Passport needed at these destination?

[msteries]

For my 70th I have splurged on the S. Caribbean cruise. Four ports will be new to me:

 

01 Feb 2017 Amber Cove, Dominican Republic

08:00 AM 05:00 PM

 

5 03 Feb 2017 Kralendijk, Bonaire

08:00 AM 06:00 PM

 

6 04 Feb 2017 Willemstad, Curacao

07:00 AM 11:00 PM

 

7 05 Feb 2017 Oranjestad, Aruba

07:00 AM 05:00 PM

 

Do I need to take my passport when I go ashore? i do have one of those "keep dry". Plastic thingys, but a bit nervouse to use it for a passport.

[Spire2000]

Up to you if you wish to bring it, but you won't need to pass through typical immigration and therefore won't need anything other than photo ID.

 

Many folks do bring their passport ashore though, out of fears of being stuck on the island for some reason and having the ship leave without you. Having your passport with you will save you time leaving through other means.

Edited November 7, 2016 by Spire2000

[Mary229]

When I was on Holland last spring they kept everyone's passport. I photocopied ours and carried the photocopy in my wallet.

[Spire2000]

When I was on Holland last spring they kept everyone's passport. I photocopied ours and carried the photocopy in my wallet.

 

What do you mean "they" kept everyone's passport? Who is "they"?

 

"They" have no right to hold your passport.

 

There are conflicting opinions on the validity of a photocopy passport. Certainly you couldn't travel with one, but could it assist the embassy or consulate in replacing one? Perhaps...

[Mary229]

At the beginning of the cruise Holland gathered everyone's passport and they also offered a photocopy. They held the passport for the duration of the cruise. Call them and see if they are going to do the same for your cruise.

 

We photocopy everything and carry that along with emailing photocopies to our phones.

[navybankerteacher]

What do you mean "they" kept everyone's passport? Who is "they"?

 

"They" have no right to hold your passport.

 

There are conflicting opinions on the validity of a photocopy passport. Certainly you couldn't travel with one, but could it assist the embassy or consulate in replacing one? Perhaps...

 

"They" certainly DO have a right - and do so on many (primarily Eurpean) itineraries. It is a requirement at the ports visited - so it would not be necessary for every passenger to go through passport control upon entering every port.

[Boytjie]

At the beginning of the cruise Holland gathered everyone's passport and they also offered a photocopy. They held the passport for the duration of the cruise. Call them and see if they are going to do the same for your cruise.

 

We photocopy everything and carry that along with emailing photocopies to our phones.

 

Surely this was not on a Caribbean itinerary. The ship sometimes holds the passports on itineraries in other parts of the world.

[Mary229]

He should call if he is concerned. It was from South America to San Diego. They held the passport the entire trip. I don't know if it was new protocol or geographic.

[CruiserBruce]

What do you mean "they" kept everyone's passport? Who is "they"?

 

"They" have no right to hold your passport.

 

There are conflicting opinions on the validity of a photocopy passport. Certainly you couldn't travel with one, but could it assist the embassy or consulate in replacing one? Perhaps...

 

Sorry, absolutely wrong. I would bet "they have a right" to not allow you to board the ship if you decline to allow them to hold your passport.

 

Holding your passport does several things. Most important you, it allows the ship to clear Immigration issues much faster in some ports. Otherwise, you would need to present yourself, with your passport, and clearing a ship with 2000 or more pax on board would take a couple of hours.

 

This is a distinct advantage. I have seen it both ways...it can be a major headache.

 

Hold passports on Caribbean cruises is rare.

Edited November 7, 2016 by CruiserBruce

[CruiserBruce]

He should call if he is concerned. It was from South America to San Diego. They held the passport the entire trip. I don't know if it was new protocol or geographic.

 

Holding on a South America cruise is not uncommon. On a Caribbean cruise, holding a passport is not common at all.

[OlsSalt]

We paid extra during our last passport renewal for the additional credit card size Passport ID card to carry with us, though it has only limited "passport" validity -mainly in Canada and Mexico.

 

I used it to get back into the US from Canada during our Boston port stop on our last cruise and it was okay for that use. Not sure if this would also works in the Caribbean. Check with the passport office website.

 

UPDATE: yes this plastic ID card is valid in the Caribbean and Bermuda too: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/information/card/PassportBook_vs_PassportCard.html

 

But it at least is an official passport ID should you actually need to have use of your passport while in port in some emergency setting. It would be easier to link you to your original documents using this card.

Edited November 7, 2016 by OlsSalt

[Herfnerd]

You won't need it to enter Caribbean ports, but if you have it, I would bring it.

[jtl513]

What do you mean "they" kept everyone's passport? Who is "they"?

 

"They" have no right to hold your passport.

