Passport Safety

What's the safest way to protect my passport while traveling. It seems a while back I read something about making a copy of it? Anyone have any insights or tips. Thanks!

Yes, you should make at least one copy and carry it separately from your passport. It is also recommended to leave a copy of it with a friend at home. As for a safe place to carry your passport, I carry mine in my purse and my husband has a passport carrier that he wears around his neck with his passport in it. Once on the ship, I put the passports in the safe.

I know this might sound paranoid:rolleyes: to some, but my wife and I carry our own passports and a copy of the other ones. Once we get onto the ship, the passports go into the safe :D and we carry the copies when we go ashore.

Thanks! I don't think you're paranoid; better safe then sorry.

Not me. If I'm on foreign soil, my passport is with me. I do put a copy in my cabin safe. I've heard that some foreign countries won't accept 'copies', so if you have a problem in that country, you're just up a creek.:eek:

Agree with you Cotton, that's what they are for, identification in a foreign country and re-entry into the US.

Great to hear it Cotton & cruzincurt! I was beginning to think I was the only one with this peeve. Like I've posted elsewhere on C/C about this subject. Do people carry copies of their Driver's License and Credit Cards, instead of the originals? Try buying something with a copy of your Credit Card or try cashing a Traveler's Check with a Passport copy. Thanks!

To answer the original question, a hidden pouch/bag inside your clothing is usually the best protection, along with your $$$. There are good one out there.

I agree. Carry the original anytime you are on foreign soil. Leave a copy in your room safe and another copy at home.

Someone suggested posting a copy of your passport on your email account, so if you ever need it - you just open your email and get it - from anywhere. However, you must have an email account that is accessible from any computer for this to work.

I e mail a copy of our passports to my Yahoo mail account. Can reach that from anywhere.

For the last fourteen years, my wife and I have spent at least three months every year in the Caribbean.

Rarely does a year go by without meeting, or hearing of, a poor sole that somehow missed his ship and was unable to secure transport to the next port without a passport.

In most non-American Caribbean islands, you will not be able to get a flight out without a valid passport. A copy is simply useless.

The only thing a copy accomplishes is speeding-up the replacement process by a day.

Also, the ships’ requirement of holding passports of non-USA passengers certainly seems to put them at risk under certain circumstances. Yes, the Purser will stipulate (fax) to it’s representative on the island that you do have a passport in the ship’s safe, but depending on the time and day that the passport is needed, delays are likely.

Replacement passports are not available on every Caribbean island. The island must have a U.S. Embassy or agent thereof to help you. Add another day or two if you have to do the replacement via fax/phone.

So, if you do decide to only carry a copy and get stranded, please also keep the name and number of your carrier’s shore-side representative and call/go directly there.

Sounds like fun to spend a few extra days under the palm trees, but it is stressful and expensive.

As you pointed out, know who the shore-side ship's agent is; they are always listed in the daily newsletter.

I e mail a copy of our passports to my Yahoo mail account. Can reach that from anywhere.

That's something that I would never do. Some meathead was able to get into my account some how and was able to mess things up pretty bad. Found out later that the meathead used some kind of dictonary attack on my account.

Real sensitive stuff would never go into this box. Now this box is pretty tightened up and only way something would mess up is if I didn't follow safe Hex.

I do make a photo copy of the passport, DL, And CC cards. Leave copies at home, and bring copies with me when I cruise.

Some meathead was able to get into my account some how and was able to mess things up pretty bad.

Oh well - posting my passport on my email account sounded like a good idea - but...

Guess I do it just the opposite. I leave the originals in the safe and take the copy with me, as I usually do beach/snorkelling/Scuba. If it were my first few cruises, though, I'd keep the original with me in a water wallet.

Oh well - posting my passport on my email account sounded like a good idea - but...

I was the one who has my passport scanned into my email and posted about it. However, my email is an Earthlink account, which can be accessed from anywhere and is password protected. You definitely would not want to post it to a Hotmail or Yahoo account. Check with your ISP. Some providers (AOL and Earthlink) I know can be accessed from anywhere).

