Keeping Passports safe while on a excursion?

In the past, we have cruised as a family and my wife, not being a water person, was more than content to relax on the beach while me and our boys played in the water, snorkeled, etc. It worked out as she watched over our passports, cash, credit cards, etc.

But his summer, it will be just me and our youngest son (oldest has flown the nest, and my wife basically said four cruises was three too many). So we will no longer have her to be the caretaker of our stuff.

So what do you do when all family/friends are on a excursion and they all want to get into the water/snorkeling/etc. How do you keep your stuff safe...assuming there are no lockers for rent?

Sure I could leave it on the ship, but then I may as well leave it at home.

"Snarky" replies welcome....I can play that game!

Like you (this time anyway) I travel with my teen only.

We make photocopies of the passports and put the passports in the safe.

The only time we find ourselves in the bind you refer to, is when we haven't booked a water activity that provides for security of our valuables. Last cruise, in Grand Turk we decided to just walk down to Jack's Shack, enjoy the vibe and play with the dog, then splash around in the water for a while. While we were eating in Jack's Shack, we looked around for fellow cruisers, buddied with them, and one of them wanted to lounge while the other went in the water. We asked if we could put our stuff under the lounge chair he was laying on and they were more than happy to do so.

They do make swimming trunks with waterproof, sealable pockets.

Try a waterproof case like these.

https://www.amazon.com/Mpow-Waterproof-Universal-Outdoor-Activities/dp/B01I1430WQ/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_200_bs_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=Y63V93XED02JS6PXQ1Y5

It worked very well for my daughter with her cell phone. She went swimming at Roatan on the beach. I don't know how well for depth, she was just swimming.

I use a flat waistpack, almost like a envelope with a zipper attached to a belt. Inside is a separate plastic bag with a good zip top. It has done a good job for me. I usually have my passport, credit card, ship card and some cash and it all fits with no problem. I'm sure I could also fit another passport or 2 for kids if I needed to.

Leave your Passport books in your cabin safe.

Take the contact info for your ship's port agent.;)

CW bought a beach bag with a locking zipper and strap. We "chain" the locked bag to a beach chair we're using. Unless they cut the strap or carry the beach chair off, we're comfortable with it.

Either "safe bag" as detailed above or waterproof pouches

We've never taken our passports off the ship. Always make sure to be back in plenty of time.

If ANYTHING, I would make a copy of it, and just bring that ashore, along with a DL.

Just be back to the ship on time, and you should have nothing to worry about. I hope. lol:')

I put the passport in my backpack with other stuff for the beach. Put backpack under my beach chair. Been doing this for 23 cruises. :)

I think the passport is safer in the safe than taking it to the beach or on other excursions. As a previous poster said, go back to the ship with plenty of time. Do not wait to be last minute because anything can happen to cause a delay and you eventually missing the ship.

If the passport gets damaged, waterlogged etc it becomes invalid and will need to be replaced.

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Passport stays in the safe. We take water wallets and put CC and $ in there. Swim with no problems. Camera is water proof so that goes with us too.

I bought a special waterproof passport holder on Amazon. You can wear it around your neck. I put mine and kids passports inside a ziplock bag and then yet another ziplock bag and then into the special passport holder. I got one that I can also fit my drivers license some cash and a credit card. I wore it around my neck tucked into my bathing suit top. I swam and snorkeled with it on and had no problems.

I did buy a couple of different ones and I thoroughly tested before hand by putting a paper towel inside and then going into the bathtub or swimming pool. If paper towel was wet then I knew it was no good. The holders are not expensive. The one I found I've had for 3 years now and still works.

Sorry I can't send a link because I don't remember exactly what it was called but you can find them on Amazon easy enough.

We never go into port wo our passports, travel insurance info, drivers license and cash and credit cards.

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I use a flat waistpack, almost like a envelope with a zipper attached to a belt. Inside is a separate plastic bag with a good zip top. It has done a good job for me. I usually have my passport, credit card, ship card and some cash and it all fits with no problem. I'm sure I could also fit another passport or 2 for kids if I needed to.

