bring proof of citizen ship to shore excursions?

[upintheairwife]

My husband and I will be cruising in a couple of weeks and have booked two shore excursions through NCL. Neither of us have a passport so do we need to bring along our birth certificates or just our ids to get back on the ship? TIA :)

[Demonyte]

Photo ID is fine.

[TrumpyNor]

My husband and I will be cruising in a couple of weeks and have booked two shore excursions through NCL. Neither of us have a passport so do we need to bring along our birth certificates or just our ids to get back on the ship? TIA :)

 

An official photo ID is required to enter the "closed area" on the pier, some times the port authorities check it and some times not..... For getting on the ship again you just swipe your ship card and then the ship security get a photo of you up on their screen.

Edited August 6, 2015 by TrumpyNor

[upintheairwife]

Great! Thanks so much!

[hawkeyetlse]

But where are you sailing to, and what are the excursions? I'm not sure how the others were able to answer your question without knowing this… For example, if you are doing a RT Alaska cruise, you don't need a passport to sail, but if you do an excursion that goes into Canada, you do need one.

[2ManyCruises]

My thoughts exactly Hawkeye. Although the above post are generally true. Specific info is needed to give an exact answer. It depends on which countries you're sailing to.

Edited August 6, 2015 by 2ManyCruises

[drvalo]

The only time we have needed an actual proof of citizenship when we got off a ship was when we took an excursion from Alaska into Canada. We were stopped at the border (in and out) and asked for passports (or photo ID and birth certificate but those seemed to be carefully scrutinized). There is probably not enough time now, but I would recommend getting a passport if you plan to cruise more. It certainly makes cruise travel much easier generally.

 

If you got your excursions through the ship, there might be information on the ticket about what you need or you can ask at the excursion desk when you get on the ship. It is true that it's best to leave your "proof" locked in the safe of you don't need to be carrying it.

Edited August 6, 2015 by drvalo

[sparks1093]

There are also excursions in the Caribbean that go island to island and hence country to country for which one would need a passport, passport card or enhanced drivers license.

[carads]

If for any reason you have to fly back to the U.S. from any foreign port you need a passport. We always bring ours with us just in case.

[mrsbojamp]

If for any reason you have to fly back to the U.S. from any foreign port you need a passport. We always bring ours with us just in case.

 

 

I totally agree. We always are aware of the possibility of an unforeseen problem, preventing us from getting back to the ship. We always carry our passports with us when we leave the ship.

[delaware32]

We generally carry a copy of the passport in addition to the ship card and government issued photo ID eg. driver's license.

[carads]

A copy of your passport can help you get a new passport issued through the embassy if there is one available but won't get you through US customs.

[sparks1093]

If for any reason you have to fly back to the U.S. from any foreign port you need a passport. We always bring ours with us just in case.

 

Not necessarily, the State Department has the authority to waive the passport requirements for an emergency or for humanitarian reasons, so depending on the circumstances they may issue an emergency travel document instead. Many people consider the risk of carrying their passport while in port to out weigh the risk of missing the ship so they leave their passport in the safe. Pretty much just like the decision to get a passport in the first place it all comes down to what one is comfortable with.

[coldflame]

If for any reason you have to fly back to the U.S. from any foreign port you need a passport. We always bring ours with us just in case.

 

You don't strictly need to. It makes things slightly easier, for sure. But I know of people who have flown into the states after having their passport lost/stolen overseas and came through with their normal driver's license. They took them into a room to verify information and file a lost passport report. Less than half an hour process at a _very_ busy airport.

[magicwanderer]

If you leave from and return to a US port, a passport is not required and is not necessary. The key is NOT what ports you visit, but whether you will either begin or end you cruise outside of the US.

 

That said, a passport is still a good idea (or carrying a copy, with the original on board), in case you miss boarding the ship, or have some similar situation hijack your original travel plans.

[GeezerCouple]

We generally carry a copy of the passport in addition to the ship card and government issued photo ID eg. driver's license.

 

We always travel with our passports, but leave the original in hotel or ship cabin safes, and keep a copy *with* us.

 

If the copy gets stolen, we can make another copy (and we'd probably have other worries at that moment anyway).

 

And although we need to keep actual credit cards with us, so we can use them, we also keep copies in the safe with the passports.

Ditto drivers' licenses, if we are renting a car somewhere.

 

But in case of emergency, we'd want it to be as easy as possible for us to have or get our ID (or have someone else get it for us).

 

And indeed, this happened.

