Do I need to bring original passport on shore excursions

[tusconcam]

Help please with if I am required to bring my original passport with me on Celebrity cruise shore excursions in Spain, France and Italy.

I had hoped that a photocopy would suffice ; as you can imagine the problems with a potentially lost/stolen original.

The cruise departs from Barcelona May 1st, then visit: Palma de Mallorca, Mersaille, Villefranche, Santa Margherita,  La Spezia, Cagliari, Messina, Naples and finish in Rome.

Ideas, and feedback much appreciated. 

Thanks 

P.s I am Canadian with a valid passport traveling from Toronto 

 

 

[CU64]

42 minutes ago, tusconcam said:

Help please with if I am required to bring my original passport with me on Celebrity cruise shore excursions in Spain, France and Italy.

I had hoped that a photocopy would suffice ; as you can imagine the problems with a potentially lost/stolen original.

The cruise departs from Barcelona May 1st, then visit: Palma de Mallorca, Mersaille, Villefranche, Santa Margherita,  La Spezia, Cagliari, Messina, Naples and finish in Rome.

Ideas, and feedback much appreciated. 

Thanks 

P.s I am Canadian with a valid passport traveling from Toronto 

 

 

I always take original passport with me

[CaribbeanBound]

You should not have to take your passport off the ship at each port. Keep it locked in safe onboard.  You'll need it when first boarding and after departing at the end of your cruise when you reenter customs.  Just take a copy with you along with some real ID like Drivers License.   There wouldn't typically be any need for it unless you travel between countries on shore (rather than just staying in each port's country) --- even then you might not need it.  I don't recall any border stops between Villefranche and Monaco for example.  You "can" carry it if you want it stamped.  You might find some locations that will stamp it upon request.

[yogini06]

I took my driver’s license and kept my passport in the safe. I keep a copy of it in my wallet

[jelayne]

Unless the ship instructions say to take a passport ours stays in the safe, and even they we take a copy.  BTW no one in a port has asked for our passport.

[1Virgo]

Canadian here too.  We Do NoT take original passport unless told to do so.   Canadians can take a black and white photo copy with them.   

[Wookie01]

If the passport stays onboard then what happens if for some reason you miss the ship?
How do you get to the next port, which is probably in a different country, without it?

[AmberCascades]

6 minutes ago, Wookie01 said:

If the passport stays onboard then what happens if for some reason you miss the ship?
How do you get to the next port, which is probably in a different country, without it?

If you miss the ship there will be someone waiting for you at the pier with your luggage and passport.  When we go ashore we also take the daily with us which has the port agent's info on it.  Just in case we need to contact someone at the pier.

[Arizona Wildcat]

1 hour ago, CU64 said:

I always take original passport with me

I NEVER EVER take mine.  

A friend lost theirs in Spain.  Had to stay until they got a replacement at the consulate.

Why would you need a passport on a shore excursion.   You have a government ID- usually drivers license - your seapass.   I also do take a copy of my health insurance card.

Why would a photocopy or picture in a phone not be enough?

If your passport was required the ship would get it to  the authorities. 

Have never been asked for a passport when on a ship's excursion - even in Russia and China.  Russia does require passport AND visa if you  go off on your own.  Very different. 

Edited April 19, 2023 by Arizona Wildcat

[upwarduk]

We did a Mediterranean cruise last year and our passport stayed in the safe.

if you are are on a ship’s excursion you are not likely to miss the ship, as it waits for all excursions arranged by them.

[wineoclock]

We take our driver’s license & ship pass. Everything else remains in the safe. 

[the penguins]

43 minutes ago, upwarduk said:

We did a Mediterranean cruise last year and our passport stayed in the safe.

if you are are on a ship’s excursion you are not likely to miss the ship, as it waits for all excursions arranged by them.

A common misconception: the ship does not guarantee to wait if you are on a ship's excursion. What it guarantees is that if it doesn't wait they will get you to the next port.

