Passport picture in Smartphone adequate when going to foreign ports...?

[NavyCruiser]

Been reading quite a few posts about Passports on here.

A few Posters stated that they always bring their passport with them when departing the ship going to foreign ports.

I think that's excessive, since we always leave everyone's Passports inside the cabin safe once onboard, & never touch it until departing the ship at the end of the cruise.

But we do take picture of the Passport saved on all of our cell phones, which all of us take with us to ports.

So in case of emergencies while in port, medical, missed the ship (not yet so far), etc... will passport picture on phone sufficient?

Thanks,

 

[Clarea]

I would bring a physical government issued ID, like a driver's license.  This is what the port people are used to seeing, why take a chance?

 

If you need to fly home, you will need a passport booklet.

[LrgPizza]

Having a picture of your passport is the same thing as not having your passport.

[NavyCruiser]

Yes, all of us always bring ship's cabin card & driver's license to the ports.

But if we need to fly home, or to next port to catch ship, would picture Passport on phone adequate in place of physical Passport booklet?

 

[NavyCruiser]

1 minute ago, LrgPizza said:

Having a picture of your passport is the same thing as not having your passport.

 

Having lost numerous hats, sunglasses, etc... while in port over the years, 

not sure we want to bring everyone's  physical Passports ashore...

[Biker19]

5 minutes ago, LrgPizza said:

Having a picture of your passport is the same thing as not having your passport.

It would help if you have to apply for emergency travel documents at the local US Embassy/Consulate.

[Clarea]

4 minutes ago, NavyCruiser said:

Yes, all of us always bring ship's cabin card & driver's license to the ports.

But if we need to fly home, or to next port to catch ship, would picture Passport on phone adequate in place of physical Passport booklet?

 

 

No, a photo of your passport will not get you on an airplane to fly home.  If you have to fly home, you would have to go to a US Embassy or Consulate (and wait for them to open if it's the weekend) and get a temporary passport.

[Joseph2017China]

Why are people afraid of carrying their passport?  If I get mugged, the cost of loosing everything in my wallet, far exceeds the cost of loosing my passport.  There are many countries that actually require you by law to carry your passport. 

 

In the Caribbean, I usually only have my passport card in my wallet.  Simple, easy to carry, and spending a few extra days on an Island isn't that bad of a situation. 

[CapeGal]

1 hour ago, NavyCruiser said:

Yes, all of us always bring ship's cabin card & driver's license to the ports.

But if we need to fly home, or to next port to catch ship, would picture Passport on phone adequate in place of physical Passport booklet?

 

Uh--No.

[taglovestocruise]

1 hour ago, Joseph2017China said:

Why are people afraid of carrying their passport?  If I get mugged, the cost of loosing everything in my wallet, far exceeds the cost of loosing my passport.  There are many countries that actually require you by law to carry your passport. 

 

In the Caribbean, I usually only have my passport card in my wallet.  Simple, easy to carry, and spending a few extra days on an Island isn't that bad of a situation. 

Not the cost but the trouble. Having your passport stolen while in a foreign country would be a big PIA trying to get  through immigration at you home  port.

[blackshirt]

If you don't make it back to the ship, they will retrieve your passports from your safe and leave them with the port agent.

[NavyCruiser]

39 minutes ago, blackshirt said:

If you don't make it back to the ship, they will retrieve your passports from your safe and leave them with the port agent.

Great.

That's good to know...

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

2 hours ago, taglovestocruise said:

Not the cost but the trouble. Having your passport stolen while in a foreign country would be a big PIA trying to get  through immigration at you home  port.

 

Not exactly.  We had ours stolen from a "locked" locker at the Atlantis.  CBP at FLL didn't really question it since we had a ship security report and other ID.  I was totally surprised at how fast it worked.  

[taglovestocruise]

2 hours ago, ATSEAMYLIFE said:

 

Not exactly.  We had ours stolen from a "locked" locker at the Atlantis.  CBP at FLL didn't really question it since we had a ship security report and other ID.  I was totally surprised at how fast it worked.  