"They" (HAL) MUST collect and hold all passports for certain countries visited. We have had to surrender ours for one night before entering St Petersburg Russia, and for most of an east Med cruise that included Greece and Turkey - but I don't know which country required HAL to hold them. Believe me, it's a nuisance for them to do it, and would prefer not to. However, I was told that you can get your passport back from the Purser before going ashore if you promise to return it upon re-boarding.

... but could it assist the embassy or consulate in replacing one?

Yes, if the country you are visiting HAS a US embassy or consulate. Aruba/Bonaire/Curacao, which the OP is visiting, do not. (See https://www.usembassy.gov/ ) Edited November 7, 2016 by jtl513

[Kamloops50]

Never have had our passports held on any cruise (24 and counting).

[Krazy Kruizers]

At the beginning of the cruise Holland gathered everyone's passport and they also offered a photocopy. They held the passport for the duration of the cruise. Call them and see if they are going to do the same for your cruise.

 

We photocopy everything and carry that along with emailing photocopies to our phones.

 

 

We have sailed on 5 different cruise lines including HAL in the Caribbean and none of them ever took our passports.

OP is sailing the Caribbean.

[Mary229]

Quote from Holland America (http://www.hollandamerica.com/assets/cruise-vacation-onboard/KBYG.pdf):

 

You may also receive arrival documentation from Immigration when arriving at the airport. Please keep

this available for check-in. The Front Office on board may require the collection of passports for cruises that travel from country to country to prepare for immigration formalities. You will receive a passport receipt upon collection of your passport, and will be advised on board when the passports will be redistributed.

[chengkp75]

The ship's purser holding the passports is common, though in many cases, it only applies to those passports that require a visa for the countries visited, so the immigration officials can actually witness the validity of the visa. Because of the WHTI, US passports would never be collected, though some nationalities might.

[OlsSalt]

We have often had our passports collected and held - can't remember what cruises or cruise lines, but certainly some of the times have been on HAL ships. Agree, they give you a passport receipt. Never really a problem.

 

Some countries like India changed their requirements on the fly and were different for each port in that country. I felt so sorry for the poor staffers who were having to tear their hair out at every port the night before to get everything done.

 

Plus felt sorry for me too who had to run ever-confusing gauntlets and demands at each Indian port too. We said never again. And we like visiting India.

[OCruisers]

We have sailed on 5 different cruise lines including HAL in the Caribbean and none of them ever took our passports.

OP is sailing the Caribbean.

 

Same as KK! It's a CARIBBEAN Cruise for the OP.

LuLu

[Fouremco]

Holding on a South America cruise is not uncommon. On a Caribbean cruise, holding a passport is not common at all.

Given the fact that US citizens don't even need a passport for the majority of Caribbean cruises, "not common" might be a bit of an understatement. :)

[ZSandy25]

Just off a cruise where we were in Europe. We had to surrender our passport two times. Not a big problem, they were set up mid ship near the elevators. We were given a receipt that we put in our safe. Few days later we were informed to pick up our passports at the same location between x and x times.

I left DH I charge of picking up passports while I went to spa...he forgot. No problem, trip down to front office with receipts and we got them back.

A few port stops we were told we would need to take our passports with us.

We travel the Caribbean every winter and have never had to surrender our passports. Not to say that things could change.

Yes, we do make copies of passports and ID.s, credit cards but leave all that in the safe.

On a footnote....have heard of pax who "lost it all" while carrying unnecessary papers with them, and this was on our last cruise.

I guess you need to do what you feel comfortable with

 

 

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[902tater]

You do not need to bring your passport on any of those stops, you just need your sea pass card and a form of photo ID such as a drivers license. I always just take my drivers license. It is because the ship has your info and they clear the ship when it docks. Actually you have to consider that it is not necessarily a good idea to take your passport off the ship, if you lost your belongings or something like that then you would lose your passport and that would not be good. And no, the ships absolutely do not hold your passport in the Caribbean. You put it in the safe in your room. You won't need it until you return to the US. Those are all lovely ports, you will have a wonderful time and happy birthday.

 

 

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[ski ww]

We have never, not had our passports held by the front office for the duration of any of our cruises. At each port on the daily on location guide HAL would tell the passengers that they had to have some form of picture ID when going ashore. In all our cruises I have only once been asked to see a picture ID, which in that case was a photo copy of my passport, and it was in San Juan.

Allan

[Fouremco]

We have never, not had our passports held by the front office for the duration of any of our cruises. At each port on the daily on location guide HAL would tell the passengers that they had to have some form of picture ID when going ashore. In all our cruises I have only once been asked to see a picture ID, which in that case was a photo copy of my passport, and it was in San Juan.

Allan

Would I be correct in assuming you meant "We have never had our our passports held..."?

[Herfnerd]

The issue with leaving the passport in the safe is that if you are in port and something happens - miss the ship, need emergency evacuation, etc, the one document you need is the one in the safe

 

 

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