Take passport off ship or use safe?

I had forgotten but when we started cruising in the late 1980's the ship kept all the non US passports! If you had a foreign passport the ship kept It until the very last day. You couldn't take it of the ship at any port because you didn't' have it!

Again, ours always stays in our safe!

Stays in the safe unless it is required by the local port regulations to have it with me (extremely rare in Europe).

In my opinion it is foolhardy to carry something so valuable when it is not required. If it's in the safe on the ship then it can't be lost or stolen, unless you have a crooked cabin steward or security team.

If it is lost or stolen when you are ashore then it's going to be very difficult and time consuming to get a replacement. If for some reason you miss the ship then the ship will hand it over to the ships agent at the port.

Stays in the safe unless it is required by the local port regulations to have it with me (extremely rare in Europe).

In my opinion it is foolhardy to carry something so valuable when it is not required. If it's in the safe on the ship then it can't be lost or stolen, unless you have a crooked cabin steward or security team.

 

If it is lost or stolen when you are ashore then it's going to be very difficult and time consuming to get a replacement. If for some reason you miss the ship then the ship will hand it over to the ships agent at the port.

" Foolhardy to carry something so Valuable " ??:confused:

How much do you pay for your's.

Mine was like $100.

I carry more cash than that.

Don't you carry a cell phone of an value.

Stays in the safe unless its required to be on us by the local jurisdiction or for other reasons.

8 years ago, we traveled to Croatia - stayed in Makarska and our passports were locked in the safe. Decided to drive down to Dubrovnik one day and had no problems until we hit the Bosnian border (a small strip of Bosnia cuts Croatia in half). We realized we didn't have that little booklet when the Border/Customs agent waved us through. We were tempted to pull over and tell the agent what had just happened but they were so busy there was no way the border agent would have remember us. So we risked it and drove thru Bosnia until we hit the Croatian border and pleaded our case there. After a half an hour of begging, he allowed us through but we figured we were screwed on the return trip. Discovered there was a car ferry that would take us from Trpanj on the Peljesic Peninsula to Ploce, totally bypassing Bosnia.

Long story short - make sure you know what you need to have with you

" Foolhardy to carry something so Valuable " ??:confused:

 

How much do you pay for your's.

Mine was like $100.

I carry more cash than that.

Don't you carry a cell phone of an value.

Valuable in that it is valuable as far as your identity is, the value to the thief who wants it, the value in the time and stress that will be caused by you having to interrupt your holiday to get it replaced.

'Valuable' is not always just about money.

Hi

The passport has a value well beyond the cost to acquire. You have a responsibility to protect this document. Carrying it on your person when you are not required to is not "protecting" it.

Our passports have a significant value on the black market. Efforts to get hold of your passport can be made not only by a common thief but by corrupt officials as well as those masquerading as "officers". You can't lose something or have it stolen if it is not in your possession.

If a passenger misses the ship and passports are on the ship , security can go into their safe and get their passports from it. They can relay the correct numbers to the American embassy in the port where the passengers are. Its not as good as actually having the passports in hand but it does make things easier for the passengers.

Our passports always remain in our safe !

Hi

 

You can't lose something or have it stolen if it is not in your possession.

Um, I don't think it works that way.;) (Although I do agree with the lost part of the comment.)

This is one thing I am always unsure about..... take the passport or leave the passport in the safe.

If I take color photo-copies of my passport - which is better; take the copied passport with me when I leave the ship for sight-seeing, or leave the photo-copy in the safe and take the original?

I always take photo copies of my Drivers Licence and Credit cards which we leave in the safe in case a card gets lost or stolen (never has happened - thank Goodness).

I always have had a fear of having an accident of some sort, twisted ankle or something worse and missing the boat. So, in that case - is it best to have the photo copy or original passport?

(I think I over-worry about some things before I travel) :-(

In some ports, local security will ask for photo ID before allowing you in to the ship boarding area. We take our US driver's licenses (or in my case, my non-driver driver's license), as they are small and easy to carry, and not the magnet for muggers that passports would be.

The only other thing we regularly carry is a photocopy of the first page of passports. Passports stay in the safe unless the cruiseline tells us otherwise.

