Using passports

[ActiveTraveler]

Can someone tell me when and where travelers use therir passports? It is just for flying to another country (which will be Italy in my case) or also getting on and off the ship? If someone asks me for an ID at a souveneir store, do I show that person my passport or Ohio state ID? I just applied for my first passport July 10 to beat the price increase and will get it in 4-6 weeks.

[conbon78]

Well passports can be used as a form of ID. It is really only used when traveling internationally at the airport. I was on Celebrity in June and they held our passports so they could clear us through customs at each port. So I was not able to bring my passport around with me during the cruise. No one ever asked me for my ID.

[Keith1010]

I know you didn't ask this and there will be different views on this but I will share some advice with you. We keep our passport on the ship. We do not carry it with us. We believe the chance of losing or having our passport stolen is far greater than our need to carry it. Some will say the carry it just in case they miss the ship but again we think the odds of that happening are far less than the risks of carrying it.

 

In addition to needing the passport to fly and board the ship and fly back home if you are staying at an International Hotel you usually need to show them your passport upon check in. Also, if you were to exchange money at a currency exchange store some of them require seeing a passport while others do not ask to see it while still others will accept seeing a copy of one while still others will accept seeing some other type of government id. What I am trying to say is that they all handle this a bit differently. We use an ATM to obtain money anyway.

 

Keith

[lisiamc]

I always say there's no reason I couldn't have my passport stolen and miss the ship.:( So If my passport is on the ship, in the safe, I only have to worry about missing the ship!

 

But as Keith says, there are two different schools of thought on this, and others feel strongly the other way.

 

Lisa

[euro cruiser]

In addition to hotels, which always ask to see your passport (at least in my experience, I can't remember any hotel over the last ten years that did not ask for the passport), some internet cafes also ask for the passport before allowing you to go on line.

[maryann ns]

Internet cafes will take a driver's license or hold a credit card (not so safe).

 

A good idea I learned here was to photocopy my passport, shrinking it to the size of a credit card, and then laminate it. It is easier to carry than a photocopy. I have never needed it by the way.

 

If you do need/want to carry your passport around, put it in a secure, hidden inside pocket.

[euro cruiser]

Internet cafes will take a driver's license or hold a credit card (not so safe).

I have found some who do not ask for ID, but others do. A credit card is obviously not being held for ID purposes.

 

By law, Italian internet providers are supposed to register the ID of everyone who uses their service, but not all do it. I have used the same services several times on a given trip and once they've registered my info, they don't ask for it again. On my most recent trip to Italy, in Feburary 2010, two different cafes in Naples each asked for my passport, and one in Rome.

 

A driver's license can be used to fill their requirements, if they can figure out which information they need. In Rome the kid at the desk spoke perfect English and could figure out what he needed. In Naples, one cafe was run by Indians who spoke no English, the other by Turks, also with limited English and such heavily accented Italian that I had a hard time understanding them.

[financialgrl]

Everyone has answered your questions already but just off a European cruise on the Ruby and in addition to having your passport, don't forget your driver's license. On our cruise they stressed not leaving the ship without some sort of government issued ID in case you were asked to show it at port security or to re-ener the ship, along with your cruise ID card (room key). Never asked for it in those locations but more than once I needed to show license when using my credit card to charge items. AND, as already stated, our passports were collected and held by the ship once we left EU nations and just before entering Greece and Turkey so that form of ID was gone for about 4 days until we entered Venice.

[ActiveTraveler]

Everyone has answered your questions already but just off a European cruise on the Ruby and in addition to having your passport, don't forget your driver's license. On our cruise they stressed not leaving the ship without some sort of government issued ID in case you were asked to show it at port security or to re-enter the ship, along with your cruise ID card (room key). Never asked for it in those locations but more than once I needed to show license when using my credit card to charge items. AND, as already stated, our passports were collected and held by the ship once we left EU nations and just before entering Greece and Turkey so that form of ID was gone for about 4 days until we entered Venice.

 

So the security personnel want to see my Ohio state ID when I board the ship? :confused:

[yarramar]

So the security personnel want to see my Ohio state ID when I board the ship? :confused:

 

To save yourself trouble it is always wise to carry photo ID with you. A passport is too valuable to carry off the ship but some other form of photo ID will suffice to prove to that you are you.

