of the ship/hotel safe when I travel-- only if I will be going on an independent excursion that will take me far from the port. There are far, far more passports lost, stolen and damaged (think water damage) every day than there are cases of Americans who require emergency assistance. I do carry a photocopy with me, because it will facilitate assistance in the event that there is an emergency. Consular staff will begin to provide assistance as soon as you are identified as an American-- they don't wait to run your name through a computer or get approval-- that will come as your situation progresses.

 

Basically, you have a far greater chance of passport loss or theft ruining your trip than you do of an emergency in port, so I make sure I keep mine safe. I will add, as another poster noted above, that having had previous passports guarantees that officials will be able to confirm my citizenship if necessary-- those who have never had a passport will have a much more difficult time establishing their citizenship and identity, particularly in a crisis when traveling abroad. I always recommend to get a passport, but don't make it vulnerable to theft or loss!!!

 

I think this perfectly sums up why many Americans do a cost/benefit analysis and conclude that they are better off leaving their passports in the safe.

 

Bottom line, do what you're comfortable with.

 

I have no doubt this is the best advice.

[Sea Monster 2]

Willysgrandma, I'm sorry your clients had such a bad experience. This is proof that you can't anticipate everything. However, it is one of the gazillions of scenarios that can occur. In general, I try to plan for what is most likely to happen-- which can include making a decision to carry my passport because I will be on an independent excursion and far from the ship. I would add that it is important to make sure that you have a cash cushion for emergencies or unexpected expenses when you travel-- this has nothing to do with carrying your passport and everything to do with being prepared for whatever arises, good or bad. I can remember, when I was young, going to Europe with the goal of spending every last dollar I had before I left-- I would never put myself in the position of not having emergency cash and credit now that I am older and wiser!! Likewise, although I have lived abroad for more than a decade now as a private citizen, I do not carry my passport with me. It stays locked up, and my family knows where to find it if I need it and cannot get to it myself.

 

The US government does NOT have a policy requiring citizens to carry their passports with them, which is why I always try to make it clear that my recommendation comes from me personally, based on many years of professional experience. While I don't know who the rep from your passport office was, I feel compelled to point out that they fill a very different function from Foreign Service Officers who are stationed overseas and who are trained, empowered and required by law to assist you in an emergency. The Passport Office studies your documents and makes a decision to issue (or not) a passport in the US. If you have a crisis abroad, you are not going to call your passport office back in the US-- you will call the embassy, consular staff will immediately be assigned to your case, and they will get to work for you. They will walk you through a medical emergency, arrest, lost passport, mass casualty situation-- anything that happens. I don't think many domestic passport agents have a detailed understanding of all that consular officers do or of how to get things done anywhere in the world, and it is important to remember that different government offices have different priorities. We all have to do what makes us most comfortable, and I hope that I am able to help people make more informed decisions.

[trafficbabe2000]

I've heard u should leave passports onboard, and have a copy in your luggage, and a copy with u in port. I'll try to find the article and post it in the next day or so.

[willysgrandma]

I respect your advice - however, you should point out that clients cannot always get a passport in a day and the expenses that are incurred for every day that they have to stay in a hotel if they can't get their passports re-issued immediately, the extra costs of paying for the expedited passport and the cost of last minute airline tickets.

 

Too many make it seem like an easy thing to do,but the expenses incurred if it happens can cost several thousands of dollars extra.

 

We warn our clients but they are free to do whatever they deem fit. I will tell you this clients said they should have listened to us and the next time they travel out of the country, the passport will be going with them.

 

 

If you have a crisis abroad, you are not going to call your passport office back in the US-- you will call the embassy, consular staff will immediately be assigned to your case, and they will get to work for you. They will walk you through a medical emergency, arrest, lost passport, mass casualty situation-- anything that happens. I don't think many domestic passport agents have a detailed understanding of all that consular officers do or of how to get things done anywhere in the world, and it is important to remember that different government offices have different priorities. We all have to do what makes us most comfortable, and I hope that I am able to help people make more informed decisions.

[Sea Monster 2]

I respect your advice - however, you should point out that clients cannot always get a passport in a day and the expenses that are incurred for every day that they have to stay in a hotel if they can't get their passports re-issued immediately, the extra costs of paying for the expedited passport and the cost of last minute airline tickets.

 

Too many make it seem like an easy thing to do,but the expenses incurred if it happens can cost several thousands of dollars extra.

 

We warn our clients but they are free to do whatever they deem fit. I will tell you this clients said they should have listened to us and the next time they travel out of the country, the passport will be going with them.

 

Yes, I'm sure they will choose to act differently based on what happened to them-- my point is that there are countless things that can happen, and we should do our best to plan-- or to recommend to others-- based on what is most likely in a given situation. No crisis overseas is easy to handle, and I don't think anyone posting here has indicated that.

