A few ?s

[Aplmac]

I'm thinking that the reason we get a passport

is to have it when we are in a foreign country.

 

So I take mine with me.

If I need it for some reason

what good will it do me locked in a safe on a ship that may have already sailed?

It will not be locked in your cabin safe.

 

It will be in the possession of the local Shipping Agent

who will easily identify you on the pier, by your screams of anguish

and the tears messing up your Mascara

as you wave goodbye to your worst cruise experience ever! :)

 

___________________

 

Security at ports-of-call varies from port to port, from island destination to island destination.

 

Sometimes the guy at the gate wants to see both your ship card

AND another photo ID usually a Drivers License

but even if you forget your DL,

he has a paper print-out of everyone's details on the ship

and he will ask you your cabin-number, your name and your date-of-birth!

 

You give the correct cabin-number and date-of-birth in conjunction with your card

and you're back on board!

 

It's all been done before, and you are not the first one! ;)

 

.

Edited May 22, 2015 by Aplmac

[happy cruzin]

I honestly don't understand what the point is in leaving your passport on the ship. If, heaven forbid, you miss the ship, how is having your passport in your stateroom safe going to help you?

 

As far as AT&T is concerned, they have international plans that you can add to your existing plan temporarily for 30 days. http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/international/roaming.html

 

True! But that can be pricey of you only need some contact with home.

 

We opt for text messages - as much as possible - to stay in touch with our business at home. If you have a texting plan the incoming texts apply to that plan and there is a .50/per text charge for out going texts and $1.30 to send a photo.

 

Here is the link - choose the Cruises tab -it shows the per use charges toward the bottom of the page:

http://www.att.com/shop/en/wireless/international/roaming.html

[DKane]

We only take our S & S card and photo ID with us. We never take our passports off the ship at any port; we leave them locked in the safe.

 

Before we leave home, we scan our passports to our e-mail accounts in the event that we need to refer to them.

[cruznjan]

I always take my passport along with the S&S card. I wish I could find the link, but there was a lengthy post on this forum about a guy who missed the ship in Bahamas and the horrible experience as a result. He would've been up the proverbial creek without a paddle had he not brought his passport and a decent amount of cash with him off the ship. If anyone knows the post I am talking about, please post a link because it is well worth the read.

 

There is also a post about a man who missed the ship and didn't have his passport. He had a horrible time getting to the next port.

[travler27]

Passport off or leave on the ship. I guess it's a personal choice. If I was going to leave mine on board I never would have gotten one. Regarding the RIF chip being duplicated, my chip has been disabled. Google it.

[Butterbean1000]

What if you lose your passport or its stolen? When you get back to the state's are just stuck waiting to clear customs like Tom Hanks in The Terminal? I ask because if you don't have a BC with you you're gonna have to wait awhile possibly missing flights or other reservations.

 

Again if you miss the ship someone is there with your documents, if you get sick, your cabin mate can get your stuff. If you're injured and miss the ship I'd bet the cruise line calls local hospitals and see if anything came up and makes arrangements. I doubt the lines want that story starting on local news and going all the way up to 60 minutes about how they don't care about you and left you high and dry without even your passport.

 

I would rather have my passport ready and available when I need it. I don't want to have to wait on a foreign government agency to come to my rescue. If I'm hurt or sick, I don't want my family members having to worry about finding my passport. Your argument about being stuck at an American airport is silly. If you lose your passport, all you need to get back into the US is your drivers license.

[theriac]

I would rather have my passport ready and available when I need it. I don't want to have to wait on a foreign government agency to come to my rescue. If I'm hurt or sick, I don't want my family members having to worry about finding my passport. Your argument about being stuck at an American airport is silly. If you lose your passport, all you need to get back into the US is your drivers license.

 

You're mistaken, if you fly in from a foreign country US Customs not only needs your passport but also stamps it. On a cruise when you get off the ship customs has only ever asked for a DL? I think not.

