Passports, Dolphin Discovery, and Security

[ATCMickey]

Hi all,

 

Looking for input from anyone with direct experience...

 

We have an October cruise with a Cozumel stop. Getting off ship, getting own cab, and doing excursion on our own over to Dolphin Discovery at Chankanaab. All 4 of us (2 adults/2 kids) have our own passports. A couple (OK a bunch :-)) of quick questions if you would all be so kind:

 

1. Do you bring your passports with you when you leave the ship and go onto Cozumel?

 

2. Is it required to have your passports with you?

 

3. Does anyone check your passports going into/out of Cozumel?

 

At Dolphin Discovery:

 

4. I have heard they have lockers at Dolphin Discovery. Do you/would you feel safe using those lockers to hold your passports while everyone gets in the water?

 

5. Orrrr...do you/would you try to keep your passports with you while you do the Dolphin Interaction in some kind of waterproof holder? All of us will be getting wet so no-one else to hold them.

 

I don't want to be in Mexico without our passports if we need them for some reason...but I don't want to use a locker, have them get stolen, and then try to clean that mess up while on a time limited stop. Any thought or first hand experiences with what you've done while at Dolphin Discovery with your passports (while in the water) would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks a million,

 

ATCMickey

[MamaParrotHead]

Hi all,

 

Looking for input from anyone with direct experience...

 

We have an October cruise with a Cozumel stop. Getting off ship, getting own cab, and doing excursion on our own over to Dolphin Discovery at Chankanaab. All 4 of us (2 adults/2 kids) have our own passports. A couple (OK a bunch :-)) of quick questions if you would all be so kind:

 

1. Do you bring your passports with you when you leave the ship and go onto Cozumel? Yes, we did this time because we had the kids with us. last time, just a picture ID worked.

 

2. Is it required to have your passports with you? I do not believe so, as passports are technically still "optional".

 

3. Does anyone check your passports going into/out of Cozumel? no

 

At Dolphin Discovery:

 

4. I have heard they have lockers at Dolphin Discovery. Do you/would you feel safe using those lockers to hold your passports while everyone gets in the water? Yes. the lockers are secure and out in the open so you can easily see if anyone suspicious is lurking about.

 

5. Orrrr...do you/would you try to keep your passports with you while you do the Dolphin Interaction in some kind of waterproof holder? All of us will be getting wet so no-one else to hold them. No. It'd be a drag to have to mess with that when you pay so much to do the tour.

 

I don't want to be in Mexico without our passports if we need them for some reason...but I don't want to use a locker, have them get stolen, and then try to clean that mess up while on a time limited stop. Any thought or first hand experiences with what you've done while at Dolphin Discovery with your passports (while in the water) would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks a million,

 

ATCMickey

 

Chankanaab was very clean and organized. Not seedy with suspicious types lurking about. The lockers were very secure...like bus station lockers, with the keys that you take with you. I had no issues leaving all of our belongings there (cameras, passports, cash, credit cards) while we were doing the dolphin program.

[bptex]

Your sail and sign card gets you off and back on to the ship, no need to carry a passport. Lock it in your cabin safe and forget about it until you get back to the states. It's the American customs that care about who leaves and comes back, the Mexican side lets the cruise ships worry about it.

 

I carry my TX DL, a credit card and the S&S card in port.

[MamaParrotHead]

But you DO need some form of picture ID to get back into the pier area. Sign & Sail won't do for that, as the Mexican authorities don't have the same capabilities to slide the card and have your picture pop up.

[ATCMickey]

Thanks a million for your replies!