should you carry your passport with you

[firstAlaskancruise]

I carry mine with me off ship, but then we haven't been to Europe.... just Canada and the Carribean...I've learned to keep my purse "close"... it is an extension of my body!

[Allis154]

I have done both, copy and real thing when in port. Some ports require you to have the original PP, others just need photo id.

 

In Cartegena, we were on a ship tour and were stopped trying to get into the port. Port Security boarded the bus and checked everybody. Those that didn't have PP got more attention and questions. We, and our travel buddies, had ours, thank goodness. No-one was denied entry, just stress.

 

In most Carribean ports, and NA ports(except if crossing the boarders on excusrions), we just carry copies. Unless the ship tells you otherwise.

[thinfool]

I'm one who thinks your passport should be on you. I'm looking at a couple of these for the Mrs. and me:

 

http://www.amazon.com/StoreSMART-Sport-Passport-Lanyard-SPCR1596ZIPS-1/dp/B003TPG42G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357214602&sr=8-1&keywords=passport+lanyard

 

thats a nice looking carrier for your passport, but unless it has a length of aircraft cable inside the lanyard, you are a candidate for a clip and run attack.

 

In view of the fact that a US PP is worth upwards of $10,000. on the black market, I wouldn't toy with it.

 

Fyi, there are pp holders that have the cable described.

[wscott52]

thats a nice looking carrier for your passport, but unless it has a length of aircraft cable inside the lanyard, you are a candidate for a clip and run attack.

 

.

 

I plan to wear it under my shirt. As long as I'm vertical and functionning it's not very likely someone is going to get it off of me. I'll look for the ones with a steel cable.

[Underwatr]

I am the exception that proves the rule heheh. Mine is in my purse at all times. of course it is also the only form of ID I have( No driver's license) that is universally recognized and accepted. My Military ID is not always accepted as there is no address on it.

Your passport doesn't have your address either.

[fleckle]

Passports are much safer locked up in your safe than carrying them around on your person in ports where you can be mugged and robbed.

 

The passengers we know who are frequent cruisers all leave their passports locked in their safe, unless advised otherwise by ship personnel.

 

If it is a port where you need to have your passport with you, they let you know.

 

If a passenger should miss the ship at any port, the standard practice on most ships is to have a ship's officer remove the person's passport from the safe and leave it with the port agent.

 

But if you are ever uncertain as to what procedure is followed on your ship, all you need to do is ask the captain or one of the senior officers.

Even the guest relations or front desk manager (who goes by different titles on different ships) should be able to tell you what procedure they follow when a passenger misses the ship.

 

 

As for what to do with your passport, I would trust the advice of the ship's captain over the advice of a stranger who posts here on an internet message board. ;)

 

 

For a photo ID to use in port, a photocopy of the passport is usually all that is needed for US citizens.

It is more recognizable at foreign ports to officials who are familiar with the standard appearance of US passports rather than the appearance of a questionable driver's license that varies in appearance from state to state.

 

I will only take my driver's license off the ship at ports where I will be driving and need it for that purpose. The reason is that in case of loss or theft, a photocopy of my passport is so much quicker and easier for me to replace than a lost or stolen driver's license.

[mrsmoku]

I photocopy mine and keep the photocopy with me when we go to ports and bring one other photo ID just in case. My husband will not bring his passport with him to ports because he is Active Duty military (don't ask - I still don't know why) but he has his military ID with the chip that can be scanned and all that. I worry about our stuff getting lost but I figure that if I loose the paper, it's bad and all, but I still have possession of the actual passport.

 

I also make photocopies of all of our IDs, credit/debit cards, passports, marriage certificate, and birth certificates and leave it with someone (usually parents) who could fax or send it to us an in emergency (or at least read off our card numbers).

 

Everyone will have their say as to what they do. I just like knowing I have SOMETHING.

 

Do what feels right for you. My main concerns are getting mugged/robbed and missing the ship. They may be different for you but I know that with what I do, I will be prepared if those things every occur.

[skibozo]

In view of the fact that a US PP is worth upwards of $10,000. on the black market, I wouldn't toy with it.

