Another reason to leave your passport in your safe and to take ship sponsored tours

[smeyer418]

I convert money overseas all the time, with no ID. What is the purpose of showing an ID? You had them US dollars, they hand you local currency.

some countries require the exchange agent to see it. They aren't supposed to exchange money for locals. It was that way in Egypt....

BTW this rule is probably honored in its breach by the payment of baksheesh...

[greatam]

I convert money overseas all the time, with no ID. What is the purpose of showing an ID? You had them US dollars, they hand you local currency.

 

There are quite a few countries that REQUIRE you to show ID when converting money. Japan, China, Vietnam just to name a few unless you are converting at a Travelex place or something like that.

 

To get enough yen to pay for breakfast in Kyoto one time (they didn't take credit cards in the restaurant of the hotel), I had to get out the passport just to change enough USD to yen for breakfast (about $30).

[paul929207]

I convert money overseas all the time, with no ID. What is the purpose of showing an ID? You had them US dollars, they hand you local currency.

The purpose was the bank insisted upon a passport or copy of it to converts the US cash to theirs.

[smeyer418]

There are quite a few countries that REQUIRE you to show ID when converting money. Japan, China, Vietnam just to name a few unless you are converting at a Travelex place or something like that.

 

To get enough yen to pay for breakfast in Kyoto one time (they didn't take credit cards in the restaurant of the hotel), I had to get out the passport just to change enough USD to yen for breakfast (about $30).

and they think NY hotels are expensive :)

 

Hi Gina

 

Sid

[Karlie1]

What actually happened and where. I don't mind losing my Passport, I do worry about losing my life.

[SheriAZ]

It's really hard to know what to do. If you have an injury or accident and need to fly home you will want your pp. If you get robbed you will wish you didn't have it.

 

Does the cruise ship copy passports when embarking?

[boogs]

What actually happened and where. I don't mind losing my Passport, I do worry about losing my life.

 

Read the first post.

[Travelcat2]

You won't be going on cruises where cruise lines REQUIRE you to turn in your passport UNLESS you are willing to get up at every stop at 0 dark thirty and PERSONALLY meet the Immigration officer of various countries. And even then, you might not be able to do it because the cruise line doesn't want to take the chance of holding up an entire ship for someone who doesn't want to play by the cruise line rules.

 

 

 

Really enjoyed your detailed post. Such interesting information you have to share.

 

Just want to comment that we travel as regular tourists and the cruise lines we have sailed on (Regent and Silversea) both take our passports when we check in. They are able to somehow get us through Immigration in most countries. On a recent cruise (December, 2011) we were in the Middle East and did have to pick up our passports and do a "face-to-face" with Immigration in Egypt and Israel. When we left those countries, the passports were once again collected.

 

Perhaps requirements are different when you are living or working overseas?

[John Bull]

It's really hard to know what to do. If you have an injury or accident and need to fly home you will want your pp. If you get robbed you will wish you didn't have it.

 

Does the cruise ship copy passports when embarking?

 

No, they don't normally copy passports.

 

There's differences of opinion on these forums about whether cruise lines seach the cabin/safe for the passports of those who fail to show before sailing from a port-of-call. I suspect it varies from cruise line to cruise line, mebbe ship to ship, mebbe even port by port.

But if you know you're not going to make it (eg an illness/accident), then if you phone the ship's shore agent I'm pretty sure the crew will offload your passports, mebbe other stuff. I know its one extra thing to think about in such circumstances.

One reason why its useful to take the agents contact details (in previous evening's daily news-sheet) when you go ashore.

 

JB :)

[Karlie1]

Thanks Boogs, I missed the article. We will be staying in the Carribean. When we were in St Thomas in Dec, we toured with Henry Tours. Henry is a retired policeman from St Thomas. I asked him about the young girl that got killed by Coki beach. He said they have pretty much cleaned the area up. One must be diligent where ever you go. :(

[Loves_Dogs]

After nearly missing the ship on an excursion a few years ago I take my passport with me when leaving the ship. This was a privately booked scuba dive. The dive shop was highly recommended on CC boards. Based on the schedule we should have been back at the ship with HOURS to spare. Not sure what happened the day we were there but they were unorganized, extremely slow and while we kept reminding them of our departure time they seemed to have little concern that they were cutting it close. There were 2 other divers from the ship on this excursion and we were conversing with them about what we were going to do if we missed the ship. They had their passports. Ours were in the safe on the ship. Never again. Your passport is of no use to you tucked away in a safe on a ship that is sailing away without you.

[fleckle]

.....Your passport is of no use to you tucked away in a safe on a ship that is sailing away without you.

Your passport would certainly be a lot safer locked up in the safe in your cabin than in the hands of a pickpocket or mugger.

