Having Your Passport While in Port

[DonnaK]

I just know how happy I would be if I were stranded in a port knowing that my passport was safe back in my room's safe -NOT. :D I'm not sure that I would trust that between the time it was known that I hadn't returned to the ship and the time the ship sailed, they will actually go to my room, retrieve my passport and give it to the port agent. That said, I often get off the ship with only my seapass and driver's license as I know that there are alternative procedures in place to help me verify my citizenship if it becomes necessary. Worrying about such bizaare situations as tourists being robbed of their passports is IMO foolish as it is far less likely to happen than the chances of missing the ship.

 

IMO, it's the other way around. When I take excursions, I do everything possible to minimize the risk of missing the ship, such as booking early morning tours that return with several hours to spare, or not venturing too far from the ship, and only using reputable tour guides. How many hundreds of thousands of cruisers get safely back to the ship compared to the small handful that actually miss it? I bet the percentage is less than 0.001%

 

We often go to the beach or on boat tours, so we are swimming and snorkling, and our personal items are either left unattended or under the attention of someone else. It's a very real possibility that the passport will be lost/stolen on a beach or while snorkling. It's a little different if we are just sightseeing or shopping when we can secure our passport to our person better and more easily.

[pcur]

Neither would I. I dont know where that rumor (?) came from but according to something i read on here a few days ago, the question was asked to a Captain or other high ranking officer during a Q&A if they did that and he said absolutely not.

 

We had lunch on a b2b, and the Customer Service Manager was at our table. He told us they collect passports if they can, and leave them with the pier agent. In the situation he was describing, a family member was in the cabin and gave them the passport (two adults traveling together; no kids left behind or anything).

 

I always keep a copy of the port information sheet with me, too. It's the flyer with the little map and shopping info on it they hand out when you get off the ship. It's also in your cabin the night before. This usually has the pier agent's name, address, and phone number on it.

 

Having been in a bad situation in Barcelona once where we were pretty much stranded, I'm just ready for emergencies now. I know now that having a cell phone that works, your passport, an atm card, and a contact from the cruise line is very important. If you have these things then I can survive anywhere, plus enjoy my time in port.

 

It's NOT farfetched: be prepared.

[pcur]

We often go to the beach or on boat tours, so we are swimming and snorkling, and our personal items are either left unattended or under the attention of someone else. It's a very real possibility that the passport will be lost/stolen on a beach or while snorkling. It's a little different if we are just sightseeing or shopping when we can secure our passport to our person better and more easily.

 

We have a waterproof pouch that we bought at a sporting goods store to put our passports in. We put them in a ziplock baggie, then in the pouch that attaches to hubby's swim shorts.

[johneeo]

On our cruise in February, 5 people were left in St Maarten because they didn't get back to the ship on time. To me, the possibilty of that is a really good reason to take your passport along when you get off the ship.:eek:

 

If you are dumb enough to miss your ship, you are dumb enough to lose your passport.

 

There is no hope for some people.

[pcur]

If you are dumb enough to miss your ship, you are dumb enough to lose your passport.

 

There is no hope for some people.

 

I've been on CruiseCritic for about 9 years, and I've read many posts about people who have been stuck on trains in Italy when a strike started, buses breaking down, bad traffic, boat motors that won't start, injuries, many incidents.

 

Sometimes missing the ship isn't about "dumbness", but circumstances. That's why it's a good idea to be prepared.

 

Our situation happened after a cruise, and the ship was 12 hours delayed getting into port by a fishermen strike blockading the harbor. We were bussed to a hotel outside of Barcelona, forgotten, and had to make our own way to the airport (with about 50 other people) two days later.

 

Stuff happens: it isn't dumbness.

[FLACRUISER99]

I just know how happy I would be if I were stranded in a port knowing that my passport was safe back in my room's safe -NOT. :D I'm not sure that I would trust that between the time it was known that I hadn't returned to the ship and the time the ship sailed, they will actually go to my room, retrieve my passport and give it to the port agent. That said, I often get off the ship with only my seapass and driver's license as I know that there are alternative procedures in place to help me verify my citizenship if it becomes necessary. Worrying about such bizaare situations as tourists being robbed of their passports is IMO foolish as it is far less likely to happen than the chances of missing the ship.

