Jack Puglis

15 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

I find nothing at all scary about carrying my passport, but I don't like carrying things with me that I don't have to carry so unless I actually need the passport (local law, taking an excursion that require it, etc.) then it stays in the safe. As Hlitner said there is no right or wrong answer, we each need to do what we are comfortable doing and that makes the most sense from our own personal point of view.

It is a personal decision, I agree.  If you read my comments above, my main point is to consider carefully whether you are comfortable not having your passport with you in the case of an emergency (medical problem, traffic accident, robbery/theft, etc.) that causes you to miss the ship's departure.  Personally, I won't be without my passport in a foreign port.

25 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

 

If there's so much confusion on this thread why is it that the thread had been totally inactive since 2015 prior to your posting on it and except for the three posts made in 2015 had been inactive since 2011?

 

Not that there's anything wrong with discussing the topic, but there have been dozens of threads discussing it since 2015 and I'm not sure I understand the reason why you want to reopen an 8 year old thread when you  could either start a new one or reopen one that is substantially more recent.

 

The poster, whose post you quoted to start your conversation hasn't even signed in to Cruise Critic since  June, 2013 so I doubt you're going to get a response from him/her thanking you for your agreement with the post.

The better question is, "Why not?"  LOL!

I'm sensing that part of the confusion on this thread comes from the fact that there are two related issues that people are discussing at once.

1) Is it REQUIRED to take a passport when leaving the ship?  The answer is, in most cases, no, but there are exceptions.

2) Is is ADVISABLE to take a passport when leaving the ship?  This is a matter of individual preference.

The preponderance of advice is to keep the passport locked up in your room on the ship.  I disagree with this because of the possibility of an emergency (medical, accident, other unforeseen event) that causes one to miss the ship's departure.  Yes, a paper copy of your passport will help you at a U.S. consulate, but they are often far between.

With a passport in hand, one can travel as expeditiously as possible.  I view the likelihood of losing a passport while on a shore excursion as no greater than the likelihood of losing a wallet or purse.  That's just my opinion and others are certainly entitled to decide differently for themselves.

As a side note, Hank (Hlitner) two posts above wrote an excellent summary that I recommend reading.  Thanks again for that, Hank.

46 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Actually we had a very serious emergency, just last year, in Vietnam.  But, we were able to return to the ship (I did not want DW in a Vietnamize Hospital) which is a story unto itself.  I would quickly agree that this is a topic upon which frequent travelers can disagree.  Not sure there is a right or wrong.  I honestly see pros and cons to both arguments.   I will tell you that based on more then 100 cruises (far more then 1000 days on ships) we do know of several cases where folks lost (or had stolen) their Passports when ashore  (a real mess for those folks).  I also know of one couple that had an auto accident (in Spain) and did not return to the ship.  One of them was admitted to a local hospital, they contacted the ship, and all their belongings (including Passports) were packed and sent over to the hospital.  

 

And it is true that on quite a few of our cruises around various parts of the world, we had to turn-in our Passports to the Purser at embarkation and did not get them returned until near the end of the cruise (and some of these were very long cruises).

 

I do carry our Passports when it is reasonably necessary.  Sometimes I will need my Passport to rent a car and if we are doing something very adventurous where we might go (on our own) a long distance from the port (sometimes over 100 miles).  In those cases where there is substantial risk that we will miss the ship we do want our Passports.   For me, it is a common sense kind of thing.   When we are in the appropriate places, DW and I will often be at a beach, snorkeling or even diving (don't do much of that anymore).  When I ask folks who like to carry their Passports what they do when they are at a beach and in the water I get interesting answers..  I should add that it is the same when we take lengthy driving trips in Europe (sometimes for more then a month).  If we are day tripping and returning to the same hotel, we will usually lock our Passports in the hotel's main safe (near the front desk) along with other valuables.  As to credit cards, ATM cards (the way we get all of our cash overseas), and other valuables we only carry what we need for that day.  I will normally carry 1 or 2 major credit cards and lock the others in a safe.  Essentially we plan that if everything on our person is stolen (or lost) we have sufficient back-up at the hotel (or ship) to continue on with our trip with minimal disruption.  Perhaps this comes from a lifetime of very independent travel where we have to depend on our own "travel sense" rather then a tour guide (we take very few excursions).  

 

And finally I will answer your specific question about what is "so special and frightening" about carrying a Passport.  Because I know what a major problem it would be if the Passports were somehow lost or stolen!  If this happens to a credit card the procedure is quite simple and only takes a few minutes.  If cash is stolen you just cry...and get more cash.  But when a Passport disappears the ramifications can be very nasty.  In some cases it means staying in place (or making your way to the nearest consulate) for several days.  Consider a cruise ship passenger who loses their Passport while in Le Havre France....on a Friday.  They notice it is gone late Friday afternoon!  The nearest US Counsel is in Paris...nearly 2 1/2 hours distant...but that office will not be open until Monday.  It will likely be Monday afternoon or Tuesday before they can get an emergency replacement.  And that is assuming it is not a 3  day holiday weekend!   The situation can be much worse in other parts of the world.  

 

Hank

Thanks for your great answer, Hank.  May common sense prevail!

