Going to ports with copies of passports

[yst347]

Hehe oh and btw, how can I get our stamps if we take them with us? Ive heard that if you want them to get the stamps you need to leave them with this person on ship and he/she will get them but what if we take them?

 

Easy...just cheat.:eek: You can buy just about anything online. :D

[Kruzergrl]

Hi V,

My boss does extensive foreign travel for the gov't and here is what she recommends.

 

Keep passport WITH you, make THREE copies of the passport pic and the info page.

Keep one copy ON you but seperate from passport, one copy in safe and one copy with someone in the states.

 

You keep the copy sep. because if a purse or organizer gets stolen, all you have to do is take the copy to a Customs agent and they can authorize the copy to act as your passport for the duration of the trip, put a freeze on the original passport AND get you applied for a new passport number.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Brenda

[Kurbanfan]

Let me see if I understand this:

 

My Passport is my only official internationally recognized and accepted form of identification when visiting a foreign country.

However, due to fear of it be lost, stolen or mutilated,,I'm going to enter a foreign country without it and leave it on the ship. Instead, I'm going to take my state issued drivers license and my ship board S&S card with me. Neither of these items officially ID me, neither of these will allow me to leave the country and neither of these will ever get lost, stolen, or mutilated. ONLY MY PASSPORT can get lost, stolen or mutilated :eek:

 

OK,,,I think I understand now.

 

If someone steals your passport they can also steal your identity..........they cannot do this with a S&S card or drivers license........

 

 

OR

1. You miss the ship

2. You rent a car and get into a traffic accident

3. You beat up your cab driver for charging you too much.

4. You get hurt and have to go to the local hospital

5. etc

6. etc

 

If I were YOU I would bring a passport in port ROFLMAO!

[gtalum]

If someone steals your passport they can also steal your identity.

 

Not without your social security number. The info on the passport is no different than the info on your drivers' license.

[Kurbanfan]

For those who bring the passport but leave it on the ship, Why do you bring the passport at all? why not just come with the BC and DL and leave the passport at home?

 

 

 

Easier form of id when traveling......don't have to pull out both DL and BC and BC's get pretty torn and tattered........

[klmorg]

We also take the risk, and choose to leave our passports in the safe when going ashore. Sometimes I take a copy of our passports (if I remember), as I would think that would help the local authorities should spmething happen and we needed them. I know from experience that the ship staff and port authority personnel would go above & beyond to help if the situation presented itself. I do not want to risk my passport being stolen or lost while ashore. I take the gamble. But that's just me.

[klmorg]

Easier form of id when traveling......don't have to pull out both DL and BC and BC's get pretty torn and tattered........

 

Definitely... way easier with just a passport.

[Kurbanfan]

Not without your social security number. The info on the passport is no different than the info on your drivers' license.

 

 

 

http://www.aboutidentitytheft.co.uk/passport-information.html

 

http://www.state.gov/m/ds/investigat/c10714.htm

 

http://www.state.gov/m/ds/investigat/c10714.htm

[Ambrosia64]

You'll get lots of answers. My fiancee is a federal officer. Ask any federal gov't official and they will tell you - if you are on foreign soil you should have your passport on your person. My guy even insisted I keep my passport on me when we went to Canada.

[klfrodo]

http://www.aboutidentitytheft.co.uk/passport-information.html

 

http://www.state.gov/m/ds/investigat/c10714.htm

 

http://www.state.gov/m/ds/investigat/c10714.htm

 

Using your number and your links, I also googled US Passport Statistics

 

In 2005 the US issued 10,123,424 NEW passports, doesn't include passports issued in previous 9 years.

You link indicates the State Department investigated 3,564 cases of fraud

 

Let's see, that's a 0.000352 percent chance of my passport being used for fraud.

I have a better chance of winning this weeks powerball. I have a better chance of being hit by lightning.

 

I'll take those odds

[LemurCat]

It's all about acceptable levels of risk. What do you fear more, being left in a foreign country with a copy of your passport? Or identity theft? Personally, I'm more inclined fear the whole foreign-country-lacking-proper-ID. But that's just me. Other people, obviously, see identity theft as a greater risk.

[Kurbanfan]

Using your number and your links, I also googled US Passport Statistics

 

In 2005 the US issued 10,123,424 NEW passports, doesn't include passports issued in previous 9 years.

You link indicates the State Department investigated 3,564 cases of fraud

 

Let's see, that's a 0.000352 percent chance of my passport being used for fraud.

I have a better chance of winning this weeks powerball. I have a better chance of being hit by lightning.

 

I'll take those odds

 

 

LOL! MY point is.........it does happen.......not to mention all those people in the foreign ports who would jump at the attempt to steal one so they can come to the land of the free;)

 

Feel free to do what is best for you.....I do.....

[gtalum]

http://www.aboutidentitytheft.co.uk/passport-information.html

 

http://www.state.gov/m/ds/investigat/c10714.htm

 

http://www.state.gov/m/ds/investigat/c10714.htm

 

All of which is useless without a SSN, and most of which is on your drivers' license. Thanks for proving my point for me. :)

 

Further, I'm not concerned about illegal immigration nor is it my responsibility to enforce those laws.

 

Suffice it to say I keep my passport safe when I travel. That said, losing it is no worse for identity theft than is losing your drivers' license. In the meantime, I will do my best to not set foot on foreign soil without my passport.

[Cheeseland Cruisers]

What do you do if your family of four all wants to go swimming at the same time? Leave passports on the beach? Carry passports in a water proof ziplock bag? Not swim at the same time?

 

I went on 4 cruises before I even HAD a passport, and the last one I left it on the ship everytime. Have one now and for my last cruise, but I didn't take it off ship. I ama worrier who is always back well before the ship leaves. Guess I never thought about not making it back.

