Do we carry our passports?

[nikita]

This has probably been asked a million times before...

 

Does one have to carry their passports into every port? What do the ships suggest doing? What are your recommendations?

 

Thanks!

[GMWT10A]

You'll need your passport to come back on the ship each time you leave it... to be safe, be sure you bring it with.

[Sominex]

You'll need your passport to come back on the ship each time you leave it... to be safe, be sure you bring it with.

When we were on the Holland line in 03 and the Costa in 06 we had the ships reception stamp a copy of our passport and that was accepted on returning to the ship...not sure about the Jade in Oct. will ask when onboard.

If anyone else has been on the Eastern Med & Egypt ship knows if this is possible please advise? I like to leave my passport in the safe in my room.

Som

[klauer]

On Regent we gave them our passports when we checked in (Monte Carlo), and got them back the morning we got off (Dover). I used my driver's license a couple of times when I was asked for my ID when using a credit card in some ports.

[Keith1010]

You will get lots of conflicting answers on this. About half will say carry your passport and about half will say not to.

 

Many of the cruise lines will automatically collect your passport and hold them for you the entire time so for many of us it is a mute issue as the ships pursers office holds the passports. That has been my case on a variety of cruise lines from Princess, to Crystal to Seabourn.

 

We make a copy of our passport which we carry with us? Yes, it is not official identification. But, in the event that we needed a new passport it would help to facilitate getting a new one.

 

When we arrive for our pre-cruise we carry a copy and the original stays in the hotel safe.

 

I personally believe that there is a higher chance of losing the passport of having it stolen from me than say missing a ship and needing my passport.

 

When the ship holds your passport in the case that the ship left port without you, your passport would be given to the local representative at the dock to hold for you.

 

If the ship does not hold your passport and you miss the ship then the copy of the passport would help to get a new original. Again, a copy is just a copy and cannot be used as an original but it does help facilitate getting a new one.

 

As a rule of thumb we limit what we carry with us in port because we have just observed too much crime. I wear an inexpensive watch in port and my wife maybe one set of low priced earings. I carry one credit card, one atm card, some local currency and we carry copies of our passports. I usually carry a wallet around my neck that goes under my shirt.

 

As I say you will get half the people telling you they carry the passport with them and half that don't.

 

All I can say is that in the past two years my wife and I have taken a full world cruise each year when we visited over 100 ports of call including several in the Mediterranean each of these years and we had absolutely no problem not having our passport with us.

 

Keith

[agabbymama]

Why do we pay for and get a passport?

 

That is your legal identification that you are a U.S. Citizen (or whatever country you are from). Your Driver's License is not considered legal identification in foreign countries. I've not been on a cruise that the ship collects the passport, so I can't speak to that, but I can tell you that passport stays with me when I travel. Nobody is going to take as good care of it as you are. It's like gold in the bank, God forbid something should happen, but if it did and you didn't have the passport, you could be in for a terribly trying time.

 

Twenty years ago, the hotels in Europe took your passport to make a copy and check you out with the authorities, but then returned it to you the next morning. My last trip to Hungary in 2006, they didn't do that anymore in Vienna or Budapest, they just asked to look at it and took the number down, as some merchants do if you want to use a credit card.

 

I land travelled much more than I have cruised, so that may be why I feel so strongly that your passport belongs with you, but I have been asked for it numerous times in my travels in Australia, England, Holland, Italy, Switzerland and Greece. I would not give it up willingly to anyone. If the ship collects it, I'm sure they would give it back to you to go ashore.

 

Everyone's thoughts on this may vary, but just think about my first question. The answer to that, should also be your answer as to whether you actually carry your passport.

[Keith1010]

Why do we pay for and get a passport?

 

That is your legal identification that you are a U.S. Citizen (or whatever country you are from). Your Driver's License is not considered legal identification in foreign countries. I've not been on a cruise that the ship collects the passport, so I can't speak to that, but I can tell you that passport stays with me when I travel. Nobody is going to take as good care of it as you are. It's like gold in the bank, God forbid something should happen, but if it did and you didn't have the passport, you could be in for a terribly trying time.

