Photo Copy of Passport When Leaving Ship Versus Actual Passport

[Ardy53]

...

One point about Barcelona....it is known that pickpocketing is a problem there so do be careful from the moment you leave the plane - although remember you'll need your passport out (not in a hidden pocket) to both clear immigration on arrival and to check into a pre-cruise hotel. We've never had a problem in Barcelona nor have we met anyone personally who has, but we have read stories...

 

We had a pickpocket situation in Barcelona, where our guide warned us continuously to be careful. As we were walking in a group of about 20 through the gothic quarter, a woman had her purse snatched out of her open bag, which was hanging from her neck in front of her. Someone spotted it, and smacked it out of the pickpockets hand, who then ran away. The woman was shocked, and alerted everyone to what had happened.

 

But, 5 minutes later, we watched her continuing to walk with her handbag open and inviting someone else to try lift her purse. Some people are just fools, I guess!!

 

Roy

[TWELVEOHONE]

A photo copy of a passport is NOT a legal document showing your citizenship. Like some have said it sometimes works and sometimes not.

I would not take the chance.

 

I have travelled internationally and would never go without my passport, don't want or need the problems that can come up

 

Always make two photo copies of the front page(s) of your passport. This is the page(s) with your picture and all pertanent information.

Take one copy with you but do not keep with original passport.

Give second copy to a friend or relative at home

 

If your passport is stolen or lost you will have a copy with you that makes it much easier for the embassey to issue an emergency replacement.

If you lose or destroyed teh copy (fire, wet, luggage stolen, etc) you can get your friend or realtive at home to fax the embassey or you a copy.

[Lsimon]

...Always make two photo copies of the front page(s) of your passport. This is the page(s) with your picture and all pertanent information.

Take one copy with you but do not keep with original passport.

Give second copy to a friend or relative at home

 

If your passport is stolen or lost you will have a copy with you that makes it much easier for the embassey to issue an emergency replacement.

If you lose or destroyed teh copy (fire, wet, luggage stolen, etc) you can get your friend or realtive at home to fax the embassey or you a copy.

 

We take a photo copy and keep it in a seperate place from our original. But before leaving on a trip I scan my passport and other documents, like the back of credit cards with numbers for reporting lost cards, into a password protected file and email it to myself. That way I can access the file for copies by reading my email from any computer. I password protect the file using Adobe Acrobat so the files are encrypted and secure even if someone intercepts my email.

[ChevyCruiser]

1.) When we sailed on the Quest to the Panama Canal...I believe we had to turn in our passports' date=' same in the Med. on Oceania. In the 1 country thet required them...we had them returned for the time on shore, and then were collected again.

 

2.) Again on the Quest last year...we HAD a photo ID [b']as [/b]our seapass...they took your photo as you boarded, and put them on the card just as they do at Costco or your Motor Vehicle Dept. In that case I don't know if it's required to carry another one? But we carry the copies of our passports anytime onshore.

 

I wonder why the ship would want to collect passports and I also wonder how smart it is to turn your passport over to someone else to store for you?

 

I asked the US State Department about surrendering a passport to a hotel clerk to hold and here's the response I received:

 

Thank you for contacting the National Passport Information Center.

 

No one should be surrendering their passport to any hotel clerk personnel. If you have any further questions, please call the toll free number listed below.

 

For further information, please refer to our website www.travel.state.gov or call (877) 487-2778, for TDD/TTY users 1-888-874-7793 (Mon-Fri 8:00AM to 10:00PM ET; excluding federal holidays). If you need to contact us again by email, please include all prior messages/correspondence in your reply so we can review what has previously taken place.

Thank you.

National Passport Information Center

Agent # 2519

Seems like this would apply to a ships purser also.

[negc]

The above poster makes a lot of sense overall, but for the Caribbean...

 

In the Caribbean we almost always are going swimming at the beach at one point or another. I try not to take anything to the beach that has any value that I can't carry with me into the water and I would definitely not feel comfortable leaving my passport back in my beach bag while I'm snorkeling.

I understand your reluctance to take anything of value to the beach but what do you do with your wallet when you are in the water? If you carry it in some sort of waterproof bag, wouldn't the passport be equally safe? If not how do you protect your ID and any other valuables that you have on you? A copy of your passport will be helpful if you need to go to the embassy and get a replacement but otherwise it will not serve as a substitute for the actual thing. If I miss the ship I am not going to feel especially relieved to know that my passport is safely ensconced in my stateroom safe.:)

[Denny01]

Interesting discussion weighing options of carrying original or copy. I'd read an article a while ago that stated a number of reasons to carry a copy versus the original:

- Port authorities recognize a copy as sufficient ID along with the ship ID to leave/return. My experience of using a copy supports this.

- If you miss the ship, most carribean and European countries do not require a passport to leave/enter. There aren't 'borders' in the EU. Also, if you miss the ship, you'll go to the ship POC in port with your copy and they will assist you.

