What do you take with you on a shore excursion?

[dancingfish]

I am trying to figure out what type of "bag" I will want to pack.  Do you carry your passports? Do you carry your own water? Camera? Maps? Towels?

 

We are going to the Caribbean== Backpack or tote bag? 

[mom says]

Depends on what we're  doing. For us a trip to the beach is different than a bus tour to visit plantations,  fortresses or ruins, for example.  And different again if we're  just wandering around town. The only time we use a tote bag is if we are going to the beach,  when it's used to hold towels. Otherwise DH carries a day pack size backpack that holds water bottles for each of us, sunscreen, wet wipes (and sometimes a face, cloth from the ship in a ziplock lock bag), cameras, and his ID, cash, credit cards in a zipped inner pocket. I carry a small crossbody bag for my ID, cash, CCs,  the port agent info torn from the daily newsletter, sun glasses,  tissues, hand sanitizer, etc. 

 

While we do carry our passports off the ship in many places, we generally don't in the Caribbean unless we are on an excursion that will take us hours away from the ship. When we do carry them,  one of us has them inside a neck pouch or moneybelt, worn under our clothes.

[rkacruiser]

Usually, I will use the ship provided small bag and have a small umbrella in it if rain is possible, a map and/or any tourist brochures that I think I will find useful, and my camera, possibly a bottle of water as well..  In warm/hot environments, I will include a wash cloth to wipe my face when I get sweaty.  I wear a neck pouch under my shirt containing a copy of my passport, money, and my ship's card.  Also, will wear a hat/cap.  I try to take as little as possible because I don't like to lug stuff around.  By using the ship's bag, if I buy something, the bag is useful in having some to place put my purchases.

[Krazy Kruizers]

DH takes a back pack for us.  In it he has my camera, bottled water, small portable umbrellas if rain is predicted, maps. If we buy something, it goes into the back pack. 

 

Passports are left in the cabin safe. 

 

If we go to a beach, we use the tote bag provided by the ship for towels. 

[sparks1093]

3 hours ago, JerryFinn said:

Will we need our passports on the tours? I mean originals. Or should we  keep passports on the ship and take just  copies with us? Thank you. Jerry.

For most excursions you don't need your passport but there are some excursions that take you from one country to another (such as on an Alaska cruise and taking the train into Canada). 

 

We generally carry a backpack with us and what we put in it depends on what we are doing for the day, but it will generally have our water at least and umbrellas/rain ponchos. We leave our passports in the safe unless we actually need them ashore due to local law or for an excursion. I have pictures of them on my phone and my cloud.

[Wayfairers]

In the Caribbean we leave passports in the safe but drivers license, credit card, cash and ship cards go with us in pockets, not in a bag.   If we have a tour we take confirmation paperwork.   The rest of what we take depends on what we are doing that day.   

 

Beach:  tote with change of clothes, dry bag for wet bathing suits, wet wipes or hand sanitizer, suntan lotion, sunglasses, towel and kindle.  

 

Town or tour:  small backpack with wet wipes or hand sanitizer, suntan lotion, phones for the free wifi 

 

we try to keep it it simple and only take what is needed.  I pack what we are taking ashore the night before so we can just grab and go the next morning after breakfast 

[cruisy]

We also bring insect repellent wipes, just in case we end up needing them.

 

You can leave your passports as long as you bring photo ID instead.

[Heidi13]

5 hours ago, JerryFinn said:

Will we need our passports on the tours? I mean originals. Or should we  keep passports on the ship and take just  copies with us? Thank you. Jerry.

You will find many threads discussing passports on CC with strong opinions on both sides.

 

The number of ports world-wide where you actually require a passport on a tour (ship or private) is fairly low. However, having had passports since being kids, we are very comfortable carrying them. We do not leave the country without them and carry them at all times when travelling, which on a ship is any time we go ashore. Only exception is when the ship has the passports for the local authorities & it will result in missing a tour while waiting for the passport.

 

That is our personal preference and we are well aware of the extreme arguements voiced by both camps.