 

If your passport is locked in your cabin safe, in all likelihood it will be removed and left with the port agent if the ship ever sails without you.

That is the answer we have heard every time the question has been asked of a senior staff member on a cruise ship.

 

Sometimes the passports are delivered to the port agent by the pilot, who takes them in his pouch when he disembarks.

 

If in doubt, it is better to ask the captain or other senior officer on your own cruise ship about the procedure to be followed rather than rely on the speculation of people posting on an internet message board.

 

We are among those who follow the advice of the captain and take only a photocopy of the passport off the ship with us in port. If it is a port where you need to take the actual passport with you, they will always let you know.

 

We only take a driver's license off the ship in port if we plan to drive there. Otherwise, we have no reason to risk having the driver's license lost or stolen either.

[MrsPete]

Maybe we should all also horribly over react to any situation.

Yeah, people who haven't been outside the US much tend to get really worked up about things that might happen, and those fears are magnified on these boards.

 

In reality, you're not likely to miss the ship (you have great control over this), and you're not likely to be robbed like these people were. IF a tragedy befalls you, it's most likely to be pickpocketing. Or simply loss.

 

I don't think either ship's excursions or private excursions are safer than the other.

 

It is reasonable to have a copy of your passport (and other information, including a credit card) scanned and emailed to yourself so that in case of a real emergency, you could access it anywhere in the world. That can't be stolen or lost.

[Loves_Dogs]

Your passport would certainly be a lot safer locked up in the safe in your cabin than in the hands of a pickpocket or mugger.

 

If your passport is locked in your cabin safe, in all likelihood it will be removed and left with the port agent if the ship ever sails without you.

That is the answer we have heard every time the question has been asked of a senior staff member on a cruise ship.

 

Sometimes the passports are delivered to the port agent by the pilot, who takes them in his pouch when he disembarks.

 

If in doubt, it is better to ask the captain or other senior officer on your own cruise ship about the procedure to be followed rather than rely on the speculation of people posting on an internet message board.

 

We are among those who follow the advice of the captain and take only a photocopy of the passport off the ship with us in port. If it is a port where you need to take the actual passport with you, they will always let you know.

 

We only take a driver's license off the ship in port if we plan to drive there. Otherwise, we have no reason to risk having the driver's license lost or stolen either.

 

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. I do appreciate hearing other peoples opinion as I have seen so many 'to or not to' take passport threads over the years. I however will still be taking my passport with me when I leave the ship.

 

@MrsPete-

What a good idea to scan and email pertinent things to yourself for anywhere access. That is something I will be doing in the future. Love these boards, I learn so much.

[greatam]

Really enjoyed your detailed post. Such interesting information you have to share.

 

Just a reply to someone (angelndscz) who is military and working in Korea. Different rules for different places in the world as far as who gets to keep their passports and who doesn't when it comes to military bases. I wouldn't think there is a large market in Korea for American passports but there sure is in the Middle East.

 

There are a lot of US contractors working overseas with dark hair and sun darkened skin who easily could pass as Middle Eastern, so those passports are VERY valuable to steal and VERY vulnerable to theft. One of my regular security guards not only looks like he could be Iraqi or Kuwaiti but he speaks Arabic, Farsi and Pashto. He is actually a good old boy from Louisiana Bayou country. Hence, passports in the Middle East for US Government contractors are kept secure by their overseeing company, their overseeing command or overseeing agency to keep them out of the hands of those who want to do us harm. Same thing in Mexico and parts of the Caribbean-lots of dark haired, darker skinned US citizens who are ripe for getting their passports ripped off in Mexico to be sold to the drug cartels who also sell them to those from the Middle East who are looking to do harm to our country.

 

And as I posted, in the Middle East, contractors may be living in a tent, a Conex (which is basically a shipping container with two studio "apartments" with a bathroom in between-kind of like a college dorm suite) or if you are very lucky, you may actually be in a "hardened" building where there are actual apartments that you lock yourself. Yes, they sell those little safes at the PX. BUT how are you going to secure the "little safe"? Sure can't build it into the wall of a tent (which generally have a plywood floor over dirt) or bolt it to the wall in a Conex. And since I have never had the "luxury" of staying in one of the permanent hardened buildings but have been in them many times, I am sure there are rules about bolting anything PERMANENT to the walls. I KNOW you are not supposed to put up pictures or anything like that with nails or screws. A friend got in BIG trouble at Camp Virginia, Kuwait for screwing her very large OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom) rug to the wall of her room. She actually had to pay quite a bit to repair the wall (more than twice what a licensed contractor in the USA would have cost to fill the screw holes and paint the wall). That extra money and a reprimand in her work file was her punishment.

