Passport needed when leaving and reboarding on port days?

[mom says]

1 hour ago, Charles4515 said:

If you carry it off the ship that is when you are most likely to be heading for an embassy for an emergency passport

Only if you are stupid, careless, or both. It's not going to be lost or stolen if properly secured. Like in a neck wallet or money belt.  People who just stick them in a pocket or fanny pack ( pickpocket magnet) or cruise ship tote bag are just begging to be targetted. And dont get me started on the clueless ones who have no concept of situational awareness.The only time we leave our passports in our cabin safe is when we plan a beach/water day. 

 

On those cruises where our passports were collected, it was a simple matter of going to GR to pick them up, and then return them when we reboarded. And we have needed to use them while ashore more than once.

Edited August 12, 2022 by mom says

[BlerkOne]

2 hours ago, njhorseman said:

Not only does the State Department disagree, but I checked the requirements of one cruise line, NCL, that makes port calls in Barbados and they do not mention it as an exception requiring a passport. NCL isn't "official" either, but I'd sooner trust a cruise line and the State Department than someone writing for a website.

Not to mention my own personal experience of being on a closed loop cruise that called on Barbados and the cruise line not requiring a passport for it. (Note: I don't travel without a passport but my point is that others on the cruise were not required to have one.)

My preference would be something on a Barbados government website.

 

[Charles4515]

8 minutes ago, mom says said:

Only if you are stupid, careless, or both. It's not going to be lost or stolen if properly secured. Like in a neck wallet or money belt.  People who just stick them in a pocket or fanny pack ( pickpocket magnet) or cruise ship tote bag are just begging to be targetted. And dont get me started on the clueless ones who have no concept of situational awareness.The only time we leave our passports in our cabin safe is when we plan a beach/water day. 

 

On those cruises where our passports were collected, it was a simple matter of going to GR to pick them up, and then return them when we reboarded. And we have needed to use them while ashore more than once.

 

There have always been a different opinions  on this on CC but I follow the US State Department advice and leave my passport in the cabin safe or hotel safe.Most travel writers give the same advice Been doing that for 45 years. works for me. 

[CPT Trips]

8 hours ago, cruisingguy007 said:

 

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

Prove it without a passport 🐑

[ldubs]

I don't think I've been on a cruise that didn't provide advice on what is needed in port.  I know we needed the Passports in St Petersburg.  I"m not completely sure. but thinking Nagasaki too -- I remember being photographed and fingerprinted so am thinking we must have had our passports.  Could be wrong.   

[CPT Trips]

6 hours ago, bguppies said:

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.

Watch “Midnight Express.”

[Hlitner]

Over the decades we have been to at least 200 ports around the world.  I only recall a few times when we were advised (on the ship) to take our Passports ashore.  It was required during our first visit to St Petersburg when we actually had obtained our own visas and want ashore independently (there was one other couple on that cruise who also had their own Visas).  And on one other trip we were advised that we had to carry our Passport on our person while visiting Rome.  The Rome thing happened many years ago (at least 25) and is no longer the case.   

 

Hank

[ldubs]

1 minute ago, CPT Trips said:

Watch “Midnight Express.”

 

On our cruise that included a Turkish port, the ship collected our passports. They gave us a slip of paper with some photocopied verbiage to show to authorities.   Very strange I thought.    

[Charles4515]

15 minutes ago, ldubs said:

I don't think I've been on a cruise that didn't provide advice on what is needed in port.  I know we needed the Passports in St Petersburg.  I"m not completely sure. but thinking Nagasaki too -- I remember being photographed and fingerprinted so am thinking we must have had our passports.  Could be wrong.   

When I did St. Petersburg we had to show our passport  and the document the  independent tour company gave us to the Russian authorities to  exit the port. 

[Charles4515]

15 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Over the decades we have been to at least 200 ports around the world.  I only recall a few times when we were advised (on the ship) to take our Passports ashore.  It was required during our first visit to St Petersburg when we actually had obtained our own visas and want ashore independently (there was one other couple on that cruise who also had their own Visas).  And on one other trip we were advised that we had to carry our Passport on our person while visiting Rome.  The Rome thing happened many years ago (at least 25) and is no longer the case.   

