May be a silly question... about Passports.

[hislove330]

Everywhere I read that as a precaution, you should always take your passport book on a closed-loop cruise in case you miss your ship or get stranded in a foreign country. But I also have read a great number of posts (a few by the same members) where they say they leave their passport book in the ship safe for excursions so they don't risk losing it or having it stolen.

 

Wouldn't that negate the point of bringing it on the closed-loop cruise in the first place? If it's on ship and you need to fly home for some reason, how would you do that?

 

I use these boards daily and LOVE them. I have learned so much valuable info... especially about travel documents. Thanks!

[Essiesmom]

This is a hot button topic on these boards. For me, I have had a passport for over 40 years and wouldn't leave home without it. As for the others...I suspect the rest of the world laughs at us, so paranoid at losing outr passports. If it is lost or stolen, it can be replaced. But if you need it and don't have it...EM

[Travelcat2]

Generally, I think of of an emergency situation when I would have to fly home to be one of the following:

 

1. Someone at home is ill or has passed away.

 

2. We have an accident or are ill.

 

In both cases, you need to make plane reservations to get home AND take your passport out of the safe.

 

Some people think about missing the ship. IMO, if someone is dumb enough to miss the ship, not having a passport is the least of their worries:rolleyes:

[BruceMuzz]

If you keep your passport in your cabin safe, it will not get lost, no matter what happens.

 

If you take a photocopy of your passport ashore with you, you will still be able to use the photocopy to get back through security on the pier. Many shops will accept a passport photocopy to cash travelers checks.

 

If you miss the ship for any reason - planned or otherwise - many ports now require the cruise line to furnish a passport before the passengers can be left behind.

 

If you have left the passport in your safe, everybody who needs to know where it is can get it for you. Ship Security will arrange to open your safe and retrieve your passport before the ship departs.

The passport will then be signed over to the port agent, who will be responsible for you, your passport, your visa, and your onward travel from that port.

 

If you choose to take your passport ashore with you, you gain nothing.

If it is lost, stolen, damaged, or misplaced, you are out of luck.

[hislove330]

Generally, I think of of an emergency situation when I would have to fly home to be one of the following:

 

1. Someone at home is ill or has passed away.

 

2. We have an accident or are ill.

 

In both cases, you need to make plane reservations to get home AND take your passport out of the safe.

 

Some people think about missing the ship. IMO, if someone is dumb enough to miss the ship, not having a passport is the least of their worries:rolleyes:

 

What if you get ill or hurt on an excursion? Will there be someone to go get the passport for you? I guess in most cases, yes.... but then there is the what ifs again.

[hislove330]

This is a hot button topic on these boards. For me, I have had a passport for over 40 years and wouldn't leave home without it. As for the others...I suspect the rest of the world laughs at us, so paranoid at losing outr passports. If it is lost or stolen, it can be replaced. But if you need it and don't have it...EM

 

Yeah, I don't want anyone to argue, that's for sure... but it was one of those things that made me go, "hmmmmmm". So you take your passport on excursions or off the ship at ports?

[hislove330]

If you miss the ship for any reason - planned or otherwise - many ports now require the cruise line to furnish a passport before the passengers can be left behind.

 

All good info... thanks! The quote above struck me. That is one thing I haven't heard before. Bare with me... so even if you take a non-cruiseline excursion (private company or go on your own), the port will not let the cruiseship leave port without leaving a passport of the missing person(s) behind? What if the passenger is unreachable or nowhere to be found? When would they start looking for the passport? Please excuse my ignorance... I may be understanding incorrectly as well. On closed-loop cruises it's not required to have a passport per se, so how would they even be able to furnish one to port in that case?

 

I'm one of those OCD planners that over thinks things and plans like crazy. It's probably going to be my downfall one day. I need to just stop worrying about the what-ifs.

[BruceMuzz]

Bare with me... so even if you take a non-cruiseline excursion (private company or go on your own), the port will not let the cruiseship leave port without leaving a passport of the missing person(s) behind? What if the passenger is unreachable or nowhere to be found? When would they start looking for the passport? Please excuse my ignorance... I may be understanding incorrectly as well. On closed-loop cruises it's not required to have a passport per se, so how would they even be able to furnish one to port in that case?

 

I'm one of those OCD planners that over thinks things and plans like crazy. It's probably going to be my downfall one day. I need to just stop worrying about the what-ifs.

 

You are probably a very nice person, but I don't even know you.

You will have to excuse me if I decline your invitation to BARE with you.

I will bear with you however.

