Port of Call Emergencies Kit - Balance of Risk

[Choinski]

Not that I EVER EVER EVER plan to miss the boat, but what is the bare minimum of items one should take during a port of call? Ever aware of Murphy's Law, should one be fully prepared to fly to the next port? That would mean Passport, Credit Cards, phone, a day extra of medication? Or am I just begging to be a juicy target for a pickpocket? (PS - I'll be in the Eastern Mediterranean)

[CtheW0rld]

Not that I EVER EVER EVER plan to miss the boat, but what is the bare minimum of items one should take during a port of call? Ever aware of Murphy's Law, should one be fully prepared to fly to the next port? That would mean Passport, Credit Cards, phone, a day extra of medication? Or am I just begging to be a juicy target for a pickpocket? (PS - I'll be in the Eastern Mediterranean)

 

some countries require that you carry your original passport. i don't when it is not required. i take a copy. in the unlikely event i have to replace it, a copy will expediate the process.

 

to fend off pickpockets, i safety pin shut the pocket of my trousers. they have never gotten me yet.

[jtl513]

That would mean Passport, Credit Cards, phone, a day extra of medication? Or am I just begging to be a juicy target for a pickpocket? (PS - I'll be in the Eastern Mediterranean)

My phone doesn't work out of the country, but I bring the rest with me when I'm out of the country. In the East Med it will be in my money belt.

[NMLady]

Not that I EVER EVER EVER plan to miss the boat, but what is the bare minimum of items one should take during a port of call? Ever aware of Murphy's Law, should one be fully prepared to fly to the next port? That would mean Passport, Credit Cards, phone, a day extra of medication? Or am I just begging to be a juicy target for a pickpocket? (PS - I'll be in the Eastern Mediterranean)

 

I don't worry about missing the boat so I never take my passport ashore with me, just my photocopy of it. I do take a credit card, id, and some money. My husband carries a different credit card so that if one is lost or stolen we still have one to use.

 

I think the most important thing to take with you is the information of where to reach the ship's agent in port. That is always printed in the ship's newsletter for each port. Take that since the agent will help with any problems.

 

Be aware of your surroundings. Have your credit card hidden away as well as most of your cash but have some cash easily reachable for buying souvenirs and/or snacks. Never wear expensive jewelry. If you take a purse keep it close to you or even better have a shoulder one that will reach across your chest.

 

Have FUN and don't worry.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I always just take our driver's licenses, color copy of our passports, credit card and of course some cash.

 

You can always get a new passport at the American Embassy -- had friends that went through this process in Italy when their passports were stolen.

 

Yes -- I always take an extra day of DH's off the ship whenever we tender.

[jtl513]

You can always get a new passport at the American Embassy --

IF there is an embassy in the port.

[sapper1]

I solved my husband's "bulky wallet in the front pocket" dilemma by buying a great little lightweight fabric wallet in a travel store. It has a loop which fastens over his belt and then tucks down inside his pants out of sight and reach. It has a zipper area for cash and the credit cards are firmly held in place with a velcro strap. He carries his life in his wallet but I made him pare down to the bare necessities and the wallet is not noticeable anymore.

 

We take our passports in a money belt and I also add my credit card to the money belt. I carry a traveller's purse over my shoulder cross wise and just have a small amount of easily reachable cash in that.

 

I leave a second credit card in the safe aboard ship so we will always have a backup should something happen to the cards we take ashore.

 

As mentioned before, lose the bling----leave it in your safe. For some ports I also have a cheap wristwatch that I wear and then leave the good one in the ship's safe. If anyone wants to relieve me of a $20 wristwatch they are welcome to it.

 

The cellphone is for emergencies and I carry it in the purse. However it is password protected and of little use to anyone should they manage to steal it. After 10 incorrect password entries, all data in the phone will self destruct as well.

 

We live in an area where we don't have to give a second thought to security other than maybe locking our doors and a lot of people don't even bother to do that. It is hard to get in to the habit of always checking our surroundings as it is something that we never have to think about here.

[sail7seas]

IF there is an embassy in the port.

 

 

Even better if there is a Consulate. Isn't that where U.S. passports are issued for travelers?

 

Does every U.S. Embassy have a Consulate? Is there ever a U.S. Consulate without an Embassy? I'm not being smart..... I'm really interested if anyone has the answer.

[K&RCurt]

Quite often there is a Consulate where there is no Embassy.

 

It is my understanding that each country has ONE Embassy in the Capitol city of the other country. If a presence is needed in other cities there would be a Consulate. The folks in the Consolates report to the Ambassador's Staff in the Embassy.