 

Hank

 

At Brugge a few years ago we had to show a color copy of the passport page with our photo. That was the odd. 

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, mom says said:

Only if you are stupid, careless, or both. It's not going to be lost or stolen if properly secured. Like in a neck wallet or money belt.  People who just stick them in a pocket or fanny pack ( pickpocket magnet) or cruise ship tote bag are just begging to be targetted. And dont get me started on the clueless ones who have no concept of situational awareness.The only time we leave our passports in our cabin safe is when we plan a beach/water day. 

 

On those cruises where our passports were collected, it was a simple matter of going to GR to pick them up, and then return them when we reboarded. And we have needed to use them while ashore more than once.

Where have you actually “…have needed to use them while ashore more than once.” ?
 

Very few ports come to mind. And what ports have you visited where such need exists?

Edited August 12, 2022 by navybankerteacher

[CruiserBruce]

Two ports where we have had to take ours ashore was St Petersburg and Tunis. In both cases, there were checked by local officials at the end of the gangway. In both cases, there were clear reminders we needed to have them ashore from the ship. In fact, for St Petersburg, the passports were collected at sailing, returned for St Petersburg, then collected after St Petersburg. 

 

The Shetland Islands sent immigration officials on board (tender port) where everyone had to appear in person in one of the lounges with their passport before the ship would be cleared to tender people ashore for excursions. Delayed the start of tendering about 2 hours. The Captain was livid, and was going to suggest to headquarters they not visit  the Shetland islands again.

 

If the OP has stated the ports that were being asked about, that would have sped things up considerably.

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, BlerkOne said:

My preference would be something on a Barbados government website.

 

Well it's not there, and it's rather common that this type of information doesn't appear on the websites of small Caribbean nations.

Given that it's not there...and believe me I  looked for it,  who would you trust more ?

(1) The US Department of State, cruise lines and the personal experience of cruisers who post here.

or

(2) Someone of unknown experience and expertise who wrote an article appearing on a website .

 

Tell me, don't you think you would have heard the howls of angry Cruise Critic posters who depended on the cruise line's advice and what the Department of State says only to be denied boarding because they didn't have the proper documentation? 

 

[ldubs]

I am going to summarize the responses as ranging from "Don't Know Don't Care" to "Life in a Turkish Prison".  😀

 

OP, the cruise line will advise what documents are required when leaving the ship.  

 

There are good arguments, pro and con, about taking the passport even though it is not required.   

 

I happen to think it is always a good idea to have a pic or photocopy of your passport.  In a worse case situation, it will help get the recovery process started.   

Edited August 12, 2022 by ldubs

[CPT Trips]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

Where have you actually “…have needed to use them while ashore more than once.” ?
 

Very few ports come to mind. And what ports have you visited where such need exists?

St. Petersburg, Gibraltar, and Tangiers immediately come to mind.

On a river cruise we had to take our passports on an excursion from Trier to Luxembourg as there was a “ possibility” of a document check.

 

Edited August 12, 2022 by CPT Trips

[CPT Trips]

54 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

The Shetland Islands sent immigration officials on board (tender port) where everyone had to appear in person in one of the lounges with their passport before the ship would be cleared to tender people ashore for excursions. Delayed the start of tendering about 2 hours. The Captain was livid, and was going to suggest to headquarters they not visit  the Shetland islands again.

Was that your first UK port? We were required to do that in St. Thomas, USVI on a repo NY to San Juan, it was our reentry into the US after numerous foreign ports.

[wcook]

We were self touring in Toulon and found out you could tour the French navel base there. Cool! Passports required. Which we didn’t have. Bummer.  

[BlerkOne]

1 hour ago, njhorseman said:

Well it's not there, and it's rather common that this type of information doesn't appear on the websites of small Caribbean nations.

Given that it's not there...and believe me I  looked for it,  who would you trust more ?

(1) The US Department of State, cruise lines and the personal experience of cruisers who post here.

or

(2) Someone of unknown experience and expertise who wrote an article appearing on a website .

 

Tell me, don't you think you would have heard the howls of angry Cruise Critic posters who depended on the cruise line's advice and what the Department of State says only to be denied boarding because they didn't have the proper documentation? 

