HAL Key Card PLUS Photo ID????

[NoNoNanette]

I'm just getting around to reading the "know before you go" pamphlet-

 

They said to make certain that you had your key card AND a photo ID when getting on and off the Volendam.

 

Is this true? I prefer to keep my drivers licence, passport and credit cards locked up tight in the room safe upon arrival. :confused:

 

(On other lines, when your room key would be swiped, your photo would appear on the line's security screen....no need to bring an extra piece of ID)

[sail7seas]

Yes, you need a photo I.D. along with your ship's I.D./key card.

 

It is more for local authorities than for HAL. There are some ports that require we show our ship's I.D. and a photo I.D. when we enter the port area to embark the ship. We sailed Volendam on both her itineraries last year and we to show it to local security though I don't think we ever had to show it to ship's security when boarding. BUT they knew we would have had to have shown it in the port area or we would not have been permitted to continue to the gangway.

 

Photos appear on HAL's screens when ship's I.D. is scanned.

[Schplinky]

I also wonder what woould happen if folks got left behind (maybe they were in an accident, got stuck in traffic or lost track of time) without anything but a ship's card. Maybe HAL is trying to ensure you'll at least have the starting block to establishing your identity in these days where a photo i.d. would be needed in order for you to board a flight and catch up with the ship.

[jtl513]

All you need to get off/on the ship is the key card, but you should have a photo ID with you in case of any kind of trouble with local authorities, or if you should lose your keycard.

 

We always leave our passports in the cabin safe but bring a paper photocopy on-shore. Others posters will insist that you should always bring your passport with you. :D This time I have an expired driver's license to take with me, so I may leave the current one on the ship.

[NoNoNanette]

Many thanks for your speedy reply, Sail. The countdown is on. :)

[NoNoNanette]

All you need to get off/on the ship is the key card, but you should have a photo ID with you in case of any kind of trouble with local authorities, or if you should lose your keycard.

 

We always leave our passports in the cabin safe but bring a paper photocopy on-shore. Others posters will insist that you should always bring your passport with you. :D

 

I wonder if the local authorities would accept a copy of a drivers license as a form of photo ID? (I don't even want to walk around with a COPY of my passport!) *sighing*

[noblepa]

At the risk of starting a flame war, as this subject has come up before, I'm one who takes my ship ID, passport and ONE credit card ashore with me.

 

Some argue against taking an original passport, as it may be lost or stolen while ashore. That's true, but it is also possible to miss the ship for some reason; either my own fault or due to illness or injury, or some other unforeseen circumstance.

 

If you miss the ship for some reason, a ship ID or even a state-issued driver's license isn't going to cut any ice with the local immigration authorities. A photocopy of your passport MAY (emphasis on MAY) help the US Embassy or Consulate obtain a replacement quickly, but it has no legal standing in a foreign country.

 

Even if you can talk the police and immigration people in, say, the Bahamas into accepting your driver's license as sufficient proof of identity, the US Customs and immigration guys WON'T accept it when you FLY HOME. Remember, starting in January, a passport is required for anyone entering the US by air. Even though they have delayed the requirement for those entering by sea, that fact that you began your trip by sea, but returned by air means nothing; you must have a passport.

 

Yes, taking a passport ashore is a risk, but so is leaving it "safely" locked up in your cabin. I just try to be very, very careful with it. My worst travel nightmare is being stranded in a foreign country with no ship, no identification and no money. If I have proper ID and money (credit card), I can always get home with relatively little problem.

 

Just my humble opinion. YMMV

 

Paul Noble

[jtl513]

NoNoNanette: I edited my post, and maybe you didn't see it, but this time I'm bringing an expired driver's license. Maybe in the next 11 days you could get another form of photo-ID. In FL we can get a "Sheriff's ID" for non-drivers.

