taking photo i.d off the ship with you ???

[Jane2357]

I sometimes take the passport and sometimes the driver's license but what concerns me about this is hearing that "someone" gets into your safe if you are not back on the ship. I could have $70,000+ worth of jewelry in there and between "someone" emptying out the safe - taking the contents to the Port Authority and them holding it until I got there and claimed it - I wouldn't be expecting it to all be there so then who would be the responsible party? Of course I don't plan to miss the ship but emergencies do happen - now I'm feeling like I don't dare take the jewelry, cruising and dressing up is one of the few places left to wear it (not off the ship though).

[4774Papa]

I sometimes take the passport and sometimes the driver's license but what concerns me about this is hearing that "someone" gets into your safe if you are not back on the ship. I could have $70,000+ worth of jewelry in there and between "someone" emptying out the safe - taking the contents to the Port Authority and them holding it until I got there and claimed it - I wouldn't be expecting it to all be there so then who would be the responsible party? Of course I don't plan to miss the ship but emergencies do happen - now I'm feeling like I don't dare take the jewelry, cruising and dressing up is one of the few places left to wear it (not off the ship though).

Jane,

Wow, isn't taking that much valuable jewelry on a trip risky. We know women that have had gold chains ripped off their necks in Italy and Spain by thieves on motor scooters.

 

 

On taking passports with you on shore. We generally do not take them, unless advised. If you are in Europe, once you are in the EU, you don't need them to travel to the next port if left behind.

 

Also, pickpockets thrive in so many places that we visit, if we do take our passports, I put mine in my moneybelt.

[Lsimon]

...On taking passports with you on shore. We generally do not take them, unless advised. If you are in Europe, once you are in the EU, you don't need them to travel to the next port if left behind.

 

Also, pickpockets thrive in so many places that we visit, if we do take our passports, I put mine in my moneybelt.

 

I seemed to remember going through a passport check when flying between EU countries. Am I remembering right?

 

If we carry passports we also carry some in a moneybelt type hidden pocket worn under clothing - along with backup credit card and cash. Only thing we carry in pockets in some ID and funds we expect to need for basic things that day as I don't want to be pulling out hidden pocket at a restaurant, small shop or taxi.

[ondeckatsea]

We did actually have to have a real passport, not a copy, in Dubrovnik, Croatia. You don't get past the port without it and it is checked by a local law enforcer.

[stouennais]

We had a overnight stay in Venice last September and we went on a boat trip the next morning. On our return to the ship we had to go through an immigration check and we did not have our passports and they would not let us back on the ship. They phoned the ship but no one arrived and we waited an hour. Luckily our friends then returned to the ship and we asked them to go to our cabin and get our passports for us which they did. We had not been warned to take our passports with us and we had cleared immigration at Venice airport 3 days earlier so didn't think we would need them again in Venice! We had our ship board passes but they were not interested. From then on we took our passports everywhere!

[New Hampshire]

Then only time we ever carried our passport off the ship with us was in Russia. We have always used a photocopy of our passport as photo ID and it has been accepted everywhere in the Caribbean and in Europe. If you go to the BVI from the USVI either on a sailing excursion or independently, you do need your passport.

[CathyCruises]

We have travelled in Europe extensively. I would never ever take my passport off the ship with me unless expressly instructed to. The chances of it getting stolen, and keep in mind that passports are one of the most sought-after items by thieves, are much higher than me missing the ship. Likewise, I never take ship-sponsored excursions, and we've never come close to missing the boat.

 

We take copies of our passports, we take the name and number of the ship's agent in each port, and we bring our DL's, although we've never been asked for them.

 

I have been robbed too many times to think it couldn't happen to me--there's just no reason to take the chance.

[Fouremco]

I sometimes take the passport and sometimes the driver's license but what concerns me about this is hearing that "someone" gets into your safe if you are not back on the ship. I could have $70,000+ worth of jewelry in there and between "someone" emptying out the safe - taking the contents to the Port Authority and them holding it until I got there and claimed it - I wouldn't be expecting it to all be there so then who would be the responsible party? Of course I don't plan to miss the ship but emergencies do happen - now I'm feeling like I don't dare take the jewelry, cruising and dressing up is one of the few places left to wear it (not off the ship though).