[carlmm]

A passport is too valuable to carry off the ship but some other form of photo ID will suffice to prove to that you are you.

 

Not to open the discussion of many threads in lenght again but here is the other school of thought:

Why is a passport valuable? Because it it the only, repeat only, international valid proof of identity, citizenship and right to travel.

No other ID and certainly no photo copy, laminated or not, has the same abilities.

 

Especially this photo copy idea is so ..., maybe I try it next time visiting the US. What do you think Homeland Security or just any police officer will do when I show a foreign photo copy to him in a problematic situation?

 

If you miss the ship you will not be able to board a plane.

If you have to travel from a non EU- to a EU country you might not be able to go even on land.

 

Get involved in an accident? ....

 

Having said all that, as long as you are travelling within the EU and are confident to catch the ship you should be fine with your Ohio state ID as government issued form of identity for all purposes you normally encounter.

[chipmaster]

When passports are a must have for international

1) on checkin for airline as you fly out of country

2) on immigrations at your landing in a foreign country

3) Often required to surrender your passport at hotels in europe

4) upon check-in for a multi country cruise

5) Often have to surrender your passport on the cruise when visting certain countries. My Carribean and Med cruise both required me to surrender my passport for the duration of the cruies.

 

This the debate about carrying your passport in the Med can be useless as if you visit certain countries there the ship TAKES your passport. Regardless you should make a photocopy for your own records and take it with you. If you are soooo lucky to get stranded you have a record / copy to take to the local embassy rep. BTW the cruise rep in each port will likely have your passport to assist you if you miss the boat if the ship took it. They know who is missing from the boat and will often leave the passport with the port rep prior to sailing. Much easier to do if they have it or its in your safe :D If you are one of those that feel soo lucky that you will be left behind you should also pick some lotto numbers too ;)

 

Look at all the treads of people getting their stuff pickpocked or stolen versus stories of people getting stranded due to bad luck versus bad judgment, do you feel luck?

 

Can someone tell me when and where travelers use therir passports? It is just for flying to another country (which will be Italy in my case) or also getting on and off the ship? If someone asks me for an ID at a souveneir store, do I show that person my passport or Ohio state ID? I just applied for my first passport July 10 to beat the price increase and will get it in 4-6 weeks.

[daryleann]

In the airplane, when filling in the customs papers, you need the number of your passport. so many people than get up and go thru the carry on to get their passport, etc. If you are savvy, you have this number written down on your person - for just this time... :cool:

[KCcruisin07]

We carry a photocopy of the passport with us, but in Dubrovnik the original was needed for those on the ship shuttle. The security guard asked for ours as we left the dock,:rolleyes: but he did accept our photocopy.

[slidergirl]

A passport will be asked for if you try to get you VAT return at the airport.

Some of the duty-free stores will also ask to see your passport, as well as your ticket.

[woodworker&knitter]

We've been on 4 Caribbean cruises and have never had to surrender our Passports.

[notentirelynormal]

We've been on 4 Caribbean cruises and have never had to surrender our Passports.

 

Yes, but the discussion in this thread is about Europe travel and the requirements there.

[ActiveTraveler]

A passport will be asked for if you try to get you VAT return at the airport.

Some of the duty-free stores will also ask to see your passport, as well as your ticket.

 

Your first sentence is about a tax and your second sentence is about not paying a tax. So is it related to taxes or not? :confused:

Looks like I need to copy my passport and keep it in the safe but should bring my Ohio state ID in port just in case the copy is not accepted.

[teacherman]

We took our passports to Kinkos. We made a copy of the opened up signature page (with the picture). We "played around" until we got it down to wallet size (when folded). We then laminated it. It is NOT OFFICIAL, but that is what we carry ashore. We leave our passports in the ship safe UNLESS we know we have to carry them (in Russia, or when we took the train from the ship to Florence to stay overnight, as it was required to check into the hotel). This was a suggestion to us on these boards several years ago and it has worked out well. I also keep a Xeroxed copy of our passport in the ship safe (very careful about these things). Just another idea.