What to do with passport while on beach?

[matj2000]

You don't need a photo ID to get back on the ship...

I have been on a bunch of cruises and have gotten off at every port and have never been asked for one ever.

What, if I didn't have it, they won't let me back on???

 

You got your S&S card, thats all you need.

 

People need to stop spreading rumours.....

[tassycatt]

well, when the unexpected happens that "never" happens and for some reason we didnt get back on the ship.....Ill be flying home on the next available flight because I have my passport WITH me while Im IN a foreign country. You boneheads have fun trying to get through all the red tape with your copies. :D

 

Anytime youre on foreign soil, you keep your passport WITH you. Common sense....

[tnincy]

You don't need a photo ID to get back on the ship...

 

I have been on a bunch of cruises and have gotten off at every port and have never been asked for one ever.

 

What, if I didn't have it, they won't let me back on???

 

You got your S&S card, thats all you need.

 

People need to stop spreading rumours.....

 

 

 

 

not true. we have been to several ports where you need both your s&s as well as a gov't id, whether it be drivers license or passport. st thomas, san juan, and the bahamas have been this way. key west because they often port in the military area, you will need it there as well.

[tulsacubfan]

it's kind of ironic that all the chicken littles that advocate getting getting a passport instead of doing closed loop cruises with just a birth certificate and govt issued ID's but every person who responded to this post gets off the ship without their passports.

 

Bill

 

isn't it though....

[R4D8P1]

You don't need a photo ID to get back on the ship...

 

I have been on a bunch of cruises and have gotten off at every port and have never been asked for one ever.

 

What, if I didn't have it, they won't let me back on???

 

You got your S&S card, thats all you need.

 

People need to stop spreading rumours.....

 

 

I would not say people are spreading rumors. If you look at the bottom of the Fun Times I posted below for a port day, it clearly states "Please make sure you have your Sail & Sign Card & Photo ID with you at all times".

 

However, I also understand where you are coming from as well. I have never been asked to show photo ID as well. Carnival does not need to see your photo ID because when you swipe your sign and sail card when you leave and board the ship, the photo that was taken when you first embarked the ship appears right on the security monitors at the podium.

 

[Wayfairers]

the only reason you would need to have your passport with you while in port is if you stay out too long and the ship leaves with out you and and your stuck in a foreign country with out your passport then your s.o.l... just make sure you make it back to the ship before it leaves and you'll be good keep it in the safe

 

I never take my passport off the ship, only the S&S card and an ID. Our ship left a couple of 20-something year old girls behind in Bora Bora without their passports. The ship talked with the officials at that port, faxed their passport info to them (they retrieved the passports from their room safe) so they could travel to meet us at our next port and arranged to have someone set up a hotel and transportation for them.

[ChefSusan]

We have never brought our passports off the ship. I have a color copy of both of our passports, and we always have that, plus our DL and S&S cards with us whenever we go on excursions. My husband and I both have enough common sense to pad in some "wiggle room" (2 hours) to any independent excursion that we go on. This allows us to enjoy the activities and then have a little bit of time in port to do a little shopping, or head back to the ship early (if we are wiped out).

 

Hope this helps you!

[bythehex]

You don't need a photo ID to get back on the ship...

 

I have been on a bunch of cruises and have gotten off at every port and have never been asked for one ever.

 

What, if I didn't have it, they won't let me back on???

 

You got your S&S card, thats all you need.

 

People need to stop spreading rumours.....

 

 

YOU'RE WRONG!

 

I've been to many ports that require you to have a photo ID to get back onto the ship - not only do they announce it before the show the evening before and at the port talk, it's printed in the Fun Times. Yes, they DO stop people and prevent them from getting back to the ship, I saw that happen to people in St. Thomas just last month, as well as San Juan. It isn't a rumor, it's the truth.

 

We always take our passports off the ship with us, that's what they're for! Not to sit idly by in a safe! Like our wallets and cameras, we've never had our passports stolen. Just be as careful as you normally would be with your belongings. If it's just two people, take turns in the water while the other watches your things.

