Jemnibabe Posted February 19, 2020 #1 Share Posted February 19, 2020 Just had a question posed on our roll call regarding taking your actual passport when you go ashore or just a copy? The question was: what do you do if you miss getting back to the ship and you have to fly to the next port? Problems? Anyone ever experienced this? Thanks Judy from SW Florida Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andlep Posted February 19, 2020 #2 Share Posted February 19, 2020 I always carry my passport, however if you don't have it and are left in port, the ship's crew will search your cabin and leave your passport with their agent on the pier for you. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casofilia Posted February 19, 2020 #3 Share Posted February 19, 2020 We carry a copy as the shipping line will leave anything in the safe with the port authorities. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenswing Posted February 19, 2020 #4 Share Posted February 19, 2020 In some countries it's a requirement that you carry your actual passport. If there is no requirement we carry a copy. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Host Carolyn Posted February 19, 2020 #5 Share Posted February 19, 2020 I carry a copy of my passport --- the pages with passport number and photo --ashore and leave original in the safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hal2008 Posted February 19, 2020 #6 Share Posted February 19, 2020 You can get passport card when you get your passport booklet. It is size of a credit card. While it is valid for land crossings, it is not valid for air travel. So you can leave booklet in cabin/hotel safe and carry passport card. In cse of emergency, it is lot easier to get local consulate to issue emergency travel papers with that card in your possession. Also, countries like Italy REQUIRES that a foreigner should carry a national ID on you. (US driver licence is not a national ID as it is issued by state but passport card is) At 3 USD/year, it is a great investment of money (and require no extra paperwork or any effort other than checking a different box) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shmoo here Posted February 19, 2020 #7 Share Posted February 19, 2020 (edited) 20 minutes ago, Jemnibabe said: Just had a question posed on our roll call regarding taking your actual passport when you go ashore or just a copy? The question was: what do you do if you miss getting back to the ship and you have to fly to the next port? Problems? Anyone ever experienced this? Thanks Judy from SW Florida When in ports/countries that require us to have our passports on us, we carry them. In ports/countries that have no such requirement, we don't. If you miss the ship, typically, the ship's security will enter your room, open the safe and remove passports and/or other documents you would need and leave them with the port agent for you to retrieve. Edited February 19, 2020 by Shmoo here 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare mizLORInj Posted February 19, 2020 #8 Share Posted February 19, 2020 Caribbean ports we carry a copy of the information page. The original is safe on the ship. When there have been robberies on some of the islands, the passports were a coveted item and travelers had them stolen. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunsetme Posted February 19, 2020 #9 Share Posted February 19, 2020 make a credit card size copy for your wallet, very handy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zqvol Posted February 19, 2020 #10 Share Posted February 19, 2020 My last passport is somewhere in Quebec. After that experience mine will never leave the ship unless required by local law. Thank goodness I had my passport card with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare mom says Posted February 19, 2020 #11 Share Posted February 19, 2020 1 hour ago, zqvol said: My last passport is somewhere in Quebec. After that experience mine will never leave the ship unless required by local law. Thank goodness I had my passport card with me. Money belts aren't just for money. My passport always go with me unless I'm just going to the beach, but I carry it securely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb at sea Posted February 20, 2020 #12 Share Posted February 20, 2020 If you miss the ship, they will get the contents of your safe and leave it with the port people.... Unless you're traveling to a place that requires you have a passport on your person, your DL will suffice as ID. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbwex Posted February 20, 2020 #13 Share Posted February 20, 2020 In some cases, the cruise line will hold your passport for the entire cruise unless there is a port where you need to have it with you. Like many others, I carry a copy of the ID page, but that is all. In most ports, the ship certifies to the immigration people that everyone has a valid passport, and after that your ship's key card is sufficient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davekathy Posted February 20, 2020 #14 Share Posted February 20, 2020 When we first go to our stateroom we lock our passports in the safe and that's where they stay the entire cruise. The only exception is when doing a B2B cruise passports are required on TAD but then they are locked in the safe after that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wowzz Posted February 20, 2020 #15 Share Posted February 20, 2020 Ours stay in the safe as well. Obviously if it is a requirement to carry it in a certain country we do so. Interestingly, we have just returned from a cruise, and the daily news letter on port days, specifically stated that passports did not need to be carried. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare sparks1093 Posted February 20, 2020 #16 Share Posted February 20, 2020 15 hours ago, hal2008 said: You can get passport card when you get your passport booklet. It is size of a credit card. While it is valid for land crossings, it is not valid for air travel. So you can leave booklet in cabin/hotel safe and carry passport card. In cse of emergency, it is lot easier to get local consulate to issue emergency travel papers with that card in your possession. Also, countries like Italy REQUIRES that a foreigner should carry a national ID on you. (US driver licence is not a national ID as it is issued by state but passport card is) At 3 USD/year, it is a great investment of money (and require no extra paperwork or any effort other than checking a different box) The Consulate can access your passport information just fine without a passport card. The card would serve as proof of citizenship, which is required to issue a new passport, but then a copy of your passport