[fann1sh]

Of the 2 schools of thought ("take? leave?") I believe in taking my passport with me. I don't want to provoke (another) endless debate, but I once got stranded in Mestre when our train went ahead because my travel companions were stretching their legs. We quickly caught up in Venice via a commuter train, but we were glad to have had our passport with us.

[sail7seas]

Quite often there is a Consulate where there is no Embassy.

 

It is my understanding that each country has ONE Embassy in the Capitol city of the other country. If a presence is needed in other cities there would be a Consulate. The folks in the Consolates report to the Ambassador's Staff in the Embassy.

 

 

Thank you, K&R.

 

Is it the Consulates that issue passports or the Embassy or both?

[serendipity1499]

We always take the name, phone number & address of the ship's Port Agent..

It actually depends on the ports we are visiting....I leave all of my good Jewelry including my engagement ring & earrings, in the cabin safe, especially where we know pick pockets are proliferating..I'll wear only costume jewelry in many ports..

We take a color photocopy of our passports & leave the original in the safe..DH takes his CapitalOne Credit Card & I take my CapitalOne card..They are two different accounts, so if one is stolen we have the other one..We also take the Phone Numbers of the Credit Card Companys to report lost or stolen cards..We leave our Main Credit Card in the cabin safe..We each carry a little bit of cash & one travelers check in our fanny packs or pockets with our ships card..Sometimes I'll wear a purse across my body..

Have never thought about taking extra Meds, but it's an excellent idea..

We're also very careful about getting back to the ship at least an hour or two before departure, unless we're on a HAL tour..!

Cheers....:)Betty

[serendipity1499]

Thank you, K&R.

 

Is it the Consulates that issue passports or the Embassy or both?

 

In some places there is only an an Embassy & the Consular officer would have an office in that Embassy...In big cities like Paris, they probably would have a seperate Consular Office..

This is from the U.Sl Dept of State WEB site: http://travel.state.gov/passport/lost/lost_849.html

Quote For Lost or stolen passports Overseas, please contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate Unquote

An AARP video explains how to get a replacement abroad..

 

http://www.aarp.org/leisure/travel/articles/video_greenberg_passport.html?CMP=KNC-360I-GOOGLE-LEI-TRV&HBX_OU=50&HBX_PK=lost_passport&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=lost%2Bpassport&utm_campaign=AARP%2BTravel

Cheers...:)Betty

[serendipity1499]

Thank you, K&R.

 

Is it the Consulates that issue passports or the Embassy or both?

 

Sorry forgot to mention that the answer is actually both the Embassy or the Consulater can reissue Passports..In some cases it's only until your present travel is completed & you return to the U.S. such as In the Bahamas the Embassy issues new passports..

http://nassau.usembassy.gov/passports.html

Quote

The U.S. Embassy in Nassau can issue passports for urgent, emergency travel during working hours. However, such passports will be limited in validity, and cannot be extended. Bearers will be required to exchange, at no additional cost, their limited-validity passports for a full-validity digitized passport upon completion of their urgent travel. etc.

 

You will need to bring 2 passport quality photos and $100.00 for the fee payable in cash or certified check. You will need to complete 2 forms: Form DS-64 "Statement Regarding Lost or Stolen Passport", and DS-11 "Application for U.S. Passport". More information about Lost and Stolen passports, passport forms and photo specifications is available at the link to your right. unquote

 

Cheers......:)Betty

[RuthC]

Have never thought about taking extra Meds, but it's an excellent idea..

Along with that, you should always carry a list of your medications, with dosages. If you don't take meds, then a statement to that effect should be carried. And a statement noting what meds you're allergic to, or that you're not allergic to any meds.

You never know when you'll need emergency medical attention, and that's one of the first things those tending to you will want to know.

[jtl513]

If you're curious about the locations of US Embassies, Consulates, and Diplomatic Missions worldwide, a list can be found here: http://www.usembassy.gov/

 

On our next cruise (East Med) only Piraeus/Athens and Istanbul have them, so if our ship sailed off without us but with our passports in our room safe in any of the other 6 ports, it could be a real hassle getting a replacement.

[Bill S]

If the ship has not taken possession of our passports, we always carry them with us, in a secure, inside pocket. I figure that if our passports are in the cabin safe, they are not going to help us if we are stranded. I'd rather not go through the hassle of getting new ones through a consulate. We do keep copies in the cabin, however.

Also, while on our recent New Zealand cruise, our tablemates were almost denied entry to the pier in one port because they had only copies of their passports. As security tightens in various ports, a passport may become a necessity to regain access to the pier.

