Copies of passports?

[wannacruise655]

OK, leave the original in safe in stateroom.... guess what, no safe in MY stateroom, now what????? Thanks ML

[dc-snoopy]

When you are in a port in your home country, you can leave the PP on the ship, but if you are in a port in a foreign country, it would be a Very Bad Thing to leave your PP on the ship. There are many instance where you will need valid international identification. And even though the vast majority (hundreds of thousands each week) travel without them safely, would you want to be one of the hundreds or thousands that have problems and lost your cruise time because you didn't have it?

 

If there is an international incident, local port authorities (who have no responsibility to the cruise lines) can prevent anyone for any reason from leaving the pier to board the ship. If there is terrorist activity during the week you are on-board, local homeland security US officials can request documentation from anyone deboarding or reboarding cruise ships in port. If you are a witness or victim of a crime in your port of call, you can be taken to the local authorities office and you will require international identification or be detained. You could be detained for the length of your port call (or longer). If you don't have indentification, they will have to contact the ship, have a ships crewmember go to your cabin, find your identification and bring it to the authorities. Something that might take up only an hour or so could last four or more hours. Are you willing to give up your port call or delay reboarding/sailing because of this? If you rent a car and get in a fender bender with the local crazy drivers...you will need international identification for the traffic report. There are other examples...why risk it? Unless you are going to be going somewhere where you might not be able to keep your PP on your person (e.g. snorkeling) you should take your PP and keep it safe like in an inside pocket or under the shirt pouch. It's like insurance, you hope that you never need it, but are grateful you have it when you do.

[cruise'n]

Baycruiser, have you tried calling your local DMV to see if they can make a photo ID for you? I think I have heard you can have one made at a DMV even if you do not have a driver's license. It could not hurt to ask.

[normaxs]

Are copies of the passport valid for returning onboard the ship after you ashore in port?

 

I would prefer to leave our passports in the cabin safe, and use a copy. I don't have a driver's license, so this is my only photo identification.

 

I'm not sure about California but here in IL, anyone can go to the Driver's License Facility and get a picture ID. I take a copy of my passport and my seapass and haven't had trouble getting back on the ship.

Norma