 

You are absolutely correct, passports are almost never issued in a single day as they are now printed in the US, which is why I mentioned the importance of having a cash cushion when you travel-- you never know when you will need that money, for an emergency or just for the buy of the century! If you read back over my previous posts on this subject, you will notice that I have mentioned this several times during discussions on whether to get passports for closed-loop cruises. To add a personal spin to this, my US passport has saved my life abroad twice-- once in a medical emergency as a kid, and then during the mass evacuation after the Haiti earthquake. I consider it the most important thing I own, and I treat it accordingly by not leaving it rattling around in the bottom of my purse. It was not in my hands when either of these events took place-- it was in the hotel safe the first time, and in my home safe the second time. Knowing where it was and that I would be able to access it when I needed it meant I was free to put all of my energy into coping with what was happening to me. Anyway, as I mentioned earlier, my goal is just to help people think critically about the situations they are likely to be in and make educated decisions about whether to carry their passports-- we will all do as we please in the end! :D

[sdmike]

Great thread and plenty of good reasons on both sides. I guess it all depends on risk and each person's level of comfort with that risk.

 

I didn't take my passport off the ship on my Alaska cruise. Simple reason, really. I was in the US already and could fly on my driver's license, and it was raining and windy, and the risk of water damage was higher.

 

I took it with me in Roatan for some simple reasons too. I was in a foreign country. Honduras was having rebel uprising issues on the mainland (not on Roatan), which in my mind increased risk that we might have to get somewhere in a hurry or be faced with increased security. We were told that in order to enter the port area we needed picture ID, not just our cruise cards. We also were using a local company, not NCL, for a tour. Yeah, we were going to be at a the beach and other places that might lend itself to damage, but that was outweighed by the other reasons.

 

So I agree that there are pro's and cons to having it with you. One just needs to weigh these and decide what's right for them. Keep in mind the risk of being stranded and the risk of damage/theft are very low. The chance of damage might be 4x the chance of getting stranded, but that might be comparing 1/2% to 2%.

 

Happy cruising

[willysgrandma]

I agree with both of you. People just need to understand what the extra costs are if the unthinkable happens and need to determine for themselves what their risk level is. It is just as important to have cash or your credit cards with you if you are stranded.

 

I would never carry my passport in a purse when I am out and about in a foreign country. It is either in my sack around my waist or in a neck wallet.

[Bars7816]

Regarding Post #14 "...they only had one credit card with them that didn't have enough credit for the hotel room and they had to have a relative fax a credit card authorization form to the hotel to pay for their room."

 

We were left on Roatan in 2004 due to a medical emergency. When we were able to leave, we had to pay a fee of $100 for 3 of us to the local government IN CASH at the airport to get off the island! No checks, no credit cards. (This was covered by our travel insurance though.)

 

So, besides the need to carry at least two credit cards, cash may be needed in an emergency.

 

If we hadn't had our passports, we were told by the port rep that we might have had to go to the Honduras mainland to apply for replacements. Don't know if it would have actually come to that -- who knows?

[billie5]

I think many posters are missing the point. If your passport is stolen (which is so much more likely than the emergency situations detailed here), you will in many cases be IN EXACTLY THE SAME SITUATION as with an emergency. That is to say, the cruise line will not let you board and you will have to spend exactly the same amount of money waiting to have it replaced.

 

There have been a number of CCers in the past who have posted that they had their passports stolen in a Schengen country, and even though the cruise ship was heading for another Schengen country, they were not permitted to board. (You understand -- if they traveled between ports overland, they would not even be asked for a passport). The reason is that, Schengen or not, the cruise ship is required to confirm that all its passengers are properly documented. That would not be the case if it knew you had lost your passport.

 

So, it is lose-lose, as to whether you need your passport for an emergency or you have it stolen. People who leave the passport on the ship probably realize the latter is much more likely. Still, we don't always do what is mathematically more probable, and I agree each should do what makes him/her more comfortable.

[2pineinn]

I am a former consul for American citizen services and served in both the Caribbean and Europe. I almost never take my passport out of the ship/hotel safe when I travel-- only if I will be going on an independent excursion that will take me far from the port. There are far, far more passports lost, stolen and damaged (think water damage) every day than there are cases of Americans who require emergency assistance. I do carry a photocopy with me, because it will facilitate assistance in the event that there is an emergency. Consular staff will begin to provide assistance as soon as you are identified as an American-- they don't wait to run your name through a computer or get approval-- that will come as your situation progresses.

 

Basically, you have a far greater chance of passport loss or theft ruining your trip than you do of an emergency in port, so I make sure I keep mine safe. I will add, as another poster noted above, that having had previous passports guarantees that officials will be able to confirm my citizenship if necessary-- those who have never had a passport will have a much more difficult time establishing their citizenship and identity, particularly in a crisis when traveling abroad. I always recommend to get a passport, but don't make it vulnerable to theft or loss!!!

 

I think this is the best response I have read on the matter.