Advice on Carrying Passports in Ports of Call

[njm5378]

The only two places photo ID has routinely been asked for, in my experience, is San Juan Puerto Rico and Nassau, and that is without exception.

 

And it always tells you in the cruise planner if you need to take them with you.

[island lady]

That only happens if I get dragged through the jewelry stores in St. Thomas. :mad:

 

LOL!! :p Even I would not like that. Not into bling, but the DH does like to cruise through the "booze" shops for bargains. :D

[molly361]

We always take our passports with us

 

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[Host Star]

i have copies of my passport and drivers license... leave originals in the safe on board.. only place i've ever been asked for photo id is in nassau

[Flatbush Flyer]

The last time we renewed our passport, we also got a passport card. It is the size of a drivers license. We take that ashore for our photo ID. We like it because it doesn’t have our address on it like a DL does.

 

 

 

Right idea (if more than cruise ID is required by local authorities).

 

 

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[paul929207]

We never carry our passports off the ship unless it is required by local rules.

[lyneee]

Stopping in Falmouth and Cozumel for shore excursions. Any recommendations on how I should carry everyone's passports (DW, myself and two teenagers). We would like to go to the typical beach resorts for a day on the sand/surf - should I get a fanny pack and a waterproof bag? Thanks for your advice.

 

 

 

I make 2 copies of my passport. Lock the original in the ship safe. Leave a copy home and carry the copy with me when I leave the ship.

 

 

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[davekathy]

Our passports always stay in the safe.

[island lady]

Our passports always stay in the safe.

 

And that is where the ship's officers will find them in case you have an emergency in port also. :)

 

Agree....mine are in the safe...passport card is in my pocket. :cool:

[Flatbush Flyer]

And that is where the ship's officers will find them in case you have an emergency in port also. :)

 

 

 

Agree....mine are in the safe...passport card is in my pocket. :cool:

 

 

 

Best solution? The cruise lines that require you to surrender passports to the purser at embarkation.

 

 

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[Ocean Boy]

Best solution? The cruise lines that require you to surrender passports to the purser at embarkation.

 

 

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Hardly. I prefer to have my passport under my control.

[sloopsailor]

The only reason you would need your passport is if you are late getting back to the ship and they leave without you, you'll need a passport to fly to another island (flights between two countries) but if this happens they will go to your cabin and find your passports and leave them with the port agent to give to you. They can open your room safe so just leave them in your safe.

 

Good advice. We have been told at a couple of Q&A presentations with ship officers that they will only look in the safe. They will not look in drawers, in suitcases or other bags, due to liability reasons. If you leave them in your desk drawer, they will not look there so they won't find them.

 

Passports are much too valuable a document to carry on your person unless absolutely necessary. Not only are they valuable to you to be able to return home, they are also extremely valuable on the black market. There is a very lucrative market in stolen passports. You don't want to be the unfortunate recipient of the problems that will occur if your stolen or lost passport is used in a crime of some kind.

 

That happened to a work associate some time ago. The problems she had to deal with due to her stolen passport being used for criminal reasons would make anyone think twice about risking the loss of a passport. Her problems went on for years, even though she had reported it lost.

 

Absolutely not worth the risk.

Edited December 22, 2017 by sloopsailor

[Flatbush Flyer]

Hardly. I prefer to have my passport under my control.

 

 

 

Odd. Purser on pretty much every premium/luxury line will collect them for most itineraries. So much easier and more secure for everything from clearing customs to avoiding misplacement.

And, of course, no time lost going to your safe when you inform the ship that you'll miss the departure.

 

 

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[Ocean Boy]

Odd. Purser on pretty much every premium/luxury line will collect them for most itineraries. So much easier and more secure for everything from clearing customs to avoiding misplacement.

And, of course, no time lost going to your safe when you inform the ship that you'll miss the departure.

 

 

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Seriously? Maybe some people cannot look after themselves but I sure can. And I much more trust me to look after my one passport than some stranger who is looking after 6000 of them.

[TruckerDave]

I put mine in my pocket and not worry about it.

