Cruising with passports

[slmorange]

This is our first cruise. We are bringing our passports. I assume that when we leave the ship at ports we need to bring them with us to get back on the ship. Is that true? If so, what do people do to keep passports dry when out on excursions? Would ziplock bags do the trick?

[sparks1093]

This is our first cruise. We are bringing our passports. I assume that when we leave the ship at ports we need to bring them with us to get back on the ship. Is that true? If so, what do people do to keep passports dry when out on excursions? Would ziplock bags do the trick?

 

You will find a lot of opinions on this but you do not need to take your passport ashore unless the port visited actually requires it. Many people leave them in the cabin safe where they are safer, reasoning that the danger of loss/damage/theft is greater than that of missing the ship (and counting on the ship to retrieve the passports prior to departure if the ship is missed). What to keep your passport in depends on what you will be doing, but they do sell passport holders that are waterproof, etc. To get back on the ship you generally need a photo ID and your cabin card.

Edited January 18, 2016 by sparks1093

[Cruising Golfer]

We always make photocopies and take them with us.

Depending on the cruise, some collect your passports, mostly Europe cruises.

Enjoy your cruise and have a cocktail for me!!! :cool:

[roger001]

We take ours on shore, but as mentioned, not needed except in rare cases. But you do need a photo ID along with your room card. The only advantage of taking them is in case of accident, injury, missing the ship, you have your passports. We have made copies of them, not that the copies will get you anything. However, the copies might make replacement easier if ever needed. We don't protect our passports other than having them in a zippered compartment in a purse or in a fastened pocket in pants.

[MeHeartCruising]

1) I always use a full passport for international travel of all types.

2) On a cruise, I rarely take it out of the room safe after boarding the ship.

3) I only take it out of the safe when the cruise line has advised we need to use it.

4) I always carry my US Drivers license with me in ports. In many ports you MUST have a government photo ID to get back on the ship (along with your room key). But it does not have to be your passport. The ship will advise as to what is needed at each port, usually in the daily paper and via announcements.

5) I am aware that not having a passport with me in a foreign country could be an obstacle should something bad happen (accident, injury, crime, missed ship departure, etc.). But it is a calculated risk that I take. Not everyone does the same. It is a personal decision.

6) I don't go to the beach or anywhere that my documents need to be kept dry so I don't need to worry about that aspect of things.

Edited January 18, 2016 by MeHeartCruising

[Budget Queen]

My passport is ALWAYS with me. My choice. There are water poof neck wallets available, which are a good idea in my opinion.

[NMLady]

This is our first cruise. We are bringing our passports. I assume that when we leave the ship at ports we need to bring them with us to get back on the ship. Is that true? If so, what do people do to keep passports dry when out on excursions? Would ziplock bags do the trick?

 

Where are you cruising? What country are you from?

We are US citizens and never take our passports ashore in the Caribbean. We leave them in the safe in our cabin.

 

To get back on the ship you only need a photo id, such as driver license, in addition to your shipcard.

[slmorange]

We are US citizens, going to the Caribbean. We are traveling with our young children (who also have passports). Do they need photo ID to get back on board? And if you leave it on the ship when you are in port and you end up needing it, wouldn't you be out of luck?

Edited January 18, 2016 by slmorange

[sparks1093]

We are US citizens, going to the Caribbean. We are traveling with our young children (who also have passports). Do they need photo ID to get back on board? And if you leave it on the ship when you are in port and you end up needing it, wouldn't you be out of luck?

 

16 and over usually need a photo ID and cabin key to get through pier security returning to the ship, 15 and under only need cabin key. If you miss the ship conventional wisdom says the ship's crew will retrieve your passports from your safe and give them to the port agent, but even if that doesn't happen it only means you have to obtain assistance from the Consulate just like those traveling with alternatives to the passport would.

[roger001]

We are US citizens, going to the Caribbean. We are traveling with our young children (who also have passports). Do they need photo ID to get back on board? And if you leave it on the ship when you are in port and you end up needing it, wouldn't you be out of luck?

