Do you carry your passport off the ship?

[SargassoPirate]

I made a color copy of my passport page with my photo and identifying information and laminated it.  I carry it ashore and have used it as photo id to reboard the ship in some foreign countries and it's never been questioned.

 

Of course, it won't work to pass through customs and immigration or board a plane, but it works elsewhere.

[njkruzer]

In Copenhagen for several days before boarding our cruise. Passport was in my wallet,  which was lost or stolen.  It was a Friday afternoon.  Ship was sailing on Sunday.   We got to the embassy at 4:45.  Everyone had already gone home.  Security gave me an envelope with forms and told me to come back Monday!  Went to the police station to fill out police report. Took passport photos in the Photomat machine (horrible!). Then started making phone calls. A lost Passport is not an emergency.  State department couldn't help, nor could Royal.  Late that night our daughter called and said that our then senator's (Bob Corker) office had found us help and the next met a young embassy person at the embassy who got me a new temporary passport.  We were VERY lucky.  Did call Royal's emergency number with the new passport number so no problems on boarding. 

 

What I'm saying is that losing a passport in a foreign country can be extremely difficult to replace.  Also note that not all Caribbean countries have a consulate where you can easily obtain a new passport. 

[island lady]

Once again personal choice.  

 

Was DH's personal choice to take his book passport into port in Jamaica many years ago, before he met me, and at that time... things were really more laid back.  

 

His backpack with passport was stolen while he was at the beach.  Had a devil of a time trying to get back onto the ship.  

 

Just a head's up, and a "what happens then" scenario.  DH learned from experience.  

 

Me...my passport card is securely snapped inside my pocket and never leaves me...unless they steal my pants off my body while wearing them!!   😉  And the rare time I go swimming, snorkeling?  I hang it in a waterproof container from a lanyard around my neck along with sea pass card.  

 

Easy to carry, and doubles as my photo ID.  Book passport safely secured in my safe on the ship.  

 

But...hey that's just me.  Personal choice. 

[pcur]

I am not criticizing or arguing, but I truly want to know the reasoning for leaving a passport on the ship when you're going off in a foreign country.  Maybe my reasoning is outdated or I'm missing something.

 

My understanding is a copy of one's passport doesn't mean anything if you are stranded, except to the nearest US Consulate who will have to replace it to get you out of the country.

 

I also thought a US State DL is not accepted as an official form of ID outside the US.  Maybe  in the more frequented Caribbean Islands, but I don't think the Bahamian or the Bajan (Barbados) governments will accept it.

 

Educate me, please.

[zekekelso]

24 minutes ago, pcur said:

am not criticizing or arguing, but I truly want to know the reasoning for leaving a passport on the ship when you're going off in a foreign country. 

There are two scenarios to worry about:

 

1) Overstay time in port and not have passport. 
2) Lost/stolen passport.

 

If you are more worried about (1), take your passport. If you are more worried about (2) leave it locked in safe. Different people have different priorities so there is no single answer. 
 

Keep in mind, the number one reason for a passport is to get back into your home country. You can function quite well in Caribbean countries without one. 

Edited October 26, 2021 by zekekelso

[smokeybandit]

43 minutes ago, island lady said:

His backpack with passport was stolen while he was at the beach.  Had a devil of a time trying to get back onto the ship.  

 

So how would he have gotten back on the ship had he left his passport in the room?

[leisuretraveler223]

So it seems the popular response is to keep the passports in the safe and perhaps take a copy on shore.

 

This is a great example of where majority opinion doesn't make it right.  Entering a foreign country and not taking a passport when one is available is completely nonsensical and goes against the advice of any reasonable international traveler.  Fearing losing it is absurd.  As often mentioned here, it is neither necessary for re-entry to the ship (obviously since so many don't take it off with them), nor for re-entry through immigration upon your return.  Worst case scenario is you're slowed down a bit at immigration.

 

But to be stuck in a foreign country without a passport, when one is safely tucked in your stateroom is stupidity.  

 

 

[island lady]

5 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

 

So how would he have gotten back on the ship had he left his passport in the room?

 

Does the ship ask you to present your passport each time you board the ship again from a visiting a  port?  

 

The problem was at the port authority check point before getting back onto the ship.  No photo ID.  

 

Does the ship take your picture for your sea pass card?  That is what got him on the ship, plus knowing his cabin number and having his sea pass card in his swim trunks.  Was still a hassle, but did finally work out.  And I think he does have a unique one of a kind smile.  😉 😄 

 

Not having his passport was more of a problem later...at customs during disembarkation....when you really need it.  

