Passports on Excursions

[spart02]

Hello! We are a family of 5 that does quite a bit of cruising, but haven't sailed with Carnival in a long time. Most of the other cruiselines have been telling everyone to take their passports with them on excursions and that they will be required to re-board the ship. However, every time we go to re-board, they never ask for them...only the room card. I understand that we would want our passports with us if something were to happen and we had a medical emergency, but besides that reason, does Carnival ever really check to make sure you have your passport when re-boarding? We will be doing some excursions where we will be soaked and where it's not feasible to have a big bag to carry them all in. Do we really need to bring them for re-boarding purposes? I know we would be taking a big gamble to not have them in case of emergency.

[Keith1010]

I would never take my passport off the ship unless local authorities require them.

 

My experience is that if the ship requires an official id that your drivers license would suffice and children would just need their ship board cards.

 

Keith

[jsglow]

Have never taken my passport off a ship and on some small ship lines, they are literally held by the purser for safe keeping. When a ship enters port, the manifest for the entire ship is cleared by local customs before you ever walk down the gangway. That's exactly why the process is so carefully completed when you board at the beginning of the cruise. You've already 'passed through' customs by virtue of the work done on day 1 in essentially all routine ports. Now I'm sure at certain exotic port where visas are required it might be another story but that's a different thread. Can you imagine having everyone go through individually in every Caribbean port of call?

 

Driver's license and room key? Every time.

Edited December 7, 2017 by jsglow

[JaxsMama]

We have photo copied our passports and stuck them in my husband's wallet before. Don't know if it would help but just incase we get left behind it's a starting point.

 

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[idraconis]

For reboarding no.

[jsglow]

We have photo copied our passports and stuck them in my husband's wallet before. Don't know if it would help but just incase we get left behind it's a starting point.

 

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The benefit would be having the passport number and issuance date. Still couldn't travel with it but certainly a good starting point as you mention.

[absolutonrox]

We have photo copied our passports and stuck them in my husband's wallet before. Don't know if it would help but just incase we get left behind it's a starting point.

 

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This is what we do after reading it here on CC prior to our first cruise. As another poster said, you likely aren't traveling with the photo copy, but it's a good start in the unfortunate event that something were to happen.

[jsglow]

I'll add one more thought that's been discussed before.

 

In my mind, the risk of a ruined or lost passport taken ashore is MUCH greater than any risk that I'll miss the ship and need to make arrangements ashore to get on a plane to go home with a replacement.

[sparks1093]

OP you aren't taking a big gamble by leaving them on the ship, you're taking a very small one. If you miss the ship the staff will retrieve your passport from the safe and leave it with the port agent (and you can certainly call them if you know you are going to miss the ship to make sure it happens).

[spart02]

Thanks everyone for your help!

[coevan]

there are times when a passport is required for shore excursions like St.Thomas going to BVI. You must check into customs in BVI. We also needed passports for our Alaska cruise if you wanted to shore excursion in Canada,

[cruzinlisa]

I have heard in some places (like Europe) they may require them. I also heard sometimes if you are on a tour the tour leader might collect them. I would not take them unless I had to. Most of the Caribbean ports required us to room card only. A few of them asked us to show photo id for the adults. They pretty much always told us to bring one, but most of the time I was not asked for one. Last cruise I think we had to show drivers license at one of the ports to get back in to the port area. We went to Roatan, Costa Maya and Cozumel. I don't remember which one it was. Probably not Cozumel because we never left the main port area. Key West I think required a photo id. But never have I been asked for the passport. We keep it in the safe.

[coevan]

sorry, but where in Europe do you need passports? Once you arrive in Europe, passports are no longer required, unless you are arrested. In the Caribbean photo ID and your S & S are required to get into the boarding areas

[firemanbobswife]

My Passport stays in the safe but I do bring a DL or Passport Card off the ship with my S&S card. Some ports require you to show photo ID with your S&S cards upon re entry to the port. The FunTimes say it and the CD will also mention it in their announcements.

 

One time (I think in San Juan) I didn’t bring my DL off the ship and the security guard wouldn’t let me through. DH had his DL and he almost had to go back up to the cabin to get mine, but the guard saw our last names matched. After asking a bunch of questions, he finally let me through. Won’t make that mistake again.

 

The risk of losing your Passport or having it stolen is much greater than missing the ship. And as has already been mentioned, Carnival will leave it with the port authorities should you not return in time. JH has even mentioned this numerous times on his page.

[sanger727]

We leave our passports in the safe and take our drivers license ashore. I have been asked for photo ID upon returning to the ship, but passports aren’t required. You can cruise without a passport, so they can’t require you to have it ashore. Photo ID is required sometimes however.

 

 

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[Havingfun2010]

sorry, but where in Europe do you need passports? Once you arrive in Europe, passports are no longer required, unless you are arrested. In the Caribbean photo ID and your S & S are required to get into the boarding areas

 

One example is Italy. You are required to carry an official ID, and your drivers license is not one. So your passport is required. Sometimes, just like in the US, you are asked for ID, and your passport serves that purpose. Some examples are credit card purchases, maybe at the bank for a cash advance. I'm sure there are other times as well. I'm no expert, but I feel good having an official ID with me.

