taking photo i.d off the ship with you ???

[brockmom]

Can someone who has recently cruised with Celebrity please tell me what if not all , islands you need to take photo i.d off the ship with you...and if a photo copy of your passport is sufficient. I do not want to take my real passport off with me in case of a lost or stolen situation. Thank you brockmom ( I have only encountered one time which was in Key west where we had to have i.d with us.)

[CHEZMARYLOU]

I cannot remember specific islands but I know we have been asked for photo ID one or two times. We take our drivers licenses, not our passports. Our state started returning expired licenses when you get the new one so we take those with us in port.

 

Mary Lou

[Bailey34]

Take your drivers license.

[dkjretired]

Has nothing to do with what island you are on. Celebrity requires a photo ID and your room key in all islands. DL is really the best, passport is up to you. The photo ID and card is needed to get back on board the ship.

Edited November 3, 2013 by dkjretired

[bighairtexan]

A photocopy of the passport isn't really worth the paper it's printed on, except that if you need a replacement you have all the info in one place. I bring my DL.

[runner15km]

We carry our passports while on foreign soil. You need them to fly back to the USA if you miss the ship.

[Nole0202]

We take DL (for car rentals) and Passports.

Keep photocopies of Passports in the room safe (for numbers only in case of loss).

[DiamondDiva]

In the last few cruises we have been on in the last 3 years, we have mostly been told in the announcements before disembarking in each port, regardless of where it is, to carry a photo id with us. As the first few responders have said, a Drivers License works fine.

 

In some ports, such as all 4 stops in Hawaii last fall, it has been the Port authority who has required the photo id at the pier entrance, whether a tender or docking port. In others, we were not asked at all. In Key West this past winter, we were docked at the Naval Yard pier and each individual and their photo id was checked by Naval personnel on the shuttle we had to take on and off the property.

 

But in the last 5 cruises we have taken (4 Celebrity and 1 Princess) we were told to have them every time. On none of those has the ship asked for the photo id to reboard; the ship card was their only requirement, since it has a photo embedded. But some ports are more safety conscious due to a variety of circumstances or local law and will ask for an additional photo id.

 

Once in a while on a European trip, we have been told to carry our passport specifically, but most often, the DL works just fine and is so much easier to replace than a passport. Regardless of type, we carry them in an accessible to us but under clothing spot for safety reasons.

[fleckle]

Can someone who has recently cruised with Celebrity please tell me what if not all , islands you need to take photo i.d off the ship with you...and if a photo copy of your passport is sufficient. I do not want to take my real passport off with me in case of a lost or stolen situation. Thank you brockmom ( I have only encountered one time which was in Key west where we had to have i.d with us.)

Yes, you are correct.

A photo copy of your passport is fine for ID off the ship in port and is what we take, unless it is a port where we are planning to drive, in which case a driver's license is needed.

 

At ports where they request a photo ID for entry to the port area, the photo copies of our passports have always been accepted.

 

If it is a port where you need to take your actual passport with you, they let you know.

 

A photocopy is so much quicker and easier to replace should it be lost or stolen than a driver's license would be.

I would not risk losing my driver's license when it is not necessary.

 

[Team Stag]

Can someone who has recently cruised with Celebrity please tell me what if not all , islands you need to take photo i.d off the ship with you...and if a photo copy of your passport is sufficient. I do not want to take my real passport off with me in case of a lost or stolen situation. Thank you brockmom ( I have only encountered one time which was in Key west where we had to have i.d with us.)

 

The reason you needed the photo ID in Key West was due to them docking at the Navy Base. They required photo iD to gain access to return you to your ship.

[Lsimon]

I always take our drivers licenses. If we're swimming these, our ship cards, a credit card, and some cash all fit nicely in most small waterproof wallets. And if they get wet by accident all the cards are waterproof and the cash dries out fine.

 

In Europe I also take our passports but I carry them, along with extra cash and a backup credit card, in a hidden money-belt type pocket worn underneath our clothing. I keep our drivers licenses, ship cards, one credit card and spending cash in my wallet.

 

We don't often get asked for photo ID when returning to the ship but occasionally port security does check for it at some ports.

Edited November 3, 2013 by Lsimon

[Aquahound]

The reason you needed the photo ID in Key West was due to them docking at the Navy Base. They required photo iD to gain access to return you to your ship.

 

It's not just the Navy dock. All 3 docks in Key West require photo ID to get to the ship.

[Fouremco]

I always take our drivers licenses. If we're swimming these, our ship cards, a credit card, and some cash all fit nicely in most small waterproof wallets. And if they get wet by accident all the cards are waterproof and the cash dries out fine.

 

In Europe I also take our passports but I carry them, along with extra cash and a backup credit card, in a hidden money-belt type pocket worn underneath our clothing. I keep our drivers licenses, ship cards, one credit card and spending cash in my wallet.

 

We don't often get asked for photo ID when returning to the ship but occasionally port security does check for it at some ports.

Much the same in our case, except that I use a small, waterproof box instead of a wallet. Not much bigger than a wallet, it fits comfortably in a pocket. When we swim or snorkel, I can can throw my iPhone in there too and leave nothing of any value on the beach, other than our clothes.

 

As for ID, always my drivers license. We'd never take our passports unless there was a specific requirement. A previous poster indicated that he always carried his passport, in the event that he didn't return to the ship on time, but by not carrying it, I have an extra incentive to NOT be late!

 

[bigbenboys]

We carry our passports while on foreign soil. You need them to fly back to the USA if you miss the ship.