We also always carry the port information flyer that HAL distributes to us because it contains the information about the port agent.

So far we have not had to contact a port agent anwhere and hope to keep that record intact. :)

[Bill S]

We would rather have our passports with us whenever we are off the ship. We figure that if something happens while ashore causing us to miss the ship, our passports will do us no good if they are in the cabin safe. Also, on our recent New Zealand cruise our tablemates were almost denied access to the pier when returning to the ship because they had only copies of their passports.

Also, we always take the port information flyer that HAL distributes because it contains the port agent information.

So far we have not needed to contact a port agent, and aim to keep that record intact. :)

[sail7seas]

On our next cruise (East Med) only Piraeus/Athens and Istanbul have them, so if our ship sailed off without us but with our passports in our room safe in any of the other 6 ports, it could be a real hassle getting a replacement.

 

 

I have heard that in the event the ship is leaving and they know they have left guests ashore, they send security to check cabin safe to look for passports. If found, the passports are given to Port Agent who will give them to the guest when they make themselves known to Port Agent.

 

ALWAYS bring Port Agent contact info with you whenever/wherever you leave the ship. That is important info to have.

[serendipity1499]

Along with that, you should always carry a list of your medications, with dosages. If you don't take meds, then a statement to that effect should be carried. And a statement noting what meds you're allergic to, or that you're not allergic to any meds.

You never know when you'll need emergency medical attention, and that's one of the first things those tending to you will want to know.

 

Agree...We always carry our Med lists w/dosages in our wallets...Those lists include allergies & previous hospitalizations...

A day's Meds is an excellent idea too, especially for DH who takes BP Meds..Just in case..

Cheers....:)Betty

[jtl513]

I have heard that in the event the ship is leaving and they know they have left guests ashore, they send security to check cabin safe to look for passports. If found, the passports are given to Port Agent who will give them to the guest when they make themselves known to Port Agent.

I've heard that too ... IF there is time to do so. I would still prefer to have ours with me, just in case I have trouble finding the Port Agent, possibly several/many hours after the ship has gone. If I have my passport, I may not even need to find him at all.

 

My belief is that passports are for the identification of people when they are out of their home country, and not just for re-entering their home country.

 

I don't know the answer to this, but does the US allow passengers (not crew) from foreign countries to come ashore and spend the day in our ports without carrying their passports?

[Boytjie]

IF there is an embassy in the port.

 

Aren't passports issued by consulates or embassies?

[funlovin'cruiser]

Aren't passports issued by consulates or embassies?

 

Yes, they are, but what the poster was stressing by stating "IF they have an embassy or cosulate" was that not all of the ports that HAL visits have an embassy or consulate to help them out if they need an emergency passport. Take for instance Santorini - the only embassy is in Athens and the only consulate for Greece is in Thessaloniki. Therefore, you might be stuck on the island without a passport.

 

As people are unlikely to want to carry their passport with them, has anyone tried out the new passport cards that slip into your wallet? I used mine to get back to Seattle from Vancouver during the Olympics. It's not the enhanced drivers license that we have here in Washington - it's a ID card-sized passport. Has anyone tried this outside of Canada or Mexico? The only thing that they do not have is (obviously) a place to stamp your entry visa :-) Do you think that leaving your passport in the safe and carrying the passport card would be OK?

[jtl513]

... the new passport cards that slip into your wallet?

 

Do you think that leaving your passport in the safe and carrying the passport card would be OK?

Those are only good for land or sea border crossings, and would not enable you to fly home from anywhere if you left the cruise prematurely for any reason. Better to leave the passport card in your safe and take your booklet passport with you.

[NMLady]

Yes' date=' they are, but what the poster was stressing by stating "IF they have an embassy or cosulate" was that not all of the ports that HAL visits have an embassy or consulate to help them out if they need an emergency passport. Take for instance Santorini - the only embassy is in Athens and the only consulate for Greece is in Thessaloniki. Therefore, you might be stuck on the island without a passport.

 

As people are unlikely to want to carry their passport with them, has anyone tried out the new passport cards that slip into your wallet? I used mine to get back to Seattle from Vancouver during the Olympics. It's not the enhanced drivers license that we have here in Washington - it's a ID card-sized passport. Has anyone tried this outside of Canada or Mexico? The only thing that they do not have is (obviously) a place to stamp your entry visa :-) Do you think that leaving your passport in the safe and carrying the passport card would be OK?[/quote']

 

 

That passport card is good only in the western hemisphere and is not good for flights, just for land or sea entry into the US, from a Western Hemisphere border (Canada or Mexico) or port (Canada, Mexico, Caribbean) so no good in Europe.