Do you take your passport off the ship?

[dogs4fun]

Never take them off the ship - we leave them in the safe. There are exceptions such as Russian immigration where your actual passport is required.

[sparks1093]

17 minutes ago, bonsai3s said:

Agree with cruisemom42...exactly what I wanted to say.

 

Note: Regarding a photo of my passport (or driver's license)...the security guard in Nassau refused to accept the "phone photo" at the gate...my mistake.  Lesson: If the ship tells you to bring a photo ID along with your seapass card..bring both.

 

We've also asked several airlines if they will accept "phone photos"...answer: "no".  Would appreciate any information from anyone where a "phone photo" was accepted...thanks.

 

Finally, next time we're overseas and walk by a U.S. Embassy, we'll make sure to go in and ask if having a "phone photo" of our passport will help us in the event it was lost or stolen. 

No need to visit an Embassy, the State Department website says that a copy of your passport can be used as proof of citizenship if you need an emergency passport (of course you would need a way to print the phone photo).

[cruisemom42]

3 hours ago, pcur said:

Here's what has happened to us in our 45 years of cruising:

 

On our cruise in October 2018 I was chasing my husband down the street in San Juan, Puerto Rico, because I realized he was going back to the ship to get something without his passport.  I caught up with him at the gate to the dock, arguing with the security guard about not letting him pass without it.  Security measures in many ports are getting tighter, and what used to be the usual procedure is no longer.  It's hit-or-miss as to which port, and it depends on the security alert level on that particular day.

 

Yes, the staff on board the ship will most likely go to a cabin and retrieve the passport, give it to the port authority, and sail away without the passenger(s) not checked-in.  Personally, I don't want to be one of those passengers needing to deal with finding the port authority with my passport (I'm not going to assume they will be standing on the dock waiting for me; it could be hours before I get back).  Then, I'd have to find my way to the next port.  

 

If what is described above doesn't happen, then I have to find the US Consulate or Embassy and get my passport replaced.

 

We were stranded in a foreign country after a cruise due to a port closure, along with the passengers from 5 other ships.  Even with a passport it was a nightmare getting home 3 days later.  I would NOT have wanted to deal with that AND replacing my passport.  We just happened to be stranded over a holiday weekend where there were no hotels available except about 50 miles away. 

 

You just never know what's going to happen:  plan for the worst; hope for the best.  Keep the passport with you to eliminate that extra step in a bad situation.

 

I don't understand your story re: San Juan exactly.  Many passengers on closed-loop Caribbean cruises do not have or bring passports, as is allowed.  San Juan is a frequent port on these cruises. Are you saying that a passport is required for some reason in San Juan?  

 

Regarding the port agent (not the port authority).  The port agent is the designated contact for your particular ship. His (or her) name is nearly always given out in the ship's port information on the day of arrival. I generally snap a quick photo of the page with the agent's name and contact number, just in case.  They would have your passport and are also usually quite helpful in assisting any stranded passenger.

[pcur]

58 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I don't understand your story re: San Juan exactly.  Many passengers on closed-loop Caribbean cruises do not have or bring passports, as is allowed.  San Juan is a frequent port on these cruises. Are you saying that a passport is required for some reason in San Juan?  

 

Regarding the port agent (not the port authority).  The port agent is the designated contact for your particular ship. His (or her) name is nearly always given out in the ship's port information on the day of arrival. I generally snap a quick photo of the page with the agent's name and contact number, just in case.  They would have your passport and are also usually quite helpful in assisting any stranded passenger.

My husband never carries his wallet with him in port:  we keep everything in the travel neck purse I carry, and we always stay together.  In San Juan they required a photo ID AND the seapass card to get back into the dock.  I waited in Senor Frog's across the street, and realized after he left that I had his passport in the neck purse.  Then, the chasing began..........

 

I am aware the port agent's are very helpful, etc.  After what we went through in Spain, I would not want to add deal with finding the agent.  If anyone is on an independent tour, gets stranded, needs to wait for transportation, it could be hours, dark, maybe the next morning, before one could contact the port agent.  I would not want to add that on top of all the other logistics of getting out of the country, having had to do that before.  

[pris993]

Traveling for over 30 years both on cruises and internationally, we always carry   a photo copy of our passports.  Leave original in safe on the ship or at the hotel.  Never had a problem.... do carry our California driver's license.

[pris993]

2 hours ago, taglovestocruise said:

Never, unless required to.  Once in Tunisia we were told to turn them over to the port authorities. 

  Correction, now I do recall in Israel, we turned in our  passports while on board the ship, show up for a face to face visit with Israel authorities while on board ship, are given a receipt for our passport which serves as an id while in Israel, pick up our passport from Israel authorities/or ship staff when returning to the ship on the last port/day in Israel.    