 

Many ports will no longer allow a cruise ship to depart without missing passengers unless a passport is accounted for. If the ship can furnish evidence that a B/c was used instead, then the passport option is no longer valid.

[hislove330]

You are probably a very nice person, but I don't even know you.

You will have to excuse me if I decline your invitation to BARE with you.

I will bear with you however.

 

Many ports will no longer allow a cruise ship to depart without missing passengers unless a passport is accounted for. If the ship can furnish evidence that a B/c was used instead, then the passport option is no longer valid.

 

Thank you for the correction, kind sir. ;)

[cb at sea]

We don't even HAVE passports, so should we somehow "miss the ship", I can guarantee they will NOT hold the ship for us!!!

 

If, for some reason, you did miss the ship, you could still get home...it may be a hassle, but you won't be stranded in a foreign country forever!

 

If you're not on the ship when they're ready to sail, they will probably get into your cabin and safe and remove your belongings and leave them on the dock with, I don't know who, but with someone!

Just don't miss the ship!

[DGNY]

If you miss the ship for any reason - planned or otherwise - many ports now require the cruise line to furnish a passport before the passengers can be left behind.

 

If you choose to take your passport ashore with you, you gain nothing.

If it is lost, stolen, damaged, or misplaced, you are out of luck.

 

Not that I recommend this selfish behavior, but if you take your passport ashore, don't you gain the knowledge that the ship won't leave without you if you are late getting back (assuming you know which port would prevent the ship from leaving)?

[Addictedtocruises]

I've never taken my passport off the ship - I'd be worried about losing it. But we do have our driver licenses with us which I suspect would help if we needed to get home, with the help of the local American Embassy office.

 

I like BruceMuzz's idea of taking a photocopy - I think I might do that next time!

[hislove330]

I've never taken my passport off the ship - I'd be worried about losing it. But we do have our driver licenses with us which I suspect would help if we needed to get home, with the help of the local American Embassy office.

 

I like BruceMuzz's idea of taking a photocopy - I think I might do that next time!

 

That's why I asked, because most of the threads I've read say you can't fly home internationally with just a DL (obviously) so everyone here stresses newbies to get a passport book even if the cruise doesn't require it.

 

So, as long as the posters here are correct and either the cruise is not allowed to leave a passenger without giving the passport and other docs to the port authorities...

OR

...the American Embassy can help you with only a passport photocopy and your DL if the ship leaves port without you for whatever reason.

 

I hope none of this happens to anyone, but it would be nice if the policies were laid out a little bit more clearly by the cruiseline. They do stress (at least both Princess and Carnival that I've been on) that you "should" have a passport even on closed-loop, but they don't say what they would do if you were missing/hurt or some other emergency. Would they leave? And they don't clearly say what do do with your documents when you are on shore.

[njhorseman]

Not that I recommend this selfish behavior, but if you take your passport ashore, don't you gain the knowledge that the ship won't leave without you if you are late getting back (assuming you know which port would prevent the ship from leaving)?

 

You really don't think they would wait for you in those circumstances, do you? If they don't find your passport in your room safe, they're going to assume you have it with you and the ship will sail as scheduled.

[Travelcat2]

That's why I asked, because most of the threads I've read say you can't fly home internationally with just a DL (obviously) so everyone here stresses newbies to get a passport book even if the cruise doesn't require it.

 

So, as long as the posters here are correct and either the cruise is not allowed to leave a passenger without giving the passport and other docs to the port authorities...

OR

...the American Embassy can help you with only a passport photocopy and your DL if the ship leaves port without you for whatever reason.

 

I hope none of this happens to anyone, but it would be nice if the policies were laid out a little bit more clearly by the cruiseline. They do stress (at least both Princess and Carnival that I've been on) that you "should" have a passport even on closed-loop, but they don't say what they would do if you were missing/hurt or some other emergency. Would they leave? And they don't clearly say what do do with your documents when you are on shore.

 

The cruielines do not clearly spell out the policy because the U.S. government does not do a very good job of explaining the policy. The bottom line, IMO, is that. . . . if you do not have a passport with you, there is no way you could immediately board an airplane. You would not be held prisoner in a foreign country, but, there will be a delay. Is this something anyone wants in the case of extreme illness or a life and death situation? This is why so many of us stress the importance of passports.

 

One more point. . . . U.S. Passports are worth lots of $$$. These valuable documents are targets for robbers. If you plan on hiding your passport on your body (under your clothing, it is fine to leave the ship with it. Otherwise, it would be risky to carry it (in your purse, wallet, pocket, etc.)