 

I just looked at a Freestyle Daily from a month ago. At all the Caribbean ports the Getaway visited, it says, "Going Ashore? Please carry valid photo ID (18+) & your Getaway guest key card when going ashore". Again, we take our passports with us. However, if you did have an emergency on shore, if the ship became aware, she would do her best to get what you need from your cabin, including passports.

[HowardK]

I am more inclined to take it with me and keep in ziplock bag in front pocket next to wallet in case something occurs

[Quilting_Cruiser]

As others have said, different people do different things for different reasons. :o I take mine with me. I enjoy a stroll on the beach, but not necessarily getting into the water, so keeping it dry isn't an issue. I feel more comfortable having mine with me and don't know what good it would do me sitting in the cabin safe. I might not take it with me if I were doing an activity where I would have to leave it someplace, but I can't imagine what that would be as I have a couple different wallets that I can wear under my clothing.

[mugtech]

In 2014 for Greece and Turkey we had to hand our passports over to the ship if we wanted to go ashore, the ship gave us copies of our passport, but it might be best to also have another form of picture ID. Obviously if something goes down in Greece or Turkey you will not have your passport with you.

[mom23krzkidz]

We left our passports on the ship, we took our drivers licenses but only needed the ship card to get back except in Cozumel where they only asked for 1 person's ID from the group and let us right on through. In Cayman and Jamaica we didn't even take our ids out of the bag. The security we went through to get back on the pier/tender was remarkably lax.

[zqvol]

This is our first cruise. We are bringing our passports. I assume that when we leave the ship at ports we need to bring them with us to get back on the ship. Is that true? If so, what do people do to keep passports dry when out on excursions? Would ziplock bags do the trick?

 

 

Most people leave them on the ship. You will have a "ship card" to get on and off the ship. To get back into the port area take your driver's license.

 

Of course if you want to haul them around and risk losing them by all means do so.

[canuck059]

...(and counting on the ship to retrieve the passports prior to departure if the ship is missed). .

 

This seems to be a common misconception. When asked directly, the Captain on a previous cruise said they do NOT do this. It is not worth the liability of opening a passengers safe. And what if the passenger is actually on the ship but missed scanning in? Perhaps some cruises do this, but please don't assume your passport will be left if you miss the ship.

That said, at most ports you don't need to carry them with you. We feel comfortable doing so, after all that's what we have them for. When we went swimming with the turtles, we put them in a waterproof pouch around out necks which worked wonderfully. The pouches are available on-line or at any travel store.

 

Susan

[sparks1093]

This seems to be a common misconception. When asked directly, the Captain on a previous cruise said they do NOT do this. It is not worth the liability of opening a passengers safe. And what if the passenger is actually on the ship but missed scanning in? Perhaps some cruises do this, but please don't assume your passport will be left if you miss the ship.

That said, at most ports you don't need to carry them with you. We feel comfortable doing so, after all that's what we have them for. When we went swimming with the turtles, we put them in a waterproof pouch around out necks which worked wonderfully. The pouches are available on-line or at any travel store.

 

Susan

 

I have heard this, also. We haven't sailed with passports yet so we are still in the decision making stage. Heck, we might just leave them at home with someone we trust. If they are safer in the ship's safe they are safer at home too.

[VideoTech]

This is our first cruise. We are bringing our passports. I assume that when we leave the ship at ports we need to bring them with us to get back on the ship. Is that true? If so, what do people do to keep passports dry when out on excursions? Would ziplock bags do the trick?

 

It would help to know where you are cruising, however:

 

In general, you do not need to take your passport off the ship in the ports. You will need to take your ship's key card, and some form of legal photo ID, such as as a driver's license.

 

In all our cruises, we have never been asked for anything more than that, and often for nothing more than the ship's key card. Leave your passport in the cabin safe.

 

For water activities (other than scuba, perhaps), I have always used a good strong ziplock bag to hold the key card, ID, and perhaps a credit card or a bit of cash. Get the kind with the double lock zip, press all the air out of it, and find a way to secure it to your person - such as in your snorkel vest if you are snorkeling from a beach.

