Take passport off ship or use safe?

If you are going to miss the boat, Security will remove you belongings, including items in your safe, and leave them with thr port agent

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They're probably still better than a photocopy or photo of your actual passport in terms of trying to get home.

Not at all. One would still have to visit a Consulate or Embassy and obtain a real Passport. While having a document like a Passport Card might help the embassy, their computer system is capable of pulling up records on any Passport holder. But the Passport must still be made (you will need a Passport photo), the fee paid, etc. And most US Consulates only do this stuff on regular workdays (M-F not including holidays).

Hank

The cruiseline knows who is on the ship and who is in danger of missing it or is missing it. They will send Security to your stateroom to gather your belongings including anything in the safe which is where your passport should be. There is very little chance that you will be left behind without it.....

They will ONLY check your safe for important documents such as passports. They will not search your stateroom or "gather your belongings". The passport is the only thing they look for, and will only look in the safe. If you left it in a drawer or bag, they will not look there. Instead, they will assume that if it is not in the safe, you have it with you.

All major cruise lines will search the safe for your passports if you are going to miss the ship. They would be foolhardy if they didn't do that due diligence to provide at least that minimum amount of assistance when you screw up and miss the ship.

If you are going to miss the boat, Security will remove you belongings, including items in your safe, and leave them with thr port agent.

No, not your belongings. Only your passports IF they are in your safe. They leave everything else undisturbed for liability reasons.

If one decides to leave one's passport in the cabin safe, make sure to take a government issued photo id ashore. It will most likely be needed to re-enter the cruise terminal. It may also be useful if asked for id by some official or when trying to use a credit card.

Copies of passport information pages are only useful as memory aids when applying for emergency travel documents at a consulate or embassy. They have no official standing.

They will ONLY check your safe for important documents such as passports. They will not search your stateroom or "gather your belongings". The passport is the only thing they look for, and will only look in the safe. If you left it in a drawer or bag, they will not look there. Instead, they will assume that if it is not in the safe, you have it with you.

 

All major cruise lines will search the safe for your passports if you are going to miss the ship. They would be foolhardy if they didn't do that due diligence to provide at least that minimum amount of assistance when you screw up and miss the ship.

 

 

 

No, not your belongings. Only your passports IF they are in your safe. They leave everything else undisturbed for liability reasons.

You are correct - I was thinking that if they find your wallet or purse or other ID, they would gather them but apparently only look for passport

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You are correct - I was thinking that if they find your wallet or purse or other ID, they would gather them but apparently only look for passport

 

 

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At a Q&A session with one of the ship's officers, the question of what they did when someone missed the ship was asked. The officer explained that a security person and one officer would open up the safe to search for any passports inside. If they were found, they would be turned over to the port rep to give to the late arriving passengers. They mentioned that they would not touch anything else in the room for liability reasons, even wallets or purses. He said that was to protect themselves from accusations of money or valuables having gone missing after being handled by ship staff.

Passport in the safe.

Photocopy ashore.

If one decides to leave one's passport in the cabin safe, make sure to take a government issued photo id ashore. It will most likely be needed to re-enter the cruise terminal. It may also be useful if asked for id by some official or when trying to use a credit card.

 

Copies of passport information pages are only useful as memory aids when applying for emergency travel documents at a consulate or embassy. They have no official standing.

We just returned from an 11 day cruise which included Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Greece and Malta. Some of the ports were very lax and only wanted to see our ship card. A couple of the ports wanted our actual passports - the paper copy was not sufficient. Just an FYI - they do not all require the same thing. I was glad we had decided to take our actual passports. Some people that did not and had to walk back to their cabins and retrieve them to disembark.

We just returned from an 11 day cruise which included Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Greece and Malta. Some of the ports were very lax and only wanted to see our ship card. A couple of the ports wanted our actual passports - the paper copy was not sufficient. Just an FYI - they do not all require the same thing. I was glad we had decided to take our actual passports. Some people that did not and had to walk back to their cabins and retrieve them to disembark.

In our experience, the information as to whether we'd need our actual passport, or if another ID (such as a driver's license) would do in "tomorrow's port" was announced at the show the night before and in the daily paper onboard.

Some lines, such as Seabourn, Silversea, Crystal, and others will even take your passport for cruises in the Caribbean and Alaska.