[cruisemom42]

46 minutes ago, pcur said:

My husband never carries his wallet with him in port:  we keep everything in the travel neck purse I carry, and we always stay together.  In San Juan they required a photo ID AND the seapass card to get back into the dock.  I waited in Senor Frog's across the street, and realized after he left that I had his passport in the neck purse.  Then, the chasing began..........

 

 

 

Thanks, I understand now. I thought you were implying that a passport was required, but it was just that a photo ID was required and your passport was your photo ID.  In those situations I would just carry my driver's license. 😎

[Heidi13]

We have both had and used passports since kids, so are comfortable carrying them and keeping them on our person when travelling. From a risk perspective, pros & cons exist for both options, so it becomes personal preference.

 

Personally, I have 2 passports, while I bring both on cruises, I normally carry the Canadian one and leave the other in the safe, unless cruising in UK/Europe.

[bandjwayne]

5 hours ago, SantaFeFan said:

 

True, made up minds will never change on this subject. But it is still worthwhile expressing one's personal opinion, from either position, in order to assist someone who is unsure what might be best for themselves, such as the OP.  Best to offer that opinion without passive insults to people with other points of view as was done with a recent post an hour ago that has since been removed. 

Thank you SantaFeFan.  I asked for other peoples opinions on this topic because I wanted to hear them.  If someone doesn't want to read about this topic again then they shouldn't have clicked on the post!  I just don't get why some people have to be so rude!

 

[bandjwayne]

5 hours ago, pcur said:

The point I'm trying to make is the world is changing, and what was true for decades might be different now.  The two experiences I related were in 2005 and 2018:  one in Spain, and the other in Puerto Rico.  Just making up your mind and not taking in new facts is not wise when traveling.  Policies, laws, security, etc. are fluid and can change.

Good point, that's exactly why I was asking.  It's been 18 years since I started cruising and a lot has changed since then!

[pcur]

4 minutes ago, bandjwayne said:

Good point, that's exactly why I was asking.  It's been 18 years since I started cruising and a lot has changed since then!

Glad to help.  It's a touchy subject with some people, for some reason.  This and tipping!!!

[14Terry]

We’ve done both. But going forward will have them with us. Happy cruising everyone. 

[iancal]

We don't.  Nor do we really care what others think about it or what they do.

[OCruisers]

Ours stay in the cabin safe unless we are told we need to have them with us in a port.

We use our Passport CARD ... not our Passport BOOK ... for our government photo ID.    

[sft429]

On 1/5/2019 at 3:32 PM, pris993 said:

Traveling for over 30 years both on cruises and internationally, we always carry   a photo copy of our passports.  Leave original in safe on the ship or at the hotel.  Never had a problem.... do carry our California driver's license.

 

You've never had a problem but has the copy of your passport ever done you any good?  Did you ever need it?

[pris993]

copy of passport was accepted where we needed it to get into a port area, otherwise have not been asked for our passport while enjoying a port or a city on independent travel.  We have traveled to the Mid East, most of Europe, S America, not to far east.  

[K32682]

My preference is to be as self-reliant as possible when outside my own country.  Therefore, I securely carry my passport, sufficient cash to got to the nearest airport and enough room on my credit card to fly home from anywhere in any class.  If an emergency arises I do not have to rely on the ship's crew, the port agent, local consular officials or anyone else to manage my situation. 

 

On several occasions I've also needed the passport in foreign countries to rent a vehicle, change money, enter certain sites and show to officials at checkpoints. The only exception is when I'm vising the U.S.A. in which case my Nexus card is sufficient.   

 

I'm less concerned about losing my passport or being robbed than not having it if it is needed.  It is better to have and not need than to need and not have.   

[SantaFeFan]

1 hour ago, K32682 said:

My preference is to be as self-reliant as possible when outside my own country.  Therefore, I securely carry my passport, sufficient cash to got to the nearest airport and enough room on my credit card to fly home from anywhere in any class.  If an emergency arises I do not have to rely on the ship's crew, the port agent, local consular officials or anyone else to manage my situation. 

 

On several occasions I've also needed the passport in foreign countries to rent a vehicle, change money, enter certain sites and show to officials at checkpoints. The only exception is when I'm vising the U.S.A. in which case my Nexus card is sufficient.   

 

I'm less concerned about losing my passport or being robbed than not having it if it is needed.  It is better to have and not need than to need and not have.   

 

After over 50 years of traveling abroad, to over 40 countries on all but one continent, for both business and pleasure, I have never carried my passport unless required by local laws. All the companies I traveled internationally for advised to keep it secured in a safe place and not on our person. In fact, some countries required it to be surrendered to my hotel until my departure. Egypt in the 80s is a good example of that.

 

I have never unexpectedly found myself in need of my passport when it was secured in my hotel or stateroom safe unless it was legally required for some reason. Of course, I know where I am going, what I am going to do, and what I may need to use it for before heading out of my room. It is a simple matter of planning ahead and being intelligent enough to be prepared.

