Passport Question

[cuyahoga11]

With all the opinions about taking your passport off the ship with you has me wondering.

 

Why pay for a passport if you are not going to use it when your feet hit foreign soil?

[Nukesailor]

Prepare to be inundated with replies on this one.

 

My rule of thumb: if the shore excursion is booked through the ship, I don't bring the passport (I do bring the laminated color copy) as, if anything happens, the ship people know where you are and can at least get the passport to the ship's agent. If I book the excursion separately, I will bring the original with me. I've had a passport for over 30 years and haven't had a problem with theft. However, I don't put it in my back pocket or other easily reachable place.

 

As far as why have one - without a passport, you are limited to closed-loop cruises in the Western Hemisphere. No Mediterranean, no Baltic, no Far East, no Panama Canal (we just did one). Without a passport, if you have a medical or other problem that requires flying home from one of the ports, you won't be able to until you get a passport. This could take a couple of weeks, assuming you can find a US embassy or consulate.

 

Art

[chipmaster]

:D:eek: Passports are a hotbutton

 

So many opinions even for roundtrips that don't require them to those that do land in foreign lands.

 

On many cruises, the last 3 I've been on the cruise took them so an academic questions, as the ship kept them. You get left behind the cruiseline would likely leave it with the port agent. So the hint, take port agent info. For those on cruises that don't most people will keep their passport, thus if you get left behind, ship likely would go look for the passport in your safe and leave with the port agent. Hint, know the port agent info.

 

Now for those that believe to keep it on them, well good for them. Just remember the stastistics of those we get something lost or stolen versus those that miss the boat aren't favorable for you needing the passsport, higher probability you get it stolen, just saying.. those are the statistics.

 

I guess for me personally I take the passport with me, and generally leave it in my cabin safe or hotel safe. Actually on the past 3 trips overseas the hotel took the passport so wasn't even an option when about town.

 

By the way to goal, like insurance is to NOT to have to use them except where they are required!

 

Flamesuit on

[paul929207]

I have a passport to allow me to travel over the world. I don't see the point in risking losing it or having it stolen in a foriegn port. I leave it in the safe in my cabin unless the port requires me to carry it. I take a photo copy of it with me. I have used the photocopy several times to convert money. If I miss the ship, Princess will send an officer to my cabin to get the passport from the safe and leave it with the port agent.

[sail7seas]

Your feet won't enter most foreign soil without a passport.

A closed loop cruise is one of the very few exceptions.

 

[Shorex]

With all the opinions about taking your passport off the ship with you has me wondering.

 

Why pay for a passport if you are not going to use it when your feet hit foreign soil?

 

Use it for what? I produce my passport to various officials when required. That IS how I use it. What other "uses" could there be?

[jcl410]

Your feet won't enter most foreign soil without a passport.

A closed loop cruise is one of the very few exceptions.

 

 

 

True, but in most countries you only use it when you first clear immigration as you enter the country. Once you are in, there are very few times you will need it.

 

I store my passport in the hotel safe unless i need it for a specific purpose..

 

Same with the cruise; once the ship has cleared immigration (usually en masse, not individually) there is no need to have your passport on you.

 

(I strongly recommend carrying the port agents phone number with you in case you are delayed.)

 

Aloha,

 

John

[sail7seas]

True, but in most countries you only use it when you first clear immigration as you enter the country. Once you are in, there are very few times you will need it.

 

I store my passport in the hotel safe unless i need it for a specific purpose..

 

Same with the cruise; once the ship has cleared immigration (usually en masse, not individually) there is no need to have your passport on you.

 

(I strongly recommend carrying the port agents phone number with you in case you are delayed.)

 

Aloha,

 

John

 

During our European travels through the years, we have needed our passport to check into a hotel. In some countries, they hold it, copy it and submit it to local authorities. We could not check in without presenting it.

 

We needed passports to cash travelers checks in Banks.

We needed passport to authenticate we were who we claimed to be when presenting a credit card to make a sizeable purchase. Merchant wanted proof the 'card was ours'.

 

Just a few examples.......

 

[cherylandtk]

Why pay for a passport if you are not going to use it when your feet hit foreign soil?

Perhaps some consider that to be their thrill of living dangerously.

[ExDC]

Use it for what? I produce my passport to various officials when required. That IS how I use it. What other "uses" could there be?

Even as a newbie, I have already stumbled across other threads on this topic, but I don't know how to insert the links!

However, there are many ways you may have to use your passport -- in some countries, if you are making a purchase and want the VAT refund, you may have to complete forms at the store that require your passport number. No passport number, no refund. (The number itself may be enough, though.)

Passport or other photo ID may be requested before your credit card will be honored.

If there is an emergency, passport is the best ID (drivers license next).

Then there is the question: Take passport itself, or just a copy? My relative with the State Dept. (who has had passport/visa duty in Asian and European countries) says the latter should be enough -- but again, there are other threads on that, and lots of dispute!

[kitty9]

With all the opinions about taking your passport off the ship with you has me wondering.

 

Why pay for a passport if you are not going to use it when your feet hit foreign soil?

 

1. If you want to fly to a foreign port for a cruise, you need a passport.

 

2. If you want to cruise to a more exotic locale other than the Caribbean, you

need a passport.

 

3. If your cruise starts in LA and ends in San Francisco, you need a passport.

 

There are a lot of other reasons for needing a passport that have nothing to do with taking it off the ship. I've done 65 cruises all over the world and I can count on one hand the countries where I was required to have my passport on my person while off the ship.

[Shorex]

Even as a newbie, I have already stumbled across other threads on this topic, but I don't know how to insert the links!

However, there are many ways you may have to use your passport -- in some countries, if you are making a purchase and want the VAT refund, you may have to complete forms at the store that require your passport number. No passport number, no refund. (The number itself may be enough, though.)

Passport or other photo ID may be requested before your credit card will be honored.

If there is an emergency, passport is the best ID (drivers license next).

Then there is the question: Take passport itself, or just a copy? My relative with the State Dept. (who has had passport/visa duty in Asian and European countries) says the latter should be enough -- but again, there are other threads on that, and lots of dispute!

 

Yes, I'm very aware of the need to produce a passport to hotel clerks, airline ticket/gate agents, bank clerks, etc. I don't remember whether we were asked for passports at our last VAT refund eligible purchase in Australia. If so, we would have returned to the hotel to retrieve passports out of the safe before completing the paperwork -- simply don't recall. Also can't recall ever being asked for a passport to verify identity for a credit card purchase -- I'd probably just forgo the purchase.

 

These are the occasions when producing the passport is necessary in order to complete the action/transaction -- and all of them are known and predictable.

 

I probably could have phrased my response better: I produce my passport to various government officials and certain civilian clerks/agents in situations where it is necessary to produce the document. Other than these interactions, my passport is in a hotel or ship safe.

 

There are a few countries where one is required to carry passports at all times. We comply, but are not at all happy about it.

 

If I had a relative with the State Department who had passport/visa duty in Asia and European countries and who said carrying a copy around would be sufficient, I would probably give his/her opinion a lot of weight.

 

It's our choice. I really don't mind if others choose to have their passport in their possession at all times. Really and truly. :)

 

Quick technical note. If you want to link to another thread, open that thread in a new tab. Do a copy <control C> of the address bar, then go back to the draft of your response. Highlight the text where you want the link to be, then click on the "insert link" icon (blue circle on toolbar), do a paste <control V>, and the link should be active. You can test the link by previewing your post. Good luck.