question about passports..

[txtravelerfamily]

Good evening all...

Getting ready to sail in 4 days! Question!!! Do we take our passports off the ship during shore excursions or leave them in the ship safe?. As I understand it, if we got left behind at the port, we would need a passport to get home. BUT.... it seems risky to carry them off the ship ...

What should we do??

TIA!!!

[cruisecrazy82]

We carry photocopies off the ship with our drivers license & ship keycard and leave the real thing in the safe.

[mapsmith]

You will get both sides of discussion. Some say only take a color photocopy off the ship. (This will make getting a replacement easier, supposedly. But you will still have to pay for a new passport)

 

 

Others say always take the passport with you.

 

We take the passports with us in other countries. But for US Territories (Puerto Rico, USVI, Key West) usually just the Sign and Sail Card and Driver's License. Maybe a Credit Card.

 

The passport is the document that the US Government provides to prove your identity as a US Citizen anywhere in the World. If you don't have it, the other countries MAY not believe that you are a US Citizen.

 

My feeling about taking a color photocopy of the passport with you, is the same as if you took a color photocopy of your cash to prove that you had cash in your safe.

 

The answer is, do what you feel comfortable doing.

 

Me and mine will continue to take it off the ship.

Edited September 23, 2015 by mapsmith

[Richjoxyz]

We normally leave it in the safe. We take drivers licenses, cash and credit card. All of those are in my zippered pocket in my swim trunks, so they are always on my person. If someone stole our bag while we are swimming, they only get basic and replaceable items, but not our passport!

 

I figure the risk of having my bag stolen is higher than needing my passport, but never had either problem as of yet. Makes me wonder if the passport is waterproof, maybe I can keep it on me while swimming.

Edited September 23, 2015 by Richjoxyz

[brookemarieplusone]

I would leave it in the safe. We almost left someone at my dinner table in St Martin a few months ago. I say "almost" because they had pulled the gangway in when my table mate and his friend came rushing up in a golf cart and they let them on. Before this they (I'm guessing someone from security and an officer?) had gone in both cabins safes and retrieved their passports and were going to leave the passports with st martins port authority. So in case you do get left, your passports will be taken off the ship for you.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[lizardhowson]

 

My feeling about taking a color photocopy of the passport with you, is the same as if you took a color photocopy of your cash to prove that you had cash in your safe.

 

 

Love this ^^ :)

[ConshyCrock]

We always take our passports with us when we leave the ship because that's exactly why we have them.

[Lace]

Good evening all...

Getting ready to sail in 4 days! Question!!! Do we take our passports off the ship during shore excursions or leave them in the ship safe?. As I understand it, if we got left behind at the port, we would need a passport to get home. BUT.... it seems risky to carry them off the ship ...

What should we do??

TIA!!!

 

We always keep ours in the safe. We never expect to miss the ship, but even if, we know we would still get home. Having a passport and no ticket to get home doesn't simply produce one if you have it with you.

[mrpayroll]

We always take our passports with us when we leave the ship because that's exactly why we have them.

 

Same here. People take expensive cameras, credit cards, off ship and leave their proof of citizenship in the safe . Go figure. :)

[kerryincork]

We do both. If ship excursions we leave on board but if doing our own thing we bring them along. We both have waterproof pouches we use for valuables when swimming. As long as you are aware of your surroundings the risk of having your things stolen is the same as if you were at home.

[The_Geek]

I always have our passports on me when we leave the ship.

They are in a waterproof sleeve, in a slim belt pouch that is made to go inside your pants

[KatieCharlotte]

Same here. People take expensive cameras, credit cards, off ship and leave their proof of citizenship in the safe . Go figure. :)

 

We don't bring expensive cameras, I leave my jewelry at home, we watch our credit cards and small amount of cash, and we leave our passports on board in the safe. I have read that passports can be worth $2,000 to a thief in some countries, and I have known people who had them stolen by pickpockets. We never cut it close on returning to the ship. So I figure that the odds are much greater that I'll have a hassle because it's stolen in port than I'll have a hassle because I need it in port and somehow the ship can't get it to me. Either way, I won't be stuck in another country for the rest of my life.