Not accurate. We were on Crystal in Canada in August & they didn't hold our passports. I doubt any line does in Canada as you need the passport (or a passport card) in Skagway if going up to the Yukon.

Windstar held our passports on a Mediterranean cruise (Portugal, Gibraltar & Spain). They said that if someone missed the ship, they would leave their passport with the port agent.

Now that I have a passport card, I generally carry that with me and leave my passport book in my hotel room or cabin unless I have plans that require the book. It won't get me on an international flight but at least it serves as identification. I travel a lot on business both domestically & internationally.

People have mentioned the risk of loss or theft, but there is also the risk of damage. A colleague who travels even more had his passport confiscated by a CBP agent when returning to the US between trips because the agent said it was too beat up to be valid. He was allowed to re-enter the US but missed his next trip. He had to go through the new passport process because he didn't have the old one to send in for renewal and that couldn't be done fast enough.

So, if you decide to carry your passport around with you, make sure to protect it from damage, wear & tear.

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Last time I renewed my passport, I also got the credit card sized version of the passport (for a small upcharge). I carry that off the ship with my credit card, some cash and my ship key card in a waterproof case that is just big enough for those items. Fits nicely in my pocket and attaches with a small caribeaner. Have drivers license, wallet, passport in the safe.

As has been mentioned, there are other times when you will need your passport.

Rentals, money exchange, etc.

Also, there are other things that can happen, other than missing the ship. You could get injured. You could witness a violent crime. You could run afoul of local law enforcement for any number of reasons.

Showing the passport will not stop things from happening, but may bet the Embassy/Consulate involved.

Personally, in most countries, I carry my passport with me.

Your choice. Passport can be replaced. Your time and sanity from a bad situation is lost forever.

.... Passport can be replaced. Your time and sanity from a bad situation is lost forever.

Same goes for "your time and sanity .... is lost forever" from losing your passport. Not sure why anyone's time and sanity is less important when replacing a lost or stolen passport than it would be when trying to rent a car? :rolleyes:

I leave mine in the safe. I can always make arrangements to retrieve it if a "bad situation" happens. That would be SOOOOO much easier than having to make arrangements to replace it if it is lost or stolen. And that doesn't even include any future repercussions that may occur when that out-of-your-control passport is used during a crime or other nefarious activity. I prefer to minimize any problems, not maximize them. :eek:

Not accurate. We were on Crystal in Canada in August & they didn't hold our passports. I doubt any line does in Canada as you need the passport (or a passport card) in Skagway if going up to the Yukon.

 

. . .

 

I can tell you from personal experience that both Regent and Silversea hold them in AK. If you want them for Skagway you pick them up that morning and return them that evening.

Before we leave home I take a picture of the info page of both our passports and store them on our iPhones. Once we are in our cabin , they go into the safe. Until then they are kept safe in a zippered pocket of my cargo pants.

The cruise line is usually very good about advising when a passport is needed. On our recent Celebrity cruise with ports in Japan, our passports were actually checked by Japanese officials in the terminal in some ports, and the crew at the gangway was reminding everyone that their passport was necessary to go ashore. I believe the crime rate in Japan is very low, so I never felt at risk of theft when we went ashore.

Unless it is a requirement like in Japan, my passport stays in the safe.

I'm aware that for many round-trip itineraries from American ports (including most Caribbean cruises) Americans aren't required to have a passport.

But for other itineraries, and for non-Americans, a passport is needed for returning home. If your passport is lost or stolen or badly damaged because you took it ashore, at the airport at the end of your cruise you'll have problems getting through passport control. Perhaps you'll even have problems leaving the ship.

I guess not being permitted to leave the ship at the end of your cruise isn't too onerous - you'd have to stay aboard for its next cruise while a new passport is sourced (I wish :D).

But being stuck at the port possibly for days while a new passport is arranged for your flight home isn't my idea of a fun time.

That's one further reason for not carrying your passport ashore at ports-of-call unless obliged to.

Each to their own comfort level, but at ports-of-call my passport stays in the cabin safe.

JB :)

I'm aware that for many round-trip itineraries from American ports (including most Caribbean cruises) Americans aren't required to have a passport.