[chipmaster]

I always take the passport, always leave it in the safe. In almost all situations cruise card, photo id and CC is all one needs in port.

 

If you miss the boat the port agent will work with the cruiseline to insure your passport is staying in port, or aid you to get to the next port.

 

The probability of you losing your passport carrying it in port is far larger than the lower probability of getting stranded due to some random event.

 

It is a hot button of debate right up there with can I wear Jeans in the main dining room :D

 

Everywhere I read that as a precaution, you should always take your passport book on a closed-loop cruise in case you miss your ship or get stranded in a foreign country. But I also have read a great number of posts (a few by the same members) where they say they leave their passport book in the ship safe for excursions so they don't risk losing it or having it stolen.

 

Wouldn't that negate the point of bringing it on the closed-loop cruise in the first place? If it's on ship and you need to fly home for some reason, how would you do that?

 

I use these boards daily and LOVE them. I have learned so much valuable info... especially about travel documents. Thanks!

[hislove330]

The probability of you losing your passport carrying it in port is far larger than the lower probability of getting stranded due to some random event.

 

It is a hot button of debate right up there with can I wear Jeans in the main dining room :D

 

Losing it at port would me a concern of mine as well. I personally would leave it in the safe and carry the copy and hope for the best. I didn't carry a passport book on my Caribbean cruise last year, but I had the passport card... not that it would have helped in air travel, but it was better than nothing. So, for me, I have searched these boards over and over for document info last year and now again this year (because of my recently stolen passport card and DL) for this cruise.

 

Ultimately, that's what promted this concern. I don't want to start a debate.... I just wanted to see if there were more definative rules to what docs to take ashore. More info the better, right? If it gets heated... we can shut the thread down, right? :)

[hislove330]

The cruielines do not clearly spell out the policy because the U.S. government does not do a very good job of explaining the policy.

 

I agree completely!

[cherylandtk]

So, as long as the posters here are correct and either the cruise is not allowed to leave a passenger without giving the passport and other docs to the port authorities...

OR

...the American Embassy can help you with only a passport photocopy and your DL if the ship leaves port without you for whatever reason. .

If the first statement were true, then we would not have posts from people being left behind while their passports sailed off in the safe. Which we do, the most recent that I have seen occurred last summer in Cozumel, I think on Carnival, but I would have to check. Since then, I have heard statements that ports and perhaps cruiselines are making a better attempt at retrieving passports before sailing, but.....nothing in the way of written policy or assurances that a passenger can rely on. Which sort of gets us to 'until you see it in writing in the Passage Contract or in law or regulation, don't count on it'.

 

As for your second statement. If stranded in a foreign country, the US Embassy certainly will assist you, and that includes obtaining or replacing a passport. The embassy or consulate must verify your identity and citizenship before issuing a passport. A DL helps, a copy of a passport helps, passport numbers help, but are not necessarily enough by themselves to re-issue a new passport on the spot. These items may help speed up the process, but even with this information, passport issuance has ranged from 2 days to two weeks, depending on the circumstances, urgency, amount of documentation and ease of verification.

[6rugrats]

Ultimately, that's what promted this concern. I don't want to start a debate.... I just wanted to see if there were more definative rules to what docs to take ashore. More info the better, right? If it gets heated... we can shut the thread down, right? :)

 

Please tell me how I can get a thread shut down.

 

There really is no debate and for most ports, no "definative" rules. Leave the passport in your safe or take it with you; it's your choice. The odds are higher you'll lose it on shore or have it stolen, then that you'll miss the boat.

[DGNY]

You really don't think they would wait for you in those circumstances, do you? If they don't find your passport in your room safe, they're going to assume you have it with you and the ship will sail as scheduled.

 

No idea. Just based it on what Bruce said.

[njhorseman]

No idea. Just based it on what Bruce said.

 

He didn't really address the situation you brought up. If he had completed the description to include the circumstance of not finding passports in the safe, I'm certain he would agree with what I said. It's expensive for the ship to stay in port beyond its scheduled departure. Common sense and simple economics dictate that the ship would depart. How long would you expect them to stay? Using your reasoning would they stay 4, 5, 6, maybe 10 hours just because there was no passport in the safe?

 

I know from personal experience, having helped passengers from another ship last year who would have missed their ship's departure from Bermuda, that the captain agreed to stay an additional half hour, which just allowed them enough time to get off the ferry from St. George's to Kings Wharf and run to the ship. Had it taken them longer than that the shipwould have departed...and the captain only agreed to stay that long because I got the harbor master's office to intervene on their behalf.