Edited September 23, 2015 by KatieCharlotte

[realjd]

My feeling about taking a color photocopy of the passport with you, is the same as if you took a color photocopy of your cash to prove that you had cash in your safe.

 

We always take ours with us, but color copies do have value. The State Department officially recommends having one accessible because it makes it easier to get an emergency passport issued at an overseas embassy. It also helps at land and sea boarders (like returning after a cruise) if you completely lost your real passport. As Americans we have an absolute right to return and we can't be turned away at the border, passport or not, but the more evidence of citizenship you have, the easier the process will be for them to verify your identity and let you in.

[Havingfun2010]

Good evening all...

Getting ready to sail in 4 days! Question!!! Do we take our passports off the ship during shore excursions or leave them in the ship safe?. As I understand it, if we got left behind at the port, we would need a passport to get home. BUT.... it seems risky to carry them off the ship ...

What should we do??

TIA!!!

 

Why is is "risky" to carry a passport? Do you plan on carrying money? credit cards? drivers license? ship id? your iPhone? wedding ring? engagement ring? expensive watch?

 

Exactly why do you think it's a risk to carry a passport but all other id's and expensive items are fine?

 

Your passport is not a risk to carry and I have carried it in 22 different countries in my pocket.

[kicia]

This post is interesting because a lot of the things mentioned are things that I have brought up in the past.

 

The whole point of a passport is to prove your identity. We would never be in a foreign country without it being on our person. We have waterproof pouches if we're going in the water.

 

The whole take a copy of the passport thing is useless. This is the same as taking copies of your license, credit cards and cash. Why are you more likely to lose your passport than those other items? Be aware of your surroundings just as you would in any other place. We use our passports as ID even when we fly domestically. It is the best form of ID. We have had to produce our passports on a few occasions when we used a credit card. I think maybe those that don't travel internationally very much are the ones that fret about losing the passport. We just feel it is another piece of identification. Be aware of pickpockets, especially in certain countries where it is prevalent.

 

I would be more concerned about my credit cards and cash the day after Thanksgiving in downtown Chicago while surrounded by thousands of people than on an island.

 

Be aware of your surroundings, take your passport, and have fun.

[DocF]

This post is interesting because a lot of the things mentioned are things that I have brought up in the past.

 

The whole point of a passport is to prove your identity. We would never be in a foreign country without it being on our person. We have waterproof pouches if we're going in the water.

 

The whole take a copy of the passport thing is useless. This is the same as taking copies of your license, credit cards and cash. Why are you more likely to lose your passport than those other items? Be aware of your surroundings just as you would in any other place. We use our passports as ID even when we fly domestically. It is the best form of ID. We have had to produce our passports on a few occasions when we used a credit card. I think maybe those that don't travel internationally very much are the ones that fret about losing the passport. We just feel it is another piece of identification. Be aware of pickpockets, especially in certain countries where it is prevalent.

 

I would be more concerned about my credit cards and cash the day after Thanksgiving in downtown Chicago while surrounded by thousands of people than on an island.

 

Be aware of your surroundings, take your passport, and have fun.

 

 

While you and I think alike, I hope you realize that you will never convince those who think the passport must be guarded as if it were the Hope diamond to be rational. This document is issued as the ultimate means of identification and should be treated as such and used as such.

[arizonabay69]

In one of the Q&A sessions on one of our cruises, they said Carnival recommends you leave your passport in the safe. If the boat leaves without you, they will go in your room, open the safe, and leave your passport with the port authorities. I've never been left before, so I can't verify if this actually happens. :D

[mapsmith]

This post is interesting because a lot of the things mentioned are things that I have brought up in the past.

 

The whole point of a passport is to prove your identity. We would never be in a foreign country without it being on our person. We have waterproof pouches if we're going in the water.