[NMLady]

Stopping in Falmouth and Cozumel for shore excursions. Any recommendations on how I should carry everyone's passports (DW, myself and two teenagers). We would like to go to the typical beach resorts for a day on the sand/surf - should I get a fanny pack and a waterproof bag? Thanks for your advice.

 

I would leave passports on the ship in the safe. Just take your ship card and official photo id such as driver license.

Teens under 16 do not need photo id.

[Cruisercl]

Seriously? Maybe some people cannot look after themselves but I sure can. And I much more trust me to look after my one passport than some stranger who is looking after 6000 of them.

 

The only time we have had to give our passports to the cruise line was in Europe; Med & Baltics.

If we needed them to go into a port ie Russia, they returned them; they are very good at this. I have never heard of any passenger having an issue with it being misplaced etc. by the cruise line; I am sure it would be here on CC if it had happened. They take them at cruise check-in; if you do not give them your passport, you are not able to get on the ship.

 

Otherwise we keep them in the safe on the ship and bring copies with us in port, with another form of ID.

 

Safe sailing!!

[Flatbush Flyer]

Seriously? Maybe some people cannot look after themselves but I sure can. And I much more trust me to look after my one passport than some stranger who is looking after 6000 of them.

 

 

It would be interesting to see how you handle being denied boarding for refusing to surrender that passport to the purser at embarkation.

But, of course, if your frame of reference is a ship with "6,000" folks aboard, you may not be doing the premium/luxury thing.

 

 

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[island lady]

Best solution? The cruise lines that require you to surrender passports to the purser at embarkation.

 

 

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As long as they have the ability to get into my safe, (and they do ;)) which then they can handle needing my passport only on emergency....I would rather not wait in that line to retrieve my passport from the purser at the end of the cruise. Just IMHO. :cool:

[island lady]

hardly. I prefer to have my passport under my control.

 

^ +1

[Ocean Boy]

It would be interesting to see how you handle being denied boarding for refusing to surrender that passport to the purser at embarkation.

But, of course, if your frame of reference is a ship with "6,000" folks aboard, you may not be doing the premium/luxury thing.

 

 

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Where did I say that I would not hand it over if I had to hand it over? Please show me.:rolleyes:

[island lady]

Where did I say that I would not hand it over if I had to hand it over? Please show me.:rolleyes:

 

I thought that was an odd post also. I wonder if the poster realizes they are on a RCI forum here....the purser does not ask for your passport on RCI. ;)

[Shorex]

I thought that was an odd post also. I wonder if the poster realizes they are on a RCI forum here....the purser does not ask for your passport on RCI. ;)

 

Oops. Perhaps this thread started on the RCI forum, but it is now on the very generalized "Ask a Cruise Question" forum, so all cruise line policies are open for discussion. Even on RCI, if the cruise is, for example, from Hong Kong to the Philippines or Vietnam, yes, the designated officer will collect all passports at embarkation. I'm sure everyone booked on those cruises will peacefully comply.

[Flatbush Flyer]

I thought that was an odd post also. I wonder if the poster realizes they are on a RCI forum here....the purser does not ask for your passport on RCI. ;)

 

 

Pardon me! (Really). I only use the iOS app for CC and the "trending" page has the forum ID in an almost imperceptible gray font (and "notifications" don't ID which forum.

In any case, if purser is not taking them, the safe is where they belong (unless carriage is required by local authorities). One recommendation I have though is that, if anyone realizes that they may miss rejoining the ship on time, they should call the port agent with a "heads up" since this will ease the passport retrieval timing.

Happy holidays.

 

 

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[island lady]

Oops. Perhaps this thread started on the RCI forum, but it is now on the very generalized "Ask a Cruise Question" forum, so all cruise line policies are open for discussion. Even on RCI, if the cruise is, for example, from Hong Kong to the Philippines or Vietnam, yes, the designated officer will collect all passports at embarkation. I'm sure everyone booked on those cruises will peacefully comply.

 

Ahh...CC pulled one of their "switch-a-roos" eh? Did not notice that, just used to pulling up "subscribed" threads and did not know it went to another forum. Thanks for the heads up! Though I still prefer to have my passport under my own control, but available to the officers during emergencies in my own safe. Will abide by purser's request when needed of course.