2 quick questions before we leave on the dawn fri....

[searoses]

can my husband bring his swiss army knife? and.....my travel wallet was stolen in a boston hotel 3 weeks ago. my new license has not yet arrived. could i use my expired passport to get back on the ship? i do not want to risk my new passport getting lost,stolen or wet if i don't have to. thanks for the help....

[Novastar]

I suppose it would depend on the size of the Swiss army knife. If it's big enough to be considered a weapon it won't be allowed. I guess that would be up to NCL's discretion depending on the size.

 

An expired passport is good for nothing except as a souvenir of past travels. You need a valid government-issued photo ID. Bring your new one. You don't have a choice.

[roger001]

Pack the knife in your checked baggage if in doubt. Folded it is unlikely to cause an issue with the xray machines. My multi purpose tool that contains a knife has never been an issue in checked baggage.

[mking8288]

My multi-tool is small, folded & in its own nylon pouch with a 1.5" blade - and, I keep it in my carryon's packing tube (med. sized) along with all the gadgets, electronics, cables & wires, adapters - went thru the ports' x-ray machine without any problems recently.

 

If you tossed it into the toiletry bag as part of the checked luggage with the porter, I doubt that they will summon you to the "naughty" room.

 

There are times that I wish that the Swiss Army Knife maker would come up with TSA-compliant, airline & travel friendly ones without the sharp (or long) blade - or keep it short, and then we can keep it with us at all times without "voluntary surrendering" :D it at the airport security checkpoint :eek:. Cruiselines & their contracted security at the ports have been mostly "good" with relatively few (if any) horror stories unlike the airports ...

[patar]

Make photocopies of your passport and take a copynoff the ship and you can leave the originalmin the safe.

[garycarla]

Make photocopies of your passport and take a copynoff the ship and you can leave the originalmin the safe.

 

This might work in a few cases. Not because of the copy, but because they do not always check your photo id.

 

In those ports where the locals require a photo ID, a piece of paper is, well, just a piece of paper.

 

Take your passport.

[Unknotted]

My husband always has his pocket knife with him (sometimes in his pocket, sometimes in his luggage)and has never had problems when getting on a ship...however, coming back on board from Cabo San Lucas once, the screener asked him if that was a pocket knife showing up in the x-ray and when Clay told him it was indeed a knife the screener told him "You need to leave it on the ship when you go into ports from now on."

[VideoTech]

can my husband bring his swiss army knife? and.....my travel wallet was stolen in a boston hotel 3 weeks ago. my new license has not yet arrived. could i use my expired passport to get back on the ship? i do not want to risk my new passport getting lost,stolen or wet if i don't have to. thanks for the help....

 

Here's the relevant section of prohibited items from the TSA website:

 

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm#4

 

As you can see, any Swiss Army or other style pocket knife is NOT allowed in your carry-on for an airline flight, but may be checked. Once you're at the port, you should be able to carry it on the ship with no problem, although you do have to go through a magnetometer at the port security entrance.

 

The question of carrying your passport on shore excursions comes up all the time, and everyone has a different opinion.

 

We no longer carry ours on shore in the Caribbean, after doing so for the first several cruises and never being asked to produce it once. Usually, we are not asked for anything more than our ship's identity card/key to pass onto the docks. We do have our U.S. driver's licenses with us, and have shown those every now and then.

 

I would carry the passports in a couple of situations, though: 1) if you're going on a long excursion that is not arranged through the ship. The possibility of being late to the dock and being left means that you would need your passport to travel on to the next port or back home. 2) You're going on any shore excursion in a country that requires you to have your passport with you. This might include most countries in Europe and also Canada.

 

We do have the paper copies of our passports with us - not for entry to the docks, but because they can assist you with obtaining a new passport should the worst happen and you are stranded. You should also leave a paper copy of your passports with a friend or relative; someone who can fax them to you in an emergency.

[dutchess43]

Depends on what ports you are sailing to, you have not specified your itinerary. Expired passport is a No No.

[patar]

They stated they are leaving Friday on the Dawn so they are going to Bermuda. I have cruised to Bermuda many times (cruised on the Dawn last week)and never had a problem using a photocopy of my passport.

[searoses]

thank you for the replies......we are,indeed,going to bermuda where you do need a photo id to get back on the ship. i will bring my passport the first time and ask if a copy is ok. wishful thinking to hope the license will come today...we snorkel as much as possible and do not want to have to carry the passport if i don't need to. will put the knife in the sundries bag for checkin....my husband feels naked without it....lol

[Sauer-kraut]

Do you have a work i.d. with a picture?? Wouldn't that work, it has a photo and your name and it would match your key card.

[dread_pirate]

This might work in a few cases. Not because of the copy, but because they do not always check your photo id.

 

In those ports where the locals require a photo ID, a piece of paper is, well, just a piece of paper.

 

Take your passport.

I'm not so sure that a copy would work. Bermuda security checks it on the Dawn before you are allowed to board. Every time.

 

Do you have a work i.d. with a picture?? Wouldn't that work, it has a photo and your name and it would match your key card.

This would not work. It needs to be a government-issued ID.