[jennmaybe]

YOU'RE WRONG!

 

I've been to many ports that require you to have a photo ID to get back onto the ship - not only do they announce it before the show the evening before and at the port talk, it's printed in the Fun Times. Yes, they DO stop people and prevent them from getting back to the ship, I saw that happen to people in St. Thomas just last month, as well as San Juan. It isn't a rumor, it's the truth.

 

We always take our passports off the ship with us, that's what they're for! Not to sit idly by in a safe! Like our wallets and cameras, we've never had our passports stolen. Just be as careful as you normally would be with your belongings. If it's just two people, take turns in the water while the other watches your things.

 

I agree! Nearly every port we've been to required us to show our S & S card and a photo ID. In one of our ports last year (can't remember the exact one because we had one every day on Victory), there were some folks in front of us....actually, I believe it was St. Thomas......the guard at the gate was asking for S & S cards and photo ID for everyone. The people in front of us did not have their photo ID......he made them step aside and told them they needed to figure out how to get it if they wanted back on the ship in his port.

 

We always take our passports with us. That is why we got them and paid for them. They will not do us any good in the safe on the ship if we miss the ship for any reason. We also have a waterproof sack that it attached to a lanyard and my hubby keeps it on him while we are in the water. It holds our passports, S & S card, money and a few other small items. No problems with it ever.

[tkat]

I have been asked for both photo ID & DL at ports. I also carry a copy of my passport just in case I would miss the ship, I know I can get through the red tape and fly home.

I even have photo id for my minor children, our schools offer them as well as the State Troopers or state issue ID. Made it very convenient for us to board the ship at port. There was a family that was pulled to the side and they were asking for photo ids of the children.

[andersonrm]

the only reason you would need to have your passport with you while in port is if you stay out too long and the ship leaves with out you and and your stuck in a foreign country with out your passport then your s.o.l... just make sure you make it back to the ship before it leaves and you'll be good keep it in the safe

 

Not quite accurate. There are several situations where you possibly wouldn't make it back to the ship in time. A couple of examples would be if you were injured to the extent you required medical attention, or your mode of transportation (not ship sonsored, of course), was delayed due to an accident or traffic jam. Sometimes making it back to the ship on time is out of your control.

[stargate fan]

I make colored copies of my passport information....laminate it and take that with. I never take my real passport.

 

We did this too. It cost $1.00 to have the copy laminated at Staples.

 

I saw on Good Morning America yesterday that people should never take their passports with them when they go sightseeing. They should make a colored copy, laminate it, and keep the original in the room safe.

[R4D8P1]

Recommendations from the United States State Department regarding passports when traveling abroad.

 

-Your passport, cash and credit cards are most secure when locked in a hotel safe. When you have to carry them on your person, you may wish to put them each in a different place rather than all in one wallet or pouch. Avoid handbags, fanny packs and outside pockets that are easy targets for thieves. Inside pockets and a sturdy shoulder bag with the strap worn across your chest are somewhat safer. One of the safest places to carry valuables is in a pouch or money belt worn under your clothing.

 

-Pack an extra set of passport photos along with a photocopy of your passport’s information page to make replacement of your passport easier in the event it is lost or stolen.

 

-Make two photocopies of your passport identification page, airline tickets, driver's license and the credit cards that you plan to bring with you. Leave one photocopy of this data with family or friends at home; pack the other in a place separate from where you carry the originals.

 

 

http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/safety/safety_1747.html

[S.S.Oceanlover]

You don't need a photo ID to get back on the ship...

I have been on a bunch of cruises and have gotten off at every port and have never been asked for one ever.

What, if I didn't have it, they won't let me back on???

 

You got your S&S card, thats all you need.

 

People need to stop spreading rumours.....

 

How do you get on the ship if you cant get into the port area?

 

You may not need a photo ID to physically get on the ship but you need it in many ports to gain access to where the ship is docked.

