ID question when in port

We make copies of our passports and take that ashore along with the ship card. Unless I was told specifically that you had to bring it, the passport is too precious to risk in a strange place. I have actually lost my driver's license on a tour once in Hawaii. It was in a side pocket and slipped out on the bus and I didn't even realize it was gone until back at the hotel! I had no idea where it had gone, but the travel gods smiled on me because we had another tour booked with the same company the next day and the driver had it for me! So lucky and so grateful but lesson learned. Just bought a neck pouch for our Med. cruise..........................Patti

I have both a passport book and a passport card. I have a scan of my passport cover page and placed it on Google Drive. I will be checking to my cruise using a passport book. However, when I'm onshore, isn't my passport card good enough for identification? The biggest problem, however, is that passport cards isn't any good for international air travel.

 

However do whatever you feel more comfortable taking ashore with you.

 

Bring your photo I.D

'nuff said.:)

Short answer: Unless the ship specifically directs you to take your passport, keep it in the safe. Longer answer: We've taken multiple cruises on Royal Caribbean and that "dam" HA line. A bit less than half the time they collect our passports. This makes us nervous, but it has never been a problem. We carry our license cause it is a "clue" that we are Americans, and it never gets lost. IF you do get pick-pocketed, you still have your passport back on the ship to regain access to the United States. It may take a bit longer, but you will be able to get back on the ship. You can reapply for your DL when you get back Stateside. The only place we needed more than our ship card to get back on board was New England and Canada. They frequently asked for BOTH our license and our ship card. The ship will always tell you what you need to take. Trust them... they've done this before.

Embassy people will do that because they are the ones who have to replace a lost passport. Less work for them if you carry a photocopy.

 

I don't know how many State Department consular officers ("Embassy people") you know but we've known many and none fit your description. I know they would prefer to concentrate on serious issues (legal, medical, etc.) that befall American citizens abroad as opposed to replacing passports but most of all they want American citizens to have an enjoyable, problem free vacation or ex-pat experience.

I don't know how many State Department consular officers ("Embassy people") you know but we've known many and none fit your description. I know they would prefer to concentrate on serious issues (legal, medical, etc.) that befall American citizens abroad as opposed to replacing passports but most of all they want American citizens to have an enjoyable, problem free vacation or ex-pat experience.

As a Canadian I know more Canadian diplomats but have encountered several U.S. embassy people in Eastern Europe while on business. Quite charming other than their clumsy attempts at industrial espionage. They have far more important things to do that worry about your vacation and find silly tourists who lose their passports to be intolerable intrusions on their busy schedules. Better for them if you keep your passport in the safe, not so much for you if you actually need it.

I've always made a color photo copy of my current passport on heavy photographic paper, and carry it, along with my drivers license, ship's ID and military ID in a leather carrier when in port. I've never had a problem anywhere, with port security.;)

For those who are worried about theft of a passport, what happens if your wallet or pouch with your photo ID is robbed instead? Doesn't it present the same problems?

 

As Floridian explained above, taking my passport off the ship depends entirely on the port and what activity or excursion I am doing.

 

As I get older, and become more prone to physical ailments, the chances of a dangerous health issue arising during an excursion have increased, while my participation in more active high risk tours has decreased. In any case, I would hate to be held over in a foreign country hospital w/o proper ID.

 

JMO, and YMMV.

For those who are worried about theft of a passport, what happens if your wallet or pouch with your photo ID is robbed instead? Doesn't it present the same problems?

 

As Floridian explained above, taking my passport off the ship depends entirely on the port and what activity or excursion I am doing.

 

As I get older, and become more prone to physical ailments, the chances of a dangerous health issue arising during an excursion have increased, while my participation in more active high risk tours has decreased. In any case, I would hate to be held over in a foreign country hospital w/o proper ID.

 

JMO, and YMMV.

Slightly off topic, but for European readers, travelling within Europe, can I stress the need to carry a EHIC (health card) with you. Whilst all European hospitals will obviously look after you if you need emergency medical help, they are much more helpful if you have your card with you, because they know they will be reimbursed by the issuing country. A passport proves who you are, but is not as much help to them, financially speaking, as your health card.

 

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Security MAY get your passport and give it to the port agent.

 

It is not guaranteed.

 

You choice, your level of concern.

 

I travel a lot internationally. I carry my passport.

 

Exactly! I know that many people do not take their passports off the ship with them, and that is fine, but I am not walking around in foreign country without mine.

Exactly! I know that many people do not take their passports off the ship with them, and that is fine, but I am not walking around in foreign country without mine.

 

It looks like you have never taken a cruise in Asia and South America where the ship often retains the passport and does immigration without the actual passengers being present at inspections.

Exactly! I know that many people do not take their passports off the ship with them, and that is fine, but I am not walking around in foreign country without mine.

Why not ? What exactly are you worried about? I've walked about in many, many foreign countries without my passport without any problem at all. However, if I was to walk about with my passport and it was lost or stolen, that would be a major problem.

So, on a risk assessment basis, I prefer to leave my passport somewhere safe.

 

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For those worried about being robbed, if you are robbed they will take your ID and ship's card will they not? And then how will you get in to the secure port to get to the ship at all?

 

Robbery I can deal with, even the loss of my passport.

 

Being on a shore excursion and having a problem, either getting sick, being in an auto accident, having a boat break down, having a bus get a flat tire, ect, can mean that you don't make it back to the port on time. Which means catching a plane, possibly back to the states. Which requires you having your passport.

 

I have been on many cruises, normally traveling with large groups and sometimes full ship takeovers. I only know of a couple of times where people were robbed on shore and lost IDs. I know of many cases where people discovered that they had trouble getting from one country to another after missing the ship.

