Do you take your passport off the ship?

[john watson]

I think the best policy is to follow the recommendation the cruise line gives you about the issue in relation to tomorrows port in the daily newsletter.  The assumption so far in this thread, is that a passport was needed for travel and you have possession of it.  I have been on cruises where the cruise line has retained my passport for part of the voyage and sometimes the whole voyage.  In these instances you can only do what is possible anyway. On one cruise the cruise line retained the passports for the whole voyage and at some ports they actually photocopied everybody's passport and gave out the photocopies for going ashore. In Taiwan I actually successfully obtained local currency in a bank with my photocopy id as supplied. Another bank refused this type of transaction.

 

So; if you have got a passport in your possession and it was needed for the voyage.  In most cases leaving it in the cabin safe is a good policy.  People are let off/on the ship using cruise cards and staff can see an image of you on their monitor.  These cards are generally accepted by officials at the cruise terminal to let you go through.  However, they have no idea what you look like.  Therefore in some locations shore side insist on photo id being in your possession for them to look at and confirm your identity. Typically they have a restricted access to the cruise terminal and enforce it by seeing, a cruise card and a photo id.  This could be your drivers licence or a passport if you don't have a driving licence. There is no point in carrying excessive official and valuable documents in foreign countries, particularly if you have an international flight after final disembarkation.

 

If you are stupid enough to miss the ship, your cabin will be searched, your safe opened and any passports will be given to the local port agent.  So when you return to the empty berth head for the port agent.

 

Regards John

 

 

[TruckerDave]

ANOTHER one of these threads???????🙄

 

You do know you can just search the cc boards and find probably HUNDREDS of threads on this very topic. and you will also get the same exact replies in all of them.  There is a a group that leave them and there are a group (myself  included) that always take them.   

[MicCanberra]

5 hours ago, john watson said:

I think the best policy is to follow the recommendation the cruise line gives you about the issue in relation to tomorrows port in the daily newsletter.  The assumption so far in this thread, is that a passport was needed for travel and you have possession of it.  I have been on cruises where the cruise line has retained my passport for part of the voyage and sometimes the whole voyage.  In these instances you can only do what is possible anyway. On one cruise the cruise line retained the passports for the whole voyage and at some ports they actually photocopied everybody's passport and gave out the photocopies for going ashore. In Taiwan I actually successfully obtained local currency in a bank with my photocopy id as supplied. Another bank refused this type of transaction.

 

So; if you have got a passport in your possession and it was needed for the voyage.  In most cases leaving it in the cabin safe is a good policy.  People are let off/on the ship using cruise cards and staff can see an image of you on their monitor.  These cards are generally accepted by officials at the cruise terminal to let you go through.  However, they have no idea what you look like.  Therefore in some locations shore side insist on photo id being in your possession for them to look at and confirm your identity. Typically they have a restricted access to the cruise terminal and enforce it by seeing, a cruise card and a photo id.  This could be your drivers licence or a passport if you don't have a driving licence. There is no point in carrying excessive official and valuable documents in foreign countries, particularly if you have an international flight after final disembarkation.

 

If you are stupid enough to miss the ship, your cabin will be searched, your safe opened and any passports will be given to the local port agent.  So when you return to the empty berth head for the port agent.

 

Regards John

 

 

Good advice. We have copies of the passports with us at all times, even if carrying our passports, but as mentioned the ships  can take possession of the passenger's passports for some cruises.

[Hlitner]

7 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

Good advice. We have copies of the passports with us at all times, even if carrying our passports, but as mentioned the ships  can take possession of the passenger's passports for some cruises.

We were on one European cruise where the cruise line took everyone's Passport at embarkation (not uncommon).  The Purser needed the Passport to get the ship cleared at one particular port.  We met a couple who would not go ashore without their Passports and the cruise line normally accommodated them by letting them pick up their Passport early in the morning and return them when they returned to the ship.  But in the one problem port (and I truly do not remember which port) the local authorities quickly cleared the ship but then wanted to review all the Passports.  As just about everyone went ashore, we saw that one couple waiting in chairs near the Guest Relations desk.  That night we saw that couple and they told us they waited until they could get their Passports and it turned out to be around noon (we had docked at 7am)...so it ruined much of their day.  Out of more then 1000 passengers they apparently were the only couple who imposed that restriction on themselves.

 

There are some places, such as Russia, that require everyone to have their Passport to get off the ship.   But most places could care less.  When we are in places where we plan on going to the beach to swim, there is no way we want to have our Passports or other valuables.  I have a waterproof fanny pack where I will put cash and a credit card, but no way do I carry my Passport.  Sometimes my waterproof bag has failed (my fault for not sealing it properly) which is no biggies with cash and credit cards.  But a wet Passport must be replaced (as significant cost) and may not be accepted at some ports of entry.

 

Hank

[MainerRN92]

We are in a very small minority of people who have both a passport book and a passport card (living near the Canadian border the card is very convenient to travel back and forth). We bring both on cruises, and use our passport card if photo ID is needed in port while the books stay locked in the safe the whole cruise. I wouldn't recommend buying both just to use in this fashion, we just happen to have both already. There are valid points to both camps and people will do what works best for themselves. There is no right or wrong answer, just your own personal preference.

[MicCanberra]

Personally, it really depends on the particular port, for many cruises around our region, we leave the passport locked up in the ship safe. For overseas trips we tend to carry them.