Do you register your trip with the US State Dept?

[celebrity]

Planning on doing so on my upcoming Med cruise.

Is it too early for a trip next month?

Thoughts?

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have never registered any of our cruises.

We have cruised the Med, Baltic, South America, etc. many times.

[MJSailors]

My DH and I have taken cruises since the 1980s.

I have never heard about this. Is this something new?

[Floridiana]

Planning on doing so on my upcoming Med cruise.

Is it too early for a trip next month?

Thoughts?

 

Why would you register with the State Department? The cruise line knows who you are and your passport. Same for the airline.

[e050377]

We did on our land trip and will for our BI cruise next year. It was nice. We got an email from them with US contacts for each country and tips.

[RJ2002]

We register all of our overseas trips, cruises or not, with the US State Department's STEP program.

 

https://step.state.gov/step/

 

Hopefully it will never be needed, but in times like these, we think it is a prudent measure.

 

These are the benefits of registration, from the STEP website:

 

+ Receive important information from the Embassy about safety conditions in your destination country, helping you make informed decisions about your travel plans.

 

+ Help the U.S. Embassy contact you in an emergency, whether natural disaster, civil unrest, or family emergency.

 

+ Help family and friends get in touch with you in an emergency.

 

ps - registering a month before your travel is definitely not too early.

[OCruisers]

RJ2002 .... Thanks for this ... interesting.

Seems it would be good for independent travel.

Not so sure it's needed on cruises since we have already given that info to the cruise line.

[maldenmusic]

We register all of our overseas trips, cruises or not, with the US State Department's STEP program.

 

https://step.state.gov/step/

 

Hopefully it will never be needed, but in times like these, we think it is a prudent measure.

 

These are the benefits of registration, from the STEP website:

 

+ Receive important information from the Embassy about safety conditions in your destination country, helping you make informed decisions about your travel plans.

 

+ Help the U.S. Embassy contact you in an emergency, whether natural disaster, civil unrest, or family emergency.

 

+ Help family and friends get in touch with you in an emergency.

 

ps - registering a month before your travel is definitely not too early.

 

We always do this when we leave the country whether cruising or not. On our last trip to Europe we got emails from STEP with updates and info about possible places to avoid, etc. It's free and in this day and age, why not?

[OCruisers]

We always do this when we leave the country whether cruising or not. On our last trip to Europe we got emails from STEP with updates and info about possible places to avoid, etc. It's free and in this day and age, why not?

 

You bring up a good point: Why Not!

Thanks, LuLu

[pris993]

I have never registered with the State Department. Sometimes I have gotten the address of the US Embassy in a country before leaving home. Never need it either.

[Markanddonna]

Yes! I started doing this recently. It gives us and those back at home peace of mind.

[Scrapnana]

Never even heard of it. Definitely sounds like something to do on an independent land-based vacation.

[Ashland]

My DH's company does this for their executives...a good idea to do it yourself...especially in today's world.

[SPacificbound]

Any time we are out of the US traveling in any foreign country I register for every country we will be visiting before we leave home.

[celebrity]

Why would you register with the State Department? The cruise line knows who you are and your passport. Same for the airline.

 

We will be flying in and staying after so I thought it would we wise in today's world.

[Markanddonna]

This program also makes you alert about where the nearest US Embassy is. Sort of like knowing where the exits are in a movie theater. Always good to be prepared!

[CruisingAlong4Now]

Always. Even before 9/11. Whenever we cross out of the USA.

 

Why not take advantage of the service even if you'll never need it. Registering costs nothing. And everything RJ2002 said.

 

Seems like a smart thing to do. :)

Edited August 7, 2016 by CruisingAlong4Now

[RJ2002]

Absent some emergency, the helpful thing we find about the State Dept STEP program are the emails you receive from the countries you are planning to visit. These emails will give the the latest advisories as to what may be going on in the country that might impact your visit.

 

A word of warning for those interested in setting up a travel notification... the first time, it is a little clunky. You may find you are having to re-enter information for multiple locations where you will be visiting. Sometimes you might not have an address in the city you will be visiting (such as a port call). In that case, I just list the cruise ship as my residence.

 

As someone else mentioned, it is FREE. Just takes a bit of time to complete.

[nsafeer1@gmail.com]

My wife and I would like to meet other seniors who are travelling as a single couple to join together for off ship excursions. We are mainly concerned about safety at the various locations.

Edited August 7, 2016 by nsafeer1@gmail.com
misspelled Athens

[RJ2002]

My wife and I would like to meet other seniors who are travelling as a single couple to join together for off ship excursions. We are mainly concerned about safety at the various locations.

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

There are various forums on Cruise Critic. Here is a link to your specific cruise. You should re-post your request on the following thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2144634

[NMLady]

Planning on doing so on my upcoming Med cruise.

Is it too early for a trip next month?

Thoughts?

 

If I were going to be in the same country for a week or more I might register my trip. But for a cruise that spends less than a day in each port, and sometimes less than a day in a country, I wouldn't bother registering my trip.

[cruisemom42]

I only do it when I will be visiting somewhere where I feel there is a higher than average risk of something happening (e.g., risk of strikes, political instability, etc.)

[lifes-a-beach]

Every single trip abroad. Cruise, land or air. Also, it's not free. My tax money helped pay for it. For all the garbage my government wastes my money on I'm darn sure gonna take advantage of a program that might actually benefit me.

[TC1957]

Had a coworker who's husband is required to notify the State Department every time he leaves the country. Must tell them where he is going, the dates he will be there and the reason for his trip. Depending on where he is going, he might have to check in periodically. Of course, he retired five years ago and was a special forces officer and the highest possible security clearance. They have a special needs child so his wife would get a 48 hour notice (if possible) on when he might be leaving so they could make care arrangements if needed, but she never knew anything else.

 

Other than him, I have not encountered anyone who tells the State Dept. where they are going.

Edited August 8, 2016 by TC1957

[Treven]

I never have, but then again I've only cruised in the Western Hemisphere. Plus when in the military I only had a "secret" security clearance.