But for other itineraries, and for non-Americans, a passport is needed for returning home. If your passport is lost or stolen or badly damaged because you took it ashore, at the airport at the end of your cruise you'll have problems getting through passport control. Perhaps you'll even have problems leaving the ship.

 

I guess not being permitted to leave the ship at the end of your cruise isn't too onerous - you'd have to stay aboard for its next cruise while a new passport is sourced (I wish :D).

But being stuck at the port possibly for days while a new passport is arranged for your flight home isn't my idea of a fun time.

 

That's one further reason for not carrying your passport ashore at ports-of-call unless obliged to.

 

Each to their own comfort level, but at ports-of-call my passport stays in the cabin safe.

 

JB :)

So on a British Isles cruise, including Le Havre, do we need our passports off the ship? Just one of the questions I haven't asked yet. :)

Sandi

So on a British Isles cruise, including Le Havre, do we need our passports off the ship? Just one of the questions I haven't asked yet. :)

 

Sandi

On our recent transatlantic, we did not need the passport for Southampton shore excursions [immigration completed onboard during the eastbound crossing] - but we did need to bring them on shore excursions at LeHarve. The passport was checked and stamped both entering and exiting France.

There was a bit of a backlog when reboarding, as there were only two passport stations. Four busloads took almost an hour from arrival at the terminal to stamped passports.

On our recent transatlantic, we did not need the passport for Southampton shore excursions [immigration completed onboard during the eastbound crossing] - but we did need to bring them on shore excursions at LeHarve. The passport was checked and stamped both entering and exiting France.

Thank you. We will be doing 6 days in London (US passports) before going to Southampton, then hitting Guernsey, Ireland, Scotland, Northern Ireland and then Le Havre before getting back to Southampton.

So maybe only need passports off the ship in France?

On our recent transatlantic, we did not need the passport for Southampton shore excursions [immigration completed onboard during the eastbound crossing] - but we did need to bring them on shore excursions at LeHarve. The passport was checked and stamped both entering and exiting France.

 

There was a bit of a backlog when reboarding, as there were only two passport stations. Four busloads took almost an hour from arrival at the terminal to stamped passports.

What did you carry as id in place of the passport?

Thank you. We will be doing 6 days in London (US passports) before going to Southampton, then hitting Guernsey, Ireland, Scotland, Northern Ireland and then Le Havre before getting back to Southampton.

 

So maybe only need passports off the ship in France?

Pay attention to the daily newsletter on your ship. It will tell you when you MUST take them ashore with you.

Pay attention to the daily newsletter on your ship. It will tell you when you MUST take them ashore with you.

The daily newsletter for NCL recommended passports daily - but when they were required they announced them over the intercom before debarkation. Of course there were always those people that did not listen and had to turn back and retrieve their passports. A sign was posted at the port area informing us they would be needed to return to the ship. We saw this twice on our recent cruise. I don't recall seeing it at all seven years ago on a similar itinerary. I do think the ports in many areas are stiffening security - which is a good thing.

What did you carry as id in place of the passport?

In France, carried the passport for the rest of the day - would need to go through passport control again when returning to the ship.

In England, I had my driver's license - as a just in case. We were on a ship's excursion, so all that was needed was the ship's id card. I'm assuming that if returning to the port independently, there would be the need of some sort of photo ID to confirm a match for the ship's ID card [no access to the shipboard photo database]

Same goes for "your time and sanity .... is lost forever" from losing your passport. Not sure why anyone's time and sanity is less important when replacing a lost or stolen passport than it would be when trying to rent a car? :rolleyes:

 

I leave mine in the safe. I can always make arrangements to retrieve it if a "bad situation" happens. That would be SOOOOO much easier than having to make arrangements to replace it if it is lost or stolen. And that doesn't even include any future repercussions that may occur when that out-of-your-control passport is used during a crime or other nefarious activity. I prefer to minimize any problems, not maximize them. :eek:

And in some countries, you could be stopped and questioned by law enforcement, just because. I would rather have my US passport with me to request calling the Embassy.

To each his own. Replacing a passport is not that hard.

You do it your way, and I will do it mine.

And in over 25 years of doing a lot of international travel, to 138 countries right now (140 by the end of the year), I have never lost my passport or had it stolen.