Take passports on shore excursions?

[njterp]

We have not been on a cruise for 20 years and we will be on Adventure of the Seas in late July/early August '07. Our kids are coming with us (14 and 9) and I'm wondering if we should bring our passports with us when we take shore excursions? The rules are different now than they were 20 years ago. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

[quiltsnh]

We were on Freedom a couple weeks ago and it was stated in the daily newspaper that you should bring your passports when you go on shore excursions. Alll accept Labadee. I had not seen this in the past and many said put it safely away in the safe for the duration of the trip. But we took ours with us. Not sure which is the best idea

[akcruz]

We were on Freedom a couple weeks ago and it was stated in the daily newspaper that you should bring your passports when you go on shore excursions. Alll accept Labadee. I had not seen this in the past and many said put it safely away in the safe for the duration of the trip. But we took ours with us. Not sure which is the best idea

 

Did you ever need to show your passport when you were off the ship? I know this is a topic of great debate here on CC. Personally we bring ours and have a copy that we leave in the safe just in case. Others swear that you should never take them off the ship. In the current environment I would not be surprised if ports started to need them to get back on the ship. Just wondering.

[Autumnrose]

I am another one that votes for "bring it with you". I have always kept mine with me. If I get left behind for some reason I will need it. You never know when it could come in handy. I have mine with me right now as a matter of fact. :D

[njterp]

Thanks to all. I'm leaning toward bringing all the passports with me while we're off the ship. We're planning on the catamaran and sailing excursions so I'll just store them in a waterproof bag.

[DutsCruiser]

I can't say that I have always brought my passport with me of the ship but in most cases I have. Mainly because you just don't know what trouble you may get in. With a pasport it's more easy to get money, it will be more easy when you need help from the embasy. It will definitly be more easy to take a plane to the next port because you missed the ship.

 

We also bring a photo copy of the passports. My girlfriend carries mine and I carrier heres. Can't think of a reason why that may come in handy; it just seems like a good idea to me.

[kingsgirl]

I don't have as much cruise experience as others but after learning more, I am going to be keeping my passport with me at all times while off the ship.

[SandraLee]

My sister had her passport stolen out of her sling bag (purse) while on the train in Paris. When they went to the consulate to have it replaced (the day before they were supposed to leave!), they were informed they should have kept the original passport safe in the hotel safe and carried a color photocopy with them. It appears there is a market for stolen U.S. passports. If you 'get in trouble' and need to prove you are a U.S. Citizen, the consulate can help you easier if you have a copy.

 

From now on, I put a copy of my passport in EVERY suitcase I carry and always lock up my original passport.

[QTBabyNurse]

Think of it this way....if something was to happen to you while you were not on the ship....say an injury of some sort while in port...and you needed to be taken to the hospital and have to FLY back to the US, you will not be able to get back into the states without your passport. I would suggest you take it with you. If you want, have a copy made and put the copy in the safe on the ship. I also like the idea of having a copy to be carried by your traveling partner....great idea!

[schnell]

Depends upon the port. If its a US port such as the US Virgin Islands or Puerto Rico, then you would not need it even if you got into "trouble." A valid ID or drivers license would suffice. Although if its a foreign port I would suggest bringing a copy along and leaving the original on the ship. I would not want my real passport getting stolen or lost while in port.

[Guest scfjjb]

My sister had her passport stolen out of her sling bag (purse) while on the train in Paris. When they went to the consulate to have it replaced (the day before they were supposed to leave!), they were informed they should have kept the original passport safe in the hotel safe and carried a color photocopy with them. It appears there is a market for stolen U.S. passports. If you 'get in trouble' and need to prove you are a U.S. Citizen, the consulate can help you easier if you have a copy.

 

From now on, I put a copy of my passport in EVERY suitcase I carry and always lock up my original passport.

 

 

That's what we do now. Ever since we found someone's passport on the beach in Mexico and there were 7 cruise ships in port! Didn't know where to start to leave it.