It's my understanding that a minimum of two ship's security officials would retrieve your passport to provide to port officials. Nothing else is removed from the safe. I suppose that it would be possible for the two to be in cahoots, take your jewelry and split it between them, but that is highly unlikely. Besides, they could just as easily watch you or any other guest previously seen wearing expensive jewelry aboard depart the ship at the beginning of a shore excursion and clear out your safes then if they were so inclined.

 

I notice that you state that you "could" have $70,000+ worth of jewelry there, not that you do, and I hope that you really don't travel with jewelry of that value. If you do, advertising it on this board along with your photo, details of your next cruise and a lot of other personal information you've posted poses far more of a risk than the ship's security staff. Who knows what unscrupulous people comb this board looking for possible targets?

 

[Christine Frances]

I have seen way too many youtube videos of runners just making the ship at ports and the gangplank coming up behind them. No sign of a port agent or anyone then coming to return the passports that were supposedly taken from the safe and given to them.

 

But if something happened (ie an accident) and you were able to contact the ship ahead of time to let them know you would miss the sailing, the ship would probably pack up the cabin and leave everything with the port agents. But if you are sitting in a bar or shopping and miss the ship I highly doubt you would find your passports left for you.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[UpcountryTravelers]

I have TWO passports; a book and a card. I take the card ashore in the U. S., Caribbean and Canada. All the time I am in Europe, I have the book version with me - in a secure place. (and a photocopy of both PP and DL in another secure place.) The only time I take a driver's license is when I am going to rent a car.

 

Never had a problem either way.

[Fouremco]

I have TWO passports; a book and a card. I take the card ashore in the U. S., Caribbean and Canada. All the time I am in Europe, I have the book version with me - in a secure place. (and a photocopy of both PP and DL in another secure place.) The only time I take a driver's license is when I am going to rent a car.

 

Never had a problem either way.

Although limited to land crossing and entry to sea ports in Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda, the passport card is a nice option/addition that I'd like to see Canada adopt. Very convenient and less expensive to boot.

[MicCanberra]

I always take my passport when off the ship and keep it safely away from any money or the like (special pocket just for passports).

Someone once said in regards to travelling. 'A man woithout a passport is a man without a country'. :D

[kitty9]

Thanks for the warning but I just do not have faith in the above scenario. Lets say ship leaves at 5:00 and its 4:45 and security scans the computer and I have not reenter the ship and my cell phone does not work because we are in a dead zone.

Announcement is now being broadcasted throughout the ship, where are you Mr. XYZ. No correspondence on my part. Security calls port agent, come down to the pier to pick up PP for Mr. XYZ.

Security drops everything that they are doing and runs to my cabin and hightails it to the gangplank with my PP.

Security hands off PP to port agent as ship is under preparation to leave and all is well, Mr XYZ gets his PP.

No Thanks, I'll take my chances with my PP on my person.:)

 

Many cruise lines take, and keep, passports for the duration of the cruise. If you refuse to surrender your passport, you can be denied boarding. So, what will you do in that circumstance? I've asked numerous US Immigration/Customs officials and every single one of them said to keep passports in the safe.

[lovemylab]

In my experience, if a passport is needed in a particular port this information is mentioned in the Celebrity Today newsletter. Whether I take a passport depends on the port, the activities that I have planned and how far from the port I will be travelling. We always take photo ID.

[Montreal Marc]

The real question is: why would you risk getting off a ship in a foreign port WITHOUT a photo ID?!?!?!?!

 

Marc

[Fouremco]

The real question is: why would you risk getting off a ship in a foreign port WITHOUT a photo ID?!?!?!?!

I think everyone would agree with you there, Marc. In fact, I'd question why anyone would go anywhere, at home or abroad, without carrying photo ID?

 

The issue here is more what type of ID, and in particular, when is a passport desirable/necessary versus a DL or other form of photo ID.

 

[MicCanberra]

I think everyone would agree with you there, Marc. In fact, I'd question why anyone would go anywhere, at home or abroad, without carrying photo ID?

 

The issue here is more what type of ID, and in particular, when is a passport desirable/necessary versus a DL or other form of photo ID.