Might not work out so well if it happened in Greece or Tunisia..

[alfaeric]

While the photo of the passport will not work as a passport, a picture WILL help getting a replacement. 

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/emergencies/lost-stolen-passport-abroad.html

 

A photo can be used to trace your citizenship, part of what is required to get a temporary one to go home. 

[pretzlaff]

If you get sick ashore or something goes wrong and have your real passport, then you are on the next plane home or the next cruise port.  If you do not have it, then a week later you are on a plane home.  Airlines will not let you leave a foreign country without a real passport. 

[BigHouseFootball]

We lock our passports in the cabin safe as soon as we get in and there it stays until we pack up to leave. 

 

Like me another poster said the cruise line will retrieve the passport and leave it with the port agent if we miss the ship or if we need to stay on the island due to medical emergency. 

 

There is is no reason for me to carry my passport with me when in the Caribbean. 

[NavyCruiser]

5 hours ago, pretzlaff said:

If you get sick ashore or something goes wrong and have your real passport, then you are on the next plane home or the next cruise port.  If you do not have it, then a week later you are on a plane home.  Airlines will not let you leave a foreign country without a real passport. 

 

Correct.  True.  Agreed.

 

But again, how may (what percentage) of us brings all of our families' physical passport books off the ship at every foreign ports? 

[CelticMCO]

At least in the Caribbean or Mexico never ever have brought anything off more than drivers license and ship card (have photocopies of passports in backpack); everything there is "ya mon" barely get a second look until getting back on ship (you basically are their economy with exception of maybe Grand Cayman.  Different story in many ports in Europe and the far east... 

[BND]

The benefit to having a photo or copy of your passport is that you have the pp number which would expedite getting a replacement passport if needed but neither will get you on a plane out of the country.   Otherwise, we leave our passports in the safe and carry our DL's off with our ship card.  

 

PP mentioned getting out of Nassau back to FFL.  That is such a commonly traveled route between those two locations and the fact they had a ship's security report made it easier.  

Edited December 23, 2018 by BND

[cb at sea]

In many ports, cruise passengers don't need their passport ashore.

[SRF]

On 12/21/2018 at 2:02 PM, Joseph2017China said:

Why are people afraid of carrying their passport?  If I get mugged, the cost of loosing everything in my wallet, far exceeds the cost of loosing my passport.  There are many countries that actually require you by law to carry your passport. 

 

THIS ^^^^^^^

 

And every case I have heard of a passport being stolen, it was in the pocket with the money.  And the thief got it, along with what they wanted, the MONEY.

 

Modern passports are not as useful to a thief as the old days.

 

[SRF]

On 12/22/2018 at 9:32 PM, BigHouseFootball said:

We lock our passports in the cabin safe as soon as we get in and there it stays until we pack up to leave. 

 

Like me another poster said the cruise line MAY retrieve the passport and leave it with the port agent if we miss the ship or if we need to stay on the island due to medical emergency. 

 

There is is no reason for me to carry my passport with me when in the Caribbean. 

 

FTFY.

 

That is NOT guaranteed.

 

They will try, but if they don't, they will not lose sleep over it or compensate you in any way for not getting you your passport.

[SargassoPirate]

I can only imagine that in some countries, if one showed an official a photo of your passport, they would likely show you a photo of an airplane

 

Seriously, though, we always carry our passports ashore - unless the cruise line has confiscated them to show local customs officials en masse,  in which case we carry laminated photocopies of the picture page of our passports.  My "homemade" passport card has even worked as photo ID with my sea pass to reboard the ship after a day in port.  It's laminated and looks official. 

 

(Be prepared, the motto of the Boy Scouts)

[LrgPizza]

On 12/23/2018 at 11:22 AM, BND said:

The benefit to having a photo or copy of your passport is that you have the pp number which would expedite getting a replacement passport if needed but neither will get you on a plane out of the country.

 

It would expedite it by about 5 seconds, which is the amount of time it would take an agent to look up that info.