On all the cruises I have been on only a few folks have missed the ship, However quit a few have been pick pocked. The bottom line is, each person must do what comfortable for him/her.

[cruiseguy1016]

I leave the passport in the cabin's safe. What I take ashore with me is the passport number & date of issue and or a photo copy of the passport. In the unlikely event that I am unable to return to ship and have to remain on shore having this information will assist in getting a duplicate passport much quicker.

 

Correct, but it could take a couple of days. I would rather have my passport with me, get on a plane and be waiting for the ship when it pulls into the next port.

[BillB48]

On all the cruises I have been on only a few folks have missed the ship, However quit a few have been pick pocked. The bottom line is, each person must do what comfortable for him/her.

 

You're absolutely correct, besides more times than not, you have a great deal of control when you return to the ship. In the event of robbery, pickpocket etc. there is not as much you can do to prevent it, except as my mother would say.... "you shouldn't have been there." In all my years of cruising I never have been close to missing the ship, but I have been robbed! Yes a passport and camera! I have also been in a restaurant where someone else has been pick pocketed (wallet and passport) and just recently there was a bus with cruise passengers robbed in Mexico. I really don't think having your passport stolen is all that rare of an event. As stated above..... do what you are comfortable with.

[matj2000]

If you are dumb enough to miss your ship, you are dumb enough to lose your passport.

 

There is no hope for some people.

 

This is the best answer I have ever seen for this question.

Makes me wonder how some people get through the day by themselves....

[pcur]

This is the best answer I have ever seen for this question.

Makes me wonder how some people get through the day by themselves....

 

I'm quoting myself here, but......

 

I've read many posts about people who have been stuck on trains in Italy when a strike started, buses breaking down, bad traffic, boat motors that won't start, injuries, many incidents.

 

Sometimes missing the ship isn't about "dumbness", but circumstances. That's why it's a good idea to be prepared.

[negc]

On all the cruises I have been on only a few folks have missed the ship, However quit a few have been pick pocked. The bottom line is, each person must do what comfortable for him/her.

 

And yet I have probably been on far more cruises where someone was left behind than lost their passport or were robbed. However, I agree with your conclusion that each person must do what makes them most comfortable. As I said, I more often than not get off in a Caribbean port without my passport, but it really isn't because I am confident that it will be given to the port agent should I miss the ship's departure.:)

[febtober]

Like others have said, it comes down to what you think is more likely to happen, missing the boat or having your passport stolen. If you think its more likely you'll miss your boat, take the passport with you. If you think its more likely you may get pick-pocketed, leave it in the safe and take a copy.

 

Personally I leave it in the safe. I've never known anyone not to make it back to a ship on time, although I have known quite a few people to get articles stolen from them. Actually in Barcelona one of my best friends got mugged twice within 10 minutes. I think he set some sort of record. Good thing his passport was locked up back at the hostel.

 

In the end its all anecdotal and just go with whatever you're comfortable with. There isn't necessarily a right or wrong way to go, each has risks.

[Shorex]

I am about ready to take my 40th cruise with RCCL, and since 1999 I have never left my passport anywhere. It ALWAYS goes with me.

 

In 40 cruises have you never been on ONE where the ship holds the passport for part or all of the itinerary? On most of our cruises the compliance officer has retained all of the passengers' passports to facilitate clearances.

[dave_k63]

Will we need to take our passports with us when we debark at each port? This is only our second cruise, and I can't remember what we did last time.

I got a passport card to go with the regular passport. That just goes in my wallet - I've never been asked for it - so I guess it will work. Hope I don't find out the hard way.

[boogs]

After coming within 10 minutes of missing our ship due to traffic congestion during a private tour on our Baltic cruise on Celebrity two years ago, I asked at the customer service desk what would have happened if we hadn't made it. The answer was encouraging. If we didn't make it before the cutoff time for boarding, security (not the cabin attendant) would have opened up the safe in our stateroom, and if appropriate passports were there, they would bring them down to the security checkpoint at the entrance to the ship, where they would be held in case we arrived before the gangplank was withdrawn, at which time security would give them back to us.

