Do I need passport while on land- Zuiderdam

[cruisebax]

:confused: This is our first time on a cruise. Will we need to bring passports with us when we go on excursions? We are on the Zuiderdam, Western Carribean, and just wonder what to do with passport, etc. while on the jet skis, in the water and snorkeling. All parties will be doing all excursions so we don't have the luxury of leaving our stuff with someone on the beach.

 

Do I even need the passport when we depart the ship?

[fsdj1097]

All you will need ashore is your Shipboard ID. In fact you will not be allowed off of the ship, and then back aboard, without it.

 

Leave your passport locked in the safe in your cabin.

 

Some folks make copies of their passports and leave them with relatives(along with iteneraries and contact numbers) in case they lose them during the trip. A good idea.

 

Sam

[grannynurse]

There have been instances where people have needed to be evacuated for medical reasons while on shore. I recommend that you at least make a copy of your passport to carry with you when you leave the ship. There are waterproof containers for valuables for sale. Many people use the for money, watches, etc. I would never leave a ship without some official form of ID. Just my opinion, but I think it's valid.

GN

[rkacruiser]

It is a good idea to have the front pages of the passport(the ones that show your picture, name, etc.) copied and laminated. That way you can take this off the ship with you, showing your nationality, and not have to worry about the actual passport.

 

If I was somewhere else in the world other than the Caribbean, however, I would feel more comfortable actually having my passport with me.

[jhannah]

I agree 100% with Grannynurse. Heaven forbid ... but medical emergencies can occur and your spouse/traveling companion cannot return to the ship before it sails. To not have at least a copy of your passport with you makes repatriation much more of a challenge. A copy in each piece of your luggage is a good idea, too.

[Natmar]

We just returned last week from our cruise on the Zuiderdam and I know we needed our cruise cards along with photo id to reboard the ship in grand cayman and believe it or not in Key West. We made sure to bring our passports with us everytime we left the ship - the kids too in which they did ask to see theirs also. A lot of people just used their drivers license but since the kids don't have one we opted for passports which made things easier. You can purchase waterproof wallets (I think that is what they are called) - it is made of hard plastic where you wear around your neck or put in a pocket that you put your money and stuff in to keep dry - we bought the one we had while at the beach several years ago and my husband has used it several times while in the ocean and everything stayed dry. I hope this helps

[JoyAnn]

We take our photo driver's licenses, our ship ID's, and a copy of our passport and our medical cards (along with any cash or cc we may need) when we leave the ship.

[Grumpy1]

On the 2005 World Tour, taking your passport ashore was not an option in most ports. All passports were collected at boarding and were only returned a couple of times during the cruise. They did provide a photocopy (we had copies with us already) and there was information in the daily program about ID requirements in the ports. Most of the time, all that was needed to get back into the secure portion of the port was the sign and sail card, but there were a few ports that wanted photo ID as well. Sometimes if you were on a ship sponsored tour, the returning bus was waived through, or you only had to show the ship card. If you were doing your own thing, a photo ID was more likely to be required.

 

The reason passports were collected was that the customs officials would come on with the pilot, or in some cases, the port prior. They could then examine all pax and crew passports and do the appropriate stamps and clear the ship for debarkation without having long lines inside the terminals.

 

For those of us that got on in FLL, pasports were returned when we got to LA and had to be checked in the terminal. They were collected again and only returned one other time before the end of the cruise.

 

Bottom line, a waterproofed copy of your passport should always be in your possession. You may not need it, but then again, you could watch the ship sail away without you.

[dakrewser]

You don't need your passport to get back on the ship, but it's nice to have with you should an emergency (medical need, missing the ship's sailing, etc.) arise. In case of an emergency like that, by the way, you'll need your actual passport, not a photocopy. The only reason for having the photocopy is to show to the US embassy should you need to get a replacement passport. We always carry our passports with us, and keep a photocopy in the cabin's safe. Except, of course, in Europe (as Grumpy noted) where the cruise line will hold your passport until you finish the cruise. If you miss the ship's sailing, they will leave it with the port agent so you can travel on to the ship's next port.

[cruisebax]

I guess we will make photocopies of passport and leave passport in the safe on the ship. I will laminate them as a precaution and then buy a water wallet.

 

Thanks for the advice.

[jukeboxy]

I have gone a step further. I have taken digital pictures of my important docs and passport.

 

I have pictures (close ups of course) of my DL, HMO card, two credit cards, and Passport. I also have copies of the photos I used for the passports.

 

I have these in a directory on my laptop.

I have a set of copies on a compact flash card that I can carry .

I also have a set on my Yahoo photo site in a secure album.

This may classify me as anal paranoid but I can always prove I have these documents.

 

Of course I have never needed them because I am over prepared.

(but it did give me something to do one afternoon)

[cruzincurt]

A slight bit off topic but when we go to the beach here or abroad, we take a large ziploc bag and bury our stuff under the beach blanket. That way if someone runs by and rips off our beach bag, the good stuff is buried below in the sand. Now, the trick is to remember where you buried it so you don't end up looking like a episode from Survivor.

 

We always take the original passport ashore if just shopping, a photocopy if going to the beach. And the day prior to the cruise I e-mail a scan of the passports to one of our on-line mail accounts that can be reached from anywhere throught the internet.

[JimVrhovac]

That's not paranoid that's being prepared.

 

After reading your post I will probbly ake these up and put them in my laptop and on a small disk for my camera so they ca be referenced.

 

Jim & Ruth