[the penguins]

6 hours ago, tusconcam said:

Help please with if I am required to bring my original passport with me on Celebrity cruise shore excursions in Spain, France and Italy.

I had hoped that a photocopy would suffice ; as you can imagine the problems with a potentially lost/stolen original.

The cruise departs from Barcelona May 1st, then visit: Palma de Mallorca, Mersaille, Villefranche, Santa Margherita,  La Spezia, Cagliari, Messina, Naples and finish in Rome.

Ideas, and feedback much appreciated. 

Thanks 

P.s I am Canadian with a valid passport traveling from Toronto 

 

 

Not your passport but always an original Government Issued form of ID - a driving licence is fine. We never rely on an official accepting a copy of anything when they expect to see an original document. 

[the penguins]

3 hours ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

I NEVER EVER take mine.  

A friend lost theirs in Spain.  Had to stay until they got a replacement at the consulate.

Why would you need a passport on a shore excursion.   You have a government ID- usually drivers license - your seapass.   I also do take a copy of my health insurance card.

Why would a photocopy or picture in a phone not be enough?

If your passport was required the ship would get it to  the authorities. 

Have never been asked for a passport when on a ship's excursion - even in Russia and China.  Russia does require passport AND visa if you  go off on your own.  Very different. 

If we were unlucky enough to lose a passport we would never tell the ship until we were onboard and the night before the cruise ended. That way we would be disembarked at our final port of call which would be much less hassle.

[wineoclock]

We were on a Disney cruise in Corsica many years ago. 5 coaches were held up due to an accident. Ship waited we ended up sailing about 2 hours later. One of the few times we were on a ship’s excursion. 

[JBare]

10 hours ago, tusconcam said:

I had hoped that a photocopy would suffice ; as you can imagine the problems with a potentially lost/stolen original.

 

It will suffice just for reference if needed. We have never been asked for any form of ID in any of the countries you are visiting and just take a photocopy which just happens to be always in a backpack. In Dubrovnik once they did need original ID to even leave the port but they may have changed. The ship will always strongly advise multiple times if an original is required.

[davekathy]

Only driver licenses. Pass ports always stay in the safe. 

[tusconcam]

Thanks all. As I thought and had done so yrs ago on Oasis if the Seas. 

Much appreciated up to date sound feedback

[drowelf]

Yep, unless needed the passport stays on the ship. We have small photo laminated photocopies that both my DW and I carry. I shrunk them down to CC size and put them back to back so that we have a single document with both our passport info. 

 

We also have several full size laminated copies that we stash in our luggage for overseas trips too. 

Edited April 19, 2023 by drowelf

[hrhdhd]

17 hours ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

Have never been asked for a passport when on a ship's excursion - even in Russia and China.  Russia does require passport AND visa if you  go off on your own.  Very different. 

Russia requires a passport even if on an approved excursion. I did a two-day excursion with Alla Tours, which arranges the visa, and had to show my passport both mornings when I got off the ship.

[drowelf]

Just now, hrhdhd said:

Russia requires a passport even if on an approved excursion. I did a two-day excursion with Alla Tours, which arranges the visa, and had to show my passport both mornings when I got off the ship.

Ditto, when we did a 2 day with SPD we had to show our passports both getting off and getting back on the ship each day. SPD arranged the tourist visa, which we also had to show when getting off the ship.

[DaKahuna]

34 minutes ago, hrhdhd said:

Russia requires a passport even if on an approved excursion. I did a two-day excursion with Alla Tours, which arranges the visa, and had to show my passport both mornings when I got off the ship.

 

 That is the same experience we had when we did our Baltic Sea cruise in 2018. 

 

[CU64]

Try having a medical ER when off the ship, needing police and/or hospital services. Good to have Passsport on you.

[Pickels]

Keep your passport in your safe!  Take a copy of it, the small card you may have gotten with your passport, drivers license, and your sea card.

[perakcruiser]

Very few stops require you to take the passport with you, for example Havana. The cruise line will tell you many times before the stop. No Schengen port requires this.