Re-boarding the ship after a Carnival excursion

[Caps_Shield]

What forms of ID do you need to have when you re-board the ship after a Carnival excursion? My wife thinks you just need your sign and sail card and I think you need more than that. Who is right or does it depend on where the port is?

[Keys2Heaven]

S&S is what you need if you are talking about most Caribbean ports.

[Lem_On_Ade]

Some ports require a photo ID too. I'd always take it with me just in case.

[dmdiver]

They always announce to be sure you have your sail & sign as well as a photo id. The photo id is sometimes asked for in port before they let you onto the pier - we saw a lady in port once who only had her ship card & they would not let her onto the pier. I think it was in Puerto Rico. What had me puzzled was that the entire group with her was all panicky when she could have just handed her ship card to a friend to go retrieve her photo id from her cabin. I am guessing they eventually thought of that?

 

Other ports, they never even looked at my photo id.

[mdsgu]

Usually a photo ID and S&S card to get into the port area and your S&S card to board the ship.

[A&Jfamily]

What forms of ID do you need to have when you re-board the ship after a Carnival excursion? My wife thinks you just need your sign and sail card and I think you need more than that. Who is right or does it depend on where the port is?

 

I agree it depends on the port and varies from trip to trip. But you always SHOULD have a photo ID to board. We have had the scanner go down, and they must have a photo ID to check against ship manifest to let you back on. Luckily, they were up and running quickly, but we still had to wait about 5 minutes since we had neglected to take them onto St. Thomas.

[wemjam]

Ship announcements will always tell you "Sail and Sign and Photo ID"

[Caps_Shield]

Thank you all!! I forgot to add that the reason we are discussing it is due to our 15 year old daughter. She can bring a high school ID, maybe, if she has one. Other that that she doesn't have an ID. I really don't want to bring the whole birth certificate with on an excursion but I guess that may be the only way around this..

[mdsgu]

The photo ID requirement is for those 16 and over, IIRC. Call Carnival to be sure, but our 8 and 7 year olds don't have a photo ID other than their passports.

[Caps_Shield]

The photo ID requirement is for those 16 and over, IIRC. Call Carnival to be sure, but our 8 and 7 year olds don't have a photo ID other than their passports.

 

She is 15 though.

[Qchell]

If you have time prior to your cruise many state DMV's also issue just plain ID cards. They state very clearly on the face that they are not driver's licenses. I don't have children so I don't know what the policies are, but that is an option if you would feel safer with a government issued photo ID.

 

And I concur with what everyone else has stated - each port/person working at the gate is different on their requirements. Sometimes I have simply flashed my S&S card and other times they have been very diligent in ensuring my S&S card has the same name as my photo ID.

[dmdiver]

When we first traveled with our children, only the one with a license had a photo id. The 15yo and 10yo did not.

[Caps_Shield]

When we first traveled with our children, only the one with a license had a photo id. The 15yo and 10yo did not.

 

Thanks dmdiver. That is what my wife keeps reminding me.

[LostPuppy]

What forms of ID do you need to have when you re-board the ship after a Carnival excursion? My wife thinks you just need your sign and sail card and I think you need more than that. Who is right or does it depend on where the port is?

 

Carnival only requires a sail and sign card.

 

BUT, the port generally wants a photo ID and a S&S card to get on the pier, Hence you should read the fun times prior to departure...

[salty dingo]

When you think about it, the S&S card IS a photo ID. It has a photo and it shows you booked on this particular sailing.

 

Still I would always recommend taking your real photo ID ashore. I take the driver license and leave the passport in the ship safe. I know that if something happened and I did not make it back to the ship, Carnival staff would open the safe and give my passport to the agent on shore, so I would have it to get home or to the next port. Also, this eliminates the possibility it could get lost or stolen in port.

[queeniemi]

For the last dozen cruises I keep my sail card and my newest old license hooked around my neck. I just hold up the 2 cards and have been able to pass through every security so far.

[LostPuppy]

When you think about it, the S&S card IS a photo ID. It has a photo and it shows you booked on this particular sailing.

 

Still I would always recommend taking your real photo ID ashore. I take the driver license and leave the passport in the ship safe. I know that if something happened and I did not make it back to the ship, Carnival staff would open the safe and give my passport to the agent on shore, so I would have it to get home or to the next port. Also, this eliminates the possibility it could get lost or stolen in port.

No it's not. The only photo is on the ship. The card itself is useless as a photo ID unless you have access to the ship's records AND a chip reader AND know the protocol...

[steveknj]

Despite what is required, I'd suggest some sort of photo ID. Remember, you are going to, in many cases, a foreign country. If you have any type of issues while on shore, it's a good idea to at least have an official ID.

[Caps_Shield]

While I am grateful for all these responses, I think most of you missed my second post that the person in question is 15 (daughter). My fault for not including it in the first post. I have an ID, as does my wife. I was just wondering about the daughter. I have a 12 year old too that I'm not as concerned with, ID wise.

[kerryincork]

ID required for those 16 and over.

 

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[lcpagejr]

While I am grateful for all these responses, I think most of you missed my second post that the person in question is 15 (daughter). My fault for not including it in the first post. I have an ID, as does my wife. I was just wondering about the daughter. I have a 12 year old too that I'm not as concerned with, ID wise.

 

I just returned from western itinerary.... Picture ID was never requested except on Nassau..... Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel just wanted to see your ship card. The ship will tell you to take a picture ID along with your SS card but most of time the ID is never asked for

[nealstuber]

Like most have said, it’s sometimes required to get on the piers - 16&up.

Also, if you’re planning to charge anything, there is a chance you could be asked to provide photo ID.

 

 

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[AmBear]

What forms of ID do you need to have when you re-board the ship after a Carnival excursion? My wife thinks you just need your sign and sail card and I think you need more than that. Who is right or does it depend on where the port is?

Carnival states you S&S card and a government ID, what you do is your choice!

[cruzinlisa]

The photo ID requirement is for those 16 and over, IIRC. Call Carnival to be sure, but our 8 and 7 year olds don't have a photo ID other than their passports.

 

This. I don't think my 7 year old has a school ID. I am going to guess if they gave them out, 2/3 of the class would have it lost within the first week. ;p I know my daughter is not the most responsible.

[Top_of_the_Cube]

What is required and what is actually checked are not necessarily the same thing. In Cozumel, last June, there was a sign as you entered the pier from land that said photo ID required. The armed official standing next to the sign just nodded at people as they walked by him. He didn't ask for ID, and no one had their ID out. A few folks paused as they saw the sign and saw the guard, but quickly noticed that no one was being stopped.

 

My advice, though, is have your photo ID with you whenever you leave the ship. Odds are, at most ports, you will never be asked for it. But odds aren't always in your favor.