This is one thing I am always unsure about..... take the passport or leave the passport in the safe.

If I take color photo-copies of my passport - which is better; take the copied passport with me when I leave the ship for sight-seeing, or leave the photo-copy in the safe and take the original?

I always take photo copies of my Drivers Licence and Credit cards which we leave in the safe in case a card gets lost or stolen (never has happened - thank Goodness).

I always have had a fear of having an accident of some sort, twisted ankle or something worse and missing the boat. So, in that case - is it best to have the photo copy or original passport?

(I think I over-worry about some things before I travel) :-(

If what you are worried about is missing the ship then the best thing for you to have would be the passport itself because nothing else will work to get you on the plane without help from the State Department. The State Department recommends having a photo copy of your passport in case you need their assistance and do not have it, and it would not help get you on the plane. Of course if you take your passport with you off the ship you run the risk of damaging it, losing it or having it stolen. Only you can decide which risk you are willing to take, but at least the odds are heavily in your favor under most conditions.

We always leave it in the ship safe or the hotel safe. Unless of course we need for something like booking travel, exchange, or crossing a border on a day trip. Very infrequent.

If what you are worried about is missing the ship then the best thing for you to have would be the passport itself because nothing else will work to get you on the plane without help from the State Department. The State Department recommends having a photo copy of your passport in case you need their assistance and do not have it, and it would not help get you on the plane. Of course if you take your passport with you off the ship you run the risk of damaging it, losing it or having it stolen. Only you can decide which risk you are willing to take, but at least the odds are heavily in your favor under most conditions.

The cruiseline knows who is on the ship and who is in danger of missing it or is missing it. They will send Security to your stateroom to gather your belongings including anything in the safe which is where your passport should be. There is very little chance that you will be left behind without it.....

If what you are worried about is missing the ship then the best thing for you to have would be the passport itself because nothing else will work to get you on the plane without help from the State Department. The State Department recommends having a photo copy of your passport in case you need their assistance and do not have it, and it would not help get you on the plane. Of course if you take your passport with you off the ship you run the risk of damaging it, losing it or having it stolen. Only you can decide which risk you are willing to take, but at least the odds are heavily in your favor under most conditions.

What? This post seems to recommend applying logic, systematically evaluating the potential risks, a dispassionate appraisal of the pros/cons, and willingness to accept the consequences of whatever decision is made. And on cruise critic of all things. I'm shocked, shocked. Pleasantly so.

This is one thing I am always unsure about..... take the passport or leave the passport in the safe.

If I take color photo-copies of my passport - which is better; take the copied passport with me when I leave the ship for sight-seeing, or leave the photo-copy in the safe and take the original?

I always take photo copies of my Drivers Licence and Credit cards which we leave in the safe in case a card gets lost or stolen (never has happened - thank Goodness).

I always have had a fear of having an accident of some sort, twisted ankle or something worse and missing the boat. So, in that case - is it best to have the photo copy or original passport?

(I think I over-worry about some things before I travel) :-(

Take the copy and leave your passport in the safe. If you do not make it back to the ship security will check your safe and take your passport and give it to their port agent. If you need to contact the agent then their number is printed in the daily schedule, so take that with you as well. If you know you will miss the ship due to being in hospital, or road accident (or anything that might prevent you getting back), then you can contact the agent and they will inform the ship.

Take the copy and leave your passport in the safe. If you do not make it back to the ship security will check your safe and take your passport and give it to their port agent. If you need to contact the agent then their number is printed in the daily schedule, so take that with you as well. If you know you will miss the ship due to being in hospital, or road accident (or anything that might prevent you getting back), then you can contact the agent and they will inform the ship.

Thank you SwissDave. I will do this. I will be sure to take the Daily Schedules with me while visiting each port. Of course, I do not worry about this when I am on a ship excursion as I am certain they have contingency plans in place..... I only wonder when Hubby and I wander about by ourselves.

Your reply makes very good sense, thank you again.

Best way not to miss the ship is to know when everyone must be back and plan on being back at least an hour before everyone has to be back! Then you won't have to worry about needing your passport! Keep it in your safe !!

