Going ashore - take passport or leave in safe?

[aprilivy]

So, I keep seeing this question come u and don't recall getting a definitive answer.

When going ashore - take your passport or leave it in the safe?

 

Not asking your personal habit.... what is the correct thing to do?

WIth S&S car and driver's license or other photo id you're okay to get back on ship and Carnival covers for you if there's a problem with authorities.

BUT what if I miss the ship and have to get to the next port - or break my leg and have to fly home from that port?

 

I know Carnival (or whatever line) issues the S&S card and has your passport information and have always felt that is all I need. In fact, they have said lock it up in your safe and only had them tell me to take it on an excursion when I was going to go into Canada on our Alaska cruise.

:confused:

[Guest maddycat]

I have read the answer to your question on these boards, but I don't know how accurate it is. If there is a problem and you miss the ship, your passport will be taken out of your cabin safe and given to the port agent.

 

The only way that you will get a correct answer would be for you to write to executive offices of the cruiseline.

[taglovestocruise]

Never say never, but never take your passport out of your safe. If you miss the ship your passport, cash, and charge cards in your safe will be left with the port authority. If your passport is lost or stolen while in port you will be out of luck if you need to fly home after the cruise. happy cruising

[OCruisers]

Never say never, but never take your passport out of your safe. If you miss the ship your passport, cash, and charge cards in your safe will be left with the port authority. If your passport is lost or stolen while in port you will be out of luck if you need to fly home after the cruise. happy cruising

 

True! Leave your passport in the safe where it's actually safe! :)

LuLu

[sail7seas]

There is a Security Officer who posts on the HAL forum.

He has told us that if someone is late returning to the ship, security will go to the cabin safe and if passports are found, they will be given to port agent. Be SURE when you go ashore in every port, you bring the contact information for the agent. On HAL, that name and telephone are printed on the port hand out sheet that is given for each individual port. If you don't want to take the whole sheet, rip off the pertinent information. Port Agent is your friend in town if you need help in any way.

 

[cb at sea]

There is no "correct" answer. Take it, or leave it...doesn't matter. In the Caribbean, you don't NEED a passport at all.

 

Other countries may have differing requirements. You should ALWAYS have some form of ID on you....your DL is the same size (and easy to carry) as your cabin key....so take that with you ashore!

[dwjoe]

Not asking your personal habit.... what is the correct thing to do?

 

There is no "correct" answer. If you use the Search function you will find many other threads on this topic discussing the pros and cons.

Edited June 6, 2014 by dwjoe

[TipsyT]

FWIW... We leave our passports in the safe but have a photo on our phones of the page with our picture and passport number just in case.

 

Trish

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[sail7seas]

There is no "correct" answer. Take it, or leave it...doesn't matter. In the Caribbean, you don't NEED a passport at all.

 

Other countries may have differing requirements. You should ALWAYS have some form of ID on you....your DL is the same size (and easy to carry) as your cabin key....so take that with you ashore!

 

 

This post is not correct.

 

IF you miss the ship and you have to fly internationally, you NEED a passport. You can sail closed loop itineraries with only government issued photo ID and birth certificate but you will not be able to fly internationally.

 

[boogs]

This post is not correct.

 

IF you miss the ship and you have to fly internationally, you NEED a passport. You can sail closed loop itineraries with only government issued photo ID and birth certificate but you will not be able to fly internationally.

 

 

You are correct. The US government allows people to leave the country and return again without a passport on closed loop cruises only. If you leave the cruise for any reason and travel back to the US by air, you will need your passport even though you didn't need it if arriving on a cruise ship. It is always better to have it with you, safely stored in your safe unless required to have it on your person by local laws. You never know when you might have to quit the cruise and fly home. Reasons are many, including becoming ill and having to go to a land based hospital for a few days while the ship goes back home, to being in an accident and missing the ship so you need to get home on your own, to having to leave the cruise early due to an emergency at home.

 

As others have said, if you miss the ship, the security staff will retrieve your passport from your safe and turn it over to the cruise line's agent at the port. This has been verified by many, many people over the years on these threads. Unfortunately, there are still a few die-hards with trust issues who refuse to believe that the cruise lines will do this, and will argue vehemently that you will be separated from your passport and stuck. Don't listen to these doubters - because they are wrong.

Edited June 6, 2014 by boogs

[Keith1010]

So, I keep seeing this question come u and don't recall getting a definitive answer.

When going ashore - take your passport or leave it in the safe?

 

Not asking your personal habit.... what is the correct thing to do?

