docs while on shore excursion

[lilapples]

Stupid question but do we need to take our actual passport/birth cert with on on shore to the excursion and leave the copies in the room? Worried about losing important docs

[firefly333]

I bring my plastic drivers licesnse and my S&S card, all Iv ever needed. you just need a picture ID.

 

(putting on my flame suit, because someone always says I may have to be medivaced)

[Bo Didly]

Fires right ,just have to get immune to flame thrower's ;)

[vacruisin]

Been on 4 cruises and I've only had my driver's license and S&S card with me when on excursions.

[kujobie]

No flames here. Just know that, if you miss the ship for any reason, (drunk, fell in love with a tour guide, car accident, medical emergency, etc.) you will not be able to re-enter the United States by land or air without a passport. That is a fact. A copy is worthless. Anyone who is considering international travel should visit http://www.state.gov and be familiar with the rules and regulations. And if you don't carry a passport with you when you go to a foreign country, I would ask you one simple question. Why did you buy it in the first place?

[zqvol]

No flames here. Just know that, if you miss the ship for any reason, (drunk, fell in love with a tour guide, car accident, medical emergency, etc.) you will not be able to re-enter the United States by land or air without a passport. That is a fact. A copy is worthless. Anyone who is considering international travel should visit www.state.gov and be familiar with the rules and regulations. And if you don't carry a passport with you when you go to a foreign country, I would ask you one simple question. Why did you buy it in the first place?

 

Then be careful what line you chose to sail because some of them hold ALL passports for the duration of the cruise.

[mexicobob]

Carnival does not take your passport so when you leave the ship to enter a foreign country you should take it with you. Anytime you are in a different country you need your passport. A copy is only good for your passport number but is basically worthless.

 

My sister-in-law had her passport stolen in Mexico. She was allowed to return home only after a very time consuming hassle, to put it mildly. They did not analyze the DNA of the hairs of her private parts but other than that, they checked everything else out. This is not an ordeal you want to go through.

 

If you are in a foreign country you need to have your passport with you.

 

MexicoBob

[kujobie]

Then be careful what line you chose to sail because some of them hold ALL passports for the duration of the cruise.

 

Which cruise lines do this? Just curious. I know foreign nationals are required to surrender their passports on Carnival but wasn't aware that US residents had to do so on other lines.

[SadieN]

No flames here. Just know that, if you miss the ship for any reason, (drunk, fell in love with a tour guide, car accident, medical emergency, etc.) you will not be able to re-enter the United States by land or air without a passport. That is a fact. A copy is worthless. Anyone who is considering international travel should visit www.state.gov and be familiar with the rules and regulations. And if you don't carry a passport with you when you go to a foreign country, I would ask you one simple question. Why did you buy it in the first place?

 

If you need it (miss the ship or get hurt) security will get it for you.

Put your passport in the safe. That's the first place they will look.

 

We just bring our DL and ships card. If I remember I will bring a copy of the whole photo page with me.

[cv322]

I always take my passport & my S&S card. I know alot of people don't, but I feel better having it with me.

[Islandbear]

Having lived overseas, I can tell you that, no you don't need a passport to get back into the States. You're going to spend a couple of hours in a little white room at the airport answering questions, but you will get home.

 

More important is that if you miss your ship you will want to hop a quick plane to the next port to rejoin the ship. Having a passport in that case makes it painless. But even without a passport, you will get bumped forward. Cruise ship ports have very "fluid" rules about shuffling 200 pound white people with SS cards hanging around their necks through the islands. But, it could be harder if the sending or recieving Island is a hard-ass about passports. Remember most islands don't care about passports, it is just America that got strict after 9/11, you can still enter most islands with a driver licenses just like before. Belize doesn't want to keep your gramdma.

 

I only carry my passport ashore if I am on a long excursion with a risk of missing the boat. Walking around Cozumel and grabing a taxi to the Money Bar for some beer and snorkeling...No Passport.

[NavarreCruiser]

If you need it (miss the ship or get hurt) security will get it for you.

Put your passport in the safe. That's the first place they will look.

 

We just bring our DL and ships card. If I remember I will bring a copy of the whole photo page with me.

 

How is security going to get it to you if you can't get to the ship? If they can get you your passport, you can get back on the ship. After 48 cruises I've never gotten off the ship without my passport. And thank God I've never needed it. We keep a copy of our passport in the safe just for info if we lose or have our passport stolen.

 

But this subject is always a hot button. So I say to each his own.

[curlydog]

Stupid question but do we need to take our actual passport/birth cert with on on shore to the excursion and leave the copies in the room? Worried about losing important docs

 

I think you answered your own question, you asked because you are worried about losing "important documents", why is your Passport an important document? So you have it to prove you are a US citizen while in a foreign country.

 

I amazed by the "I only travel with my Birth Certificate" crowd.