 

Paul: I agree with all you say about the pros and cons of taking vs leaving passports, and have almost been grateful to not have to make the decision in some ports: St Petersburg and Tunis are 2 that come to mind where you must bring it along. :D

[gizmo]

At the risk of starting a flame war, as this subject has come up before, I'm one who takes my ship ID, passport and ONE credit card ashore with me.

 

Some argue against taking an original passport, as it may be lost or stolen while ashore. That's true, but it is also possible to miss the ship for some reason; either my own fault or due to illness or injury, or some other unforeseen circumstance.

 

If you miss the ship for some reason, a ship ID or even a state-issued driver's license isn't going to cut any ice with the local immigration authorities. A photocopy of your passport MAY (emphasis on MAY) help the US Embassy or Consulate obtain a replacement quickly, but it has no legal standing in a foreign country.

 

Even if you can talk the police and immigration people in, say, the Bahamas into accepting your driver's license as sufficient proof of identity, the US Customs and immigration guys WON'T accept it when you FLY HOME. Remember, starting in January, a passport is required for anyone entering the US by air. Even though they have delayed the requirement for those entering by sea, that fact that you began your trip by sea, but returned by air means nothing; you must have a passport.

 

Yes, taking a passport ashore is a risk, but so is leaving it "safely" locked up in your cabin. I just try to be very, very careful with it. My worst travel nightmare is being stranded in a foreign country with no ship, no identification and no money. If I have proper ID and money (credit card), I can always get home with relatively little problem.

 

Just my humble opinion. YMMV

 

Paul Noble

 

Interesting point. I never thought about the scenario of missing the ship and having to fly to the US after the new law goes into effect.

[Chivalrygirl]

I'm just getting around to reading the "know before you go" pamphlet-

 

They said to make certain that you had your key card AND a photo ID when getting on and off the Volendam.

 

Is this true? I prefer to keep my drivers licence, passport and credit cards locked up tight in the room safe upon arrival. :confused:

 

(On other lines, when your room key would be swiped, your photo would appear on the line's security screen....no need to bring an extra piece of ID)

 

The instructions that we received on board the Statendam, must be a government issued photo ID. Drivers licence was fine, better than carting around your passport with the risk of loss. We had to show it on several occasions, to the onshore government services. Mind you I misplaced my room key on one occasion, had not put it in the usual place, security on the ship was pretty cool but they asked for my photo ID.

[Schplinky]

There was an interesting argument on RCL once on this topic and a woman claimed that a State Department person said that they take the view that a photocopy of a passport is a fake until they can prove otherwise. While it is nice to have the passport number, the copy proves nothign to the State Department and less to foreign officials, since it can so easily be doctored in this computer age.

 

I actually emailed the State Department asking whether they thought folks should take their passports ashore (in case they need them) or leave them on the ship (where they would be "safe") but nobody ever got back to me, most likely because I am not an American.

 

It has always struck me on these threads that folks are obsessed about identity theft but they are very naive about what they will do in a foreign country if they have no valid i.d.

[NoNoNanette]

It has always struck me on these threads that folks are obsessed about identity theft but they are very naive about what they will do in a foreign country if they have no valid i.d.

 

Personally, I'm not "obsessed" with the thought of identity theft. I DO however enjoy going off the "beaten path" when vacationing. I like to hang out with locals at local spots. I've always done so without a problem....BUT....using that scenario, I'd rather be robbed of a few hundred dollars CASH, than hand over an ID. :)

 

No biggy.... I'll just carry my drivers license.

 

Thanks for all of the feedback, gang. ;)

[dakrewser]

In many foreighn ports you need a photo ID to enter the port area.The requirements are essentially the same as for boarding a plane in the US. Expired IDs, photocopies, etc. are about as useful as a piece of paper with the words "this is me" written on it.

[WindyCity]

We carry extra money & our passports in a pouch that hangs under our shirts. Since a passport (NOT A COPY) is valid all over the world, we feel it is better to have the original. If it gets lost or stolen it can also be replaced and we do leave a copy of it at home and in the safe so that it would be easier to replace.