WIth S&S car and driver's license or other photo id you're okay to get back on ship and Carnival covers for you if there's a problem with authorities.

BUT what if I miss the ship and have to get to the next port - or break my leg and have to fly home from that port?

 

I know Carnival (or whatever line) issues the S&S card and has your passport information and have always felt that is all I need. In fact, they have said lock it up in your safe and only had them tell me to take it on an excursion when I was going to go into Canada on our Alaska cruise.

:confused:

 

 

We now sail a few months each year.

 

We leave the passport on the ship unless local authorities require we carry it around.

 

Why? Because we believe that there is a far greater chance we will lose the passport or have it stolen then any benefits of carry it.

 

Best to lock it up in your safe.

 

Some will say take it. I would not.

 

Keith

[sparks1093]

I don't even have a passport yet but after reading all of the debates I have determined that when I do have one it will stay on the ship in the safe unless I need it ashore for some reason.

[smeyer418]

The only place there is a "correct" answer is in those few places that require you to take your passport with you. If you are on a close loop cruise from the US no place requires you to take your passport with you.

Other than that its a personal preference. Some people are more comfortable having with them. If you take it with you yes there is a small chance that you might need it to fly to the next port or back to the US. There is a greater chance that your passport will be lost, stolen, or damaged(by swimming with it on you). You won't need it if you are arrested, they will know your are an American without it, and the chances you will see it again are slim. I have also seen a concierge on one ship take passports away from passengers going on shore saying you won't need it and I will hold it for you. I have even had a copy accepted as ID...in Egypt.

so its up to you....what makes you feel the most comfortable. I leave mine on the ship.

[John Bull]

So, I keep seeing this question come u and don't recall getting a definitive answer.

:

 

If you've read those other threads you'll see that, other than when you are required to take your passport ashore, there is no "definitive" or "correct" answer. There is only opinion.

 

I agree with the bulk of opinions that it's better to keep my passport in the ship's safe because (this bit is fact, not opinion) the prospects of your passport being lost or stolen or damaged are much greater than the prospects of missing your sailing.

I've seen advice from some industry professionals that you should avoid carrying your passport ashore, I've never seen contradictory advice from other industry professionals.

 

I'm aware of the theory that when the ship casts off, the passports of no-shows are taken from the cabin safe & handed to the port agent. I've seen a number of posts telling of instances when this has happened, and a couple of when it hasn't. I'm pleased that I've never had to find out for myself :)

 

So now you know my opinion.

But I'm not you. You need to form your own opinion. ;)

 

JB :)

[Traveller20074]

I never let my passport out of my sight. It's in my purse. That way, there's no "where's my passport?" feeling. I always know where it is. I've had a passport since 1999. it's been in my purse the whole time.

 

In my experience, the ONLY time I've misplaced something is when I change it's location.

Edited June 6, 2014 by Traveller20074

[Krazy Kruizers]

Put your passport in the safe.

Many European cruises you will be asked to turn in your passport to the purser.

Another reason to keep your passport in the safe, if it gets bent badly or the page with the your information is torn -- you will have to spend the money to get a new one.

[Traveller20074]

You are correct. The US government allows people to leave the country and return again without a passport on closed loop cruises only. If you leave the cruise for any reason and travel back to the US by air, you will need your passport even though you didn't need it if arriving on a cruise ship. It is always better to have it with you, safely stored in your safe unless required to have it on your person by local laws. You never know when you might have to quit the cruise and fly home. Reasons are many, including becoming ill and having to go to a land based hospital for a few days while the ship goes back home, to being in an accident and missing the ship so you need to get home on your own, to having to leave the cruise early due to an emergency at home.

 

As others have said, if you miss the ship, the security staff will retrieve your passport from your safe and turn it over to the cruise line's agent at the port. This has been verified by many, many people over the years on these threads. Unfortunately, there are still a few die-hards with trust issues who refuse to believe that the cruise lines will do this, and will argue vehemently that you will be separated from your passport and stuck. Don't listen to these doubters - because they are wrong.

 

the first thing we said when we had the medical emergency on the Pearl last week (Canadian Coast Guard helicopter transported her to a hospital)was "I hope she had her passport!!!" She was from Louisiana, and is doing fine.

[Libra_Critic]

So, I keep seeing this question come u and don't recall getting a definitive answer.

When going ashore - take your passport or leave it in the safe?

 

Unless passports are required by the local authorities, you do not need to carry your passport when going ashore. A government issued picture id (e.g. driver's license) is sufficient.