 

Just want to comment that we travel as regular tourists and the cruise lines we have sailed on (Regent and Silversea) both take our passports when we check in. They are able to somehow get us through Immigration in most countries. On a recent cruise (December, 2011) we were in the Middle East and did have to pick up our passports and do a "face-to-face" with Immigration in Egypt and Israel. When we left those countries, the passports were once again collected.

 

Perhaps requirements are different when you are living or working overseas?

 

angelndscz INSISTED she would NOT relinquish her passport to anyone, even if required by the cruise line. And she posted "You are never suppose to leave your passport in the hands of someone else." That is WRONG. And certainly not within State Dept guidelines.

 

As you posted, there are cruises where you are REQUIRED to give your passport to the cruise line. And in various countries (China and Vietnam really stand out), passports are taken when checking into a hotel. Most are returned within hours. In Vietnam, the "secret police" come around hotels frequented by Westerners to check passports after 6PM. When the secret police show up, the hotel photocopies your passport, gives the copy to the secret police and then gives you back the original. Now if you want to stay up all night, sitting in the lobby, watching the front desk for the secret police to check your passport, then I guess you could say your passport was not in the hands of anyone else. I have better things to do with my time.

 

I have been all over the world for my business (and a little bit of fun). I RARELY carry my passport except if I am crossing a border or flying. One of the few times I ever carried my passport at all times was when DH and I took the Trans Siberian RR from Vladivostok to Moscow. But one thing I do have as well as a copy of my passport- I ALWAYS have a list of Embassy/Consulate phone numbers and contact info no matter where I go. All typed neatly by my admin on business card sized stock for each country I may be in. And I have long lists of contacts worldwide (both US Government and people I work with around the world) that I can access or have my office access in emails anyone can open if I need some help.

 

I am a firm believer that you have a much greater chance of loosing your passport, going swimming with it in your "waterproof" pouch or getting your passport ripped off than missing the ship. Take the copy and leave the passport in the ship safe.

[greatam]

[quote name='smeyer418']and they think NY hotels are expensive :)

Hi Gina

Sid[/QUOTE]

Hi Sid

I had ham and eggs with wheat toast and potatoes. NOT your normal Japanese breakfast and I am sure they had to cook it special but I was sick of bento boxes.

Heck the River Cafe is $55.00 + tax and gratuity for Sunday brunch (without the caviar service, of course). And what it is at Norma's by now? I KNOW there is a $1000 omelette but the last time I went (about 3 years ago) it was over $100pp for breakfast.

And then there is the Sunrise Deli at 42nd and 7th. BEST breakfast without the atmosphere and huge prices in NYC, IMHO.

[sail7seas]

[B]We had to collect our passports on HAL when we cruised to Israel and have face to face Immigration. The passports were collected again as we exited.

[/B]

[smeyer418]

[quote name='greatam']Hi Sid

I had ham and eggs with wheat toast and potatoes. NOT your normal Japanese breakfast and I am sure they had to cook it special but I was sick of bento boxes.

Heck the River Cafe is $55.00 + tax and gratuity for Sunday brunch (without the caviar service, of course). And what it is at Norma's by now? I KNOW there is a $1000 omelette but the last time I went (about 3 years ago) it was over $100pp for breakfast.

And then there is the Sunrise Deli at 42nd and 7th. BEST breakfast without the atmosphere and huge prices in NYC, IMHO.[/quote]
Sunday Brunch at the Plaza is 75 plus tax and tip...

[fleckle]

[quote name='greatam']....-[B] I ALWAYS have a list of Embassy/Consulate phone numbers and contact info no matter where I go.[/B] .......

I am a firm believer that you have a much greater chance of loosing your passport, going swimming with it in your "waterproof" pouch or getting your passport ripped off than missing the ship. [B] Take the copy and leave the passport in the ship safe[/B].[/quote]Excellent advice for anyone who travels internationally, not only those who travel for business.

Just recently someone reported going to a U.S. Embassy with a passport photocopy and very quickly being issued a replacement passport to get home, while it took much longer for travel companions in the same situation who did not have a photocopy of their passports.

[iheartbda]

[quote name='fleckle']Excellent advice for anyone who travels internationally, not only those who travel for business.

[COLOR=red]Just recently someone reported going to a U.S. Embassy with a passport photocopy and very quickly being issued a replacement passport to get home, while it took much longer for travel companions in the same situation who did not have a photocopy of their passports[/COLOR].[/quote]
Which just goes to show that copy of a PP is not a WROTHLESS piece of paper like some think.;)

[momofmeg]

[quote name='paul929207']I always by travel insurance, so the Cruise line help replacing lost items would not be much of a benefit. Private tours are usually smaller groups, so less bounty for the robbers.[/QUOTE]

All this made me think was I do not want to visit the Pacific coast of Mexico right now. (Hubby whats to do a cruise to Mexico from California) We always buy insurance also-but I still would not enjoy being robbed at gunpoint.