The purpose of the passport is to have it used not to sit in a safe in a foreign land in case it is needed. If you get arrested, how will you prove who you are? All you have is a driver's license or a ship's card or a copy of your passport - authorities will laugh at you.

I'd rather take my chances on my passport being stolen (my own fault for not being careful with it) instead of being detained until I could prove my identity legally.

[Desdemona01]

Excellent points, windy city. The lanyards & pouches for wearing your passport under your clothes are available everywhere (we won ours at trivia)

[Grumpy1]

The requirements vary from one port to the next. I've been in many ports where the ship ID was all that was needed to get through port security. I've been in others where the ship ID and another photo ID were needed, and a few where a passport was absolutely required. On world cruises and Mediterannean cruise, among others, HAL collects your passport at embarkation so that they can process entry into the next port without you having to physically present yourself and passport for inspection. If you will be entering a port that doesn't use this procedure, HAL will issue you a photocopy, if that is acceptable to the local authorities, or your real passport if that is what is required. You may have to return it to the front desk when you return to the ship if there are more ports that will want to prescreen your passport.

 

Remember, these procedures assume that you will be getting back on the ship and you will not run afoul of the local authorities. If your passport is in your safe and you miss the ship, you might have problems. If HAL has your passport and you aren't present at sailaway, I believe HAL's procedure is to give the passport to the port agent, who is usually the last person to leave the ship. That's why the port agent contact information is always on the port information sheet... you know... the one they deliver to your cabin the night before, you look at it and don't take it with you... You really should take it with you.

[grannynurse]

We always take the port agent contact information with us on shore. Grumpy's advice is very appropriate, as usual.

GN

[jtl513]

Expired IDs ... are about as useful as a piece of paper with the words "this is me" written on it.

 

Why? It is obviously still a picture of me, it is obviously government-issued, and it is obviously not fraudulent. If it identified me a few weeks ago, why doesn't it identify me now? I'm not using it to rent a car or drive, for which it would be invalid.

[sail7seas]

We don't make those rules and neither does HAL; we just follow 'em.

 

[jessemon]

Yes, you need a photo I.D. along with your ship's I.D./key card.

 

It is more for local authorities than for HAL. There are some ports that require we show our ship's I.D. and a photo I.D. when we enter the port area to embark the ship. We sailed Volendam on both her itineraries last year and we to show it to local security though I don't think we ever had to show it to ship's security when boarding. BUT they knew we would have had to have shown it in the port area or we would not have been permitted to continue to the gangway.

 

Photos appear on HAL's screens when ship's I.D. is scanned.

Agreed...anyone can knock you on the head and take the key card.

Then do who knows what. The port of call would not like that.

The card from HAL when swiped does have your pic in the computer that they look at....but....a nut still could do something stupid...

[BumperII]

They said to make certain that you had your key card AND a photo ID when getting on and off the Volendam.

 

 

When everything has been tried, and all else has failed, try following the instructions.:D

[NoNoNanette]

When everything has been tried, and all else has failed, try following the instructions.:D

 

In the words of my dearest nephew at the age of three:

 

"THAT NO FUN!!!!!" ;););)

[emmylou]

I copy the inside of my pass port and use that as my photo ID.Was told to do that in case I lost my passport I could go to any American Embassy and it would help to expedite getting a duplicate made up.

emmylou

 

Happy Thanksgiving to all

[sail7seas]

Actually......just to try to be helpful. Consulates located around the world would be the agency that would assist in replacing a lost passport......not the Embassy.

 

[dakrewser]

Why? It is obviously still a picture of me, it is obviously government-issued, and it is obviously not fraudulent. If it identified me a few weeks ago, why doesn't it identify me now? I'm not using it to rent a car or drive, for which it would be invalid.

 

But it is no longer valid. And a "valid" ID is what you need to have. Try showing that expired license to a trooper when he stops you on the freeway...