Passports while in port?

[Ocean Boy]

3 minutes ago, Tatka said:

We always carry our passports aside from private islands.

So do I.

[time4u2go]

50 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

So do I.

Me too. 

[cruiselvr04]

Passports stay in the safe unless required. They are not required anywhere in the Caribbean. We take our passport cards with us in port for ID and a credit card in case something unexpected happens. 
 

Other countries are different and have different rules. In the Caribbean all you need is photo ID in ports of call. And a watch set to ship time!

Edited April 17 by cruiselvr04

[c-leg5]

1 hour ago, cruiselvr04 said:

Other countries are different and have different rules. In the Caribbean all you need is photo ID in ports of call. And a watch set to ship time!

Unless you have an emergency and miss the ship.

[Tatka]

There are various situations when you may need it. Why chance it? This is our logic.

[prmssk]

38 minutes ago, c-leg5 said:

Unless you have an emergency and miss the ship.

Usually an officer or crew will retrieve your passport (and anything else you might need) from your cabin safe and leave it with the cruise contact at the port.  That said, I have heard some stories of where this doesn't happen which is why there are certain circumstances where we carry ours.

[island lady]

Your safe is the first place the officers will look for your passport before they leave without you.  Standard procedure.  They then hand to port officials before they pull gangway.  I have seen it happen several times.  

 

If you have your passport card with you in port...that will help as well.  Not always a sure bet if having to book flights...but better than a DL.  

 

Those of you that insist on having your passport in port would not want to be on the World Cruise (or the 3 week European river cruise we did last year).   They take your passport from you upon  boarding, keeping it in the ship's safe for officials to inspect at each country.  I now have quite a few stamps in my new passport that was not in my possession for weeks.   

[cruiselvr04]

4 minutes ago, prmssk said:

Usually an officer or crew will retrieve your passport (and anything else you might need) from your cabin safe and leave it with the cruise contact at the port.  That said, I have heard some stories of where this doesn't happen which is why there are certain circumstances where we carry ours.

We have watched Royal actually retrieve them and handed them off to the port agent.  I feel comfortable leaving them in the safe.  Especially in the Caribbean where we do not take long excursions or get too far from the port unless it’s through the ship. But do what makes you feel comfortable.  I would be more concerned leaving them in a bag on the beach.  We like to snorkel and swim and take all valuables into the water with us.  If passports get wet they will not be accepted. 

[island lady]

10 minutes ago, cruiselvr04 said:

We have watched Royal actually retrieve them and handed them off to the port agent.  I feel comfortable leaving them in the safe.  Especially in the Caribbean where we do not take long excursions or get too far from the port unless it’s through the ship. But do what makes you feel comfortable.  I would be more concerned leaving them in a bag on the beach.  We like to snorkel and swim and take all valuables into the water with us.  If passports get wet they will not be accepted. 

 

IMHO...this exactly ^.     

 

My DH had his back pack stolen in St. Maarten once many years ago.  Passport...poof.  😮   We have not carried them ever since.  

 

But to each their own.  😉 

[KarlK]

We always seem to cruise in a group of 7-10 folks. I think among our group ages 19-65 only 4 have passports. We only cruise the Caribbean, so that works. Those 4 never brings theirs on shore (I am told by them). It might be a good idea if you are on a Euro cruise I imagine.

[prmssk]

2 hours ago, cruiselvr04 said:

We have watched Royal actually retrieve them and handed them off to the port agent.  I feel comfortable leaving them in the safe.  Especially in the Caribbean where we do not take long excursions or get too far from the port unless it’s through the ship. But do what makes you feel comfortable.  I would be more concerned leaving them in a bag on the beach.  We like to snorkel and swim and take all valuables into the water with us.  If passports get wet they will not be accepted. 

I completely agree with water activities, especially close to the port.  Those are times we leave our passport in the safe.  We evaluate each port based on what we are doing, what country we are in, and how far away from the port we are going.  

[Tatka]

3 hours ago, island lady said:

 

IMHO...this exactly ^.     

 

My DH had his back pack stolen in St. Maarten once many years ago.  Passport...poof.  😮   We have not carried them ever since.  

 

But to each their own.  😉 

 

How was it stolen?

[wayne_trisha]

Passports stay in the safe but we carry a photo copy with us. Not really on this cruise for the OP but you are going to a foreign country usually. If something goes wrong your driver's license is not going to help.

[Ocean Boy]

7 minutes ago, wayne_trisha said:

Passports stay in the safe but we carry a photo copy with us. Not really on this cruise for the OP but you are going to a foreign country usually. If something goes wrong your driver's license is not going to help.

And a passport photocopy will get you what?

[Biker19]

5 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

And a passport photocopy will get you what?

Potentially easier/faster repatriation letter from the Embassy/Consulate when you fly home. 

[Ocean Boy]

4 hours ago, Biker19 said:

Potentially easier/faster repatriation letter from the Embassy/Consulate when you fly home. 

I'll get home faster with my passport. Sometimes the closest consulate or embassy isn't even in the same area as you.

 

What is a photocopy going to accomplish that a picture on your phone wouldn't?

[lovesthebeach2]

I wouldn’t be comfortable taking our passports with us off the ship, too many stories of theft and I  would need to carry them both because DH doesn’t take anything with him. We do have passport cards and in certain ports I take them with me.

[time4u2go]

1 hour ago, Ocean Boy said:

I'll get home faster with my passport. Sometimes the closest consulate or embassy isn't even in the same area as you.

This is very true. Not every island or location that a cruise visits has a consulate or embassy. 

[island lady]

13 hours ago, Tatka said:

 

How was it stolen?

 

Open air convertible on the small road up into the hills.  Guys on motorcycles grabbed it out of the back seat.  

[S.A.M.J.R.]

IMO, it comes down to which do you think is more likely to happen:

 

Something that would require showing the passport.  Aside from missing the ship, I assume this would be: getting arrested for something, maybe getting medical care, not sure what else.

 

OR

 

Having your passport lost/stolen.  

 

I haven't seen anything yet that has convinced me the former is more likely than the latter, so the passport stays in the safe.

[Biker19]

2 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

What is a photocopy going to accomplish that a picture on your phone wouldn't?

I don't think the poster was discussing the nature of the copy (paper or electronic) but just having that vs. a DL or something else.

Edited April 18 by Biker19

[Tatka]

3 hours ago, island lady said:

 

Open air convertible on the small road up into the hills.  Guys on motorcycles grabbed it out of the back seat.  

 

Sorry this happened.

[Tatka]

3 hours ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

IMO, it comes down to which do you think is more likely to happen:

 

Something that would require showing the passport.  Aside from missing the ship, I assume this would be: getting arrested for something, maybe getting medical care, not sure what else.

 

OR

 

Having your passport lost/stolen.  

 

I haven't seen anything yet that has convinced me the former is more likely than the latter, so the passport stays in the safe.

Exactly.

You never know when you need it.

 

I remember seeing a couple in Venice on vaparetto (water taxi) and local  police wanted to see their passports. In Germany suddenly they wanted to see our passports in casino. 🙂

[island lady]

1 hour ago, Tatka said:

 

Sorry this happened.

 

Thanks...it was a learning experience. 😮 

[island lady]

1 hour ago, Tatka said:

Exactly.

You never know when you need it.

 

I remember seeing a couple in Venice on vaparetto (water taxi) and local  police wanted to see their passports. In Germany suddenly they wanted to see our passports in casino. 🙂

 

Passport cards work there.  😉