[Kate P.C]

We never take our passports with us. A copy is just fine. For the Caribbean, a beach bag or a backpack full with necessities for the day and definitely insect repellent. Camera, phone, water, towels, sunscreen, some snacks, sunglasses, money... We never carry umbrella when we are on the Caribbean islands.

[chipmaster]

I've done shore with nothing but a CC/ATM/cruise-card and the clothes on my back and my shoes to a backpack overflowing with stuff, all about what you like to do in port and how long.

 

Water, you can get that, or buy it

Towels, generally better to bring but you can rent or buy them for cheap enough too, LOL

Hat/sunglasses I'd take, camera / phone, something to store them all if you are doing the beach thing.

 

Passports, won't touch that subject, LOL

[cb at sea]

Depends what you're doing!  If you're doing a "beach day", I take beach stuff...towels, sunscreen, book, sunglasses, etc.....we don't bring ANY fancy electronics, or much cash and only 1 credit card (not the one linked to the ship's account).   If we're doing a tour, or shopping, we bring what we'd carry in ANY town.  I take my purse, wallet, etc.....no need for towels or other beachy crap.   

I've never felt the need for a backpack for ANYthing we've ever done!  

[clo]

33 minutes ago, cb at sea said:

(not the one linked to the ship's account).  

Curious.  Why not?

[mom says]

2 hours ago, clo said:

Curious.  Why not?

Probably a prudent decision. If the card was lost, stolen, or hacked, the card would be useless as far as paying their shipboard account. Better to risk a different card.

Edited September 13, 2019 by mom says

[clo]

3 minutes ago, mom says said:

Probably a prudent decision. If the card was lost, stolen, or hacked, the card would be useless as far as paying their shipboard account. Better to risk a different card.

Not a bad idea.  After we got pickpocketed in Barcelona, we started putting a credit and debit card and $100 in our document case which we never walk around with.  Just in case.

[SRF]

We typically carry one or two day backpacks.

 

Water, sunscreen, hat, maybe a towel.  Room for any purchases.  Possibly umbrella or light rain ponchos (dollar store). 

 

If on a ship's excursion on a Caribbean island, we may not carry our passports.  One our own, we carry our passports.  My SO is from Europe and is used to carrying her passport at all times.  I travel a lot internationally, and am used to carrying mine virtually all the time also.  But, it is up to you.  And both sides can, and will, cite various examples why their way is the only right way. 🙂

 

 

[BensonFan711]

Depends on the shore excursion.  For walking around town, or anything otherwise "dry," I take a small backpack/purse big enough to hold essentials - credit card, passport (yes, I take mine with me when I leave the ship), emergency diabetes supplies including snacks (I'm diabetic, and I toss all food just before I get back on the ship....having had a hypoglycemic episode in line to board, I NEVER leave without sugar anymore), maybe a camera.  I generally also take some sunscreen and bottles of water (I generally get the beverage package....it's included with the package on the ship, costs money in port).  Also take a small amount of cash to tip tour operators or purchase a snack, in the event I wind up somewhere that doesn't take cc (it's happened, particularly in the Caribbean).

 

For anything requiring a change of clothes (like, snorkeling), I bring a backpack with everything listed above, plus a swimgear/change of clothes.  Nothing worse than getting on a bus in wet clothes.

[Herfnerd]

On 9/13/2019 at 5:48 AM, JerryFinn said:

Thank you all for very useful info concerning passports. If possible we prefer to leave our passports and bring photo ID instead. We are going to Baltic cruise and plan to visit Rostock (Germany), Tallinn (Estonia), St. Petersburg (Russia), Helsinki (Finland), Nynashamn / Stockholm (Sweden). I understand in St. Petersburg we require  passports on all tours but are there any other ports in my list where we require passports?  We plan to do all other ports on our own and very much hope we will be on time for ship departure.