 

Bahamas, six people missed the ship, security did not send anything to the port for them. 3 of them only had ship ID and cash having been told "don't take your credit card or your DL in case you get robbed." All had to fly back to Miami to pick up their stuff from the ship.

 

I got sick in the Bahamas when I was underage, ended up being taken to the hospital there. Thankfully my father had all our IDs so there was no issue returning. Granted, no passport was needed back then.

 

Cayman Island a boat excursion to Stingray City broke down, everyone had to fly to the next stop at their own expense since it was a private excursion. Nothing was left by the ship for them at the port.

 

Cozumel, boat on a dive excursion broke down (Carnival excursion) and the ship left without them. Carnival paid for them to fly to the next port, didn't know anyone that was on the trip so no idea how their ID or things from safe were handled.

 

So yes, I could be robbed. But I find that the chance is higher that something will delay my return to the ship and I will have to catch up at the next port.

There is no consensus on the issue. There are people who fret about losing or having their passport stolen and those of us who believe in the benefits of having it with us at all times when in a foreign country. I've never had a passport stolen but have needed mine when not expected.

 

I like the ones who have been on 10s or 100s of cruises and never take their passport for fear of it being stolen.

But have not mentioned a SINGLE time when they lost their cash, credit cards, sail pass, and photo ID.

 

If you have your passport in your pocket, and don't take it out, do you think thieves are going around sticking their hands in pockets and not taking anything unless a passport is in there? :D:D

I never carry my passport unless there is a specific official requirement to do so. The downside of losing/being robbed of my passport far outweighs any tenuous benefit of carrying it around with me.

 

 

How many times have you been robbed?

 

How many times have you lost your sail card and photo ID?

Embassy people will do that because they are the ones who have to replace a lost passport. Less work for them if you carry a photocopy.

 

Yes, and the same thing can be said of carrying your passport and leaving a copy in your room to assist in replacing yours on the off chance something does happen.

 

But all these long threads, I don't think I have EVER heard of anyone reporting losing their passport or their sail pass card or their photo ID.

If I make a colored photocopy of my driver's license and laminate it can I use this to get on/off the ship in port. I was hoping to not have to take my real liscense off the ship for less chance of losing it. The ports we are going to is Amber Cove, San Juan, Grand Turk and St. Thomas

 

Why would one even contemplate presenting a forged id document to a government security official?

How many times have you been robbed?

 

How many times have you lost your sail card and photo ID?

 

How many times have you missed the ship and needed your passport to fly out of the port?;) (Talking cruises in the Caribbean here, not needing it elsewhere in the world). The fact is that both sides of this argument are talking about something that has a very low likelihood of happening.

Believe it or not, once we HAD to take our passports off the ship to be able to get back on the ship. This was announced many times before and right after we made it to their pier. Of all places, this was KEY WEST! I think this was because we were at the Navy Pier. They used golf carts to get us back to the ship but before the cart moved, our passports were checked.

This is the only time in more than 100+ cruises we've taken our passports off the ship. Thieves get BIG bucks for stolen US passports. Ours always stay in our safe.

Why would one even contemplate presenting a forged id document to a government security official?

 

A photocopy of a document doesn't constitute forgery (if you modify the info on it then that is a different sort of animal).

How many times have you been robbed?

 

How many times have you lost your sail card and photo ID?

Never, but there's always a first time for everything!

 

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Believe it or not, once we HAD to take our passports off the ship to be able to get back on the ship. This was announced many times before and right after we made it to their pier. Of all places, this was KEY WEST! I think this was because we were at the Navy Pier. They used golf carts to get us back to the ship but before the cart moved, our passports were checked.

This is the only time in more than 100+ cruises we've taken our passports off the ship. Thieves get BIG bucks for stolen US passports. Ours always stay in our safe.

 

Well, I've only been on three cruises - and needed to carry my passport on a shore excursion once, so it is not too uncommon an occurrence [depending on the cruise's ports of call]

 

On the NY to Southampton leg of a round trip, the passport came out of the safe & got stamped somewhere mid Atlantic. When QM2 arrived in Southampton, it was already 'cleared' so passports stayed in the safe [ship's ID card was all that was needed for passengers continuing on the round trip]

 

The next day was in Le Havre. Here the ship was not 'cleared' and all passengers taking excursions needed to have their passport stamped, both departing and returning [slow line at the terminal, only one official examining & stamping passports]. No one on shore needed to see any passports, but without secure storage you needed to keep it with you.

 

Apparently other European cruise itineraries have the ship 'cleared' before/at their first 'Schnegen zone' port, then for subsequent ports on the same cruise no passports are required.

A photocopy of a document doesn't constitute forgery (if you modify the info on it then that is a different sort of animal).

 

Not so. Google says forgery is "the action of forging or producing a copy of a document, signature, banknote, or work of art.". A copy of an official document not clearly marked as such is a forgery.

Not so. Google says forgery is "the action of forging or producing a copy of a document, signature, banknote, or work of art.". A copy of an official document not clearly marked as such is a forgery.

 

Here's the definition of it from a legal dictionary: Forgery. The creation of a false written document or alteration of a genuine one, with the intent to defraud. Forgery consists of filling in blanks on a document containing a genuine signature, or materially altering or erasing an existing instrument.

 

 

And if it is forgery than the State Department is culpable in the act because they advise travelers to make copies of their passports to help facilitate the process if it needs to be replaced.

Not so. Google says forgery is "the action of forging or producing a copy of a document, signature, banknote, or work of art.". A copy of an official document not clearly marked as such is a forgery.

 

 

No. A legal forgery is a copy or reproduction that is meant to pass as the original. A photocopy on regular paper, even laminated, will never pass for a DL or passport.

In most cases the charge (in the US) is uttering a forged instrument, which is the act of passing off the forged item as real.