[gtalum]

What do you do if your family of four all wants to go swimming at the same time? Leave passports on the beach? Carry passports in a water proof ziplock bag? Not swim at the same time?

 

With or without our passports, we wouldn't do this. Petty theft is common, so you shouldn't leave any of your belongings unattended. Just leave the passports with whoever is watching your stuff.

 

Fortunately for me, my wife doesn't much like to swim in the ocean, so it's just not an issue for us.

 

If you insist, though, you can always use a waterproof wallet. I have this one, and it works well.

[Cheeseland Cruisers]

I actually use a small waterproof wallet, but it isn't big enough for 4 passports (really sized for credit cards and money. I use this with our S&S cards, money, etc, and zip it in my pockets.

 

If someone wants to steal our blankets and crappy blankets, i guess they can. I would usually just ask the people near us if they could keep an eye on our stuff while we go in. Little too risky to do that with passports though!! :)

[ericrz]

IMHO, there's no reason to take your passport on a cruise at all if you're going to leave it onboard in the safe.

 

The reason we bring ours is to safeguard ourselves in a foreign port. In case we would miss the ship, have a medical emergency (car accident, etc.) or the like.

 

On the ship, you don't need a passport. So I'm confused by those of you who leave them onboard when you go ashore. Why even bring them, then?

[klfrodo]

What do you do if your family of four all wants to go swimming at the same time? Leave passports on the beach? Carry passports in a water proof ziplock bag? Not swim at the same time?

 

.

 

I'm assuming that you didn't leave your wallets, purse, money, credit cards, etc,etc laying around in the past when you wanted to swim. Passports are not any different.

[yst347]

IMHO, there's no reason to take your passport on a cruise at all if you're going to leave it onboard in the safe.

 

The reason we bring ours is to safeguard ourselves in a foreign port. In case we would miss the ship, have a medical emergency (car accident, etc.) or the like.

 

On the ship, you don't need a passport. So I'm confused by those of you who leave them onboard when you go ashore. Why even bring them, then?

 

Let's suppose I follow your advice and leave my passport home. I bring my birth certificate and driver's license with me, I leave the BC in the safe and go ashore with my DL and sign and sail card. Now suppose I am robbed! :eek: Or my beach bag is stolen, or my pocket is picked or some freak accident occurs and my stuff falls into the sea on an excursion. Now what? I have to explain myself to the CBP officer when I return, this will cause a delay. Then I am at the airport with no photo ID, will I be able to fly? On my scheduled flight? Will I be delayed significantly?

 

The point is why would I wan't to put myself through this when I have the document I need to re-enter the USA and to fly, my passport.

[Kurbanfan]

All of which is useless without a SSN, and most of which is on your drivers' license. Thanks for proving my point for me. :)

 

Further, I'm not concerned about illegal immigration nor is it my responsibility to enforce those laws.

 

Suffice it to say I keep my passport safe when I travel. That said, losing it is no worse for identity theft than is losing your drivers' license. In the meantime, I will do my best to not set foot on foreign soil without my passport.

 

LMAO!!! I believe I proved my point which was you can be a victim of identity theft if your passport is stolen.........

No.... if someone stole my license and altered it they would not be able to flee the country start a new life (or old life of crime) and open up bank accounts etc........could they? no not with just a silly California license......this can be achieved with a passport......

 

Here's a recent article regarding passport fraud..........

 

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1247082/Passport-fraud-biggest-threat-facing-world.html

[Kurbanfan]

I'm assuming that you didn't leave your wallets, purse, money, credit cards, etc,etc laying around in the past when you wanted to swim. Passports are not any different.

 

CC, DL, cash and S&S all small and waterproof fits snugly in dh's board shorts...........and all waterproof.......that is all we take:D

[gtalum]

LMAO!!! I believe I proved my point which was you can be a victim of identity theft if your passport is stolen.........

No.... if someone stole my license and altered it they would not be able to flee the country start a new life (or old life of crime) and open up bank accounts etc........could they? no not with just a silly California license......this can be achieved with a passport......

 

Sorry, no dice without a social security number. LMAO indeed...

 

With your SSN, I could walk into a bank and open an account with your DL, just like with your passport. Sadly, you have not proven your point, fear-mongering websites notwithstanding.

 

You last linked website speaks only off using passports for illegal immigration, which as I mentioned doesn't particularly concern me. Further, the new passports make it extremely difficult if not impossible to just cut out the picture and replace it with a new one.

[Kurbanfan]

Sorry, no dice without a social security number. LMAO indeed...

 

You can open up a bank account with a passport..........if you have your license you need both S.S. and license........

[gtalum]

Perhaps, but you still haven't addressed the issue of the extreme difficulty of modifying the photo on new US passports.

 

I also have doubts over whether a US account can be opened with a US passport and no social security number. It can be done with a foreign passport and proper visa documentation.

 

Upon further research, I'm right. Only non-residents can open an account with passports and no social security number and they need, in addition to the proper visa documentation, a Taxpayer ID number.

[CruzVinnieCruz]

I am in the camp that leaves the passport in the safe especially if we are on a cruise. I have had one passport stolen while traveling and I can assure anyone that the passport is what they targeted. Asking someone sitting near you to watch your stuff is relying on your neighbor a little too much for me.

 

Ships have a protocol they follow if you would not happen to return from a port. In that security will open the cabin safe looking for in particular travel documents i.e. passports and then pass them along to the port agent.

 

Any cruise I have ever been on the question of carrying passports is asked at the port talks and 100% of the time the ship's CD response has been to leave them on board.