Why never to carry your passport when abroad!

[fortinweb]

My opinion, regardless of who will get what from my safe and deliver to whomever, if I'm on foreign soil, I will have my passport with me unless it is held by the ship due to visa requirements. Period.

 

If that means when I walk off the ship that I have a flashing "Passport Here!! Get your American Passport Here!" neon sign above my head, then so be it.

 

I don't walk around the States without my driver's license; I'm not frolicking in a foreign country without my passport.

 

You might want to read this post from member greatam, who travels more than most of us, and much of it for business into very dangerous areas of the world. If you don't think his information is worth considering, then you are not paying attention to reality.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=42036637&postcount=88

[Chirpbird]

If you don't think his information is worth considering, then you are not paying attention to reality.

Don't intend this reply to be disrespectful to you or Greatam, but it's my reality I choose to follow. A passport is THE government issued identification for use on foreign soil. I will be carrying my passport.

 

 

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[Theodorable]

"Don't intend this reply to be disrespectful to you or Greatam, but it's my reality I choose to follow. A passport is THE government issued identification for use on foreign soil. I will be carrying my passport."

 

 

Just make sure that it doesn't get stolen....or as I said when I started this thread....it could be a giant pain in the butt!

 

Nicola

[boogs]

Don't intend this reply to be disrespectful to you or Greatam, but it's my reality I choose to follow. A passport is THE government issued identification for use on foreign soil. I will be carrying my passport.

 

 

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But if the government of that foreign soil does not require it to be on your person at all times, why carry such a valuable document when other forms of ID that are not as critical are acceptable? This is the part I just don't get about your position.

 

When on a cruise or land vacation, if your passport is secured in your room safe, you will ALWAYS know where it is if you need it for an emergency or other situation. You can then make arrangements to have it retrieved. But, if it get's stolen or you lose it, then you have ZERO knowledge of where it is and will never get it back. All the while, someone may be using YOUR passport for illegal activities.

 

I would never think of walking around with expensive jewelry or thousands of dollars in my pockets. I treat my even more valuable passport with equal care.

Edited April 8, 2014 by boogs

[Chirpbird]

But if the government of that foreign soil does not require it to be on your person at all times, why carry such a valuable document when other forms of ID that are not as critical are acceptable? This is the part I just don't get about your position.

 

I'm afraid y'all are fighting a losing battle. I WILL have my passport with me at all times on foreign soil (unless the ship has held it for visa requirements). I really do not care whether a foreign government thinks I should have it with me or not.

 

My life. My reality. My assessment that the risk of losing or having my passport stolen is far less than my chance of missing the boat or breaking a leg or having a travel partner fall ill. Trying to talk me into a different decision is as pointless as trying to argue me out of being a Floridian female with red hair.

 

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[celebritydave]

You might want to read this post from member greatam, who travels more than most of us, and much of it for business into very dangerous areas of the world. If you don't think his information is worth considering, then you are not paying attention to reality.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=42036637&postcount=88

 

If I was travelling to a dangerous area(Which I would never do) I would leave my passport behind too.

 

We do all of our travelling in Europe, which in most cases is just as safe or safer than travelling in the US.

 

Most of our travels are land based and leaving our passport in the hotel is not a good idea. I still believe that if you carry your passport in a safe place, not in a purse, like a moneybelt, you will not have a problem.

 

We have been travelling to Europe for 15 years, and we almost always have our passports with us. If anything would happen to us, I would always want my passport with me.

 

One thing that I do is have a separate travel wallet. I only have in there what I absolutely need for Europe. Most of the stuff that is in my regular wallet is of no use in Europe, so I leave it behind.

 

I agree with other posters, that this is a personal decision. You should do what you feel is best.

 

Dave

[Cruising89143]

We were on a cruise in 2012 that stopped in Dubrovnik. We were told to take our passports, and when we got on the bus to transfer to the old town, we were checked.

 

Dave

 

You just jogged my memory. We were told by RCI to take our passports with us in Dubrovnik last June. We had to show them to the local folks once we boarded the tour bus.

[Chirpbird]

"

Just make sure that it doesn't get stolen....or as I said when I started this thread....it could be a giant pain in the butt!

 

Nicola

 

You're right; it would suck. And, I do have my passport number stored safely. It's just that I have judged the risk of a stolen passport to be far less than the chance of missing the ship.

 

 

 

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[scapel]

You just jogged my memory. We were told by RCI to take our passports with us in Dubrovnik last June. We had to show them to the local folks once we boarded the tour bus.

 

We did private tours in St. Petersburg in 2000 and had to have our passports to get off the ship and get to our tour guide.