 

Here on cruise critic the tag line should be

 

"Tis the season to be folly"

[Greselda]

In reply to Jimbo5544's comment about going to Turkey and having the ship keep your passport on board....

 

I travelled to Turkey in the 1970's, and don't have any desire to return....especially in this time frame of world events...:(

 

I did witness one cruise passenger a few years back who was asked to surrender her passport to be kept on the ship and she refused. She told them that her passport would stay with her, not with the cruise ship. Needless to say, it caused quite a row....with the cruise line and with her! She was from England, and they finally did allow her to keep her passport and not surrender it while on the cruise.

 

I was told that there are many times that non-U.S. citizens are asked to surrender their passports to be kept on the cruise ship during their cruise....however, I never did investigate further to find out if this was fact or fiction...:confused:

[cb at sea]

You can't even LEAVE the ship without your S&S card....but also bring your DL....same size, so it's easy to carry. You should ALWAYS have ID on you!!

[AngAndBoys]

Hello everyone.. a few quick questions..

 

1. When you go off the ship at port, what identification should you take? I know my S&S card. Do I take my passport with me? Driver's license? Do I need to take photo ID? Should I just take a copy of my passport? I wasn't sure if I needed photo ID to get back on the ship.

 

2. What about minors that don't have a driver's license?

 

3. AT&T on the ship... anyone have experience with texting and phone calls while aboard ship? THANKS

 

Poor OP, ask a few simple questions and get a 3 page (so far) argument for an answer.

 

I don't take anything off with me, including my passport and credit cards because on one of my first cruises, my son's shoes were stolen on the beach. He was 4. Lesson learned. I don't want to deal with lost or stolen passports or credit cards in a foreign country. I consider it way more likely than missing the ship. I bring my S&S, my DL, and enough cash for the day. I usually prepay excursions and I'm not a shopper, so don't need much.

 

They will not ask minors for ID.

 

I know nothing of AT&T. Can't contribute anything useful there.

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

[fhmoore]

This may be a stupid question..but if you leave your passport in the safe, what do they do drill the digital safe safe open?? I hope th4y don't have a master key for digital safes?!! Or, do some ship's not have digital safes and there IS a master key??

Edited May 23, 2015 by fhmoore

[firemanbobswife]

This may be a stupid question..but if you leave your passport in the safe, what do they do drill the digital safe safe open?? I hope th4y don't have a master key for digital safes?!! Or, do some ship's not have digital safes and there IS a master key??

 

For the safes that use a magnetic strip, the Housekeeping Supervisor has a "Master Card" if you will that can open the safe if needed. The knucklehead that stayed in my room on the cruise before mine was a real smart one as evidenced by them leaving the safe open in the locked position so I couldn't close it. I had to haul my Passport/valuables around with me until they could get her to come in. Quite an irritating way to start my cruise. SMH.

 

They have a certain code that opens the digital safes as well. On Celebrity, ours was locked when we arrived to our room on one of our cruises, and they had to come reset it. Again it was a Supervisor. What is with stupid people and safes?!

Edited May 23, 2015 by firemanbobswife

[theriac]

This may be a stupid question..but if you leave your passport in the safe, what do they do drill the digital safe safe open?? I hope th4y don't have a master key for digital safes?!! Or, do some ship's not have digital safes and there IS a master key??

 

What was said above is correct. To add to that when security opens the safe there will be multiple before in your room taking inventory together so there's no discrepancies.

[deadmoney]

Where do you get them stamped? I've heard people talking about getting theirs stamped while in port, and the way they talk about it, it's quite a hassle.

 

 

You will find "security" officers of one sort or another in every port.

Just ask where to get it stamped and they will direct you.

Never had any sort of hassle, just a couple of times we were told "you don't need to have this done while on a cruise ship"

[firemanbobswife]

Leaving your Passport safe in the room safe is the correct answer. There is MUCH more risk of it getting lost/stolen ashore than you missing the ship. And if you do get left behind, your Passport will be there waiting for you. End of story.