 

Twenty years ago, the hotels in Europe took your passport to make a copy and check you out with the authorities, but then returned it to you the next morning. My last trip to Hungary in 2006, they didn't do that anymore in Vienna or Budapest, they just asked to look at it and took the number down, as some merchants do if you want to use a credit card.

 

I land travelled much more than I have cruised, so that may be why I feel so strongly that your passport belongs with you, but I have been asked for it numerous times in my travels in Australia, England, Holland, Italy, Switzerland and Greece. I would not give it up willingly to anyone. If the ship collects it, I'm sure they would give it back to you to go ashore.

 

Everyone's thoughts on this may vary, but just think about my first question. The answer to that, should also be your answer as to whether you actually carry your passport.

 

This is why I said there would be differing views. While you have not been on a cruise line that holds your passports I have been on three; Princess, Crystal and Seabourn. Now, over the course of two years there were two countries that required that we carry passports. So, for these two countries we were asked to pick up our passport at the front desk and then return it when we got back to the ship.

 

Now, if you stay over at a hotel while on a cruise, (some do for an overnight or some do and meet up the ship a few days later) you must have your passport with you.

 

But, to just walk around most cities of the world it is not required.

 

We pay for a passport because it is required to leave the USA to go to most places outside of the USA and it is required when we enter foreign countries and it is required at time of registration at a hotel. But, that does not mean that we have to take it with us everywhere we go. We don't.

 

Again, as I said some will say you should take it with you. Others will say you don't.

 

All I can say is that we have not had a problem with our approach but each person needs to do what they think is right.

 

It's no differnt than the question on exhanging money. Everyone has an opinion. Some say use credit card, some say get the money in their home country, some say to use the ATM.

 

Keith

 

Keith

[cberge]

You'll need your passport to come back on the ship each time you leave it... to be safe, be sure you bring it with.

Sorry,this is just not true in a lot of cases at least for Europe.It is best NOT to carry one's PP when off the ship just a copy.People should check with the cruiseline they are using as most have ID cards now and PP need not be used.

[seapenarth]

This has probably been asked a million times before...

 

Does one have to carry their passports into every port? What do the ships suggest doing? What are your recommendations?

 

Thanks!

 

No you do`nt need to and many ships take them from you when you embark. :)

[razal68]

In regards to your question of passport, we just returned from Summit Med. cruise and only time you were required to submit passport to cruise line was when we entered Greece waters. All passenger passports were required by the port authorities, before the ship was given clearance for dis-embarkation. Other ports we had our drivers license with photo id, for identification purposes. Photocopy of a passport was not acceptable in some locations for identification purposes. To replace ones passport is more difficult then a drivers license.

[nikita]

I appreciate all the answers - I will wait and see what my cruiseline says to do to make the final call (RCCL) but this gives me a lot to think about in the meantime. I will definitely make copies as if I decide not to carry my passport I believe this would help in case of missing the ship or whatever else might happen. Again, I appreciate all viewpoints and thanks for replying to my question.

[jwolf2006]

Just off RCI in Venice and they collected all passports at check-in and returned them the day before debarkation.

[Travelcat2]

There are so many different answers because requirements differ in each country. Cruise lines apparently differ as well. St. Petersburg, for instance, did require a passport.

 

On our recent Alaska cruise, we passed through Canadian waters and had to have our passports stamped when re-entering the U.S. in Alaska (this was done by a Passport Agent on board the ship -- lucky guy got to spend the night on board Regent).

 

Suggest you check with your travel agent (or cruise line).

[cruiseryyc]

I suggest you do what feels right to you - no one can tell you what the "best" option is. We were on Sea Princess in June and our passport was only taken overnight before our arrival in Mallorca. We carried it with us at all times; if we missed the ship or were in accident or whatever - it is the only form of identification that shows your citizenship and a copy just won't suffice.