[daisy-mae]

Theft is not the only consideration; a damaged passport can also become invalid.

 

I once attended a talk about travel safety given by a Canadian government official. She had a number of examples of the type of help that was given by embassy and consulate staff to Canadians abroad, including having to replace a passport that had melted because the owner had hidden it (inside a plastic bag) on top of a ceiling light in her hotel room. :(

[fortinweb]

You're right; it would suck. And, I do have my passport number stored safely. It's just that I have judged the risk of a stolen passport to be far less than the chance of missing the ship.

 

On our St. Petersburg visit, on just one excursion to the Hermitage three people had their passports stolen. Two more lost theirs on another excursion to the Catherine Palace. Five people on just one day. No one missed the ship, by the way. More people have their passports stolen than miss a ship. The statistics prove it. Interpole reports a database 40,000,000 lost or stolen passports since 2002 - in just 12 years! If more people than that missed their ships, we would have heard about it here on Cruisecritic, which seems to be strangely quiet about the flood of those "higher risk" occurrences.

Edited April 8, 2014 by fortinweb

[Chirpbird]

Sorry. Still not changing my mind. I don't judge the risk of whether others will lose their passports. I judge whether I will lose my passport (either through theft or stupidity). So far, 20 ports and 0 lost or stolen passports. Go me. And, go you for choosing the option that works best for you! :-)

 

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[celebritydave]

On our St. Petersburg visit, on just one excursion to the Hermitage three people had their passports stolen. Two more lost theirs on another excursion to the Catherine Palace. Five people on just one day. No one missed the ship, by the way. More people have their passports stolen than miss a ship. The statistics prove it. Interpole reports a database 40,000,000 lost or stolen passports since 2002 - in just 12 years! If more people than that missed their ships, we would have heard about it here on Cruisecritic, which seems to be strangely quiet about the flood of those "higher risk" occurrences.

 

I would like to know where those people kept their passports.:confused:

[Christine Frances]

I would like to know where those people kept their passports.:confused:

 

Back pocket:eek::D

[SantaFeFan]

I would like to know where those people kept their passports.:confused:

 

Doesn't matter where you keep it if you get robbed. Here is just a random sampling:

 

http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/26/world/mexico-cruise-robbery/

 

http://micechat.com/forums/disney-cruise-lines/128058-18-cruise-passengers-robbed-nassau.html

 

http://content.time.com/time/travel/article/0,31542,1992105,00.html

 

http://community.gorge.net/birding/guatemala.htm

 

http://nypost.com/2013/12/28/tourists-robbed-at-gunpoint-in-central-park/

 

http://www.worldfootprints.com/news-byte/tourists-costa-rica-robbed-armed-bandits

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-23436072

Edited April 8, 2014 by SantaFeFan

[waterbug123]

Also remember that this was in the year 2000. Security and passport regulations have become significantly stricter since then. I am certain we would have been delayed longer than 1 night in St. Thomas and would have had a much harder time getting things organized to return to Florida with just a ship I.D. to prove who we were.

 

My point was not that you can fly without ID. Of course you need to have ID, and the fact that you didn't is where you got lucky, probably in large part due to the fact that it was indeed pre- 9/11.

The point was that as a Canadian citizen you don't specifically need to have a PASSPORT for a US domestic flight. ID, yes. Passport specifically, no. In the "carry your passport or don't" argument it frequently comes up that if you miss the ship, you can't board a flight to get to the next port or home without a passport. While generally true, that also generally refers to international flights. Yours was domestic, and I was simply pointing that out before someone raised their hand to say, "See? They didn't have their passports and they still got to board a flight." Even today, post 9/11, as long as you have appropriate ID (not necessarily a passport), you'd easily be able to board that St. Thomas to Miami flight. St. Thomas to Nassau on the other hand, not so much.

 

I would like to know where those people kept their passports.:confused:

 

Me too. I suspect most were not carrying them on their person under their clothes. They were probably in a purse or backpack that they put down, or in a pocket in same that was accessible to a passerby in a crowd, or the purse was yanked off their arm, etc.

[jakenashleysmom]

 

 

 

Me too. I suspect most were not carrying them on their person under their clothes. They were probably in a purse or backpack that they put down, or in a pocket in same that was accessible to a passerby in a crowd, or the purse was yanked off their arm, etc.

 

Exactly.....some make it sound as if their passport was ripped from their bodies! when if fact they were ROBBED, most likely of ALL of their belongings such as a purse or bag...or quite possibly LEFT BEHIND in a restaurant or on a train or taxi. Once in Key West while standing in line to get back to the ship, I found a passport on the ground. the person had dropped it because they were drunk.