serves the same purpose. Having a copy of your passport is zero dollars. We're in the "leave it in the safe unless there is a reason to carry it ashore" camp, but in reality people need to do what is comfortable for them to do, there is no right or wrong answer. Reasons to carry it ashore include taking an excursion that crosses a border (some Alaska excursions and Caribbean excursions) or local law requiring them to be carried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K32682 Posted February 20, 2020 #17 Share Posted February 20, 2020 (edited) I carry my passport when in a foreign country. I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. I have more confidence in my ability to carry it securely than the cruise line living up to its commitment to leave it should they depart without me. Even if they do I would still have to get back to the port and locate the agent to retrieve my documents which in an emergency situation may be difficult or impossible. In the highly unlikely event I lose my passport I can return to the boat and continue on the cruise while I sort out the issue in relative comfort as opposed to being stranded without documents in a foreign land. I keep a copy of my passport in the cabin and a PDF on my phone. Edited February 20, 2020 by K32682 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare sparks1093 Posted February 20, 2020 #18 Share Posted February 20, 2020 33 minutes ago, K32682 said: I carry my passport when in a foreign country. I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. I have more confidence in my ability to carry it securely than the cruise line living up to its commitment to leave it should they depart without me. Even if they do I would still have to get back to the port and locate the agent to retrieve my documents which in an emergency situation may be difficult or impossible. In the highly unlikely event I lose my passport I can return to the boat and continue on the cruise while I sort out the issue in relative comfort as opposed to being stranded without documents in a foreign land. I keep a copy of my passport in the cabin and a PDF on my phone. Actually your second paragraph may or may not happen if you let the ship know that you no longer have your passport. You are required to have your travel documents with you throughout the trip and if you lose them the ship might just put you ashore. I did read a thread a couple of years ago where that is exactly what happened. The passengers were on a European cruise and had their passport picked by a pickpocket. They were put ashore and had to get a replacement passport from the Embassy before traveling to the next port to meet the ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K32682 Posted February 20, 2020 #19 Share Posted February 20, 2020 (edited) 29 minutes ago, sparks1093 said: Actually your second paragraph may or may not happen if you let the ship know that you no longer have your passport. You are required to have your travel documents with you throughout the trip and if you lose them the ship might just put you ashore. I did read a thread a couple of years ago where that is exactly what happened. The passengers were on a European cruise and had their passport picked by a pickpocket. They were put ashore and had to get a replacement passport from the Embassy before traveling to the next port to meet the ship. It would be good to know the specific details of this thread. I would not feel compelled to tell the cruise line that I no longer had possession of my passport. Your anecdote would not change my current practices. Edited February 20, 2020 by K32682 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare sparks1093 Posted February 20, 2020 #20 Share Posted February 20, 2020 (edited) 3 minutes ago, K32682 said: It would be good to know the specific details of this thread. I would not feel compelled to tell the cruise line that I no longer had possession of my passport. Your anecdote would not change my current practices. When I read the thread my first response was, "well, if that ever happened to me I'd not tell the cruise line". Unfortunately the thread is no longer available since the format change on Cruise Critic. I didn't offer the anecdote in an attempt to change anything you do, just a cautionary tale of what might happen for others to consider (or not). Edited February 20, 2020 by sparks1093 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldubs Posted February 20, 2020 #21 Share Posted February 20, 2020 3 hours ago, K32682 said: I would not feel compelled to tell the cruise line that I no longer had possession of my passport. Huh, before reading some of this thread I wouldn't have given a second thought to informing the cruise ship I had lost my passport. Is keeping it secret to avoid being put ashore? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoW mAn Posted February 20, 2020 #22 Share Posted February 20, 2020 I always bring my passport but I also have a picture of it on my phone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbinMich Posted February 20, 2020 #23 Share Posted February 20, 2020 13 hours ago, wowzz said: Ours stay in the safe as well. Obviously if it is a requirement to carry it in a certain country we do so. Interestingly, we have just returned from a cruise, and the daily news letter on port days, specifically stated that passports did not need to be carried. We have done a number of transatlantic cruises and what has usually happened at the first European port is that local immigration folks come onboard to check everyone's passports, sometimes the day before as I recall. Thus, we never took our passports off the ship, just photocopies as others have said. Don't have to go through all this in the Caribbean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldubs Posted February 20, 2020 #24 Share Posted February 20, 2020 4 hours ago, CoW mAn said: I always bring my passport but I also have a picture of it on my phone Same here. Mrs Ldubs has paper photocopies and pic's. I guess we have it all covered. Regarding taking them with us, in general we do if we can. If they are collected by the ship, then we take the photocopies. BTW, I like your town. We have some relatives there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoW mAn Posted February 20, 2020 #25 Share Posted February 20, 2020 48 minutes ago, ldubs said: If they are collected by the ship, then we take the photocopies. BTW, I like your town. We have some relatives there. They really shouldn't be collected by the ship unless you're headed somewhere with some very specific visa requirements like some ports in Asia. Thanks 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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