[Keith1010]

There are so many different answers because requirements differ in each country. Cruise lines apparently differ as well. St. Petersburg, for instance, did require a passport.

 

On our recent Alaska cruise, we passed through Canadian waters and had to have our passports stamped when re-entering the U.S. in Alaska (this was done by a Passport Agent on board the ship -- lucky guy got to spend the night on board Regent).

 

Suggest you check with your travel agent (or cruise line).

 

No need to make this complicated. We have already provided good feedback; both sides of the coin.

 

As I said earlier, there are a few countries that required the passengers to carry the passports so if the cruise line holds the passenger passports they will hand them out that day and if the passenger holds the passports they will take them with them. In about 97% of the cases the country does not dictate the need for passengers to carry them. Thus the feedback we've already given.

 

Keith

[nparmelee]

And if you do take your passport be safe and store it safely in a money belt or some other secure method.

[Crusin6]

This has probably been asked a million times before...

 

Does one have to carry their passports into every port? What do the ships suggest doing? What are your recommendations?

 

Thanks!

We just got off the Freedom 2 days ago. You must bring the passports with you in Croatia. That was the only port we were told to bring them, however, we took private tours with very efficient, knowledgable drivers and never ever missed the ship and returned with time to spare, but had we missed the ship , I would certainly want my actual passport and enough cash with me. Get the drift? We took them always on the port tours but left them in the hotel safe during the pre-cruise days. We carried cash and felt safe, couldn't find a gypsy kid anywhere. And I WAS looking! Enjoy!

[tomko2]

We were on the Legend of the Seas last August (Med/Egypt) and followed the direction of RCI with respect to Passports; I think we only had to take them off once. We always carry copies of our passports and happily leave the originals on the ship. It can get hot touring all day and if you have your passport in a concealed wallet under your clothing it would likely warp from the humidity.

Kathy:)

[Travelcat2]

No need to make this complicated. We have already provided good feedback; both sides of the coin.

 

As I said earlier, there are a few countries that required the passengers to carry the passports so if the cruise line holds the passenger passports they will hand them out that day and if the passenger holds the passports they will take them with them. In about 97% of the cases the country does not dictate the need for passengers to carry them. Thus the feedback we've already given.

 

Keith

 

It is complicated! If it were simple, this thread would not be going on and on. You seem to be a bit testy -- take a deep breath and allow others who wants to post to do so.

[Keith1010]

It is complicated! If it were simple, this thread would not be going on and on. You seem to be a bit testy -- take a deep breath and allow others who wants to post to do so.

 

No, sorry, I am not testy and in my opinion the issue is not complicated and pretty simple whichever way one chooses.

 

As I said from the beginning, this question has been asked numerous times on this board and usually about half the poster say they take the passports with them and half they say they don't.

 

And, many like myself say it's a mute issue because the cruise line hold them.

 

But, the key is what the OP has already said. They've read through both sets of comments (as I knew they would) and they will wait to hear from their cruise line.

 

Now, as it turns out the cruise line is RCI. And someone posted that they just came back from a RCI cruise and the ship held the passports.

 

And, that has been the case for all of our cruises with Seabourn, Princess and Crystal where they held our passports. So, it made that decision pretty easy in my humble opinion.

 

Keith

[Travelcat2]

It is interesting this question has been on this particular board many times. Although I am a regular poster on CC, I only check ports for cruise planning and, in this case, for a cruise in October. I guess I'm used to questions being asked multiple times and threads turning into more questions, etc.

 

Sorry if I jumped at you:o

[Keith1010]

No problem. Thanks for the followup post. Most appreciated. :)

 

Keith

[critterchick]

We've cruised RCI in Europe 3 times and they've never held our passports. Although the cruiseline staff told us that only Estonia required us to have them ashore, we always took them with us. We toured independently of the ship and, although a copy would facilitate getting a new one, I assume it would nevertheless take several days to accomplish. I'd just rather have the thing with me if I can.