Necessity to carry Passport

[jucaha]

as a US citizen sailing out of NYC to several Caribbean islands...is it necessary to carry our passports when ashore? I’m worried be my husband is going on a snorkeling excursion without me...and can’t take it under the ocean with him!!! :rolleyes: Suggestions?

[6rugrats]

Suggestion? Leave your passport on the ship.

[Luckynana]

You will only need your Passport, along with your edocs, to board the ship on your first day of the cruise. You can then keep your Passport in the safe in your stateroom, until you disembark the ship at the end of the cruise when you will again need it for US Customs. Enjoy your cruise!

 

Sent from my SM-J320P using Forums mobile app

[Velvetwater]

We leave our passports in the ship safe and carry a colour photocopy ashore.

 

This means that if there are any unlikely incidents we have a copy for any embassy and that makes the process time quicker as well as keeping passports in the safe means that if the ship leaves without you the passports get given to the port authority for you to collect.

[cb at sea]

No..none of the Caribbean Islands require passports from cruise passengers. Just take you DL ashore...it's the same size as you cruise card, and is waterproof, too! Much easier! You should always have ID on you!

[jocap]

One captain told us that to take with us our passport number and city of issue; that is enough to speed the process if you needed help.

We take a copy of the main page, and a copy of our insurance paper ashore.

[Hlitner]

You might want to consider that many passengers on closed loop Caribbean cruises do not even have Passports :). No, there is little reason to carry your Passport off the ship. Given the importance of Passports they are best kept locked in a safe...unless absolutely needed.

 

Hank

[Bonnie J.]

We have been on over 100 cruises since we started cruising in 1984. We have NEVER taken our passports off the ship! This is for every part of the Carribean. We have also heard cruise directors telling everyone, the 1st night, to leave passports ON the ship.

You can always take a photocopy of your passports but never take the real ones!

People in the ports get BIG $$$ for stolen US passports. All they have to do is change the photo and they become US citizens.

We have never been anywhere but the Caribbean & Canada so don't know about other places in Europe, etc. Our Passports are put in our safe until we leave the ship at the end of the cruise.

[George C]

Agree with everybody , keep passport in safe , take drivers license and sea pass card. In Europe we carried a copy of passport.

[jucaha]

Thank you all for your responses!! Never cruised the carribean...

[Husky61]

All the cruises we have done in the Caribbean, we don't even take our DL. We just take our sea card.:)

[George C]

Preety sure there was at least one port that wanted a picture Id, do not remember which one.

[Z'Loth]

After you check-in, you make sure you leave the passport book in your safe. Unless otherwise specified, you don't need the passport at port. Should there be an unexpected emergency, the cruise line will only check the safe for the passport book.

 

What I do is scan the information page of my passport and put it on a personal cloud-storage drive which I can access from my mobile phone. That way, should anything happen, it makes it easy to generate a new passport.

 

I just carry my driver's license and my passport card when on shore.

[zqvol]

Unless you are told to take the passport off the ship, don't do it. Some places you would be required to take it off include Russia, Cuba, and Turkey. Except for Cuba it is not necessary on any of the Caribbean or Atlantic islands.

[lenquixote66]

as a US citizen sailing out of NYC to several Caribbean islands...is it necessary to carry our passports when ashore? I’m worried be my husband is going on a snorkeling excursion without me...and can’t take it under the ocean with him!!! :rolleyes: Suggestions?

 

 

There is absolutely no reason to take your passport off the ship .All you need is photo ID and your ships card.

[Hlitner]

Preety sure there was at least one port that wanted a picture Id, do not remember which one.

 

There might be more then one but they just require some kind of government picture ID (i.e. drivers license) and you cruise card. We actually take an old expired drivers license which we carry as a picture ID. If it gets lost or stolen its no biggie.

 

Hank

[Heidi13]

Should there be an unexpected emergency' date=' the cruise line will only check the safe for the passport book.

 

[/quote']

 

My assumption is you are referring to a personal emergency requiring a medical dis-embarkation.

 

In the event of a shipboard emergency, the crew emergency duties assign crew to search the cabins, but all they are doing is checking for is passengers.

[CanobieFan]

Unless you are told to take the passport off the ship, don't do it. Some places you would be required to take it off include Russia, Cuba, and Turkey. Except for Cuba it is not necessary on any of the Caribbean or Atlantic islands.

Yeah, I definitely had to bring my passport with me off the ship in Cuba, since you go through full immigration.... Visa in hand.

 

In Asia, RCCL actually held *everyone's* passport during the duration of the cruise. Upon return, we discovered they were full of stamps. Kinda neat. We were also required to carry a copy of our passport while in Thailand when in Port.

[sparks1093]

Another thing to be mindful of is if you are taking an excursion from one island to another, then you would be required to have your passport. As a general rule unless I am required to carry my passport I leave it in the safe in the cabin. I do this because I don't like to carry things with me that I don't have to.

[maggie cruises]

We leave our passports in the ship safe and carry a colour photocopy ashore.

 

 

 

This means that if there are any unlikely incidents we have a copy for any embassy and that makes the process time quicker as well as keeping passports in the safe means that if the ship leaves without you the passports get given to the port authority for you to collect.

 

 

 

Yup passports stay in the safe in a zip lock waterproof gallon size freezer bag...aka...a bug out bag

 

Also in the bag are some cash and an extra emergency credit card and anything else that makes sense to keep in there...like your house keys...car keys...cell phone charger...you get the idea because if you miss the ship...that big out bag will be given to the port agent

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[SRF]

One captain told us that to take with us our passport number and city of issue; that is enough to speed the process if you needed help.

We take a copy of the main page, and a copy of our insurance paper ashore.

 

1) Did the captain work for the US Department of State?

 

2) Was the Captain even an US citizen?

 

If the answer do both is NO, how does he know what is needed for YOU to get a replacement US passport?

[SRF]

People in the ports get BIG $$$ for stolen US passports. All they have to do is change the photo and they become US citizens.

 

BS.

 

When you enter the US, you passport is scanned, and the database pops up a copy of the picture. They compare the picture on the computer to the one on the passport to YOU. And it would not be pleasant for the person if the picture in the database and the picture on the passport did not match.

 

Also, with the digitally printed passports (there is no longer a picture pasted on the page) and the holographic overlay, it is not easy to change the picture.

[SRF]

All the cruises we have done in the Caribbean, we don't even take our DL. We just take our sea card.:)

 

Bermuda and Bahamas wanted a picture ID to enter the port area.

 

Without one, you could enter, but you had to jump through some hoops.

[SRF]

Also, the ship MAY go into your safe and give the contents to the port agent if you miss the ship.

 

MAY, it is NOT guaranteed that this will occur.

[SavannahLime]

After you check-in' date=' you make sure you leave the passport book in your safe. Unless otherwise specified, you don't need the passport at port. Should there be an unexpected emergency, the cruise line will only check the safe for the passport book.

 

What I do is scan the information page of my passport and put it on a personal cloud-storage drive which I can access from my mobile phone. That way, should anything happen, it makes it easy to generate a new passport.

 

I just carry my driver's license and my passport card when on shore.[/quote']

 

 

 

There is a passport app ( mobile pass), for US travelers, that is approved by immigration for loop cruises entry & departure etc.

When disembarking at end of cruise you see lines for mobile passports, this is the app to use. American Embassy can use this if you find yourself in a pickle.

Still take pp card or book with you on trip. Better safe than sorry.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums