Passport needed when leaving and reboarding on port days?

[flamingo1562]

On port days do you need to have your passport to leave and return to the ship.

If so can you take a paper copy instead? Or have a picture of it on your phone?

 

[mz-s]

You need some form of photo ID, but it does not have to be your passport. I carry mine with me, but a lot of people don't and carry their driver's license or what have you.

[Joe817]

Just now, mz-s said:

You need some form of photo ID, but it does not have to be your passport. I carry mine with me, but a lot of people don't and carry their driver's license or what have you.

Same here. 👍

[cruisingguy007]

No, I don't even bring ID, only my sign and sail card, never had a problem. 

[Schoifmom]

Just now, cruisingguy007 said:

No, I don't even bring ID, only my sign and sail card, never had a problem. 

 

There are some ports where it is a problem (just ask my hubby 🙂).  OP, just take your DL and S&S card with you and you'll be fine.

[cruisingguy007]

Just now, Schoifmom said:

 

There are some ports where it is a problem (just ask my hubby 🙂).  OP, just take your DL and S&S card with you and you'll be fine.

 

You can't leave us hanging like that, spill the deets on the hubs ID drama! 😁

[BlerkOne]

A few Caribbean ports require. If you are on an Alaska cruise and want to go on he train into Canada - passport. It is the passenger and not the cruise line responsibility to investigate.

[jsglow]

In the Caribbean, your DL and S&S are always sufficient.  Blerk's correct that if you cross the Canadian border from Skagway you'll 100% need your actual Passport.  Don't worry, the CD typically makes announcements.  One of the things that probably has evolved in the 6 months since I've last sailed is your need to carry your Vax card (or at least a photo of it).

[mz-s]

8 minutes ago, cruisingguy007 said:

No, I don't even bring ID, only my sign and sail card, never had a problem. 

 

In the Bahamas (specifically Nassau) you will not get back to the pier unless you have a photo ID.

[BlerkOne]

1 minute ago, jsglow said:

In the Caribbean, your DL and S&S are always sufficient.  Blerk's correct that if you cross the Canadian border from Skagway you'll 100% need your actual Passport.  Don't worry, the CD typically makes announcements.  One of the things that probably has evolved in the 6 months since I've last sailed is your need to carry your Vax card (or at least a photo of it).

 

Even if you're on a closed-loop sailing, certain islands in the Caribbean – Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Barts, Barbados and others — require a passport for entry. It's your responsibility (not your cruise line's) to learn the requirements of each of the destinations you're visiting before you go.

 

https://thepointsguy.com/guide/need-passport-cruise/

Apr 1, 2022

[Moviela]

If you are American, it never a good idea to off the reservation without a passport. Outside the USA you need identification acceptable to foreign authorities. Sure some places will accept a passport card, driver's license, or tribal ID, but everywhere including the Vatican will accept a passport. Not a copy, or a picture, nope the whole book. Take it with you it is not that heavy. Those of you that travel with a birth certificate, don't need to carry it, but you do need the govt. picture ID.

[cruisingguy007]

14 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

In the Bahamas (specifically Nassau) you will not get back to the pier unless you have a photo ID.

 

Meh, I highly doubt it's that big of a problem. Your sign and sail proves you're a passenger (plus I won't be mistaken for a Bahamian anytime soon), they aren't going to hold you hostage. I'm sure plenty of folks only get off with their sign and sail cards. It's like the vaccine card nonsense, no, I'm not carrying it around anywhere either. Sign and sail around the neck and some cash, that's all I'm taking. I'll avoid cruises that have ridiculous policies. 

Edited August 11, 2022 by cruisingguy007

[cruisingguy007]

6 minutes ago, Moviela said:

If you are American, it never a good idea to off the reservation without a passport. Outside the USA you need identification acceptable to foreign authorities. Sure some places will accept a passport card, driver's license, or tribal ID, but everywhere including the Vatican will accept a passport. Not a copy, or a picture, nope the whole book. Take it with you it is not that heavy. Those of you that travel with a birth certificate, don't need to carry it, but you do need the govt. picture ID.

 

Terrible idea! Losing your passport is a terrible scenario and will create a huge headache, losing it along with your ID is quite literally the worse case scenario. I can see a copy or photo on the phone but that is about it. 

 

If worse came to worse, I'd use my "ugly American" privilege card. 😁

Edited August 11, 2022 by cruisingguy007

[mz-s]

4 minutes ago, cruisingguy007 said:

 

Meh, I highly doubt it's that big of a problem. Your sign and said proves you're a passenger, they aren't going to hold you hostage. I'm sure plenty of folks only get off with their sign and sail cards. It's like the vaccine card nonsense, no, I'm not carrying it around anywhere either. Sign and sail around the neck and some cash, that's all I'm taking. I'll avoid cruises that have ridiculous policies. 

 

The Bahamian Police don't have the authority to detain you in their jurisdiction? Hmm...let us know how that works out for you.

[cruisingguy007]

4 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

The Bahamian Police don't have the authority to detain you in their jurisdiction? Hmm...let us know how that works out for you.

 

It would work out great, I'm an American, not a Bahamian. 😁 

[Moviela]

I once went to Germany with a team member. He didn't tell me he forgot his passport, but the Germans let him in with a CA driver's license. We did win the war. We drove to France scouting locations. We were going to fly to LAX from Paris. He was denied boarding, and invited to visit with the police. They asked if he had a passport, or if he entered France without one. He had his wife fax a picture of the ID page. They ran the number and it was good. He was told he had to have a passport in hand to leave France. Since the one he had was valid he could stay in a hotel rather than the Bastille. But after 3 days he would be fined each day, His wife had to FedEx it to him. The accounting manager said he was going to use that trick when he needed a few extra days in Paris.

 

Don't worry about losing your passport. They can be replaced. Your problems could be worse if authorities ask for your passport and you say I left it on the ship.

[jsglow]

39 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

 

Even if you're on a closed-loop sailing, certain islands in the Caribbean – Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Barts, Barbados and others — require a passport for entry. It's your responsibility (not your cruise line's) to learn the requirements of each of the destinations you're visiting before you go.

 

https://thepointsguy.com/guide/need-passport-cruise/

Apr 1, 2022

I'm blessed to have been to all those places. Bur except for Barbados, none on a Carnival ship.  

[sid_9169]

I've only ever taken mine off the ship once. We were in Belize City, and I had a plan to fly to Caye Caulker on my own from the Belize municipal airport. I got up extremely early to catch the very first tender to shore, then caught a taxi to the airport. My flight was uneventful, and I spent the day "going slow" on the unpaved streets of the island. At the end of the day, I caught a flight back, and ended up catching the very last tender back to the ship... Yes, I knew all along that I was taking a risk, but sometimes in life you just have do crazy stuff just to really feel alive.........

[Schoifmom]

1 hour ago, cruisingguy007 said:

 

You can't leave us hanging like that, spill the deets on the hubs ID drama! 😁

LOL.  We were on the CA/NE itinterary several years ago and he didn't take his DL off in one of the Canadian ports.  We had to stand around while they pulled the ship's manifest to make sure he was on it and there were no issues with his identity before they would let him through.  Not too much drama, but I don't like having to wait because someone doesn't do what they know they need to do 😂 He was pretty embarassed.

[Ilovesailaway]

I won't leave the ship without my passport and credit card. This is something I have taught my sons as well. Have fun, be safe, be prepared.

[wemjam]

it's reall

1 hour ago, cruisingguy007 said:

 

It would work out great, I'm an American, not a Bahamian. 😁 

Doesn't matter, they still ask for Picture ID.  I would NOT be giving out advise to others that you don't need to carry ID with you.  If you choose not to that is one thing, but the ship drills it into your head you HAVE to take photo id and sail and sign when you get off the ship (except maybe their private islands).  And in Bahamas they do ask for it, and I have seen first hand what happens if you don't have it (not me, someone else in front of me in line).  The port authority people can be quite testy when they want to be.  Mexico can be sticklers too sometimes.

 

The passport/no passport thing is a catch 22.  It is best in the event that you get stranded on shore to have it, but also you risk losing it if you carry it around with you.  I opt to not carry mine around because I feel the risk of missing the boat is minor versus the risk of losing the passport (more major for as we usually are doing active sports like diving, snuba, etc.).  I carry my drivers license, a copy of my passport, and I always have a scanned copy of my passport where I can electronically access it as well.

 

 

Edited August 11, 2022 by wemjam

[ultrafighter]

1 hour ago, cruisingguy007 said:

 

It would work out great, I'm an American, not a Bahamian. 😁 

I really can't tell if this is tongue-in-cheek or not....

 

I suspect this same mentality is how American citizens like Brittney Griner and others end up in foreign prisons facing serious prison terms for "little" things like vape cartridges.

[bguppies]

2 minutes ago, ultrafighter said:

I really can't tell if this is tongue-in-cheek or not....

 

I suspect this same mentality is how American citizens like Brittney Griner and others end up in foreign prisons facing serious prison terms for "little" things like vape cartridges.

First thing I thought about when the Griner story broke.

When we moved to Turkey when I was 11,  the State Department sat all incoming passengers down in a side room before we left the airport and told us if we made any infractions while living or viisiting there, we would be held and tried under Turkish authority and there was little to nothing they could do to help.

So I haven't felt at all bad about an entitled athlete who felt the rules didn't apply to them, spending so much time in a Russian jail cell.

 

Hopefully the OP is smart enough to not follow the bad advice of a loudmouth. (crusinguy007)

 

A passport is a good idea in ANY foreign port, but NOT required.

If the OP is the kind of person to do the bare minimum at all times, all that is usually required is a photo ID in most ports.

But they will let you know on the ship if more is required.

 

Hope the OP has a wonderful cruise.

[cruisingguy007]

23 minutes ago, ultrafighter said:

I really can't tell if this is tongue-in-cheek or not....

 

I suspect this same mentality is how American citizens like Brittney Griner and others end up in foreign prisons facing serious prison terms for "little" things like vape cartridges.

 

She's being used as a political pawn, nothing more. The Bahamas are far from being Russia, besides, this about ID, not vape cartridges. 

[cruisingguy007]

40 minutes ago, wemjam said:

Mexico can be sticklers too sometimes.

 

Have never been asked for it in Mexico on a land trip or cruise trip.