Most of the responses about passports left in the safe on this thread pertain more to Caribbean ports.  European ports of call will be a different beast all together - if it were me, I would bring it on a Baltic cruise

[Wayfairers]

20 minutes ago, Herfnerd said:

Most of the responses about passports left in the safe on this thread pertain more to Caribbean ports.  European ports of call will be a different beast all together - if it were me, I would bring it on a Baltic cruise

Why would you take your passport ashore on a Baltic cruise?  We’ve never done that in the rest of Europe or in Asia or South America.  Going to the Baltic for the first time next year. 

[angie7911922]

On 9/13/2019 at 5:48 PM, JerryFinn said:

Thank you all for very useful info concerning passports. If possible we prefer to leave our passports and bring photo ID instead. We are going to Baltic cruise and plan to visit Rostock (Germany), Tallinn (Estonia), St. Petersburg (Russia), Helsinki (Finland), Nynashamn / Stockholm (Sweden). I understand in St. Petersburg we require  passports on all tours but are there any other ports in my list where we require passports?  We plan to do all other ports on our own and very much hope we will be on time for ship departure.

 

If there are ports that require you to carry a passport, you will be informed onboard about this.But bring some form of ID, maybe a photocopy?

In St. Petersburg you will need a visa. But it seems you have booked a tour already? In that case that has been taken care off. When we were there with Princess, we booked a private tour for 2 days. And at Anastasia Tours, they took care of the visas for us. It was included in the price of tour. What a wonderful time we had! We saw the Hermitage, Faberge Museum, St Peterhof and many many more sights. It was nice because it was only us, the guide was able to let us pass the long lines. This way we were able to take the most out of the limited time we were there!!

Edited September 20, 2019 by angie7911922
wrong spelling

[bonsai3s]

On shore excursions, we always bring an umbrella...

* for the sun,

* for the rain,

* as a cane,

* and for self-defense.

[SimplyMarvie]

So, my nickname is "Princess Planahead of the Worst Case Scenario tribe", just as a warning. But for a day trip I'd pack the following:

 

* Camera

* Wallet, with a credit card and my passport -- but leaving at least one card (our emergency high limit one) on the ship.

* Water bottle

* Small med kit (a tiny ziplock with bandaids, duct tape, OTC meds and an inhaler in it)

* Cellphone and Kindle if we're driving anywhere

* Water bottle

* Foldable grocery/tote bag

* Sunglasses

* a couple of protein bars

* Hand sanitizer

* hand lotion, sunscreen and chapstick

* Wet wipes and/or a wash rag for wiping sweaty faces.

 

All of that fits in my cross-body nylon travel purse, or a packable nylon backpack.

 

If we're going on a beach trip, we have microfiber towels that roll up into their own elastic. I can grab those and swim stuff for our family of 5 in a slightly larger packable tote bag, which is nice for excursions that begin or end on the beach. I'd probably also throw in mini shampoo, soap and conditioner to wash the salt off, if possible, and a travel-sized bottle of aloe (see above re: nickname...)

 

[bbwex]

In St. Petersburg you will need your passport and your tour company, if you are not using a ship's tour, will send you a confirmation email that you will need to prove that you are going with them, as they provide the visa for that tour.  Also, at least when we did it, the immigration officer puts a small square thing about half the size of an old-fashioned theater ticket in your passport, and do not lose that!  If you are thinking of touring on your own, you need to get a visa, and that can take some time.  If you are on a private tour, have them add a visit to some subway stations -- they are ornate and beautiful, just be careful of pickpockets in the crowds.

 

In no other city of the ones you listed do you need a passport.  We do tend to carry a photocopy of the ID page with us, but not the passport.

 

Some thoughts:  in Talinn, take a half-day ship's tour -- there is not a whole lot to be seen there -- and afterwards you can walk around the town.  In Helsinki we wandered on our own.  There is a farmer's market/craft market right at the harbor, and it is fun to walk around and then even pick up some lunch from one of the vendors.  There are a few museums within walking distance, and there are businesses around an esplanade as well.  From Rostock, we took a private tour to Berlin and though there is a bit of driving, that was very interesting.  Should you do that, have the tour guide include the Pergamon Museum, a real highlight.  We took private tours in Sweden as well, but make sure you include a visit to the Vasa Museum.

 

Have a great trip.  We loved that cruise.