Passport at Pacific Islands

[RayWitt001]

Just wondering if we will/won't be required to carry our passport on us when we get off the ship in New Caledonia and Vanuatu?

We plan on snorkelling at multiple destinations so if we have it on us, it will mean leaving it on the beach with my mother (a non-snorkeller). On the other hand I don't like the thought of being in a foreign country without it on me (in case we get stuck for whatever reason).

Also, for buying duty free (Port Vila), do we need our passport or just travel documents?

I'm sure someone knows the protocol for this :)

[The_Big_M]

The official cruise recommendation is you should take your passport with you in these destinations.

 

Not all passengers follow that though, due to their own preferences. The practicalities of then carrying it with you/securing it are something further e.g. some risk it, some have someone with it, some have a secure plastic protection and as said, some leave it onboard or don't swim with it.

 

Not sure about duty free purchases in Vila, sorry.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Photocopiers do the job.

Take a photocopy of your passport ashore.

 

[aussiedisneyfan]

The only port they tell you to take your passport of the ships is Noumea. Port Vila and all the islands they don't tell you too. I personally don't take mine off but I do have coloured photocopies and/or images on my phone of them.

 

I am positive in Vila you don't need your passport (since I don't take mine off) in Duty Free, just your cruise card.

[whimsy7]

I thought you had to have photo ID for getting back on board the ship. So a passport or a drivers licence would be needed.

Would a photocopy of a passport be good enough?

[OzKiwiJJ]

I thought you had to have photo ID for getting back on board the ship. So a passport or a drivers licence would be needed.

Would a photocopy of a passport be good enough?

 

No, you don't need photo ID, you just need your cruise card.

 

The cruise line takes your photo when you embark and that comes up on their scanners every time your card is scanned on boarding.

 

The one place I thought we'd need passports was in Lombok, Indonesia, but no, all we needed was our cruise cards.

[The_Big_M]

I thought you had to have photo ID for getting back on board the ship. So a passport or a drivers licence would be needed.

Would a photocopy of a passport be good enough?

 

It depends on the port, but those ports your cruise card is sufficient to return with.

[aussiedisneyfan]

Most NZ ports require photo id to get back to the ship. The tropical island ports don't.

[Dizziedi]

Never take our Passports ashore but always have our Driver's Licence. Our Passports are scanned to our email in the need we should require our details - which is hopefully never.

 

we have been to Noumea no less than 10 times:( and have never bothered with our Passports - just Licence. Mostly don't get off the ship though.

 

Cruise card is all you need - except for NZ. NZ you will need photo ID for most Ports but Licence will suffice.

 

Cheers

Di

[RayWitt001]

Thank for the replies.

For those who make copies, do you take the same security precautions for carrying them as you would a passport? And in the event of an emergency, what value would a copy have apart from photo ID? If you were left behind, would you be stuck in the country until another passport could be issued?

Also, what do people do with the cruise card while in the water? Wear a pouch/lanyard/leave on the beach?

Just trying to weigh all the options.

[lyndarra]

No, you don't need photo ID, you just need your cruise card.

 

The cruise line takes your photo when you embark and that comes up on their scanners every time your card is scanned on boarding.

 

The one place I thought we'd need passports was in Lombok, Indonesia, but no, all we needed was our cruise cards.

When in NZ we were advised to take photo ID going ashore. On returning to the ship a NZ Customs officer checked our PHOTO id before we got off the shuttle bus. In our case DL photo was accepted but we still had our passports with us just in case.

Better to play it safe.

[OzKiwiJJ]

When in NZ we were advised to take photo ID going ashore. On returning to the ship a NZ Customs officer checked our PHOTO id before we got off the shuttle bus. In our case DL photo was accepted but we still had our passports with us just in case.

Better to play it safe.

 

Thanks for that, we're doing an NZ cruise next. Interesting though, NZ is one of the last places I would have expected to need to carry photo ID.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Thanks for that, we're doing an NZ cruise next. Interesting though, NZ is one of the last places I would have expected to need to carry photo ID.

 

Do you not remember the Rainbow Warrior?

 

 

[OzKiwiJJ]

Do you not remember the Rainbow Warrior?

 

 

 

Yep. I was living in Auckland at the time.

 

It just surprised me given that Indonesia didn't require photo IDs to be carried and that the ship's boarding people seem to be quite on the ball at checking photos when they scan your cruise card.