 

Again, personal preference here. DH is DHS and he would never leave his passport and take a copy. Its just too risky that it may not be accepted IMHO.

[celebritydave]

Doesn't matter where you keep it if you get robbed. Here is just a random sampling:

 

http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/26/world/mexico-cruise-robbery/

 

http://micechat.com/forums/disney-cruise-lines/128058-18-cruise-passengers-robbed-nassau.html

 

http://content.time.com/time/travel/article/0,31542,1992105,00.html

 

http://community.gorge.net/birding/guatemala.htm

 

http://nypost.com/2013/12/28/tourists-robbed-at-gunpoint-in-central-park/

 

http://www.worldfootprints.com/news-byte/tourists-costa-rica-robbed-armed-bandits

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-23436072

 

If I were going to any of those countries, I would not take my passport with me.

 

In most countries in Europe, the biggest problem is pickpockets, not armed robbers. If you passport is in a safe place, you will be fine.

 

You need to be aware of where you will be going. If I was in New York in central park, I would probably not even have a wallet with me.

[Pushka]

If you want to book a hotel or catch a plane in Europe (if you missed the ship) you must have a passport.

[cle-guy]

I realize most of the discussion here involves international flights, but on Domestic USA flights, You CAN fly without a photo ID.

 

They just take you aside to a office and have you provide additional personal information and they check multiple databases to confirm your identity. People lose drivers licenses all the time traveling and have to get home. My brother experienced this recently, but knew his federal firearms permit number, and they were able to check that database and confirm his ID and let him fly. He said it only took a few minutes for them to verify. They can also get into driver license databases etc.

 

Yes, they publicize you need an ID so everyone tries to show up with one and it makes screening go faster, but if you check the regulation, it does provide alternatives for those without a photo ID.

 

Just some information so people can realize it's not the end of the world if you have no ID to get home - may just take a few extra minutes at security.

[sloopsailor]

If you want to book a hotel or catch a plane in Europe (if you missed the ship) you must have a passport.

 

And you will have your passport in hand because the port agent will have it. Countless people have told you so on this thread. I don't know why some of you refuse to believe this well known fact. :confused:

Edited April 9, 2014 by sloopsailor

[suntan]

I have always found that it is best to carry a copy. Many hotels in Europe keep your passports until you check out. If not keep it in a safe.

 

This is what I do as well. Original in safe, carry a copy with me along with the address and phone number of the Canadian consultate just in case.

[drychi]

I got the passport card for several reasons. First, it provides a more official and recognizable method of personal identification in a foreign country, as opposed to a Missouri Drivers License IMHO. Second, if my passport card is lost in a foreign country, its loss is less immediately inconvenient to me than losing my drivers license which I will need immediately upon return from my cruise. Third, the passport card may be useful in the future for compliance under the federal government's REAL ID act which is currently being implemented in a few states, but is supposed to be fully implemented for boarding aircraft by 2016. My state of Missouri has passed a law which makes it illegal for the state to comply with the REAL ID act. I hope this passport card will help me navigate that mess without having to carry my passport on domestic flights because my state will not require compliance with federal law in issuing our Missouri drivers license. Fourth, it was reasonably priced if I got it with my passport renewal.

I am fully aware it is not the same as a passport.

[sprockie]

And you will have your passport in hand because the port agent will have it. Countless people have told you so on this thread. I don't know why some of you refuse to believe this well known fact. :confused:

In our situation, we tendered to St. Thomas. The tenders had finished running when we got to the pier. No HAL staff in sight. We had to take a taxi to the port authority from the pier - at least a 10 minute ride. So maybe there is a simple explanation, but in a situation like ours, had we been sailing with Celebrity, how would our passports get to the port authority officials so we could retrieve them when we got there? Just curious.

[shipshape sam]

In our situation, we tendered to St. Thomas. The tenders had finished running when we got to the pier. No HAL staff in sight. We had to take a taxi to the port authority from the pier - at least a 10 minute ride. So maybe there is a simple explanation, but in a situation like ours, had we been sailing with Celebrity, how would our passports get to the port authority officials so we could retrieve them when we got there? Just curious.

 

Good question and further, AT what point would ship staff decide to GO to your cabin, open the safe and retrieve the passports, then get them off the ship INTO the hands of their port agent? My guess this would take 10-15 minutes just for one cabin. This would mean.... when they start throwing off dock ropes?

 

Interesting questions and for sure, next time I am on ship, will be watching this once or twice if not enjoying a beer somewhere else on board.