[kcp5]

We're on the 06/03 EOS sailing to Bermuda and I had called RC specifically asking about this. The woman I spoke to said to leave the passport on the ship and just to carry our ID cards (seapass?) with us. Maybe different ports carry different thoughts on this? I just worry about having my passport disappear while we are on a snorkling excursion. I would appreciate hearing more on this.

 

kp

[Rich&Natalia]

We've always left our passports in the cabin safe when we went on excursions, but we've only done the Caribbeans. For us, the likelihood of losing our passport on shore is a lot greater than being left behind or getting into issues with the local law enforcement. Also, I think that most Caribbean ports are used to cruise passengers and would be accomodating to tourists with a driver's license and a Seapass card.

 

Not sure what I would do in Europe though....

 

 

-Rich

[BethCarp]

Not sure what I would do in Europe though....

When I went to Europe it was recommended that we leave the passport in the hotel safe and carry a photocopy. This was 1998 though. On my Alaska and Bahamas cruises, we just left the passport in the cabin safe and didn't take a copy. For our Mexico land vacation, we left them in safe at all times except when we were evacuated due Hurricane Wilma. Then we carried them with us.

[Deloresgardella]

I always take my passport wih me when I am off the ship. I have a money belt that I keep it in with extra money and credit card. I just like to have it with me in case something happens. I also have a copy in my suitcase and one that I leave home with my daughter. I never put it in my purse where it may be easily accessible

Delores

[K1200S]

Ours stay in the cabin safe. I only take my seapass card with me off the ship and some cash. This based solely on caribbean cruises. Europe might be different. Having a copy isn't a bad idea at all.

[cruise_lover]

During our last two cruises (2005 out of Galveston and 2007 out of New Orleans) the port officials who checked us in told us to leave our passports on the cruise ship and not carry them with us. But, I do like the idea of having a colored photocopy to carry off the ship with me..;)

 

 

Norwegian SUN - January 2007

Carnival Conquest - September 2005

[dad son team]

I always take the original passport, 1 credit card with enough credit to get me home, and some cash. What happens if you are in a car accident and miss the ship. It is alot easier to go right to the airport than to have to find the consulate and have a passport reissued. also, I have heard of ships having to leave early due to weather issues and pax getting stranded. Anything can happen.

[zqvol]

I never take it with me, and I have a very good and logical reason for not doing so. My DW and I at times cruise one of the upscale lines. They require you to surrender passport on boarding and they are returned at departure. This tells me that there is no need to take them with you off the ship in the Caribbean. (BTW, if you don't surrenderr them you don't cruise, this applies to everyone, US and others.)

 

What the daily compass tells you is to take ID with you along with your SeaPass when you leave the ship, never does mention your passport.

[tommccabe]

Recently cruised to the Carribean. When we were in Grand Cayman, the captain and staff recommended that we bring "photo identification" while in port. Said the port security there often would ask for photo ID to go along with the Seapass card. We didn't bring our passports, but did make sure I had our driver's licenses with us.

 

Got back onto the ship without showing the photo ID, but the next day in Aruba, the port security asked for photo ID from everyone that was in line around us. Two other Carnival ships were docked there, in addition to RCCL.

 

Met other people with color photocopies of the passport and it is something I will do for the next cruise.

[aqhacruiser]

I take our passports with us and I have copies I leave in the safe and I also have copies of all other ID and credit cards that I leave in the safe just in case we ever lost them. Water wallets are great to carry ID in to keep them waterproof and they make them to wear around your neck or to clip onto bathingsuits. Just put water wallets in search and they should come up where you can buy one :)

[Natmar]

I always carry all our passports with me when we leave the ship we have been asked several times for photo idea along with sea pass card to board tenders back to ship - I even had our kids show their passports and sea pass cards which were appreciated by the checking agent. Besides if something unforeseen would happen to one of our children while in port I would have proof we are their parents.

[DutsCruiser]

Note that some countries also require by law (like my own) that you carry official ID and not a photocopy. I'm guessing(!) that they will not fine foreign people but I know they have fined Dutch for not carrying there ID. However Dutch are allowed to carry there drivers license as ID (even though it's not considered a official ID here).

 

B.t.w the fine is 50 euro or about 65 US dollar.