 

Anyone with underworld contacts? Take a cruise, 'lose' your passport and your trip is free!! :)

 

just renewed my passport and got a passport card. Don't know how true but a couple of googled sites said it makes replacement of lost/stolen passport easier at US consulate since it is official citizenship document vs photocopy. Figured it's cheap insurance ($30 extra for card, $3/year) just in case, plus I always carry photocopy of passport anyways.

[Northshorecruisers]

We carry copies of our passports off the ship. The actual passports stay in the safe in our cabin. Also have copies of them scanned into the laptop we take with us on vacations.

[mamkmm2]

We've been informed that several excursion that we are interested in on an Alaskan cruise require us to bring our original and valid passport with us. We've also spoken with some travel agents that say passport requirements are tightening up across the board; places you could travel without having a PP on your person at all times are now requiring that you do.

 

We've never cruised before but we are investigating this issue seriously. In central and South America a PP on your person is a must if you are from the US. They just aren't fooling around about the subject. And a PP is actually a common form of ID in our home state of Florida. It's a lot to consider.

[dwjoe]

We've been informed that several excursion that we are interested in on an Alaskan cruise require us to bring our original and valid passport with us.

Are they talking about excursions that cross the US/Canadian border by land? If so, a passport card will suffice.

 

We've also spoken with some travel agents that say passport requirements are tightening up across the board; places you could travel without having a PP on your person at all times are now requiring that you do.

 

We've never cruised before but we are investigating this issue seriously. In central and South America a PP on your person is a must if you are from the US. They just aren't fooling around about the subject. And a PP is actually a common form of ID in our home state of Florida. It's a lot to consider.

This depends on the country.

 

There are multiple reports on Flyertalk about US citizens leaving their passport book in the hotel safe and carrying their passport card around instead and using it as ID.

[dsrdsrdsr]

From personal experience, a UK citizen doesn't need a passport (or any other form of photo ID) in Barbados, Antigua, St. Lucia, St. Maarten/St. Martin, Mexico, or Costa Rica. (Aruba was the only place we did need passports.) It may be different for Americans.

 

The only reason for needing a passport in Alaska was to cross into Canada. There's no such thing as a passport card in the UK, so I don't know if that would have done.

[wwcruisers]

We've been informed that several excursion that we are interested in on an Alaskan cruise require us to bring our original and valid passport with us.

 

Is the the Yukon/White Pass Railway in Skagway? If so, it's because your tour actually crosses from Alaska into Canada -- hence, US passengers would need a valid passport with them -- just like any other land crossing into Canada. That's about the only place I've heard that requires a passport off the ship. Of course, I haven't cruised Europe, the Middle East, or Asia yet -- so, not sure about those places.

[dwjoe]

Is the the Yukon/White Pass Railway in Skagway? If so, it's because your tour actually crosses from Alaska into Canada -- hence, US passengers would need a valid passport with them -- just like any other land crossing into Canada.

Not necessarily. They need a WHTI-compliant document to cross back into the United States, such as:

 

Enhanced Driver's License

Passport Card

Passport Book

 

You can cross INTO Canada by land with a birth certificate and driver's license, but you will be held up trying to return to the US with that documentation.

[wwcruisers]

Not necessarily. They need a WHTI-compliant document to cross back into the United States, such as:

 

Enhanced Driver's License

Passport Card

Passport Book

 

You can cross INTO Canada by land with a birth certificate and driver's license, but you will be held up trying to return to the US with that documentation.

 

Ah yes, thank you for reminding me of that. Many folks here in Washington State put in the extra time/expense to get "enhanced" drivers' licenses. They allow you to travel to Canada by land or sea without a passport (but they don't work with air travel). :cool:

[njhorseman]

Not necessarily. They need a WHTI-compliant document to cross back into the United States, such as:

 

Enhanced Driver's License

Passport Card

Passport Book

 

You can cross INTO Canada by land with a birth certificate and driver's license, but you will be held up trying to return to the US with that documentation.

 

 

That's not correct. Canadian authorities will not allow you into Canada unless you have the proper documentation to return to the US. The more stringent of the two countries' documentation requirements is enforced at border crossings. Although Canadian law does not require US citizens to have anything more than a birth certificate to enter Canada, because the US requires a WHTI compliant document for reentry to the US, Canadian border guards will not let you into Canada with just a birth certificate.

[Northshorecruisers]

Thank you djhorseman!!