- If you requre an original, you can get one less than 48hrs if you have your copy. US Embassys and Offices in smaller towns can issue temporaries same day if you have a copy with the passport number.

- If you take your original ashore and lose it for whatever reason, you'll have a challenge getting it replaced since the port stay may not be enough time. But the article did say the ship would assist and a temporary could be waiting at the next port with US authorities there.

- Most people don't travel completely alone and if someone got ill or injured, the travel mates usually got aboard to obtain personal items and paperwork.

 

It recommended to carry a passport copy for most ports and the ship would let you know if an original was recommended for a specific port. A copy suffices for normal ID requirements and there was more of a hassle if you lost the original.

 

Just another input.

 

Denny

[Napi's Mom]

I again state....your passport is worth far more on the Black market than is any credit card etc. if you have it onshore they are more able to "lift " it off of you, so losing it is not the main consideration. Your passport can be altered and used by ANYONE, as all the really look at is gender and photo when using it! YES I realize those of you who only do Carib. cruises probably don't have worries, but elsewhere in this world that passport is worth a great deal...think about those who might want a valid passport and can't get one???? Paranoid....years ago you might say this, but now???

 

I don't agree that the ships purser is anything like a concierge at a hotel, and also again...it help facilitate getting all the passengers ashore in a timely manner in some countries that really check them carefully (As some middle eastern nations do), they come aboard early and spend the wee hrs of the day checking those passports. even so...in Egypt they actually looked at us closely to be sure it WAS the same person, then returned our passport to us as we did need it ashore, after-- Oceania collected them again (for Turkey I think...another paranoid country!) it's not your parents world out there anymore . I HATE being this way---but there it is!!!

[kitty9]

I know that on Regent and Crystal, if you don't hand your passport over to the purser, you don't get on the ship. Someone checking in for the cruise in front of me put up a big fuss and was told that if he and his wife didn't want to give them their passports, they could not be accommodated on the cruise. So, take from that whatever.

[pcur]

We take a photo copy and keep it in a seperate place from our original. But before leaving on a trip I scan my passport and other documents, like the back of credit cards with numbers for reporting lost cards, into a password protected file and email it to myself. That way I can access the file for copies by reading my email from any computer. I password protect the file using Adobe Acrobat so the files are encrypted and secure even if someone intercepts my email.

 

I forgot: I did this, too. A great idea I got from these boards.

[ECCruise]

I know that on Regent and Crystal, if you don't hand your passport over to the purser, you don't get on the ship. Someone checking in for the cruise in front of me put up a big fuss and was told that if he and his wife didn't want to give them their passports, they could not be accommodated on the cruise. So, take from that whatever.

 

Couldn't agree more. We've been on numerous cruises where there is no option...you simply are not going to have possession of your passport...so those who are saying that they never leave the ship without their passport aren't going to have that option. You won't be boarding at your port of embarkation so no need to worry about shore trips. Just got off the Diamond Princess 32 days Alaska to Bangkok and I think we had our passports in hand maybe 4 days...the rest of the time the ship (or Chinese or Japanese or Russian authorities) had them.

[pcur]

Couldn't agree more. We've been on numerous cruises where there is no option...you simply are not going to have possession of your passport...so those who are saying that they never leave the ship without their passport aren't going to have that option. You won't be boarding at your port of embarkation so no need to worry about shore trips. Just got off the Diamond Princess 32 days Alaska to Bangkok and I think we had our passports in hand maybe 4 days...the rest of the time the ship (or Chinese or Japanese or Russian authorities) had them.

 

OK, I believe the posters here who support taking your passport with you were referring to WHEN YOU HAVE IT IN YOUR POSSESSION. Of course, if it's taken by the ship's authorities you take the copy off the ship with you. Yes, it's happened on a few cruises in a few coutries to us, also.

 

So, the caveat is "if you have the choice" then I advocate taking it with you for the reasons I've mentioned above.

[ChevyCruiser]

I know that on Regent and Crystal, if you don't hand your passport over to the purser, you don't get on the ship. Someone checking in for the cruise in front of me put up a big fuss and was told that if he and his wife didn't want to give them their passports, they could not be accommodated on the cruise. So, take from that whatever.

 

I still don't understand why it would be necessary for a ship's purser to "confiscate" your passport before you are allowed to board?

[Nutrioso]

The ship's purser would keep passports in an effort to streamline arrival in certain countries. It would take an enormous amount of time (wasted shore time) to have every individual passenger present their own passport to the arrival country's customs people. When that country agrees, the purser can present all the passports to the customs folks at once, have them examine them and make their required lists, and then return them to the purser. I have observed that the purser's office has a representative there during the whole process to ensure that no passport comes up "missing".

---- Pennt

[Ferrets]

If something should happen and you get stranded in a foreign country, how far will your copy of a passport get you? Probably just as far as a photocopy of your money or your credit cards;).

 

I used to carry photocopies of my money, but I don't do it any more, since they got stolen. :D :D :D