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What ID is needed off the ship?

hershey4

By hershey4,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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sdmike

sdmike

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When you get off the ship, I know you need your room card, but do you also need to have your passport with you, or is just a copy of the name/picture page sufficient?

 

You should take a photo ID with you. Your cruise card gets you on the ship. At some ports (not all) you also have to show another form of picture ID just to get into the port area. Also keep in mind that if you get stranded in foreign port, your cruise card and even driver's license will not get you home. It'll take a passport to get you on the plane. Since it can be so variable it's really best to take your ID with you.

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roger001

roger001

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I've never specifically needed a passport to either exit or reenter the security area around a ship at any port we've been to..although we always take our passports. Frequently, all security requires to reenter the security area surrounding the ship is the room card. However, several ports have required both the room card and a picture ID. Again, we just used our passport for that. If anything happened to you on shore in a foreign port and you had to be left behind, you would need you passport to return to the US (if that is you home).

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hershey4

hershey4

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So a copy isn't good enough? Don't you worry something will happen to the passport if you go to a beach? We'll be in Bermuda for 3 days, so I'm not worried about missing the ship (or at least not until the 3rd day!).

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emcelh

emcelh

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So a copy isn't good enough? Don't you worry something will happen to the passport if you go to a beach? We'll be in Bermuda for 3 days, so I'm not worried about missing the ship (or at least not until the 3rd day!).

 

Things may have changed in Bermuda, but several years ago there was a gentleman just ahead of us trying to board the ship with only his room card and no photo ID. They wouldn't let him through and he had to wait the person he was with came back with his ID.

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roger001

roger001

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So a copy isn't good enough? Don't you worry something will happen to the passport if you go to a beach? We'll be in Bermuda for 3 days, so I'm not worried about missing the ship (or at least not until the 3rd day!).

 

A copy of a passport would not work in a situation where a passport is actually needed. Whether it would work as a photo id, when that plus a room card is all that's need to reenter ship security area, maybe...I don't know. An official govt (state) issued drivers license with photo works in those situations. Yes...could lose a passport, but wallet or anything else also. Just have to keep them properly secured I guess.

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roger001

roger001

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Things may have changed in Bermuda, but several years ago there was a gentleman just ahead of us trying to board the ship with only his room card and no photo ID. They wouldn't let him through and he had to wait the person he was with came back with his ID.

 

 

Correct. Two different issues. The ship will let you on board with just your room card (which contains an electronic photo of you when scanned by ship security). However, as previously mentioned, some of the port authorities (maybe Bermuda) before you get to the point to board the ship, when going through that port security first, they require a photo id and the ship room card. I guess if they had the equipment to scan the room card as NCL ship security can do, then they would too be able to see the embeded picture of you on it.....and not require an additional form of picture id. But they can't.

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DevCruise

DevCruise

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Correct. Two different issues. The ship will let you on board with just your room card (which contains an electronic photo of you when scanned by ship security). However, as previously mentioned, some of the port authorities (maybe Bermuda) before you get to the point to board the ship, when going through that port security first, they require a photo id and the ship room card. I guess if they had the equipment to scan the room card as NCL ship security can do, then they would too be able to see the embeded picture of you on it.....and not require an additional form of picture id. But they can't.

 

When we were in Hawaii, all the port officers wanted to see our ship cards and a photo id. Even when we came back on excursion trips.

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garycarla

garycarla

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The ship will always need your room card. Generally, they also want to see a photo ID, but in our various cruises that is not 100%.

 

As said, some port areas will require a photo Id. Some ports may even require a passport - but rare.

 

There is a long and difficult discussion on taking or not taking a passport ashore. Unless you have lots of time and popcorn, not worth going there.

 

You NEVER need a photo ID plus a passport.

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roger001

roger001

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This is a quote from the Pearl Freestyle daily from a cruise last November.

 

"When going ashore in any of our ports of call, please carry a photo ID and your Pearl guest key card".

 

Whether a "copy" of a passport would be acceptable by a local port authority in lieu of an "official and original" photo ID, I have no idea. You would only find out if it was not accepted when that port authority denied you access to the ship boarding area. It has been my understanding that having a copy of you passport is very handy if you ever need to get a quick replacement of that passport made (original being lost). We do have copies of our passports take we take on the cruises, but only as emergency backup assistance if ever needed.

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sdmike

sdmike

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What about teens who don't have a driver's license? Would they HAVE to use a passport?

 

Yes, although teens/children with the same last name are often not required to show photo ID at checkpoints, only their cruise card when with a parent.

 

They still need a passport to get on a plane to the US

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roger001

roger001

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What about teens who don't have a driver's license? Would they HAVE to use a passport?

 

They would have to have some form of "official" photo ID, I assume govt or state issued. As Carla said, lots of discussion on this in the past. If the teens (or anyone) are going to travel out of the US, it is almost impossible to get by without a passport these days. The problem with tempting other country port authorities requirements with any form of ID of which they are not familar or suspicious, is taking a big risk. They can quite easily, "just say no". No one argues with a passport.

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DevCruise

DevCruise

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What about teens who don't have a driver's license? Would they HAVE to use a passport?

 

In some states, you can get a state ID card for those under driving age assuming you don't have a passport. However, if you're leaving the country, I'd get a passport.

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