In port what is required for ID?

[BobandBrenda]

We are going on the VOS NOv 3rd. Which does Italy and France.

What are we required to take with us in port?

I know the Sea Pass and drivers license. Do we also need to bring our passport?

 

Never sailed in Europe.

 

Thanks Brenda and Bob

Peoria, AZ

[Keith1010]

You are going to get a variety of answers to your question.

 

You are not required to take a passport when you get off the ship. Some will tell you that they would not go anywhere without their passport and people like me would say to leave your passport on the ship for safekeeping for fear that it would become stolen or lost. We only take a copy of our passport with us.

 

In all of our sailings in Europe we have never been required to carry our passport with one exception. We were in Spain a few months after the Madrid bombings and there was a time frame where the local authorities insisted taht all visitors carry their passports with them. We were notified by our cruise line about this. This was just a temporary measure and is no longer in affect.

 

Keith

[Hlitner]

Actually, it is very likely you will not even have your passport. On most European cruises (there are some exceptions) the cruise line will collect your passports when you check-in at embarkation and not return them until a day or two prior to the end of the cruise. Its always a good idea to make some photocopies of your main passport page and carry it ashore...since the copy can be helpful for certain things such as trying to cash a travelers check (TCs are almost obsolete and are very hard to cash in some countries). As to id when you leave the ship you will need your cruise card, and in certain countries you will also be required to carry some kind of picture id (that passport copy works as does a drivers license).

 

Hank

[Keith1010]

Hank you are correct that in most cases the cruise lines hold the passports. That has been the case in all of my cruises. The reason I didn't mention that is whenever we get into a discussion on these boards about whether or not you should carry your passport in ports, some posters will say that their cruise line doesn't hold their passport. So, I took it form the point of view that if you have it in your possession, I believe you should keep in on the ship particularly because it is not required that you take it with you and if you do carry it you are risking having it stolen or somehow losing it yourself.

 

Keith

[carlmm]

As the previous posters said you are not required to take your passport. Sometimes you need some kind of picture ID to enter the port area.

Yet you might prefer to have a passport available in case you should need it. A copy is of no value if the matter is really important. Legally nobody should accept a copy if you cash a traveler check, to enter the port area or engage in any transactions that requires you to identify yourself.

More important, imagine the other way round, somewhere in the States, a major incident, a foreigner is stopped by homeland security "oh, my passport, somewhere on a cruise ship, which, by the way, I missed and is sailing to whatever place". I am pretty sure a piece of paper from the local copy shop will not really help the foreigner.

[KentuckyTraveler]

We just returned from the Millie on Sunday.

 

--> Celebrity does not take your passports during embarkation.

 

--> In some ports, they recommended that you take them with you or an alternative form of ID. Many ports required a photo id to enter the boarding area after the passport is the easiest.

 

--> If you take it with you, you should be careful to secure it properly as you would any valuable and you should be fine.