[firemanbobswife]

One example is Italy. You are required to carry an official ID, and your drivers license is not one. So your passport is required. Sometimes, just like in the US, you are asked for ID, and your passport serves that purpose. Some examples are credit card purchases, maybe at the bank for a cash advance. I'm sure there are other times as well. I'm no expert, but I feel good having an official ID with me.

 

With all the pickpocketing that goes on over there, I would be scared to death to bring my Passport off the ship. Would a Passport Card work instead? I can hide that a lot better than the big ol’ book [emoji14].

[sarmat1]

Not a passport, but I distinctly remember being asked for a photo ID to get back on the ship in Nassau and I didn't have it with me. They directed me over to a guard who compared my S&S card against the manifest.

[coevan]

We leave our passports in the safe and take our drivers license ashore. I have been asked for photo ID upon returning to the ship, but passports aren’t required. You can cruise without a passport, so they can’t require you to have it ashore. Photo ID is required sometimes however.

 

 

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unless you want to go to BVI from St. Thomas, you are changing countries and it requires checking in at customs. The shore excursion Captain can check everyone in at once. When you return to Cruz Bay, you will check back into the U.S.

[WildBlueYonder64]

OP you aren't taking a big gamble by leaving them on the ship, you're taking a very small one. If you miss the ship the staff will retrieve your passport from the safe and leave it with the port agent (and you can certainly call them if you know you are going to miss the ship to make sure it happens).

 

At each port, the name and telephone number of the local port authority is listed in the Fun Times. We always take a picture of this so we don't have to carry another piece of paper, and we will have the contact information 'just in case'.

[maryred]

We have photo copied our passports and stuck them in my husband's wallet before. Don't know if it would help but just incase we get left behind it's a starting point.

 

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PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don't rely on copies of a passport for anything. First off that copy or photo on your phone is just as valuable to identity thieves as your original.

Secondly if your passport is lost or stolen the State Department will invalidate the old one, issue a new one with a different # at only the shipping cost, BUT you need a police or ship security officer's report. With a copy or phone photo there is no way to make a police report as it is only piece of paper or a virtual photo.

Lastly if you try anywhere in a caribbean port to present the copy as your ID it will get turned down, be it at a shop trying to process your credit card or at the gate to get back to the ship. If worried about the passport being lost or stolen leave it in the cabin safe and take another government issued photo ID like a Driver's license into port. If truly worried about pickpockets also invest in a traveler's wallet that can be worn around the neck or clipped to the inside of clothing.

[MMastell]

If it is a Caribbean cruise then don't bother taking them ashore. Just your DL and ship card. If it's a European, South American or Asian cruise then take them ashore. Since those destinations are rare for Carnival you probably won't have to worry about it.

 

Take care,

Mike

[RWolver672]

For cruises to Cuba, you have to have a passport and you have to take it ashore with you. You show it to customs when entering Cuba and again when you get go back through customs to enter the ship.

 

Personally, we take our ashore. Why get it if you don't use it. We guard ours just like we do our driver's license or our money. Use common sense like you would with anything else you own.

 

To the OP, only you can decide if you should take them ashore or not. I wrote to the issuing department of passports and ask them if you should take them ashore. Their reply was basically what I said above. Why get one if you aren't going to use it. Take it ashore and guard it like you would anything of value.

[sparks1093]

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don't rely on copies of a passport for anything. First off that copy or photo on your phone is just as valuable to identity thieves as your original.

Secondly if your passport is lost or stolen the State Department will invalidate the old one, issue a new one with a different # at only the shipping cost, BUT you need a police or ship security officer's report. With a copy or phone photo there is no way to make a police report as it is only piece of paper or a virtual photo.

Lastly if you try anywhere in a caribbean port to present the copy as your ID it will get turned down, be it at a shop trying to process your credit card or at the gate to get back to the ship. If worried about the passport being lost or stolen leave it in the cabin safe and take another government issued photo ID like a Driver's license into port. If truly worried about pickpockets also invest in a traveler's wallet that can be worn around the neck or clipped to the inside of clothing.

 

Then you should tell the State Department to stop advising travelers to carry a copy of the passport with them, as the last time I looked at their website that's exactly what they advise.;)

[maryred]

Then you should tell the State Department to stop advising travelers to carry a copy of the passport with them, as the last time I looked at their website that's exactly what they advise.;)

The State Dept. does not advise carrying a copy on your person while traveling.

They do recommend making a copy and giving it to a trusted friend or family member that is not traveling with you that can fax or email it if needed by you overseas. Or in the event that is not possible to have the copy in transit but once at your destination to keep it in a room safe.

Furthermore they recommend that copy is kept in an away from home secure lock box like a safety deposit box. That way if the original is destroyed at home by a natural disaster or subject to theft, you can apply easily for a replacement.

 

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