 

Those that don't want to do that - fine. However, once again, this confirms what I have said all along.

 

Here is an excerpt from JHs page:

 

The passport question is a good one because we do have the occasionally person who, sponsored by Carlos,his Frogs and his Three Friends fail through Tequila filled eyes, the big white thing pulling away from the pier and sailing into the sodding sunset.

Obviously we have a guest count based on our A Pass security system or the “ping “ machine on the gangway. If we are missing guests close to sailing time they are paged through the emergency system just in case their sail and sign card failed to “ping” and register when they put it in the slot. This is though a rare occurrence and if they are showing as not on board…………..it’s because , they are not on board.

If we are now a few minutes away from sailing a ship’s security guard accompanied by housekeeping will collect and sign for the safe master key, go into the guest cabin and collect the passport. The passports are then given to the ship’s agent. We have a company in every port who handles the ship’s affairs during the time it is docked there. The agent will then wait on the pier for the guests to come and then help the guests through the immigration process and assist with hotels and an airline ticket hopefully to the next port rather than home.

This is one of the reasons we do recommend passports and also as a Cruise Director I always advised guests to take ashore a copy of the Funtimes as it contains not only the time all guests must be on board …………….but the agents name and telephone number should you require assistance.

People do miss the ship now and then.

Watching people run down the pier at the last minute can be entertaining for guests but it causes all sorts of extra work for the crew.

So please……………..don’t be one of those people.

cheers

[h_blond2]

We always take our S&S cards and passports.

[firemanbobswife]

We always take our S&S cards and passports.

 

Well you definitely need your S&S card plus picture ID such as a Drivers License. Leave Passport on the ship in your safe.

[h_blond2]

Well you definitely need your S&S card plus picture ID such as a Drivers License. Leave Passport on the ship in your safe.

 

I do believe that it is my choice as to what photo ID I take off the ship with me. I choose to bring my passport because I like to have it on my person when in a foreign country. I was not telling anyone what they should do, simply stating what I do.

[cmptrwiz]

We always have a hole punched in our sail and sign cards. I put a small hole in my drivers license and a credit card and put all three on a lanyard. Wherever we go we now have what ever we need.

 

When I renewed my drivers license the gal behind the counter asked who put the hole in my DL. I told her I did. She then asked why. I explained about cruising. She said don't do that it makes it invalid. I had been pulled over a couple of times with a hole in my DL and the cops never said anything!

 

As soon as I got my renewed DL I put a small hole in it so I'll be ready for our next cruise!

[firemanbobswife]

I do believe that it is my choice as to what photo ID I take off the ship with me. I choose to bring my passport because I like to have it on my person when in a foreign country. I was not telling anyone what they should do, simply stating what I do.

 

That's super. May you never lose it or have it stolen. Have a great cruise!

[JMHAM1]

Take your drivers license and S&S card. If you miss the ship, they will send security to your room and leave your Passport with the Port Authority there. This has been confirmed by passengers that it has happened to as well as John Heald. While I admit, there are some things he's not always correct on, I do believe this. Keep Passport in the safe so it doesn't get lost/wet/whatever.

 

 

I did not realize that they retrieved your documents from your safe should you miss the ship. I thought I read on here a story about a man who missed the ship and he struggled getting to the next port.

 

As for kids, we got the kids passport cards which are wonderful. We have used them as photo ID's for them when we have needed that. It was easy peasy to check them in with the passport cards.....the port just scans them in.

 

Call AT&T and tell them you are going on a cruise to XYZ ports and they can make a recommendation. I will say that I ended up calling from the room phone and just set a timer to keep track of the number of minutes. I'm not going to be calling a friend just to chat while on vacation.

[brtls5]

Well wow. What a response. I'm back. We opted for no AT&T. I went ahead and took photo ID for my 15 yo son. They asked for it at the port. Thanks for replies.

 

 

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