Passports on port days

[sdpdestiny]

My family and I will be going on our first cruise in March. Do we bring our passports with us on port days or just ID? What do you normally bring with you? Thanks!

[Keith1010]

You will get a lot of different views on this.

 

In our case, we never take our passport of the ship unless it is required which is only the case in a few places around the world.

 

We leave it on the ship.

 

Some cruise lines actually hold them and for those that don't we keep it locked in the safe.

 

We feel that the risk of losing or having our passport stolen is far greater then any benefits.

 

Normally our ship board card is enough but some locations do want something official and in that case we bring a drivers license with us.

 

Again you are going to get a lot of different opinions on this as this one comes up every few weeks so in the end you will have to decide for yourself.

 

Keith

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

I see that you are cruising in the Caribbean.

Your do not need to take your passport off the ship in your ports. Just your ship's ID and a photo picture like your driver's license will do. That is what we take.

We keep our passports in the safe.

[Floridiana]

We do exactly as Keith says.

 

Your first cruise is probably in the Caribbean. So far none of our Caribbean ports required to bring passports ashore. I vaguely remember one island whose port area was completely fenced in and the guard at the gate wanted a picture id in addition to the ship card. Everywhere else, the ship card was sufficient.

 

If a port requires to bring passports ashore, the ship will let you know beforehand, for example in St. Petersburg, Russia.

 

Your photo is taken by the cruise line when you check in the first time, but it is not on your ship card. When you exit and enter the ship, you put this card on a scanner and it shows your photo to the security person manning the scanner. The information is stored and that's how the crew knows if you are on or off the ship. This same card is the key to your cabin.

[flamomo]

Agree with Keith. Definitely leave it locked securely in your cabin safe, UNLESS you are informed that carrying it/them with you in a port is required by local officials. If that is the case, you will likely, depending on the cruise line you are traveling with, be made aware of that via the daily ship's "newspaper".

 

Even when you don't need your passport in port, you do need to have photo ID with you. Seems like most people use their driver's license, though some have a passport card in addition to their passport book that they use instead.

 

Many of us experienced cruisers make a color copy of the page of our passports with all of our important information on it to keep with us when we go into port. That would not useable as your primary form of ID, but just a sort of back-up to other photo ID.

 

Personally, I have rarely had to show my photo ID upon return to the actual port property in order to be allow to enter the port to get back on the ship. My cruise card is all that is usually required.

[sparks1093]

My family and I will be going on our first cruise in March. Do we bring our passports with us on port days or just ID? What do you normally bring with you? Thanks!

 

The responses will likely be about 50/50 and at the end of the day you have to do what feels comfortable for you to do. I don't like carrying things with me if I don't have to, so unless I'm required to carry the passports (i.e. because local government requires it or they are needed for an excursion) then I leave them in the safe. Conventional wisdom says that if you miss the ship the security staff will retrieve your passports and turn them over to the port agent.

[paul929207]

A couple of countries require you to carry your passport. Russia comes to mind. In all others, we leave the passport in the safe and carry an ID. Your ship will make sure you are aware of any requirements.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We've never taken our passport off the ship in port. A drivers license or state issued photo ID is sufficient if ID is required. 9 times out of 10 we've never been asked for it, even when the ship advised guests to take photo ID.

[sloopsailor]

We never take ours unless required to carry them by local laws. Your daily newsletter will advise you if they are required. The majority of experienced cruisers responding to this question in past threads report that they leave their passports locked in their safe. A relative few will adamantly say they never leave the ship without them for fear of needing them for some obscure reason which rarely happens. If you miss the ship's departure from a port, most cruise lines will go to your safe and retrieve your passport and turn it over to their port representative who will have it for you when you finally arrive. You may need it to travel to the next port to catch the ship.

[sdpdestiny]

Thanks, all! This was very informative!:)

[mikaula]

They usually ask for a picture ID along with you sail card when you re-enter the port. We have always used our driver’s license and never had. A problem in the Caribbean. Have. A great trip!

[dsrdsrdsr]

If you miss the ship's departure from a port, most cruise lines will go to your safe and retrieve your passport and turn it over to their port representative who will have it for you when you finally arrive. You may need it to travel to the next port to catch the ship.

Specifically, if you ring the ship's agent (whose phone number is on the daily newspaper) and let them know you are going to be late and/or miss the boat, and you tell them where your passport is, they will certainly collect your passport and leave it with the agent. If you don't warn them, you might be unlucky.

[Bonnie J.]

We have been cruising since 1984, over 100 cruises, and have never taken our passports off the ship - they stay in our safe. Thrives can get mega $$$ for US passports! You take your sign 'n sail card and any photo ID to get back on the ship. We have heard cruise directors say on 1st night, in the theater, don't take your passport off the ship.

In the 'old' days, all ships collected every non US passport when 'they' got on board. Their passports were not returned until late the last day.

Keep your passports in the safe for the entire cruise!

[sloopsailor]

Specifically, if you ring the ship's agent (whose phone number is on the daily newspaper) and let them know you are going to be late and/or miss the boat, and you tell them where your passport is, they will certainly collect your passport and leave it with the agent. If you don't warn them, you might be unlucky.

