Keeping money/passports safe during water excursions?

[StillPooh]

So what I'm gathering is:

 

Buy a FAKE passport...

Leave the REAL passport on the safe...

Bring the FAKE passport to my execrusion...

Sell the FAKE passport for $40K, but not terrorists...

Stop smuggling alcohol on cruises and use that $40K for a lifetime supply of alcohol...

 

Would that make most people on this board happy? :P

Only if you quit smoking, and promise to push anybody who does overboard. :p

[NutsAboutGolf]

Only if you quit smoking, and promise to push anybody who does overboard. :p

 

How about wild children as well? I'll dress up like a pirate and tell kids this: "I work at camp carnival and today is fun pirate day...We're going to play a game called walk the plank" :D

[GD2J]

Are you saying a theif will take your cash and leave your Passport??? Just like they'll leave jewelry.....

Theives take it all and re-sell what they can.

No, that isn't what I was saying. What I'm trying to get across is if you get robbed, you will get robbed; but MONEY is typically the motive, not a passport.

 

What do most crooks say when they commit a robbery? It's, "Give me all your money" or "Give me your wallet." It isn't, "Give me your passport." Not even, "Empty your pockets." It is ALWAYS a reference to cash or a wallet. Americans are NOT targets for this type of crime because they may be likely to carry a passport, they become targets because they are on vacation and likely are carrying cash.

 

Let's face it, many tourists will not even report a crime that occurs to the proper authorities. If they are in port for only ~ 8 hours, they won't want to take the majority of that time up in a small police station, and they definitely won't be back anytime soon to be a witness.

 

There are numerous gov publications that state the safest place for your passport is on your person. Carry it in a front pocket away from your money or your wallet.

[Ontariotrekker]

Has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with keeping passports SAFELY out of hands of those that want to do harm to our country. USA passports are worth their weight IN GOLD (much more than $1000 per ounce current gold price). There are VERY few countries that most Americans will be traveling to that have to worry about CARRYING their US passport on their person. As someone that travels worldwide in pursuit of my business (international logistics), I RARELY have my passport on my person. Name a country, I have probably been there, EXCEPT the Caribbean (no desire to go there).

 

In fact, after my recent experience in the Middle East, I feel MUCH safer NOT having a US passport in my possession. I was advised when I arrived Kuwait by Colonels/Generals in the US Military last January to either leave my US passport in the secure safe on the base OR put a Canadian or Aussie cover on my US passport. I was traveling UAE, Bahrain,Qatar, Iraq, Afghanistan A copy would suffice for emergencies. AND IF I got in trouble, to have NOT ONLY the local phone number in the country I was in, but also the number of the US State Dept AND the number of the COUNTRY DESK where I was traveling.

 

Go ahead, let your passport be STOLEN. A LOT more hassle to replace the passport and you have probably aided the terrorists/drug cartels or the illegals.

Hi as a CDN who travels out of country alot, I always have a copy of my passport on me + I always have a current set of passport pictures with me on any trip. You can get a really cheap but legal set done at any Walmart or Costco.

A CDN passport is worth it's weight in gold in some places and sadly, ours are still way too easy to copy.

If I am dumb enough to lose my passport, or get myself in some kind of trouble that requires it off-ship, then I have no problem with "Locals" being picky about my paperwork.

[ladytravlr2]

Just returned from cruise. I did not take Passport off ship, left it in the safe. However, I did always have a copy of my passport, just for the information. I put a little money, sea pass, DL, and pp copy in a water wallet type thing that was around my neck, but I would also tie it around a strap just in case it might come off. I was never very far from my lounge chair with my tote bag of other things, so I didn't worry about them.

 

If I had only been going on a water dive, or snorkeling excursion, and not sitting on the beach...I would not have had the tote bag at a chair, etc...so all I needed would have been in the water wallet.

 

Many people I talked to...never take their passports on shore, only a copy. I KNOW all the reasons to, and reasons NOT to, so everyone has to reconcile that with themselves. I felt mine was better off in the safe, and I would deal with whatever happened.

[GD2J]

I agree. It's a personal decision, and one that probably won't be factor for most folk's vacation. When all is said and done, many cruise destination countries work very, very hard to make sure that crime is minimized in and around the port/surrounding areas.

[StillPooh]

How about wild children as well? I'll dress up like a pirate and tell kids this: "I work at camp carnival and today is fun pirate day...We're going to play a game called walk the plank" :D

How about a Behind the Fun Brig Tour? :D

 

Did you know September 19th was International Talk Like a Pirate Day? Argh, matey. :cool:

[beachchick]

But last time we were in Cozumel, The port authority there were making everyone show there passports to get back through security and onto the ship

 

I have a question about this. Because US citizens on closed-loop cruises with departure/return port in the US do not yet need to bring passports for ID. I'm unclear as to how the port authority required passengers to show ID they were not required to have with them. Are you sure it was passports only or could it have been official photo ID such as passport or driver's license? Was it a cruise that originated or ended outside the US? I am curious about this.

 

Without diving into the passport debate/argument too much, I think it's important to have a copy of your passport with you regardless and you must bring photo ID at a minimum. If something happens and you need to fly back to the US and are unable to get to the ship to get your passport (or if you don't bring it), you will have to go to the nearest US Embassy for an emergency passport. Having a copy of your passport can speed the process a bit; without a valid photo ID of some kind, you are pretty much SOL.

 

My DH and I have had passports for decades. I got my first one when I was 16, so for me it's always seemed normal and right to have one. I too do not understand why so many people are fighting so hard to avoid getting the one piece of official ID that is recognized world wide. I'm tired of hearing that they're too expensive or a hassle to get because they are cheap when you consider the benefits and they are no more hassle than many other official documents.

 

As for bringing ashore or leaving onboard, I'm not even going to tiptoe into that question.

 

To answer the OP: I'd bring only the waterproof camera for water-based excursions. Why bring two cameras if one will suffice and why risk water damage to a good piece of equipment? There are any number of hard and soft waterproof cases and packs that come in all sizes and styles. A quick net search will bring up many options.

 

We would never leave any valuables in a backpack or otherwise even on an excursion boat. I don't expect the boat crew to watch everyone's belongings every minute or know who "belongs" with which items. We use small waterproof cases that hold the basics and use a waterproof camera (generally disposable type). If someone wants to steal my beach towel, then I assume they were pretty desparate.

 

beachchick

[NutsAboutGolf]

Looks like I'll bring of photocopy of my passport, ID, small amount of cash, credit card and waterproof camera.

[RogerCalgary]

A second recommendation for Otterboxes. They're great -- bombproof, waterproof, and considerably cheaper than I was expecting. I think Amazon carries them, among other retailers.

 

 

Cheers,

Roger

[Livin4Real]

http://www.thewaterproofstore.com/softcases.html we use thedry-pacs and they work great.