[melli_fera]

Carnival does not take your passport so when you leave the ship to enter a foreign country you should take it with you. Anytime you are in a different country you need your passport. A copy is only good for your passport number but is basically worthless.

 

My sister-in-law had her passport stolen in Mexico. She was allowed to return home only after a very time consuming hassle, to put it mildly. They did not analyze the DNA of the hairs of her private parts but other than that, they checked everything else out. This is not an ordeal you want to go through.

 

If you are in a foreign country you need to have your passport with you.

 

MexicoBob

 

I was considering bringing both my passport and my birth certificate. Travel off the ship with the passport and leave the birth certificate in the safe.

[waldocruiser1]

No flames here. Just know that, if you miss the ship for any reason, (drunk, fell in love with a tour guide, car accident, medical emergency, etc.) you will not be able to re-enter the United States by land or air without a passport. That is a fact. A copy is worthless. Anyone who is considering international travel should visit www.state.gov and be familiar with the rules and regulations. And if you don't carry a passport with you when you go to a foreign country, I would ask you one simple question. Why did you buy it in the first place?

 

EXACTLY Why did you buy it in the first place?

 

Now, they could get lost or damaged, as could your drivers license and BC.

 

They are very durable, they bend and flatten out well.

 

Take the passports, but them in a quart size freezer bag, get all the air out and put them in one pocket inside your back pack (most have a pocket at the top next to your neck (the pocket was to hold a radio or CD player) and leave it there on the excursion. don't put anything else in the pocket that you might use on the excursion. and as long as you don't loose your bag, you are fine. If you do loose the bag, you are no worse off than if you did not have them.

 

Now if you kept copies in the cabin, and you lost your bag, when you get back on the ship, go to the pursers desk and they will help you report the loss.

 

While the passports were in the backpack, keep your DL and S&S card in your wallet/pocket on your person, with your cash/credit card, so you have them for easy access if needed, when getting back on the ship, or buying lunch.

 

Have fun, take it with you, and you are protected if needed.

[ChefSusan]

We've been on 12 cruises, and there have only been two instances when we needed to have our passport with us for excursions - when doing the White Pass and Yukon Train expedition to Flagler, BC (had to show our passport to the Immigrations officer before getting off the train), and before entering Dubrovnik, Croatia (they will sometimes ask to see passports before going through the gates). Other than that, we have never brought our passports as ID - they stay safely tucked away in our safe, and we bring our DL & S&S card as ID.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

St. Petersburg, also needs to see your passport for immigration. There was another port in the Baltic where we were instructed to take our passports but I can't recall where it was because I don't remember having to show it.

 

I do carry it and keep a copy in the safe

[bunchesofun]

We were going to leave our passports in the safe and take copies, but then we said, "Why did we even buy them? To make life EASIER". So we took them on excursions with us and had smooth returns to the ship.

[RaiderFaninNM]

I would ask you one simple question. Why did you buy it in the first place?

 

GREAT point!

 

 

I always take my passport & my S&S card. I know alot of people don't, but I feel better having it with me.

 

Same here, really how hard is it to carry? I feel much better if something does happen, and if not oh well, a piece of copied paper, try giving a copied DL to the police next time one get pulled over because it is locked in a safe.....;)

[BeachChik]

Having lived overseas, I can tell you that, no you don't need a passport to get back into the States. You're going to spend a couple of hours in a little white room at the airport answering questions, but you will get home.

 

More important is that if you miss your ship you will want to hop a quick plane to the next port to rejoin the ship. Having a passport in that case makes it painless. But even without a passport, you will get bumped forward. Cruise ship ports have very "fluid" rules about shuffling 200 pound white people with SS cards hanging around their necks through the islands. But, it could be harder if the sending or recieving Island is a hard-ass about passports. Remember most islands don't care about passports, it is just America that got strict after 9/11, you can still enter most islands with a driver licenses just like before. Belize doesn't want to keep your gramdma.

 

I only carry my passport ashore if I am on a long excursion with a risk of missing the boat. Walking around Cozumel and grabing a taxi to the Money Bar for some beer and snorkeling...No Passport.

 

:eek: :D LOL!

 

I'm in the doesn't take it off the ship group also. Ours stay locked in the safe.

[waldocruiser1]

As so many others have asked, Why did you get the passport?

 

Carry it, carry it safe, but carry it.

[cruznlobo]

Always carry passport book when in a country other than the USA.

We use it all airports and any other time we need ID.

Think of this...You're visiting Aruba and Venezualea decides it wants to make trouble there, or you're in Mexico when the drug lords decide to make trouble...You will not be allowed access to an American Embassy unless you have a Passport Book. Drivers License and Birth Certificate will not do.

Maybe a little over the top but the passport is a lot easier to carry than a big fat wallet that the pickpockets are looking for and a credit card and sail and sign can be carried inside it.