 

If he had had his DL, or now our choice of passport ID card with photo (waterproof)....we feel good about having the book passport safely secure in the safe in the cabin.  

 

Again...personal choice.  Not for everyone...but that is our choice.  

 

 

[crewsweeper]

We keep our passports in the safe in the cabin.  There's really no need unless you're planning on venturing DIY to places far away from port where you may have difficulty getting back to the ship.  No need on a ship excursion. Never had to show a passport or DL to any official in any country where we ported.  Copies of passports without other identification are worthless if requested.  Ship ID and DL are all you need.

[nelblu]

If a passport is required in a foreign port, RCL will advise accordingly.

 

I've taken 4 12 night Mediterranean cruises out of Barcelona and the only time that RCL instructed us to take out passport was in Croatia, right after their war.

[hotsauce126]

2 hours ago, njkruzer said:

In Copenhagen for several days before boarding our cruise. Passport was in my wallet,  which was lost or stolen.  It was a Friday afternoon.  Ship was sailing on Sunday.   We got to the embassy at 4:45.  Everyone had already gone home.  Security gave me an envelope with forms and told me to come back Monday!  Went to the police station to fill out police report. Took passport photos in the Photomat machine (horrible!). Then started making phone calls. A lost Passport is not an emergency.  State department couldn't help, nor could Royal.  Late that night our daughter called and said that our then senator's (Bob Corker) office had found us help and the next met a young embassy person at the embassy who got me a new temporary passport.  We were VERY lucky.  Did call Royal's emergency number with the new passport number so no problems on boarding. 

 

What I'm saying is that losing a passport in a foreign country can be extremely difficult to replace.  Also note that not all Caribbean countries have a consulate where you can easily obtain a new passport. 

 

That's a good reason to have it with you as opposed to leaving it on the ship 

[zekekelso]

1 hour ago, leisuretraveler223 said:

Entering a foreign country and not taking a passport when one is available is completely nonsensical and goes against the advice of any reasonable international traveler.  Fearing losing it is absurd. 

I’m an international traveler, but better classified as drunken idiot than “reasonable.” So I went to see what Rick Steves has to say. Bottom line, no single correct answer. 
 

“Carrying your passport with you around Europe poses a few risks, which may not be worth facing if you're just sightseeing near your hotel for the day. For example, carrying your passport everywhere with you increases the odds of losing it or having it stolen. However, few things dampen a fun day of sightseeing quite like leaving your passport at your hotel only to find later that you need it. Knowing when to carry your passport and when to secure it in a hotel safe is key to a smooth trip.”

“The U.S. Department of State recommends that you keep your passport and other valuables locked in a hotel safe whenever possible. This diminishes chances of your passport being stolen while you're sightseeing. Most of the time, you won't need it anyway. However, you should always carry some form of I.D. with you, which you may need when purchasing tickets or entering some sights.”

 

Edited October 26, 2021 by zekekelso

[leisuretraveler223]

1 minute ago, zekekelso said:

 

“The U.S. Department of State recommends that you keep your passport and other valuables locked in a hotel safe whenever possible. This diminishes chances of your passport being stolen while you're sightseeing. Most of the time, you won't need it anyway. However, you should always carry some form of I.D. with you, which you may need when purchasing tickets or entering some sights.”

 

 

Forgive me for not being more specific.  But when there is a chance of that hotel safe literally sailing away and leaving you behind as it heads across a body of water to another nation, then the recommendations change dramatically.

[time4u2go]

6 minutes ago, zekekelso said:

I’m an international traveler, but better classified as drunken idiot than “reasonable.” So I went to see what Rick Steves has to say. Bottom line, no single correct answer. 
 

“Carrying your passport with you around Europe poses a few risks, which may not be worth facing if you're just sightseeing near your hotel for the day. For example, carrying your passport everywhere with you increases the odds of losing it or having it stolen. However, few things dampen a fun day of sightseeing quite like leaving your passport at your hotel only to find later that you need it. Knowing when to carry your passport and when to secure it in a hotel safe is key to a smooth trip.”

“The U.S. Department of State recommends that you keep your passport and other valuables locked in a hotel safe whenever possible. This diminishes chances of your passport being stolen while you're sightseeing. Most of the time, you won't need it anyway. However, you should always carry some form of I.D. with you, which you may need when purchasing tickets or entering some sights.”

