Do you carry your passport in port?

[Neotericisis]

I was replying to another post about bringing copies of all your docs with you (and leaving a copy set with an important person at home), then I realized that I am not sure whether or not I want to carry my passport with me. On the one side, I'm like, what if it gets lost or stolen, but on the other I'm like- what if something happens (ie: I get left!!) and I need my passport to get home.

 

Thought this would be a good topic- since I am on the fence about it, what are your opinions about bringing your passport into port vs. leaving it on the ship?

[H82seaUgo]

never take my passport off the ship.

[Soonerbaby]

We carried ours with us. If it gets lost or stolen, you can get it replaced when you get home, but if you get stuck in a port without it...you're stuck. I also left a copy of all of our documents at home and a set in our stateroom.

[firefly333]

I only bring my drivers license into a port.

 

I brought the passport once and got it wet, my drivers license works to get back on the ship, so that works for me.

 

If I was going a long way to a ruins, I would take my passport.

[Luv2Travelnow]

As I mentioned in the other post, always carry it with me. If a medical emergency occurs onshore, it's much easier to deal with having it, than not.

[MikeM]

No, not the original. We carry a copy just in case we have a medical emergency and need the number for the Embassy.

[hi2you]

I have taken a copy of my passport off ship and a copy at home as well. The real one stays onboard locked in the safe.

[5waldos]

One of the topics that comes back frequently- you'll get half the people arguing against carrying it, the other half for. I am on the for side- that's why I got it.

[craftykitty]

We needed our passport to reboard the ship in Halifax on our last cruise. The funny thing is, we are Canadian. We always carry our passports with us because we are non-US citizens.

[Delta Dear]

Absolutely. I don't want to be anywhere out of the country without my passport. Getting back on the ship is not a problem, but in the event of an emergency that would require me to return home via another means, I'd rather be safe than sorry.

[98Charlie]

We leave a copy of our passports at home, a copy in our cabin and carry our actual passports in port.

 

If something unforeseen happens and we can't make it back to the ship by sailaway, we don't want to be left in port without our passports.

 

Traveled all over Europe a few times on land trips with our passports. It just seems natural and the right thing to do for us.

 

Dianne

[tak81288]

If I doing something within walking distance of the port, then I just carry my driver's license.

 

Anytime, I go any further and need to hop in a taxi, bus...etc...the passport comes with me.

 

Whether or not you take it is really a personal decision and there are several threads on this site that turn out to heated discussions where no side is ever going to win..lol...

 

If you do decide to take it, my advice is to keep it ON you...Not dumped in a bag or something...There are several travel wallets and things that can be secured underneath shirts, around waist...etc...that make it harder for it get "lost" or "stolen"...There are also water proof things you can store it in too to keep it from getting damaged...

[Luv2Travelnow]

I'm guessing that there are a lot of absent minded people who leave / forget their stuff everywhere, so for the cruise line it's easier to tell the guests to leave their passports in their room, so Carnival doesn't have to deal with the headache of a lost passport for the guests later.

[klmorg]

Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't, mainly for theft or loss risk. If we don't, I do carry copies. Although copies won't do much good if something should happen, they would help speed up the process a bit. In an emergency situation, there are options to get the original passports from the ship... someone else in our party, the Port Authorities, Carnival... ;)

 

We plan our excursions so that missing the ship would not happen for us; we always make sure to get back to the ship LONG before sailaway. Now if there were a medical emergency of some sort... then we'd need to make arrangements to get them from the ship.

 

It's a matter of personal preference, and I can understand the reasoning from "both sides".

[rene194215]

I always take it with me. I pack it in a plastic bag so it does not get went and then a sandwich it in my backpack so that it is not somewhere right on top. You never know what can happen and I personally do not want to get stuck somewhere, God forbid, in case of an emergency or missing the ship.... Not sure what a drivers lisence will do in a foreign country Thats just me though. I also leave a copy at home and in the safe. When back on board it goes directly into the safe...

[OnePsychLynne]

We don't get off the ship in any port without our passports.:cool:

[jules1121]

We carried ours with us. If it gets lost or stolen, you can get it replaced when you get home, but if you get stuck in a port without it...you're stuck. I also left a copy of all of our documents at home and a set in our stateroom.

 

Yep. If I am just going to walk around by the ship I don't bring it but if I am going farther away then I take it with me.

[4myboyz]

I carried ours with us the whole time. If there was an accident and one of my kids was hurt. We would need to have them. A paper copy isn't going to get u home. Do you really want to take the time to get back to the ship get it then get back to wherever you family is? Isn't that the point in having passports?

[deadmoney]

This was passed on to me a few years ago and has served us well.

 

We made two copies of the page in our passport book that have your photo and all the numbers and the signature page. Then fold it in half and laminate it.

One copy stays at home, the other goes with you to take off the ship with your s&s card.

Hope this helps

[Cruisegirl6]

Its safer to keep in the safe on the ship. If you ever had a problem you always have the american embassy and they will assist you also it is a good idea to have a copy of the first two pages (your photo, etc) and carry that with you, it will help as you have your number or write it down somewhere and bring with you in port.

[texas greeneyes]

We don't get off the ship in any port without our passports.:cool:

Ditto. Copies left in stateroom safe & at home with our emergency contact person. :cool:

[BOSN]

If you want to take it ashore with you, some travel and luggage shops have

a pasport pouch that also has a zippered compartment for $ or other

small items. It has an adjustable lanyard for wearing around your neck

and under your shirt. Sometime AAA has them also.

[DebJ14]

We carried ours with us. If it gets lost or stolen, you can get it replaced when you get home, but if you get stuck in a port without it...you're stuck. I also left a copy of all of our documents at home and a set in our stateroom.

 

Yes, you can get it replaced after you get home, but first you have to go through US Immigration. That is the main reason you need original documents - to get back into the US. We leave ours in the safe and take copies ashore.

 

In case of emergency hopefully one of us can get back to the ship and get all our belongings. We were on a cruise where a young man was hit by a car and had to be hospitalized. The wife came back onboard to pack their things, but was too distraught to remember how to open the safe. Security came and did it for her to retrieve the passports.

We were about an hour late leaving port while the poor couple got sorted out.

[BaconIsGood]

I take it with me, I Always keep it with me when im out of the country. If something happens, (IE. I miss the ship) Ill be happy I have it with me.

[ck53]

Leave on board, take copies ashore.