[drvalo]

I have heard this, also. We haven't sailed with passports yet so we are still in the decision making stage. Heck, we might just leave them at home with someone we trust. If they are safer in the ship's safe they are safer at home too.

 

Don't leave them at home!!!! Didn't you see that frantic post a week or so ago when someone left his passport at home and had to have it expressed delivered? You need them to get on the ship and to get back into the U.S. after your cruise AND if you stop at a U.S. port during your cruise will need to present yourself and your papers (passport or what you have) to customs officials early in the morning at that port. You can use a birth certificate and a photo ID, but why risk that if you have passports?

 

We have only every needed our passports in Alaska when we ventured into Canada. Otherwise we leave them on the ship in the Caribbean. More folks have had them stolen in port than have needed them while there, I feel pretty sure. If you are worried, take copies with you and leave the originals in your cabin safe.

 

The only thing that can truly ruin a cruise vacation before it even begins, is to not have your passport to get on the ship. I have seem people stopped at the door by security when they did not have a passport (or other approved ID).

[sparks1093]

Don't leave them at home!!!! Didn't you see that frantic post a week or so ago when someone left his passport at home and had to have it expressed delivered? You need them to get on the ship and to get back into the U.S. after your cruise AND if you stop at a U.S. port during your cruise will need to present yourself and your papers (passport or what you have) to customs officials early in the morning at that port. You can use a birth certificate and a photo ID, but why risk that if you have passports?

 

We have only every needed our passports in Alaska when we ventured into Canada. Otherwise we leave them on the ship in the Caribbean. More folks have had them stolen in port than have needed them while there, I feel pretty sure. If you are worried, take copies with you and leave the originals in your cabin safe.

 

The only thing that can truly ruin a cruise vacation before it even begins, is to not have your passport to get on the ship. I have seem people stopped at the door by security when they did not have a passport (or other approved ID).

 

No, I didn't see that thread but it doesn't concern me. We've always cruised without passports so it's no fuss to us to continue to do so. We have Enhanced Drivers Licenses that we use for cruising and that will get us on the ship at embarkation and off the ship at disembarkation.

[VideoTech]

I have heard this, also. We haven't sailed with passports yet so we are still in the decision making stage. Heck, we might just leave them at home with someone we trust. If they are safer in the ship's safe they are safer at home too.

 

Do not, repeat, do not leave your passports at home. If for any reason you have to fly home from a foreign port, you will not be able to do this without your passport.

[sparks1093]

Do not, repeat, do not leave your passports at home. If for any reason you have to fly home from a foreign port, you will not be able to do this without your passport.

 

I understand the risks involved, trust me. All of our cruises have been done without a passport so we are obviously comfortable with the small risk involved of possibly having to return by air.

[sparks1093]

Don't leave them at home!!!! Didn't you see that frantic post a week or so ago when someone left his passport at home and had to have it expressed delivered? You need them to get on the ship and to get back into the U.S. after your cruise AND if you stop at a U.S. port during your cruise will need to present yourself and your papers (passport or what you have) to customs officials early in the morning at that port. You can use a birth certificate and a photo ID, but why risk that if you have passports?

 

We have only every needed our passports in Alaska when we ventured into Canada. Otherwise we leave them on the ship in the Caribbean. More folks have had them stolen in port than have needed them while there, I feel pretty sure. If you are worried, take copies with you and leave the originals in your cabin safe.

 

The only thing that can truly ruin a cruise vacation before it even begins, is to not have your passport to get on the ship. I have seem people stopped at the door by security when they did not have a passport (or other approved ID).

 

Okay, read the thread in question. All that panic and simply faxing the birth certificate to themselves or to the port would have done the trick (or having a copy on an electronic device that could be printed out). If you have a passport you should at least know what all of your options are just in case it is forgotten, lost or stolen (I have read of passengers forgetting it at home and a faxed copy of their birth certificate saved the day). (And of course faxing the BC would only work on a closed loop cruise.)