DH had to be moved by ambulance from a ship to a local hospital, and while we were in the Ship's medical area waiting for the ambulance (it was frustrating slow to arrive, but the medical staff was great), someone went to our suite and retrieved our passports and some money - "just in case" we needed to get home without returning to the ship.

Fortunately, we returned to the ship, and continued our trip, and we now travel with some additional meds.

 

RM

[GeezerCouple]

You don't strictly need to. It makes things slightly easier, for sure. But I know of people who have flown into the states after having their passport lost/stolen overseas and came through with their normal driver's license. They took them into a room to verify information and file a lost passport report. Less than half an hour process at a _very_ busy airport.

 

This assumes that the country you are trying to leave, and the airline/carrier that you are planning to travel on, will *let* you leave without a valid passport.

 

A copy of an actual passport will certainly help expedite a replacement at an Embassy, or in an emergency, getting back if you can't get to an Embassy.

 

RM

[GORDONCHICK]

If you leave from and return to a US port, a passport is not required and is not necessary. The key is NOT what ports you visit, but whether you will either begin or end you cruise outside of the US.

 

 

This is not true. Others mentioned an AK cruise and excursion that does require a passport. Docking in Skagway and if you take the White Pass Rail Road trip into Canada, you have to take your passports because they will check them at the border. Doesn't matter if your cruise is RT US or is a one-way to/from Vancouver.

 

Personally, I do not carry my passport on any excursion unless its necessary, which it was when we did the above excursion. Otherwise, I leave our passports in the safe on the ship. If I miss the ship, the ship personnel will pop our safe and leave our passports with the port agent. I also have copies of them in an online storage cloud so I can access them anywhere.

[GeezerCouple]

This is not true. Others mentioned an AK cruise and excursion that does require a passport. Docking in Skagway and if you take the White Pass Rail Road trip into Canada, you have to take your passports because they will check them at the border. Doesn't matter if your cruise is RT US or is a one-way to/from Vancouver.

 

Personally, I do not carry my passport on any excursion unless its necessary, which it was when we did the above excursion. Otherwise, I leave our passports in the safe on the ship. If I miss the ship, the ship personnel will pop our safe and leave our passports with the port agent. I also have copies of them in an online storage cloud so I can access them anywhere.

 

Ah yes, thanks.

 

I forgot that more recently, we keep copies of ALL of these docs (plus emergency contact names/info) on our cell phones AND "in the cloud", accessible from just about any computer.

 

RM

[Planmaam]

A copy of your passport can help you get a new passport issued through the embassy if there is one available but won't get you through US customs.

 

We carry our passport cards when leaving the ship. I don't want to find out first-hand, but I would hope this would work to get in or out of a country in an emergency situation.

 

A copy of necessary documents in the cloud or on a phone is a great suggestion, thanks!

[Budget Queen]

In my case, my passport is ALWAYS with me. It is also "safest" with me. I don't get the "keep is locked in the safe yada yada stuff" "I carry a COPY" like a lot of good that does?

 

I make it very difficult for someone to pick pocket me etc. There are PLENTY of other people to take advantage of in my opinion. Crime goes the path of least resistance, they aren't a bunch looking for a challenge, they go for the easiest. I've traveled numerous times in areas- with huge warnings of street crimes, so, not naive about risks.

 

It comes down to doing what you want- simple. there are many choices.

[magicwanderer]

This is not true. Others mentioned an AK cruise and excursion that does require a passport. Docking in Skagway and if you take the White Pass Rail Road trip into Canada, you have to take your passports because they will check them at the border. Doesn't matter if your cruise is RT US or is a one-way to/from Vancouver.

 

Personally, I do not carry my passport on any excursion unless its necessary, which it was when we did the above excursion. Otherwise, I leave our passports in the safe on the ship. If I miss the ship, the ship personnel will pop our safe and leave our passports with the port agent. I also have copies of them in an online storage cloud so I can access them anywhere.

 

It is true that a US citizen does not have to have a passport if you both embark and disembark a cruise from a US port. But the Canadian excursion you mentioned is a bit of a different situation. You landed at a US port (Skagway) and then moved on to do a border crossing. If the excursion into Canada had been from a Canadian port, the passport would not be necessary. At least that is my understanding. I cruised the Caribbean last January, stopping at various islands and in Mexico, and did not have a passport (as I really should have, as it is a good idea....) but no one required me to have a passport to visit their island/country, and the US did not require one when I returned to Miami.

[biker@sea]

I had to have a passport on an non ship helocopter excursion in Antigua cuz we entered Montseratte air space over their volcano.

 

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Edited August 8, 2015 by biker@sea