 

If we arrived after the ship departed, the passports would have been transferred to the port agent, who would retain them until we arrived and contacted him for assistance. Our passport would then be given back to us so we could arrange, with basic assistance from that agent, alternative transportation to the next port.

 

I hope to never find out how accurate this procedure is followed, but we still never take our passports with us unless specifically recommended by the ship's officials. This recommendation will be in the daily information sheets delivered to your room the prior evening.

[Krazy Kruizers]

When we get on the ship -- I put our passports in the safe.

 

When we get off the ship in the various ports we use our ship's ID card and we do carry our driver's licenses for those ports that want to see a picture ID.

 

In my purse I do carry colored copies of our passports.

[jocap]

If you carry your passport with you and get stranded you can leave at your convenience. If you do carry your passport and it gets lost or stolen that is huge problem too. If you passport is lost or stolen before the cruise you are not getting on the ship until you get a replacement and if I remember correctly it was reported in a thread that a person reported to the cruise line their passport was stolen on a shore excursion and were not allowed to come back on board but maybe someone remembers more details about that.

 

Yes, this was a British family travelling on an NCL ship which called at Barcelona for the day. The father's passport was stolen whilst he was ashore, so when he returned to the ship, he reported it to reception. He was asked to leave the ship, which sailed without him, but with the rest of his family. He had to apply to the consulate, and managed to get a temporary passport, took a train to the next port- I think Monaco or Cannes, and returned to the ship.

Several passengers missed the ship at Gibraltar last year, and their passports were delivered by the pilot boat, along with details about where to pick up their luggage on the ship's return to Southampton.

I have had a passport for much of my life, and rarely carry it with me- it's either in the hotel or ship's safe.

Remember that passports are worth thousands of $$, €€ or ££ on the black market; also remember that 1/10 of British passports replaced world wide are in Barcelona!:eek:

Jo.

[Shak]

Yes, this was a British family travelling on an NCL ship which called at Barcelona for the day. The father's passport was stolen whilst he was ashore, so when he returned to the ship, he reported it to reception. He was asked to leave the ship, which sailed without him, but with the rest of his family. He had to apply to the consulate, and managed to get a temporary passport, took a train to the next port- I think Monaco or Cannes, and returned to the ship.

Several passengers missed the ship at Gibraltar last year, and their passports were delivered by the pilot boat, along with details about where to pick up their luggage on the ship's return to Southampton.

I have had a passport for much of my life, and rarely carry it with me- it's either in the hotel or ship's safe.

Remember that passports are worth thousands of $$, €€ or ££ on the black market; also remember that 1/10 of British passports replaced world wide are in Barcelona!:eek:

Jo.

 

Thanks jocap for reminding me of the details of that event. Before reading that thread I used to carry my passport with me but I don't carry it now.

 

Shak

[Driftwoodgal]

Just wondering why people feel that you can not carry your passport on your body without losing it. There are several type of holders that can be bought or better yet just buy a specific type of pant or short that allows you to use safety pins to lock your zipper.

 

Do you carry a credit card, debit or money with you in port? How do you protect that?

 

For those that go into the water check Amazon, they have several different type of options for taking important items into the water.

[fleckle]

Just wondering why people feel that you can not carry your passport on your body without losing it. There are several type of holders that can be bought or better yet just buy a specific type of pant or short that allows you to use safety pins to lock your zipper.

Because that is exactly where the muggers who are after passports and money know to look for them on tourists.

 

It is a classic scam used by thieves who work in teams, well known to police all over the world. First the "bad" guys knock you down, grab something out of your pocket and run away.

Then the "good samaritans" come over to "help" you while you are lying on the ground. They are the ones who appear to be rendering first aid while cutting off the money belt or inside pocket under the tourist's clothing.

[jocap]

There's really no need to carry it, except if the captain says.....for some reason, Dubrovnik came down strongly last summer, and immigration made people leave the shuttle bus and walk back to the ship....we'd been told at least 3 times that morning, and in the paper- but still people went without!

I thought it was to do with Croatia's application to join the EU, which was happening the next month......there was no mention on Croatia's Korkula island.

Thomson cruise ask you to take your details ashore- including passport number and place of issue.....obviously, a copy's the best way.

Jo.