 

Where, oh where, did I say I trust TPG?

 

You aren't denied boarding on an Alaska cruise if you don't have a passport, but would be denied the opportunity to take the railroad excursion into Canada without one.

[CruiserBruce]

39 minutes ago, CPT Trips said:

Was that your first UK port? We were required to do that in St. Thomas, USVI on a repo NY to San Juan, it was our reentry into the US after numerous foreign ports.

Yes. We came over from Norway, and Denmark prior.

[mom says]

2 hours ago, PetalumaCruiser said:

Ever been pickpocketed?

2 attempts were made. Both in France. Both unsuccessful, except for the loss of a used, wet, kleenex from an outside purse pocket  on the first attempt. The second attempt was on the Paris metro. However when I yelled loudly "Get your hand out of my pocket" he scooted out the just closing doors,  tout de suite.

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

Where have you actually “…have needed to use them while ashore more than once.” ?
 

Very few ports come to mind. And what ports have you visited where such need exists?

You want a list? How far back would you like me to go? In THIS century, we needed them in India at our first port, in Singapore to rent a wheelchair,  in Bangkok on an overnight hotel stay, in Italy, again on an overnight hotel stay, and also to rent a car. I could go back a decade or 2 into the last century when some American Express offices in Europe required them to cash travellers cheques. There was another Asian port, but the details escape me now.  Will that suffice as examples?

[K32682]

3 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

 

There have always been a different opinions  on this on CC but I follow the US State Department advice and leave my passport in the cabin safe or hotel safe.Most travel writers give the same advice Been doing that for 45 years. works for me. 

 

I have seen this advice attributed to the U.S. State Department by others but have never seen it from them. Can you provide a link?

 

Meanwhile, the Canadian equivalent, Global Affairs Canada, would seem to suggest otherwise. 

 

https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/publications/bon-voyage-but

 

"A Canadian passport is a valuable document that should be kept in a safe place at all times. Do not leave it unattended in your luggage, vehicle, hotel room or elsewhere."

 

The safest place for my passport when in a foreign country is on me, carried securely, for those times I've needed it. I've never been pickpocketed or robbed. I have however had a hotel room broken into and the safe opened and the contents removed.  Fortunately on that day I was carrying my passport and all they got was some cash and a credit card.

 

 

Edited August 12, 2022 by K32682

[Illbcruzn4life]

6 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

Where, oh where, did I say I trust TPG?

 

You aren't denied boarding on an Alaska cruise if you don't have a passport, but would be denied the opportunity to take the railroad excursion into Canada without one.

So are you saying you don’t trust TPG?

[njhorseman]

8 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

Where, oh where, did I say I trust TPG?

 

You aren't denied boarding on an Alaska cruise if you don't have a passport, but would be denied the opportunity to take the railroad excursion into Canada without one.

So you're in the habit of quoting sources you don't trust?

[glynboy]

I think it is all a matter of risk assessment. I have been travelling around the world for the last forty years or so, and lived in Spain for 10 years. The only times that I have ever been asked for a passport, apart from checking in for a flight, is when hiring a car or when arriving at a hotel.

So, unless specifically told to do so, my passport remains in the cabin safe for the entirety of the cruise. 

[navybankerteacher]

10 hours ago, mom says said:

2 attempts were made. Both in France. Both unsuccessful, except for the loss of a used, wet, kleenex from an outside purse pocket  on the first attempt. The second attempt was on the Paris metro. However when I yelled loudly "Get your hand out of my pocket" he scooted out the just closing doors,  tout de suite.

You want a list? How far back would you like me to go? In THIS century, we needed them in India at our first port, in Singapore to rent a wheelchair,  in Bangkok on an overnight hotel stay, in Italy, again on an overnight hotel stay, and also to rent a car. I could go back a decade or 2 into the last century when some American Express offices in Europe required them to cash travellers cheques. There was another Asian port, but the details escape me now.  Will that suffice as examples?

The theme of this thread is: “Passport needed when leaving and reboarding on port days”.  That can be taken to mean when leaving and reboarding the ship — it does not appear to involve overnight hotel stays in Bangkok or Italy - or even cashing travelers checks at American Express - if they even still exist.