I was the one who has my passport scanned into my email and posted about it. However, my email is an Earthlink account, which can be accessed from anywhere and is password protected. You definitely would not want to post it to a Hotmail or Yahoo account. Check with your ISP. Some providers (AOL and Earthlink) I know can be accessed from anywhere).

I had my AOL account hacked into and used. I don't think there is a totally safe account anywhere!

June

I had my AOL account hacked into and used. I don't think there is a totally safe account anywhere!

 

June

Please reread my post. I DID NOT say AOL was unable to be hacked. I DID say you could access AOL from anywhere in the world. A simple firewall (some for free) would prevent most hacks. And allow you to use your AOL account anywhere in the world, with relative safety.

I am NOT technologically sophisticated, but I sure value my computer safety. I run a fairly large business, with 24 computers and 38 Quaalcom units connected to the company network. With Norton, Zone Alarm, and 3 anti spyware programs, knock on wood, I have NEVER had a virus or hacker attack. I also have all this on my laptop and have never had a problem. I feel very safe emailing my passport info to me, via a secure email account.

I had my AOL account hacked. Someone used it to send thousands of spam emails and AOL shut me down. After discerning that I was not the one who used the account to do that, they let me back on.

When someone mentioned posting your passport on your email account was not a good idea - I remembered being hacked.

And yes, I had a fully operating firewall - security program running - I had frequently changed my AOL password - etc. etc. etc.

So sad - if only those hackers would use their skills for "good" - how far would they get? :mad:

So, I've changed my mind about posting my passport info - and will do it the old fashioned way - providing my BIL with a copy of my passport info.

I had my AOL account hacked. Someone used it to send thousands of spam emails and AOL shut me down. After discerning that I was not the one who used the account to do that' date=' they let me back on.[/quote']

 

Yep, that's what happened to me. I was floating around in the baltic somewhere's when I tried to log onto my aol account. Wasn't able to gain access to the account till I got back from the cruise. Called up aol and found out someone cracked my PW and sent a ton of spam from it until it was closed down. Meathead from aol told me that I shouldn't give out my PW, yada-yada. Told the jerk I was in europe at the time of the hack. But he had no reply from the scripts that aol gives them to read.

 

And yes, I had a fully operating firewall - security program running

 

Same here. Plus, a good AV and TS. But if someone is able do a dictonary attack on SN's or finds an URL with SN's and PW's there is nothing that you can do.

 

I do a google search on all my screennames every once in a while to check to see if anything ever comes up that I am not aware of in their use.

We are so lazy with our passwords - using the same ones - using real words

Better to mix letters and numbers - such as - 64xv399li356qf - but then who can easily remember that mess? - and what if you want to change passwords frequently? Our poor brains can only hold so much data before it "fries."

Hmmm, Could it be that someone installed a key stroke logger on the computer on the ship? I would not access any account of value that needed a password from a public ship's computers or an internet cafe at the port. That's just asking for trouble. When this "hacking" occured, had you accessed your account from other than your home computer?

Be sure to at least erase the cache and cookies when you log off that foreign computer. When this was discussed on the HAL board, someone said that the internet manager on the ship took good care of computer security, or do they?

We always carry a certified copy of our birth certificates in a different location than our passports. Some countries will accept a BC, as will most cruises currently. Carry copies of passports ashore along with BC.

Hmmm, Could it be that someone installed a key stroke logger on the computer on the ship?

Only person I've seen that has access to the CPUs in the internet cafes on the ships that I have been on has been the Manager in charge of the area. The computers "CPUs" are all locked up with the manager have the only access. And the managers computer is locked up pretty tight.

I would not access any account of value that needed a password from a public ship's computers or an internet cafe at the port.

Nor would I. :) Not using safe Hex that way. <G>

When this "hacking" occured, had you accessed your account from other than your home computer?

In my case it happened after I was a week into the cruise that I was on. Ether my SN and PW was on some script kiddie board or they used a dictonary attack trying to get my PW.

Be sure to at least erase the cache and cookies when you log off that foreign computer.

I never thought in trying that during a cruise. I'll give it a try next cruise. :)

someone said that the internet manager on the ship took good care of computer security, or do they?

I always bring up online security stuff to the internet manager when I first go to the internet cafe. f they look at me funny, I'm extra careful. LOL