 

Exactly, unfortunately some port authorities will only accept passports, unless you are a citizen of that particular country, in which case a Drivers licence may suffice.:D

[Bailey & Sophie]

Before the ship leaves port someone will go in your room and into your safe and get your passport out of your safe. Then someone at the port will meet you with your passport. I'm not sure of all the detail for it has not happened to me. But it has been talked about on CC. I've been all over the world many times. The only country that I carried my passport with me at all times was Russia and I had my resident card that you get from the hotel with me. Richard

How does this work? How do they know when you miss the ship? And how is there enough time for someone to realize you missed the ship, get your stuff out of the safe and get it to the port agent? I thought the ship left on time and it was your responsibility to get back on time. There are YouTube videos of people missing the ship and I didn't see anyone giving anything to a port agent. I'm missing something here.

[Fouremco]

How does this work? How do they know when you miss the ship? And how is there enough time for someone to realize you missed the ship, get your stuff out of the safe and get it to the port agent? I thought the ship left on time and it was your responsibility to get back on time. There are YouTube videos of people missing the ship and I didn't see anyone giving anything to a port agent. I'm missing something here.

I've not sailed with Celebrity yet, but the process as explained to me should be similar. With the ship's computerized system, they know at any given point in time exactly which passengers are still ashore and which have been scanned back aboard. At a predetermined time, departure minus "x" minutes, security is tasked to get and pass to port authority the necessary passport(s). You aren't going to see that on YouTube because no one is filming ship's crew coming and going.

 

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[MicCanberra]

I've not sailed with Celebrity yet, but the process as explained to me should be similar. With the ship's computerized system, they know at any given point in time exactly which passengers are still ashore and which have been scanned back aboard. At a predetermined time, departure minus "x" minutes, security is tasked to get and pass to port authority the necessary passport(s). You aren't going to see that on YouTube because no one is filming ship's crew coming and going.

 

[/font]

The process you say is correct in that they know when someone hasn't boarded yet, however, how do they know to get a passport from the safe unless the passenger has been contacted (they could already have it on them, as I would).

[Lsimon]

The process you say is correct in that they know when someone hasn't boarded yet, however, how do they know to get a passport from the safe unless the passenger has been contacted (they could already have it on them, as I would).

 

Passengers are due back on board 15 to 30 minuites before the scheduled sail away time. I'd guess that as soon as that time passes they page the passenger (we've heard this many times) to make sure they didn't get back on board without being registered as back, then security would go to their cabin and check. If the passport isn't there then it isn't there but if it is then it can be left with port authorities.

 

Again, all this about getting stuff from the safe is based on a few reports here on Cruise Critic. I've never seen anything official that says the ship will do this. So I would never rely on it.

[Fouremco]

The process you say is correct in that they know when someone hasn't boarded yet, however, how do they know to get a passport from the safe unless the passenger has been contacted (they could already have it on them, as I would).

Again, no personal experience, thankfully, but this is how I understand it. If Mr. and Mrs. Smith haven't reboarded by a certain time, security will check their safe and get the passport if it's there. It's a standard practise for passengers to keep their passports in the room safe, but if they hid it under the mattress, they are out of luck.

 

[MicCanberra]

Again, no personal experience, thankfully, but this is how I understand it. If Mr. and Mrs. Smith haven't reboarded by a certain time, security will check their safe and get the passport if it's there. It's a standard practise for passengers to keep their passports in the room safe, but if they hid it under the mattress, they are out of luck.

 

I understand that this may happen of course. But is it the standard to keep passports in the safe when in port. Most of the people I know that travel abroad and cruise always carry their passports with them. :D

[Fouremco]

I understand that this may happen of course. But is it the standard to keep passports in the safe when in port. Most of the people I know that travel abroad and cruise always carry their passports with them. :D

Let me edit my last post:

 

It's a standard practise for passengers to keep their passports in the room safe while ashore at those ports where passports are not required for disembarkation or re-embarkation.

 

Yes, some passengers take their passports with them at every port, but it is makes sense for the ship to verify in those ports where passports aren't required.

 

[MicCanberra]

Let me edit my last post:

 

It's a standard practise for passengers to keep their passports in the room safe while ashore at those ports where passports are not required for disembarkation or re-embarkation.

 

Yes, some passengers take their passports with them at every port, but it is makes sense for the ship to verify in those ports where passports aren't required.

 

Ok, fair enough. I suppose the ship cares more than me about leaving someone.

If someone is late getting back to the ship (and not on a ship's tour), that is their problem and if they are without their passport, then I think they are really silly for getting into that situation. I always take my passport when overseas, just in case.