For now, carry your passport with you in Rome (Sep 2023)

[MdniteDrftr]

So what happens if I get stopped without my passport and get fined? Do I have to pay it on the spot?

 

I had planned on carrying my passport on me while in Rome, as we are spending 2 days there pre-cruise. Wife, and pretty much everyone else said I was crazy.

[steamboats]

4 hours ago, MdniteDrftr said:

So what happens if I get stopped without my passport and get fined? Do I have to pay it on the spot?

 

Yes, usually you have to pay it on the spot.

 

steamboats

[euro cruiser]

Again, while the conversation and postulating about what might happen is interesting, the bottom line for me isn't about what is, or even what should be.  It's about how much of my precious and all too little vacation time I'm willing to waste straightening out something like this.  I know a fast and easy way to avoid it, carry my passport.  I acknowledge that this choice comes with some risks, but I feel comfortable that I can minimize those risks.  

[ninjacat123]

I ordered a neck wallet through Rick Steves for DH to wear in Italy with the passports.  DH  didn't want a waist wallet so this is it.  Hope it's comfortable.

[jsn55]

2 hours ago, euro cruiser said:

Again, while the conversation and postulating about what might happen is interesting, the bottom line for me isn't about what is, or even what should be.  It's about how much of my precious and all too little vacation time I'm willing to waste straightening out something like this.  I know a fast and easy way to avoid it, carry my passport.  I acknowledge that this choice comes with some risks, but I feel comfortable that I can minimize those risks.  

Agree absolutely.  All this quibbling about carrying your passport or not ... just get a holder and carry your PP, cash and credit card under your clothes. Pick a place to keep it in your cabin, 'put it on' when you leave the ship, put it back when you return to your cabin.   Absolutely no reason to take any chances and 'ruin your day'.  

[Girr]

2 hours ago, ninjacat123 said:

I ordered a neck wallet through Rick Steves for DH to wear in Italy with the passports.  DH  didn't want a waist wallet so this is it.  Hope it's comfortable.

Keep in mind a neck wallet is easily cut. An extra security is to loop and secure to your bra. 

[ninjacat123]

19 minutes ago, Girr said:

Keep in mind a neck wallet is easily cut. An extra security is to loop and secure to your bra. 

Now DH needs to wear a bra?  He's not gonna go for that🤣

[Girr]

20 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

Now DH needs to wear a bra?  He's not gonna go for that🤣

Oh Lordy, sorry I didn’t fully read through. I thought DH wasn’t buying into a device, so you’d settled for a neck wallet for yourself. Sorry. 😊

[bennybear]

1 hour ago, ninjacat123 said:

Now DH needs to wear a bra?  He's not gonna go for that🤣

Lol!  My DH likes the pocket one that attaches to his belt.  Can’t be seen unlike the strings on the neck one.   He uses one like this. 
 

[bennybear]

6 hours ago, euro cruiser said:

Again, while the conversation and postulating about what might happen is interesting, the bottom line for me isn't about what is, or even what should be.  It's about how much of my precious and all too little vacation time I'm willing to waste straightening out something like this.  I know a fast and easy way to avoid it, carry my passport.  I acknowledge that this choice comes with some risks, but I feel comfortable that I can minimize those risks.  

I don’t know why this is so hard for people. 

[jsn55]

In order to cut the neck strap of my little holder, someone would have to get close enough.  I don't think so.  Grateful to be 6' tall and growing to appreciate my linebacker shoulders as I age into the potential victim stage.  Not to mention all my experience in an arena bellowing instructions at riders.  I'm far more worried about tripping and falling down in front of a speeding vehicle.  

[ninjacat123]

18 minutes ago, jsn55 said:

In order to cut the neck strap of my little holder, someone would have to get close enough.  I don't think so.  Grateful to be 6' tall and growing to appreciate my linebacker shoulders as I age into the potential victim stage.  Not to mention all my experience in an arena bellowing instructions at riders.  I'm far more worried about tripping and falling down in front of a speeding vehicle.  

DH is six feet tall so I think we’re ok. I’ll keep my head on a swivel👍

[StCroixCruiser]

My 80 year old mother had her passport, cash, credit cards, and prescription sunglasses stolen in Rome while on a metro bus to the Vatican. Afterwards I knew exactly the old woman who did it, as a local motioned to me to be careful and watch her because she was a Gypsy pickpocket.  I didn't know she had already victimized my elderly mother, who was sitting some distance from me due to the bus being crowded. We wasted 3 days of the trip and a lot of $$ going to Milan to get a temporary passport issued, along with dealing with cancelling credit cards and her panic about the whole experience.  So, if you do have your passport with you as you walk about, be extraordinarily careful with it.  Lesson learned.

[ninjacat123]

3 minutes ago, StCroixCruiser said:

My 80 year old mother had her passport, cash, credit cards, and prescription sunglasses stolen in Rome while on a metro bus to the Vatican. Afterwards I knew exactly the old woman who did it, as a local motioned to me to be careful and watch her because she was a Gypsy pickpocket.  I didn't know she had already victimized my elderly mother, who was sitting some distance from me due to the bus being crowded. We wasted 3 days of the trip and a lot of $$ going to Milan to get a temporary passport issued, along with dealing with cancelling credit cards and her panic about the whole experience.  So, if you do have your passport with you as you walk about, be extraordinarily careful with it.  Lesson learned.

good to know!!  I have DH wearing a neck wallet under his shirt with our passports and wallets.  My head will be on a swivel as well.  Sorry you and your mom had to deal with that.