 

This really isn't a good comparison.  Being late getting back to the ship is not the same as being late getting back to your hotel.  The hotel will still be there.  They ship may not.

[pcur]

2 hours ago, zekekelso said:

There are two scenarios to worry about:

 

1) Overstay time in port and not have passport. 
2) Lost/stolen passport.

 

If you are more worried about (1), take your passport. If you are more worried about (2) leave it locked in safe. Different people have different priorities so there is no single answer. 
 

Keep in mind, the number one reason for a passport is to get back into your home country. You can function quite well in Caribbean countries without one. 

This makes sense, and I agree about the Caribbean.  I'm in group #1, and had one bad experience at the end of a cruise in Spain.  

 

I wear a neck purse with a strap that cannot be cut, and put my passport, credit cards, and cash in it.

 

I wish people who respond to threads on this question would qualify what the circumstances are that help them make their decision, and I should do that, too.

[Lou33]

It depends which port and what type of activity I will be doing. 

 

If I'm at an island in the Caribbean and I'm going to the beach or snorkeling, then the passport stays in the safe.  There too much of a chance that my passport will be lost, stolen, or end up at the bottom of the ocean.   I take my driver's license, and credit card and sea pass.  If for some reason I need my passport, it's in a safe place, and the ship is just a few miles away.  

 

If I'm at a European port and I take a train on my own to a destination 40 miles from the port, I would take my passport with me.  But if I took a ship's tour, I would probably leave it in the safe.   The ship's tour guarantees you will get back to the ship, but if there is some emergency, I'm sure they would arrange to get your passport to you.  

[poocher]

Yes, and I’m NOT sure they would arrange to get my passport to me.  If there was some way to 100% GUARANTEE this, maybe I’d leave the passport.  Til then, it (they cuz I hold everybody’s) stays with me.

[lovemylab]

I feel there is a stronger chance of my passport being lost/stolen vs. me missing the ship; therefore, in most situations I leave it onboard. Like others, I carry a copy (or have one saved in my web based email account).

 

I've been told by numerous cruise staff members that if someone is going to miss the ship, they will check the safe for the passport and give it to the port agent.  I've personally seen this done on a Celebrity cruise in 2013.

 

If carrying it with me, I don't carry it in a purse, backpack or in a pouch around my neck.  It gets carried in a hidden pocket or a bra stash. When off the ship I always have the port agents contact information with me.

 

 

[SRF]

On 10/25/2021 at 4:01 PM, karena1 said:

Never, EVER do I take our passports off the ship, they are in the safe.  We have a copy on our phones and also take a paper copy.  Have been on 128 cruises and never have had any issues doing it that way.  

 

And so someone that had done 129 cruises with taking theirs makes them more right than you?

 

How many times have you missed a ship?

 

[karena1]

3 hours ago, SRF said:

 

And so someone that had done 129 cruises with taking theirs makes them more right than you?

 

How many times have you missed a ship?

 

Never.  We plan appropriately to make sure we are back way before we have to be back.  And I never said they were wrong, I said we don't take ours.  I take paper copies and have them on my phone.  Actual passports stay in the safe.

[jcc1025]

• We have gone both ways depending on the port. I take a photo copy and have one on my phone and that has been my choice the last few years, leave the original in the safe. 

[njkruzer]

There is one situation where you need at least a copy of your passport.   If you are in Europe or Israel and purchasing something with a VAT you want refunded.  I can recall the store needing my passport to complete the form I would need to submit at the airport or post official to claim the refund. 

[time4u2go]

4 hours ago, SRF said:

 

And so someone that had done 129 cruises with taking theirs makes them more right than you?

 

How many times have you missed a ship?

 

Good point.  It's like someone saying that their house has never burned down, so they don't need fire insurance. 

[Blauelini]

On 10/25/2021 at 2:22 PM, Cruiser1862 said:

On prior cruises we only carry a copy of our passport off the ship and keep original in the safe. What do you do?  We’re worried when we go to beaches and want to swim that our Passports could get stolen. We are going on western Caribbean cruise to Mexico. Thank you

Never in any port.

[Diver2014]

I always carry my passport when outside the USA.  That's what it's for.....proving who you are and what country you're from.    Why bother having a passport if you don't have it on you when you need it?  Forget photocopies....anyone can fake a photo.   If you get left behind because of an accident or get arrested for something (or anything in another country), you'll want your passport to get back to the US.

Try showing a drivers license to police or security in another country.  They'll look at you like you're joking with them.