Passports

[MrmrsSteelman]

Hubby and I will be on the getaway in 41 days! It’s our first cruise ever. We will be stopping in Roatan, Harvest Caye, costa maya and Cozumel. Do we take our passport off the ship with us at each stop? Do we need it to get back on the ship or is our room cards/Id all we need? Thanks!

[d9704011]

Normally an announcement will be made on what you should do (either written and/or over the speaker system).  Typically it is recommended that in addition to your cruise card you should take a government issued ID with your photo on it.  A driver’s license for example.  You can take your passport if you wish; I normally leave mine onboard especially in the Caribbean where it’s highly unlikely I’ll need it.

[zqvol]

1 hour ago, MrmrsSteelman said:

Hubby and I will be on the getaway in 41 days! It’s our first cruise ever. We will be stopping in Roatan, Harvest Caye, costa maya and Cozumel. Do we take our passport off the ship with us at each stop? Do we need it to get back on the ship or is our room cards/Id all we need? Thanks!

 

On that itinerary all you need to reboard the ship is a photo ID and your ship card, in fact I can't recall the last time they have even looked at ID at any of those ports, though I usually pull it and the ship card out. You will end up with a lot of opinions about taking your PP off the ship. My suggestion is leave it on board.

[JamieLogical]

The conventional wisdom is to leave it in the safe in your room. You won't have to worry about losing it or having it stolen and if you miss the ship in port, that is the first place the crew will look for it for you.

[roger001]

I think Cozumel is the only place lately when returning to the ship that I can remember looking at a photo ID in addition to the room card.  We do take our passports off the ship, but most guests don't.  If you want a preview of both the Getaway and Harvest Cay, here's way too many pictures I took of both.  Pictures about 2 or 3 years old, but most is the same.  

 

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOu3t-LagaSph8-Q1NuSDlyonwWjDo7kuU556zrjiqPxe8DFGsGDauyzjuJpg5AYQ?key=aExpVl9rMkQ2WU8tUlI3RXhRUmZxeFJDZF81VHl3

 

https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipPUiN7GQox-kvmrjeqSfk1Um16cj1DytxsG7Dc

[Stlcardsfan79]

If you want to get a stamp in your passport you can take it with you. If I remember correctly you can get it stamped at the information booth. 

[Lupush]

I make photocopies of our passports and carry them with us when we go ashore.  Typically I'll just leave my PP in the safe for the duration of the cruise.

[suometar]

In addition to a passport which I leave in the safe when going on an excursion I also have a passport card which I use as ID when leaving the ship. Some ports ask for ID when re-boarding, others don't. But it is always wise to have some sort of ID when off the ship.

[Love Blue]

Harvest Caye has a booth where you can have passports stamped.  If we are at a port where we are doing a private excursion, we would take passports because if we miss the ship we would have to get to the next port.  Probably overly cautious but it's just our comfort level.  Harvest Caye has a number of little shops and a liquor outlet where they sell their Belizean rum and other spirits.  Their rum is very nice.  Costa Maya is very much a port created for cruisers, a resort with shops, bars and a pool, and we did a private excursion there to Maya Chan based on others' recommendations.  The hospitality, food and drinks were great, there was a lot of seagrass on the beach but a number of people made use of kayaks and floating chairs to relax in clearer water. 

[JamieLogical]

12 minutes ago, Love Blue said:

Harvest Caye has a booth where you can have passports stamped.  If we are at a port where we are doing a private excursion, we would take passports because if we miss the ship we would have to get to the next port. 

 

If you miss the ship, the cruise line crew will search your room (safe first) for your passport to leave at the pier. That's why it is recommended you leave it in the safe, to save them the trouble of rifling through your whole room. Of course, if you know you are going to miss the ship, you could call ahead and let them know you do have your passports with you. I know NCL puts a number to call on the dailies.

[Love Blue]

17 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

If you miss the ship, the cruise line crew will search your room (safe first) for your passport to leave at the pier. That's why it is recommended you leave it in the safe, to save them the trouble of rifling through your whole room. Of course, if you know you are going to miss the ship, you could call ahead and let them know you do have your passports with you. I know NCL puts a number to call on the dailies.

We're aware of this and have the port authority info with us when going ashore.  My comment was not intended to educate anyone, just our preference.  

[casofilia]

We always carry our ship card, photo ID (Driver's Licence) and a photo copy of our passport unless we are told to carry our actual passport, very uncommon.

[MrmrsSteelman]

Thanks everyone!

[BirdTravels]

12 hours ago, MrmrsSteelman said:

Hubby and I will be on the getaway in 41 days! It’s our first cruise ever. We will be stopping in Roatan, Harvest Caye, costa maya and Cozumel. Do we take our passport off the ship with us at each stop? Do we need it to get back on the ship or is our room cards/Id all we need? Thanks!