 

I don't agree. The cruise line has a vested interest in helping out as much as they can. If they leave a person completely stranded, they will never see them as a customer again. If they make the rather small amount of effort to retrieve the passport as a simple courtesy, they will have helped the unfortunate passenger and that will certainly make themselves look as if they care.

 

At Q&A presentations with ship officers, the question sometimes comes up regarding what happens if someone misses the ship. The answer is that they always look in the safe for passports as a matter of policy. I have no reason to doubt them when they tell us that.

 

I do agree that it is best if you can contact them to let them know that you will be delayed. Any information they have about your situation helps them take whatever action they can to assist you.

[SRF]

FYI in both Bermuda and Bahamas in August, photo ID was required to enter the port area. Without it, you had to go through additional screening, and get logged into a book (Bermuda). Which took time.

 

I carry my passport most of the time. Caribbean, not so much, but other parts of the world yes.

 

You to you. I have traveled to 140 countries outside the US and never had my passport stolen. But I don't wave it around either. :)

[TheOldBear]

We have been cruising since 1984, over 100 cruises, and have never taken our passports off the ship - they stay in our safe. Thrives can get mega $$$ for US passports! You take your sign 'n sail card and any photo ID to get back on the ship. We have heard cruise directors say on 1st night, in the theater, don't take your passport off the ship.

In the 'old' days, all ships collected every non US passport when 'they' got on board. Their passports were not returned until late the last day.

Keep your passports in the safe for the entire cruise!

Sometimes you do not have the choice to leave the Passport in the safe.

 

Recent example, on a round trip transatlantic stopping in Southampton and LeHarve.

 

The UK passport check was made onboard, during the eastbound crossing. We brought our passports to a designated spot for inspection by the onboard UK Customs/Immigration official. [total out of safe time - 20 minutes :-) ]

The ship arrived 'cleared' in Southampton, and passengers could walk off as soon as the gangways were available.

 

The next day was Le Harve, on the other side of the channel. There was passport inspection just inside the terminal before you were permitted to walk to the tour bus, or out of the secure area.

Once you were out of the secure area, you need to show your passport again to re-enter it. [passport was stamped both for 'entering France' and 'leaving France']

So, if you were leaving the ship, you had no choice except to bring your passport along for the day. [passengers opting to skip the LeHarve port visit did not need to show their passport]

[sloopsailor]

Sometimes you do not have the choice to leave the Passport in the safe.

 

True, but not the norm. Of the over a hundred ports we have visited on cruises, only three required passports to be on our person while on shore. In our case, at least 97% of the time they were not required, so they stayed in the safe.

[dsrdsrdsr]

I don't agree. The cruise line has a vested interest in helping out as much as they can. If they leave a person completely stranded, they will never see them as a customer again. If they make the rather small amount of effort to retrieve the passport as a simple courtesy, they will have helped the unfortunate passenger and that will certainly make themselves look as if they care.

That will depend on how confident the cruise director is that their computer system and staff are both 100% foolproof and can never go wrong. From the number of times people are asked to report to reception at about departure time, I think some systems at least are not foolproof. And if the cruise director or other relevant officer isn't 100% certain that they aren't on the boat, they aren't going to risk looking complete charlies by leaving the passport behind.

[TheOldBear]

True, but not the norm. Of the over a hundred ports we have visited on cruises, only three required passports to be on our person while on shore. In our case, at least 97% of the time they were not required, so they stayed in the safe.

 

Well, if you need to get the passport stamped when you leave the ship, and again when you get back on board - it does not matter if it is not 'required to be on your person' - there is no other place for them. [the tour bus is not a secure location]

 

Perhaps for cruises where the entire ship has been 'cleared', then the ship's id is all that is needed - say if all passengers had been cleared before arrival at Le Harve, and then next stop was also Schnegen [spelling?] zone, then passports would not have been needed at that stop.

[sloopsailor]

Well, if you need to get the passport stamped when you leave the ship, and again when you get back on board - it does not matter if it is not 'required to be on your person' - there is no other place for them. [the tour bus is not a secure location]

 

Perhaps for cruises where the entire ship has been 'cleared', then the ship's id is all that is needed - say if all passengers had been cleared before arrival at Le Harve, and then next stop was also Schnegen [spelling?] zone, then passports would not have been needed at that stop.

 

If the passport needs to be stamped, then it actually is required, isn't it?

 

I stand by my comment that I have visited only three out of more than a hundred ports that required a passport to be taken off the ship. For those that required it, only one needed to see it to leave and re-board the ship - St. Petersburg, Russia. The other two required us to have them with us, but we were never asked for them. Some ports did require that the passports be turned over to the ship personnel for clearance. On several occasions they kept them for several days and returned them during or at the end of the cruise. But we did not need them on our person in such cases.

 

At our overnight stop in Bangkok we opted to spend the night in a hotel in the city due to the 3 hour drive each way. We were required to show our passports to check into the hotel (as in many cities we have stayed in). But if on daily excursions with a return back to the ship for the overnight stay, they were not required.

Edited January 10, 2018 by sloopsailor

[JMorris271]

While we have never been required to show our passport to visit a port of call other than in Alaska, we do carry copies we printed to carry in the event there is an emergency where positive ID would, at the very least, speed things along.