I agree with you 100% Bonnie J, we always give ourselves 2 hours to get back on the boat. But, if one is stuck behind a car accident - or something happens beyond ones control - that is what I worry about the most. We are not the type of people (and I have seen them a few times) who are running down the pier with minutes to spare before the ship leaves.....

If you are worried about getting stuck off-ship for unforeseen reasons but are reluctant to carry your passport when in port you could invest in a passport card. Ireland has only recently introduced these, but I see the USA also does them.

In the case of the USA passport cards they work as well as a passport for the Caribbean, Canada and Mexico according to the info online.

https://travel.state.gov/content/studentsabroad/en/beforeyougo/passports/whatisapassportcardandhowtoapply.html

For EU countries their passport cards work across the EU/EEA & Switzerland here's the info for Ireland passport cards as an example.

https://www.dfa.ie/passportcard/

If you are worried about getting stuck off-ship for unforeseen reasons but are reluctant to carry your passport when in port you could invest in a passport card. Ireland has only recently introduced these, but I see the USA also does them.

In the case of the USA passport cards they work as well as a passport for the Caribbean, Canada and Mexico according to the info online.

https://travel.state.gov/content/studentsabroad/en/beforeyougo/passports/whatisapassportcardandhowtoapply.html

 

For EU countries their passport cards work across the EU/EEA & Switzerland here's the info for Ireland passport cards as an example.

https://www.dfa.ie/passportcard/

The US passport cards cannot be used for international air, they are only good for land and sea ports of entry, so returning from an island would still be problematic.

PoppyandNana, after taking more than 90 cruises all over the world, the only time I have taken my passport off the ship is in Russia, where it's required. Many cruise lines take, and keep, your passport for the duration of the cruise, and if you refuse to hand your passport over, you're denied boarding, plain and simple---I saw a couple coming on board a Seabourn ship and they didn't want to hand over their passports---the captain told them they either hand in the passports or they leave his ship---they gave him their passports. Some lines, such as Seabourn, Silversea, Crystal, and others will even take your passport for cruises in the Caribbean and Alaska.

I've asked numerous CBP agents what they would do with their passports and every single one of them said that they would never take a passport off a cruise ship unless it's required.

My TA rented a car for the day in St Lucia. He and his family went to a beach and when they came back, their car had been broken in to and their passports were taken from the trunk of the car----they forgot to take them out of their backpacks when they left the ship. When they got back to Miami after the cruise, they had no ID in which to come back into the US. They had to wait for hours in the CBP office for someone to get their birth certificates faxed to the office. I was talking to a young couple at the airport who had their passports stolen while shopping in St Thomas. And another time I saw a family having a hard time with CPB agents because all five of their passports were stolen in San Juan. There's really no need to carry such a valuable document unless it's required. And if the argument is that if you miss the ship, then you have the ability to get to the next port, well-----just be smart and don't miss the ship.

The US passport cards cannot be used for international air, they are only good for land and sea ports of entry, so returning from an island would still be problematic.

They're probably still better than a photocopy or photo of your actual passport in terms of trying to get home.

I've read through this thread and wondered if anyone else has rented a scooter in Croatia? They required our passports and drivers licenses when we did that. Also when we exchanged money at a resort in Mexico we had to show our passport. I'm thinking the need for a passport off the ship can also depend on what you have planned when on land? We've almost always taken our passports with us - but almost always put them in a concealed body pouch. I admit I was leery leaving them on a beach while swimming - not smart I know. Perhaps I'll try to take a copy with us....but I still feel there may be times we will need our passports.

Yes, I understand all Segway Scooter rentals etc. requires a passport in Europe. Just touring around, you probably wouldn't want it due to theft issues (rampant in many European cities as they target tourists).

I would take copies of everything or a photo of everything on your smart card and leave the original safe and sound in your cabin safe. you do have your photo ship passenger card as your other form of ID

They're probably still better than a photocopy or photo of your actual passport in terms of trying to get home.

In either case you would need to go to the Embassy or Consulate to obtain assistance to get on a plane and they would be able to verify your passport information in their system (even without a photocopy of your passport) so spending money on a passport card just for that purpose would seem to be unnecessary.