Why copy of passport?

[BobandBrenda]

I have hear a few times that we should keep our passport on the ship, in our safe and carry a copy. What does a copy do for you? What is the reasoning?

I cant see how it would be an official idea.

 

Brenda and Bob

Peoria, AZ

[agabbymama]

I have hear a few times that we should keep our passport on the ship, in our safe and carry a copy. What does a copy do for you? What is the reasoning?

I cant see how it would be an official idea.

 

Brenda and Bob

Peoria, AZ

 

If you do a search on the board with "leave passport onboard" as your keywords, you will find lots of discussions on this subject.

 

I'm an advocate of keeping my passport with me, no matter where I am, on the ship/off the ship. I have it for official ID and want it with me. I make a copy for home, and give a copy to my travelling companion for emergencies. But the real thing goes with me.

 

You will find others that think it's safer to leave it on the ship and carry the copy with them.

[cberge]

One does not really need to carry their PP when they are in a port..some feel better having a copy in case something happens or they need an ID to show they are from the US I guess(or they miss the ship),but carrying your passport is really not needed,and better left in the safe in case it may(and I say may) get stolen or lost.Some ships keep the PP's as it is easier for them to clear customs when they come in port.If you want to keep it with you fine,but keep in a safe place on your person.

[ncsongbird]

If you lose your passport or it is stolen, having a copy will make things much simpler if you need to contact the US consulate about the missing passport. We also make photo copies of our drivers license, and all of the 800 numbers to call customer service for our credit and bank cards in case they were lost or stolen. We each carried a copy in our secure money wallets that we wore under our clothes. We also emailed this information to ourselves so if all else is lost, you can access the email with the info.

 

We did have to relinquish our passport for the duration of our Med. cruise so the ship could be cleared in each port. So be prepared for not carrying it with you. That's also another reason to have a copy that you can carry on your person.

[Keith1010]

We take two copies of our passport. One stays in the shipboard safe and one we take with us. As another poster said should we lose our passport or not have access to our original having a copy would help to facilitate getting a new passport issued.

 

Keith

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I rarely bother. But last year we were off the ship all day on a private tour. WIth the risk of perhaps missing the ship, and an ensuing cross-border chase to catch up with it (Malaga/Lisbon), I made copies. Not a big deal. Making a copy for yourself at home, or to keep in your suitcase if you carry your passport makes a lot of sense.

[Keith1010]

I rarely bother. But last year we were off the ship all day on a private tour. WIth the risk of perhaps missing the ship, and an ensuing cross-border chase to catch up with it (Malaga/Lisbon), I made copies. Not a big deal. Making a copy for yourself at home, or to keep in your suitcase if you carry your passport makes a lot of sense.

 

When you say suitcase I would not recommend putting even a copy in a checked bag so hopefully you mean carry on. On the plane, either my wife or I hold the originals and the other one holds the copies in our carry ons. No sense it taking a chance that the copies get lost and then we have to make new copies.

 

Keith

[BobandBrenda]

Why would I make a copy and take it on shore?

I am reading people where people are saying to bring the copy on shore.

 

I understand I need a copy incase my passport is lots or stolen.

 

But what good is it taking it on shore?

 

Thanks Brenda

[Keith1010]

Why would I make a copy and take it on shore?

I am reading people where people are saying to bring the copy on shore.

 

I understand I need a copy incase my passport is lots or stolen.

 

But what good is it taking it on shore?

 

Thanks Brenda

 

You are on shore. The original is in your shipboard safe cabin. You miss the ship. A copy helps to get you an original which you surely will need.

 

You are on shore. The ship has your original and if you miss the ship they will give it to the local agents. You have an accident or other health related problem. You are taken to the hospital. Days later can't locate your orginal passport from the local authorities. You have a copy to help facilitate getting a new passport.

 

These are just a few examples.

 

Keith

[LHT28]

Why would I make a copy and take it on shore?

I am reading people where people are saying to bring the copy on shore.

 

I understand I need a copy incase my passport is lots or stolen.

 

But what good is it taking it on shore?

 

Thanks Brenda

 

If you miss the ship for some reason you will have a copy on you to expedite getting you to the ship or home. You never know when things will go wrong on shore.

 

Also some places in Europe will ask for passport information for purchases in case you can claim VAT back...I am sure a copy would work in that case

 

I also carry my travel insurance papers on shore...you just never know

[BobandBrenda]

Thanks

[okbrit]

So do you not have to carry your passport to go off the ships in med ports? I had assumed you would need them. I have only cruised in the caribbean and Alaska - I am British and have a green card but was travelling with my Mum who is British with no green card and at one carribean stop (St. Thomas maybe) we had to go through immigration to get off the ship (it was very memorable because the immigration officer was really obnoxious, which i don't usually encounter in the US, and started lecturing me about how I had lived in the US long enough with a green card and should have decided by now to become a US citizen then told me my green card needed to be renewed - which it did not because I am under the own system - the guy was on a real power trip).

 

Anyway I had assumed that, with ports being in several different countries, we would go through something similar in the med (not the obnoxious part:rolleyes: just the immigration part). From this thread that is not the case?

[Lsimon]

Another suggestion - if you know how to do this technically:

 

We scan our important documents, including passport and email it to ourselves just before the cruise along with other information such as credit card company contact information. I do this in email files that are password protected. That way if an emergency happens and I need copies of the documents, or the contact information, I can get on line anywhere and get it off of my email account.

[bigwally]

and started lecturing me about how I had lived in the US long enough with a green card and should have decided by now to become a US citizen

 

I know what you mean, I've been getting more of that in recent years. But, with no offence meant to my American hosts, I don't want to.

 

My current green card expires in 3 years, and I've had it renewed twice already. One of these days I feel sure that there will be an ultimatum to decide one way or the other.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Okbrit, it varies. I'm sure someone will chime in with a complete list of countries. Some Eastern European countries require you to carry a passport and go through pass control. Most don't. Cruiselines take your passport and keep it until you need it back. Last year we surrendered our passports in Monaco and got them back in Santander. Then didn't need them again until the U.K., but just locked them up in the safe until then.

 

Immigration is a pain in Puerto Rico. I can vouch for that, we went there first before St. Thomas.