 

It is not about clutching my passport to my body in fear I may need it for some unknown emergency. It is better to be knowledgeable than to be dependent. 

Edited January 8, 2019 by SantaFeFan

[pcur]

This thread is reminding me of the routine stock market investment adviser's routine warning:  past performance is not indicative of future returns, or something like that.

 

Just because a person does the same thing over and over for 20, 30, 40, even 50 years, does not mean it's still the wise thing to do.  All it takes is one bad experience to know that, yes indeed, it CAN happen to you.  I'm not a passport clutcher.  I just keep my important stuff with me, so in the case of an emergency, well.....it's with me.  Credit cards, passport, cash, cell phone:  all the stuff that make life easier when life is actually hard to do.

 

I can remember going into Barbados right after the invasion in Grenada, and the Bajan security and police were all over everyone's luggage, tickets, and ids.  It can happen any time in a flash.

 

Of course some countries require you to surrender your passport.  I've had it happen several times.  THAT'S when you have a photocopy of it with you.

 

Stay safe and prepared, folks, and enjoy your travels.

[K32682]

 

9 minutes ago, pcur said:

All it takes is one bad experience to know that, yes indeed, it CAN happen to you.  I'm not a passport clutcher.  I just keep my important stuff with me, so in the case of an emergency, well.....it's with me.  Credit cards, passport, cash, cell phone:  all the stuff that make life easier when life is actually hard to do.

 

I can remember going into Barbados right after the invasion in Grenada, and the Bajan security and police were all over everyone's luggage, tickets, and ids.  It can happen any time in a flash.

 

Of course some countries require you to surrender your passport.  I've had it happen several times.  THAT'S when you have a photocopy of it with you.

 

Stay safe and prepared, folks, and enjoy your travels.

 

Agreed.  I'm not sufficiently prescient to expect the unexpected like being stopped in our car by very touchy Guardia Civil officers in Spain after an ETA bombing near San Sebastian.  The two Canadians with passports didn't have a problem but the Guardia were less than impressed with the Colorado drivers license offered by our American friend. 

 

It may be that a creased passport copy will the sufficient.  I'll let someone else find out. FWIW, I've also had a hotel room safe broken into.  It was a good thing I had my passport with me. 

Edited January 8, 2019 by K32682

[pcur]

2 minutes ago, K32682 said:

 

 

Agreed.  I'm not sufficiently prescient to expect the unexpected like being stopped in our car by very touchy Guardia Civil officers in Spain after an ETA bombing near San Sebastian.  The two Canadians with passports didn't have a problem but the Guardia were less than impressed with the Colorado drivers license offered by our American friend. 

 

It may be that a creased passport copy will the sufficient.  I'll let someone else find out. FWIW, I've also had a hotel room safe broken into.  It was a good thing I had my passport with me. 

Oh, THAT Spain experience must have been a Tums moment or two!  I will NEVER leave my passport, jewelry, or laptop in any hotel room.  Cruise ships are really hotels, but there's so many people coming and going that the bad guys don't get as many opportunities.  But, a nice US hotel with empty hallways, and everybody out working or sightseeing.........a disaster waiting to happen.  Over Christmas we stayed 2 nights in a good hotel.  My rolling personal bag went everywhere with us with my laptop, etc. in it.  Christmas is the worst time for no good, very bad people to grab one's stuff.

[SRF]

On 1/5/2019 at 9:48 AM, cruisemom42 said:

I do not carry my passport ashore unless the particular country I'm visiting requires it. 

 

If you leave your passport in your safe, it MAY be retrieved and left with the port agent should you, for some reason, miss the ship.

 

In 40 years of cruising I have never come close to missing the ship. Whereas I have been pickpocketed twice. I'd rather not take the risk...

 

(Some cruise lines even hold your passport on cruises in certain areas -- so carrying it isn't an option.)

 

FTFY

 

The ships will try to retrieve them, but that is NOT guaranteed.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Our passports stay in the safe unless there is a port where we are required to take them with us.

 

We just carry our ship's ID, driver's license and a copy of our passports ashore.

[sverigecruiser]

On ‎1‎/‎5‎/‎2019 at 3:17 PM, pcur said:

 

I've never understood the logic of taking a passport on a trip and not keeping it with you.

 

I need it to enter the US but in most Caribbean ports I don't need it so I leave it in the safe.

[cruisemom42]

2 hours ago, SRF said:

 

FTFY

 

The ships will try to retrieve them, but that is NOT guaranteed.

 

Not much in life is guaranteed. 

 

I have been assured by officers on my cruise line of choice that IF they have the passport in their possession (as sometimes is the case on European itineraries) or IF it is in the safe, they will leave it with the port agent. No guarantees, but their word is good enough for me.

 

Everyone must come to their own decision. I have been cruising for +40 years and traveling for even longer. My considered decision works for me.