[-Lew-]

We are currently on the Viking Sky which embarked in Civitavecchia Friday with a few port calls in Italy at the beginning of our itinerary.  At each stop so far we have been warned to have our passports with us while off the ship.  Yesterday, as we reboarded in  Crotone, uniformed police requested to see our passports along with our cruise cards.

 

I carry my passport beneath my pants in a hidden wallet and my DW carries hers in a reinforced crossbody bag.  In a number of visits to Europe over the years we have not experienced an issue.

[John Bull]

We've visited Italy (and, since it's been mentioned on this thread, the USA) many times without keeping our passports on our person, and never had a problem...................................... until, about 5 or 6 years ago, in Venice.

We were told we must carry our passports with us. No such warning in other Italian ports, so we ignored it and left them in our cabin safe . When we returned to the ship and couldn't produce them, we were taken out of the boarding line to join the naughty line - quite a long line, as it happens.!! A crew member and an Italian official checked our cruise cards by radio with ship's manifest, and we were allowed to pass. No fine, no real grief. 

We've continued to travel to Italy, Spain, Greece, the US, etc without keeping our passports with us at all times even though we were aware of the theoretical requirement.  The only times we've been quizzed were a couple of times on a coast-to-coast US road trip (heavy right foot and red Mustang convertible with CA plates 🙄). Showed my UK driving licence, not asked to show passports even tho we had them in the car - no problem with the first and I'm pretty sure with the second that my UK licence got me out of a ticket - too much paperwork for the guy 😏 , so "have a great trip sir, and please mind your speed".

 

Except when going from one country to another I can't recall ever being asked to produce passports, other than that time in Venice.

But we just might be a little more wary nowadays.

 

JB 🙂

Edited October 10, 2023 by John Bull

[ninjacat123]

4 hours ago, -Lew- said:

We are currently on the Viking Sky which embarked in Civitavecchia Friday with a few port calls in Italy at the beginning of our itinerary.  At each stop so far we have been warned to have our passports with us while off the ship.  Yesterday, as we reboarded in  Crotone, uniformed police requested to see our passports along with our cruise cards.

 

I carry my passport beneath my pants in a hidden wallet and my DW carries hers in a reinforced crossbody bag.  In a number of visits to Europe over the years we have not experienced an issue.

Did anyone ask to see a Covid shot card? Or is your passport enough? TIA!

[Cooper30]

Their country, their rules.  I choose to go to their country so I will follow their rules. Italy wants everyone to carry a government issued ID?  Cool.  I'll carry my US passport.

 

Here in the USA I can play the "Am I being detained?" game all day long but I'm not going to in another country where I have a limited vocabulary.

 

Something else that comes to mind is that with my passport and a credit card, I can get back home in a crisis a lot quicker than having to run back to my lodging to get my passport, and there are a lot of potential crises that could happen when traveling abroad nowadays. 

 

 

[ninjacat123]

7 minutes ago, Cooper30 said:

Their country, their rules.  I choose to go to their country so I will follow their rules. Italy wants everyone to carry a government issued ID?  Cool.  I'll carry my US passport.

 

Here in the USA I can play the "Am I being detained?" game all day long but I'm not going to in another country where I have a limited vocabulary.

 

Something else that comes to mind is that with my passport and a credit card, I can get back home in a crisis a lot quicker than having to run back to my lodging to get my passport, and there are a lot of potential crises that could happen when traveling abroad nowadays. 

 

 

Ever see the movie "No Escape" with Owen Wilson?  So scary!

[ninjacat123]

@marazul @euro cruiser @cruisemom42 Last minute questions. Does anyone ask to see a Covid shot card? Or is your passport all that's required? TIA!

[-Lew-]

29 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

@marazul @euro cruiser @cruisemom42 Last minute questions. Does anyone ask to see a Covid shot card? Or is your passport all that's required? TIA!

 

We arrived in Rome on October 1st.  No request to see our COVID VAX cards.

[cruisemom42]

51 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

@marazul @euro cruiser @cruisemom42 Last minute questions. Does anyone ask to see a Covid shot card? Or is your passport all that's required? TIA!

There is no longer any requirement to show your Covid vax status. I bring mine because I am compulsive since numbers are going up around the globe again. But I’ve been in Italy, Greece, Croatia and Slovenia so far (as well as boarding ship) and no one wanted to see it.

[ninjacat123]

3 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

There is no longer any requirement to show your Covid vax status. I bring mine because I am compulsive since numbers are going up around the globe again. But I’ve been in Italy, Greece, Croatia and Slovenia so far (as well as boarding ship) and no one wanted to see it.

We are bringing ours as well, I was just concerned because our last booster was over a year ago.  Thanks for the update!

[jsn55]

3 hours ago, Cooper30 said:

Their country, their rules.  I choose to go to their country so I will follow their rules. Italy wants everyone to carry a government issued ID?  Cool.  I'll carry my US passport.

 

Here in the USA I can play the "Am I being detained?" game all day long but I'm not going to in another country where I have a limited vocabulary.

 

Something else that comes to mind is that with my passport and a credit card, I can get back home in a crisis a lot quicker than having to run back to my lodging to get my passport, and there are a lot of potential crises that could happen when traveling abroad nowadays. 

 

There's nothing like that sinking feeling when you are stopped and reality hits ... law enforcement people don't communicate in English (rightfully so) and I don't speak their language.  Not a positive experience to just get ordered around with gestures and meekly wait until they're 'done and wave you on'.   Just read the rules before you travel ... their country, their rules.  What's the point of remaining stubborn and/or ignorant?

[slidergirl]

2 hours ago, ninjacat123 said:

We are bringing ours as well, I was just concerned because our last booster was over a year ago.  Thanks for the update!

My vax card is just inside my passport wallet, just like my yellow fever/malaria card.  Not a big deal to have it.