Why would you ever take passports off the ship (unless it is required by a foreign authority)? No seasoned international traveler would ever do that.

The safest place for your passport is in the Purser's office (why do you think that pretty much every premium/luxury cruise line requires you to surrender your passport at embarkation? It's for your safety and convenience). Second best place is in your cabin safe.

Might I suggest that the next time you have an opportunity to chat with ship's officers, you ask them if they take their passports off the ship. I trust they'll all repeat what I just posted.

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We leave the passports in the ship's safe when not required. Other wise they are in a waterproof pouch that clips to my board shorts while I swim.

Another vote for leaving them in the safe. Unless required to have them with you - very few countries have that requirement - they are much safer locked up on the ship. If you miss the ship, security will always check your room safe for passports. If they find them in your safe, your passports will be turned over to the shore representative for safekeeping and turned over to you when you finally arrive after the ship is gone. You will then have your passports in hand to do what you have to to catch the ship at the next port.

And make a copy to keep on you as a backup.

When I used to travel internationally on business, our company travel department specifically instructed us to not carry them unless required. They cautioned us that passports, especially American, are highly sought after on the black market, and being an American makes us targets for passport thieves. They even told us that if carried them against their advice and lost them, we were on our own getting replacements.

Another vote for leaving passports in the safe, on the ship. I know that some people prefer to keep their passports with them when ashore, but if you take them to the beach, you are at least doubling the risk that something will happen to them. You either have to leave them on the beach, secured in a bag attached to something but otherwise unattended, or take them swimming in a waterproof bag that might not be so waterproof.

This is a personal decision and people will do different things based on their own needs, perception of risks and experience so there is no one sized fits all answer. As mentioned there are many products on the market to help one protect their passport so having one of those might be right up your alley since you indicated that you felt better taking it off the ship with you, which is a perfectly valid choice.

I've got a Witz Passport Locker. It easily holds two passports, might be tight if you tried to put more in. It is waterproof and nicely built and can fit in pockets of some swim trunks. Possible downsides are that it is a bit bulky and it will try to float as it has air in it (but that is also a positive if it comes out of your shorts).

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0065CNAUO

Why would you ever take passports off the ship (unless it is required by a foreign authority)? No seasoned international traveler would ever do that.

I am a seasoned international traveler and my passport always goes off the ship with me when I am in a non-US port just as when I am on non-cruise travel outside the US. I am not part of the paranoid group.

Except for about the last 15 or 20 years, travelers have always carried their passports when traveling outside the US. The reason some no longer carry their passports is they have succumbed to the "you'll lose it if you use it as it was intended frenzy" with regard to passports, social security cards and all sorts of things that were designed to be carried and used.

Photo copy and baggie works great.

Remember that water is not going to hurt your money, your credit card or your ship card. If yu have a pocket on you bathing suit just leave them in the pocket. Passports are best left on the ship, especially in the Caribbean.

I am a seasoned international traveler and my passport always goes off the ship with me when I am in a non-US port just as when I am on non-cruise travel outside the US. I am not part of the paranoid group.

 

 

 

Except for about the last 15 or 20 years, travelers have always carried their passports when traveling outside the US. The reason some no longer carry their passports is they have succumbed to the "you'll lose it if you use it as it was intended frenzy" with regard to passports, social security cards and all sorts of things that were designed to be carried and used.

Once again: ask cruise officers what they do. There is absolutely no value in carrying a passport ashore other than feeding the real "paranoia" that it will not be retrievable if needed in an emergency.

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I put the passport in my backpack with other stuff for the beach. Put backpack under my beach chair. Been doing this for 23 cruises. :)

Oh! UNDER the beach chair! Why didn't I think of that? No thief would look under the chair.

One captain told us all to take ashore the number from the passport and the city where it was issued.

We have laminated copies of ours, and of our insurance papers for going ashore.

Everything in the safe is removed if you miss the ship, placed in a bag and handed to the port agent for you. They will not search the cabin for passports, credit cards etc.

A Western passport can be worth £10,000 to some of the talented passport gangs, and it can cause problems for a long time to come to yourself.