 

Before the ship leaves port someone will go in your room and into your safe and get your passport out of your safe. Then someone at the port will meet you with your passport. I'm not sure of all the detail for it has not happened to me. But it has been talked about on CC. I've been all over the world many times. The only country that I carried my passport with me at all times was Russia and I had my resident card that you get from the hotel with me. Richard

[fleckle]

Before the ship leaves port someone will go in your room and into your safe and get your passport out of your safe. Then someone at the port will meet you with your passport. I'm not sure of all the detail for it has not happened to me. But it has been talked about on CC. I've been all over the world many times. The only country that I carried my passport with me at all times was Russia and I had my resident card that you get from the hotel with me. Richard

Yes, if you should miss the ship they will remove your passport from your safe and leave it with the port agent. It is important to leave passports locked up in the safe when you leave the ship because they will only look in the safe for it.

 

They are not going to search the entire cabin looking for it, so don't leave your passport in a drawer or a suitcase or under the mattress. This is a subject that frequently comes up on cruise ships at the Q&A sessions with the senior officers.

 

 

The ship provides passengers with contact information for the port agents at each port to take with you when you go off on excursions in ports.

 

But even if you don't have it, you can obtain that information from port security if necessary.

 

 

Russia was also the only country on our recent Baltic cruise where we needed to carry our passports off the ship with us.

 

But another exception that we have encountered more frequently, closer to home, is the port of Skagway on Alaska cruises where we need to take our passports with us when we rent a car for a day trip up across the Canadian border into the Yukon.

 

We have to stop and show our passports at the border crossing into Canada on the way up, and again at the US border crossing when returning to Skagway.

So at that port we take both our passports and driver's licenses off the ship with us.

 

Some of the longer train rides into Canada or combo train/bus tours there require you to bring along your passport as well.

 

Edited November 4, 2013 by fleckle

[caribsun]

I bring my passport onshore with me, the scenrio of calling the port agent and then they call the ship to have someone get the Passport out of the safe just sounds like a nightmare. I understand this is possible but I feel better with my PP in my pocket.

[Lsimon]

I've read anecdotal reports here on Cruise Critic of people who missed the ship and the cruise line emptied their safe and left contents, including passports, with the port agent. But I don't think I've ever read anything official that definitively says that they will do this.

 

When we're traveling on tours in Europe it just seems to make good sense to take passports and backup cash and credit card with us. Likewise, with at least some risk of being pick-pocketed it also makes sense to carry items of this nature that you likely won't need during your time off the ship in a secure location like a money belt type pocket.

 

I suppose that we'd have the same risk in the Caribbean but there we're usually doing some sort of water based activity where carrying such items is not practical and we're usually not too far from the ship.

Edited November 4, 2013 by Lsimon

[dkjretired]

I've read anecdotal reports here on Cruise Critic of people who missed the ship and the cruise line emptied their safe and left contents, including passports, with the port agent. But I don't think I've ever read anything official that definitively says that they will do this.

 

When we're traveling on tours in Europe it just seems to make good sense to take passports and backup cash and credit card with us. Likewise, with at least some risk of being pick-pocketed it also makes sense to carry items of this nature that you likely won't need during your time off the ship in a secure location like a money belt type pocket.

 

I agree, you have to actually think what the purpose of a passport is and leaving it on the ship defeats that purpose and puts you at risk. All it takes is once, a car accident, illness, flat tire, etc.

[runner15km]

Darn it, I paid 120.00 for that PP and I'm going to use it until the edges are all curled up. :D

[bigbenboys]

I agree, you have to actually think what the purpose of a passport is and leaving it on the ship defeats that purpose and puts you at risk. All it takes is once, a car accident, illness, flat tire, etc.

 

All the more reason to take the ship sponsored shore excursions. Richard

[roxette]

We carry our passports while on foreign soil. You need them to fly back to the USA if you miss the ship.

Don' t do that. If you miss the ship the security staff will empty your safe in your stateroom and give your passport and such to the port agent. So, best thing is to keep passport in the safe, and bring dl on shore.

[runner15km]

Don' t do that. If you miss the ship the security staff will empty your safe in your stateroom and give your passport and such to the port agent. So, best thing is to keep passport in the safe, and bring dl on shore.

Thanks for the warning but I just do not have faith in the above scenario. Lets say ship leaves at 5:00 and its 4:45 and security scans the computer and I have not reenter the ship and my cell phone does not work because we are in a dead zone.

Announcement is now being broadcasted throughout the ship, where are you Mr. XYZ. No correspondence on my part. Security calls port agent, come down to the pier to pick up PP for Mr. XYZ.

Security drops everything that they are doing and runs to my cabin and hightails it to the gangplank with my PP.

Security hands off PP to port agent as ship is under preparation to leave and all is well, Mr XYZ gets his PP.

No Thanks, I'll take my chances with my PP on my person.:)

Edited November 4, 2013 by runner15km

[Lsimon]

Don' t do that. If you miss the ship the security staff will empty your safe in your stateroom and give your passport and such to the port agent. So, best thing is to keep passport in the safe, and bring dl on shore.

Look at post #17, 4 posts before yours. And the discussion a few posts before and after that one.

Edited November 4, 2013 by Lsimon

[Syrreal]

You should take a photo ID with you anyway in case you lose your seapass. In the Bahamas earlier this year I lost mine somewhere in Nassau. Had I not had my drivers license with me I may not have been able to get back on the ship

[MicCanberra]

Last cruise you needed photo ID (passport preferred) and a sea pass to get anywhere near the ship, or even a tender, due to port security. Once at the ship the sea pass was enough.

We always have our passports when off the ship anyway, just in case.:D