Enjoy your first cruise. The link below is from our live post from the Getaway on the same itinerary a few months ago. The link has Freestyle Dailies to allow you to get an idea of the kinds of activities that are offered weekly. It has menus. Menu pictures and food associated with the menus. 

 

Warning: Cruising is habit forming and could become a serious addiction. We are up to 4-5 cruises a year. 🙂

 

While there are conflicting opinions, we NEVER carry our passports off the ship. It is the one thing that can not be easily replaced. If the minimum requirement (shown in your Freestyle Daily) is your ship room key and a picture ID, then carry your ship card and a picture ID (driver's license). 

 

 

 

[cathi007]

Best thing is to leave it in your safe and make copies to take with you off the ship. That's what we always do

[MrmrsSteelman]

22 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Enjoy your first cruise. The link below is from our live post from the Getaway on the same itinerary a few months ago. The link has Freestyle Dailies to allow you to get an idea of the kinds of activities that are offered weekly. It has menus. Menu pictures and food associated with the menus. 

 

Warning: Cruising is habit forming and could become a serious addiction. We are up to 4-5 cruises a year. 🙂

 

While there are conflicting opinions, we NEVER carry our passports off the ship. It is the one thing that can not be easily replaced. If the minimum requirement (shown in your Freestyle Daily) is your ship room key and a picture ID, then carry your ship card and a picture ID (driver's license). 

 

 

 

I have read your live review! It was so helpful! Thanks!

[Negrilgirl]

I agree. We always leave our passports in the safe. I worry that someone may snatch my bag. 

Edited November 27, 2018 by Negrilgirl

[Martini Mom]

I leave mine in my room and take a photocopy just in case.

[bonvoyagie]

You don't need a photo ID to re-board the ship - your when they swipe your room card, your photo shows up on the security screen so they know it is you. If the card belongs to a minor, the authorized adults for them are also shown - trying to prevent kidnapping. Something to keep in mind if you are traveling with grandparents - make sure that they are also linked to the child's key card. Otherwise they may not be able to leave the ship with them.

[BirdTravels]

The Photo ID is for the port security, not the ship. At many ports, you can not get into the port without a photo ID. 

[ziggyuk]

On our recent Asia cruise on the Jewel the ship kept everyone's passports for the duration of the trip, they took them en masse to be stamped at the port, they did not return them until the last day.

 

At the first port an announcement was made that photo ID would be required which caused huge queues at guest services, as nobody had passports they were printing off the photo and passport information from the onboard system onto a sheet of A4, must have used reams of paper!

 

The bit of paper never left our bag at a single port as it was not needed!

Edited November 27, 2018 by ziggyuk

[mugtech]

Princess did the same for a 10 day cruise out of Singapore, giving us a photocopy of our passport when we handed them in.  We always carry extra photocopies of our passports on every cruise, used them in Europe and Asia.

 

 

 

 

[CentralFloridaFamily]

On 11/26/2018 at 11:22 AM, JamieLogical said:

 

If you miss the ship, the cruise line crew will search your room (safe first) for your passport to leave at the pier. That's why it is recommended you leave it in the safe, to save them the trouble of rifling through your whole room. Of course, if you know you are going to miss the ship, you could call ahead and let them know you do have your passports with you. I know NCL puts a number to call on the dailies.

 

That is so nice! So you are saying that before the ship leaves the pier, the get the passports of any guests who got off but did not get back on the ship, and leave them at the pier before departing? This is the first I heard of this. We usually took ours with us just in case we missed the ship. Is this courtesy practice documented anywhere in the cruise documents, or is it just known to insiders and those who have missed the ship?

Edited December 22, 2018 by CentralFloridaFamily

[Budget Queen]

Some simplistic comments above.  Thinking a photocopy is going to help you is mistaken.   It's pretty worthless.   Sure it's rare you need a passport-   but it's a different claim-   if you do.   My passport is ALWAYS with me.   Some seem to think it's gold, and more valuable than your money, credit cards,  license etc.    Are you in common habit of loosing them every trip?    IF they are kept with you,  you don't need to double/triple check,  for you to know where it is, or have to "think" where it is.   It becomes automatic.   

 

I've always carried my passport around with me,  Now going on 20 years.   Superb id,  since no address.    IF you happen to need it,  it's there.   No,  delays in medical treatment or leaving.  No waiting for costly replacements.      Even when I'm snorkeling-  it stays with me,  just like a credit card,  cash.     it isn't a 10 pound brick,   simple to keep with you.   

Edited December 22, 2018 by Budget Queen

[BirdTravels]

Your passport is gold. 

 

It it is the one thing that can’t be easily replaced. And it is the one thing that you must have to renter the US. 

 

Every cruise, multiple guests are the victim of a crime. Pickpockets. Theft. A handbag left draped over the back of a chair at a restaurant. A bag left on the beach while you are swimming. A bag left on a bus or in a taxi. 

 

If if it is not required by the country you are visiting, don’t risk carrying it.