 

If you carry your passport ashore, there is a risk of having your passport stolen, or misplacing it, but the risk is similar for other valuables (cash, credit cards, electronic devices).

 

If you do not carry your passport, and if you miss the ship, you have a major problem. To go home, you must get a replacement passport before you can fly internationally.

 

Do not depend on the ship's security people to look in your safe, and if they find your passport there, to turn it over to the line's port representative.

 

Per Royal Caribbean, ".... While some cruisers may have had the experience of our ships crew being able to give the port security their travel documents due to missing the ship; regrettably, this is not always the case. Typically we do not have the time to do this. We are sorry for any disappointment this response may cause you. Royal Caribbean International highly recommends bringing a photo copy of all of your travel documents, such as your passport, with you into the ports of calls in case of emergency. In addition, if you feel you might not make it back to the ship on time, or you have missed the ship, you can contact our Emergency Travel Team twenty-four hours a day for assistance. Their contact number will be located on the back of your Seapass card. ... "

Per Carnival, "... If you miss the ship, we will try our best to obtain your passports, but sometimes that's not possible. We will, however, notify the port agent so that he/she can assist you either rejoining the ship or going home. ..."

Only you can decide on your risk tolerance or comfort level. Missing the ship is a rare occurrence. So too is misplacing or getting your passport stolen.

 

Personally, I leave my passport in the safe, but I carry a photocopy with me.

Edited June 6, 2014 by Libra_Critic

[jocap]

One cruise line told us to take our passport number and place of issue ashore. A temporary passport can be issued with that information.

That's a simple photocopy- the same cruise line were offering that facility on board.

Yes, I too have had a passport for much of my life- probably 50+ years, and I've never carried around with me anywhere, except by accident. I'd rather wait at the Consul's office than go through the problems of dealing with the government when an illegal person uses my details. Remember that a stolen passport is worth £10,000.....$15,000, so is much more desirable that a purse or credit card.

[wwcruisers]

There is a Security Officer who posts on the HAL forum.

He has told us that if someone is late returning to the ship, security will go to the cabin safe and if passports are found, they will be given to port agent. Be SURE when you go ashore in every port, you bring the contact information for the agent. On HAL, that name and telephone are printed on the port hand out sheet that is given for each individual port. If you don't want to take the whole sheet, rip off the pertinent information. Port Agent is your friend in town if you need help in any way.

 

 

Great advice! We also leave our passport in the ships safe, when we go ashore. We take laminated copies of our passport, so we would at least have the passport number -- in a worst-case scenario. When we leave the ship, we always stop by and pick up an extra copy of the ships' dailies (with the port agents contact info). Because, let's face it -- if there were to be a true emergency that kept us from re-joining the cruise -- my passport isn't the only thing I'll need!

[KirkNC]

We find most cruises the line keeps the passport until the end. We do carry a copy of our passports with us.

[boogs]

We find most cruises the line keeps the passport until the end. We do carry a copy of our passports with us.

 

This certainly depends on the cruise. We had to turn our passports over to the ship only twice in about a dozen cruises. One was for a Nile cruise in Egypt, where they kept them the entire cruise, and the other was only for port visits in Chile and Peru on our South American/Panama Canal cruise from Valparaiso, Chile to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

 

On the other hand, we kept them in our safe the entire cruise on our Ft Lauderdale to Los Angeles Panama cruise, our British Isles cruise, our Baltic Seas cruise and our Barcelona to Venice Mediterranean cruise. We did need to take them ashore with us in St. Petersburg, Russia, but nowhere else, including Turkey, Slovenia and Estonia. Plus, none of our Caribbean cruises required us to turn them over.

Edited June 6, 2014 by boogs

[Stratheden]

When we were on our Alaskan cruise we did an excursion to the Yukon by bus and back on the train. When we entered Canada we were required to show our passports and then on the train coming back we were required to show them again when entering US. The US immigration guy was the most aggressive official I have ever encountered.

 

I have no idea what would have happened if we had left our passports in the safe.

[John Bull]

When we were on our Alaskan cruise we did an excursion to the Yukon by bus and back on the train. When we entered Canada we were required to show our passports and then on the train coming back we were required to show them again when entering US. The US immigration guy was the most aggressive official I have ever encountered.

 

I have no idea what would have happened if we had left our passports in the safe.

 

But this is irrelevant to the thread. :confused:

Everyone has acknowledged that there are times when you are told you have to take your passports with you - or are you suggesting you weren't told to take them?

 

JB :)

[donaldsc]

We take a copy. We know that it is not a legal document but it does show that we do have a passport.

 

DON