 

The whole take a copy of the passport thing is useless. This is the same as taking copies of your license, credit cards and cash. Why are you more likely to lose your passport than those other items? Be aware of your surroundings just as you would in any other place. We use our passports as ID even when we fly domestically. It is the best form of ID. We have had to produce our passports on a few occasions when we used a credit card. I think maybe those that don't travel internationally very much are the ones that fret about losing the passport. We just feel it is another piece of identification. Be aware of pickpockets, especially in certain countries where it is prevalent.

 

I would be more concerned about my credit cards and cash the day after Thanksgiving in downtown Chicago while surrounded by thousands of people than on an island.

 

Be aware of your surroundings, take your passport, and have fun.

 

Interesting that you bring up Credit Cards after Thanksgiving. Just read this article on another site.

 

http://krebsonsecurity.com/2015/09/tracking-bluetooth-skimmers-in-mexico-part-ii/

 

In it they mention that ALL of the ATMs in Tulum were loaded with skimmer technology. Wonder how many cruisers have used those ATMs?

[dioxide45]

You never realize how polarizing a topic this is until you read through these threads.

 

I can see both sides of the argument. If the ship is going to leave without you, they would pull your passports and leave them with the port authority. Though do they always do that? Is that a chance one is willing to take? Are the chances higher of being a victim of a crime or being left my the ship. I think the odds are about the same.

 

In either case, if you are without your passport, you will be able to get back home. Though it might cost more and take longer with more hassle. I don't really think there is a right or wrong answer to this question. Just do what you are comfortable with.

[KatieBug28]

We always take our passports with us when we leave the ship because that's exactly why we have them.

 

This.

[mmckm]

We always have ours with us. A passport is for travel and identification in foreign countries. Like one poster said I'm more worried about cash and credit cards then losing my passport. I'm not going to depend on Carnival, Princess or any other cruise line to make sure my passport is left in port for me.

[hockeyluver]

We had this discussion with Matt Mitchim Carnival's top cruise director He said to leave your passport in your safe, it is safer there.

 

If you miss the ship, someone from ship security goes to your room, opens your safe and delivers the contents of the safe to the port authority.

 

We have never taken our passports of the ship, to afraid of loosing them, but we always carry a photo copy. Not the photo copy wont get you home but it will expedite the process of getting a new passport.

 

This is taken directly from The CANADIAN govt. website http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/passport/

 

Scan or photocopy the identification page of your passport (page 2) and your identification cards. Email the scanned image to yourself or carry a copy with you (separate from your passport). Also, leave a copy with a friend or relative who is not travelling with you. We also recommend that you carry your birth or citizenship certificate when travelling. These precautions may help speed up the replacement of a lost passport.

Edited September 27, 2015 by hockeyluver

[mmckm]

If your photo copy is stolen the thief has all your information and can use that to make a copy of your passport creating big problems. You would have to cancel your passport also. Your still not safe from problems.

[dioxide45]

If your photo copy is stolen the thief has all your information and can use that to make a copy of your passport creating big problems. You would have to cancel your passport also. Your still not safe from problems.

 

I think it would be much harder to recreate a passport from a copy than what they can do with the original. The original has value to thieves in foreign countries because they have ways of using that original. Like slicing out the photo and replacing it. It is a genuine passport. Faking a passport isn't as easy, having a genuine original is. I don't think you would have thieves targeting passport copies.

[sanger727]

I leave my passport in the safe and carry a color copy. Agree with the others that the chance of being the victim of theft is much more likely than being left behind by the ship (always return an hour + early). I think a color copy of the passport plus a drivers license will be reasonable enough proof of identity while if stopped by the police and the copy of the passport will expedite getting a new one if I somehow got stranded.

 

Why do I treat a passport differently than cash or credit cards? For one thing it's bigger and harder to carry, we carry our valuables in a waterproof case and it doesn't fit 2 passports plus cash. We carry a very small amount of cash on us (what we think we will need for the day) and credit cards are easy to cancel and you're not responsible for the charges if it's stolen. And no, I also don't carry a phone, expensive watches or jewelry, or anything else that I would be heartbroken if stolen.

 

And I disagree with other posters, petty theft is a much larger danger in tourist areas than in my hometown. But I don't think either choice is wrong, it comes down to what you are comfortable with.