38 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I will not get into the usual CC argument about whether to carry your Passport (we generally leave our locked in a safe...and have been traveling extensively for over 50 years!).     But I will provide you with the usual solution to your issue.  If you are in an accident or cannot return to the ship the ship will be aware that you have not returned (hopefully you will have been able to notify them....but if not they still know you missed the ship).  In such cases they will  normally dispatch security to your cabin to search for your Passport (and any other important documents) which they will leave with their local agent.  Each cruise line has their own protocol for how they handle these situations, but this is the norm.  And yes, the ship's security folks can open your safe and that is the first place they look.

 

As to the scenario you did not mention, suppose you are carrying your Passport and it is lost of stolen (we know several of these cases...first hand)?   Getting an emergency replacement can take several days and becomes very expensive.  As to the "neck wallet"  (we have one) we are aware of one cruiser who was carrying both his and his wife's Passports in a neck wallet.  The gentleman took an excursion to Dunn River Falls (Jamaica) and took a nasty fall while climbing the falls (it happens).  He was OK (except for a sprained wrist) but those wet Passports were no longer usable (defaced or water damaged Passports are not acceptable) so he had to later spend $220 for replacements.  

 

And finally we would reiterate what was mentioned in another post.  When you cruise all over the world there are plenty of times when the ship's purser will take everyone's Passports and hold them for days or even weeks.  This is necessary for the clearance procedures in some ports.   In those cases, getting your Passport back (to take ashore) can become a major hassle....especially if you have to sit around the ship half the port day until the purser is able to return the document (which you will generally have to return to the purser that same evening.

 

Hank

Hank, I understand you clearly, but like Hlitner, continue to disagree.  I'm not going to repeat all the talking points, but I want to ask you this: what is so scary about carrying your passport?  You most likely carry the ship's pass-card, your driver's license, credit cards and cash.  What is so special and frightening about having the passport with you, particularly given that it is essential in case of an emergency?

You indicated that you've been electing not to carry it for 50 years.  But in that time, you were fortunate enough to not have had an emergency.  (Your logic is like this: I once mentioned to a friend that recent studies indicated that eating a certain food increases the risk of a heart attack.  He replied: "My grandfather ate two eggs every day and didn't have a heart attack."  I answered, "You just proved that you don't understand statistics.")

You also cited a case in which a person soaked his passport, rendering it useless.  How many people do that?  Besides that, any other paper document on that person would have also been turned to mush.  That is very much the exception and doesn't outweigh the benefit of having the all-important passport with you.

Peace, brother.  I'm not being obnoxious.  I simply cannot agree.

On 3/28/2011 at 8:43 PM, Scorpiorose said:

 

and I want to shout...TAKE you passport with you!!! It's a hotly debated issue but it's a PASS PORT, as in a pass in and out of port, I always take mine in case of an accident or missing the ship. If you lose it, the embassy will replace it.

 

It's the ONLY internationally accepted form of ID, take it with you and wear it under your clothing like your credit cards, other id and money.

 

This is not a given, this is why ships can't and don't tell you not to take it. It's a personal choice UNLESS the ship takes them away from you, I guess they do that in some ports then you have no choice.

 

Know the risks advantages and disadvantages of both situations and then research it on various travel sites and their advise. Then make your own decision.

 

I wouldn't want to tell someone to leave it, then they miss the ship, can't get a flight out, or an accident, and oh the problems. This happened to my aunt....and things happen....beyond your planning and you miss the ship.

 

Research and make a choice for youself, don't take just what ppl say on these boards, that is all opinion.

 

Good luck!

I agree with Scorpiorose.  I think that it's important to consider the reasons to absolutely take the passport with you in ANY foreign port.

1) If you get sick, have a motor vehicle accident (your tour bus or other) or mix up the local time and miss the ship, getting home with no passport can be a difficult, expensive, lengthy process.  Getting home with a photocopy of your passport may not be much better, given the amount of fraud and illegal trafficking in fake passports that goes on.

If you miss the ship, there is no assurance that the cruise line will reliably enter your cabin, rescue your passport and leave it with the port agent.

2) You carry a driver's license, credit cards, your sea-card and other important forms of ID with you when you leave the ship.  Yet, somehow, there is a meme circulating elevating the passport to "scary" status.  It's your key form of identification in a foreign port and it's not scary...it's just a document.

Yes, avoid putting it in your back pocket, and certainly do hide it on your person.  But the same rule applies to your driver's license, credit cards and sea card.

Scopiorose is right in saying that it's an individual choice.  I've made mine. :-)))

Tatka, you can also use Royal Caribbean's website in the same way. After you decide what ship, destinations and dates, book by phone. Ask about specials and deals. Keep calling back every week or so until the date that you sail, always asking for better prices. It's worked for me every time. :-)

I'm booked on Anthem in December, going from NJ to the Bahamas. November and December seem to be Royal Caribbean's "sweet spot" for pricing if you're traveling south. I can only guess that people can't get their head around going to the Bahamas or the Caribbean when it's 20 degrees in the north

It's perfect weather there in December, notwithstanding storms. The Atlantic hurricane season ends on November 30, which is why I selected December over November. I got some great prices. RC jacks up their prices during Christmas and New Year's.