 

Bill

[kicia]

We've had to show a picture ID at quite a few ports to get into the ship docking area. We take our passports with us because that is their purpose. A copy won't do any good. I still don't understand why you're more likely to lose your passport than your S&S card, driver's license, credit cards, or cash. Just use reasonable care and you'll be OK. We use a waterproof pouch when we're going to be going into the water and it works just fine. We took our passports with us when we bought the pouches to make sure that they would fit.

[FloridaCouple05]

1. Go to your local Bass Pro Shop, West Marine, Sports Authority, or sporting goods store. Buy a small dry bag. Not the roll up kind (they leak), not the little hard cases with the O ring seals and snap closures (they leak), but rather the vinyl pouch type with the cam locks at the top (these are designed for cell phones and such, and they don't leak). These range in cost from less than $10 at the sporting goods store to $20 at West Marine.

 

2. Put your wallet, cash, and PASSPORT!!! into the dry bag, latch it closed, and tuck it into a convenient pocket in your swimsuit. Go swimming. Make sure to attach the lanyard to a belt loop, zipper, waist drawstring, etc. just in case it floats out of your pocket while in the water. If you're a lady wearing a teeny tiny swimsuit that doesn't have pockets (send pictures please!), get the dude accompanying you to put it in his pocket.

 

Whenever we go ashore, we always have our ID's, cash, small waterproof digital camera, and PASSPORTS!!! in our drybag. Not only does it keep things completely dry while swimming, it also protects them from monsoon rain showers on days where we're just walking around town.

 

It continues to baffle and amaze me why anyone would step ashore in a foreign country without their passport, and the lengths to which some people will go to justify their failure to do so. But then I always wear a helmet when I ride and carry a life jacket on my boat, so I guess that's just me.

[jennmaybe]

I saw on Good Morning America yesterday that people should never take their passports with them when they go sightseeing. They should make a colored copy, laminate it, and keep the original in the room safe.

 

I guess we should take color copies of our cash and credit cards too and leave the originals in our room safe...;)

[evandbob]

Many passengers never go out of sight from the ship/dock area, and for these pax, any govt issued photo ID and the S&S card would be ample to return to the port area and then re-embark the ship.

 

If someone is traveling away from the dock area on an excursion, it might be prudent to have one's passport, or a color copy, JUST IN CASE, for the accident, weather delay, medical emergency, etc. that has a one in a million shot of happening.......you can't fly home without it.

[evandbob]

I guess we should take color copies of our cash and credit cards too and leave the originals in our room safe...;)

 

That's one way to keep shopping costs down! LOL;)

[kbmeow]

for a beach excursion I would not take passports, I would take a photo copy . That being said, if it is not a beach excursion I take the passports. In case we get hurt or it runs late. We have the under the cloths waist belts. So we put the passports in ziplocks and put in there. Have never needed them but good to have them. I have yet to travel with my new passport with the rf thing in it so I am going to get the wallet that blocks people with RF readers

[andersonrm]

I guess we should take color copies of our cash and credit cards too and leave the originals in our room safe...

 

Good one! :D Also, there is a difference when 'sightseeing' and staying at a land hotel versus staying at a hotel that can drive off and leave you!

[jennmaybe]

Good one! :D Also, there is a difference when 'sightseeing' and staying at a land hotel versus staying at a hotel that can drive off and leave you!

 

I totally agree!!!:)

[matj2000]

How do you get on the ship if you cant get into the port area?

 

You may not need a photo ID to physically get on the ship but you need it in many ports to gain access to where the ship is docked.

 

Bill

 

They look at your S & S pass...

Never need other ID..

[S.S.Oceanlover]

They look at your S & S pass...

Never need other ID..

 

bogus info. How can they tell it's you from looking at your S & S card at the port gate?

 

I have had occasions where they didnt ask to see photo ID but there were more times it's required.

 

Bill

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

keep it in the safe