Question regarding stamping passports

[rikig1969]

My partner and I are taking our 2nd cruise beginning next weekend, to the Mexican Riviera aboard the Diamond Princess. We went ahead and got passports, because we plan on doing more cruising in the future, and figured with the new requirements, it was the best thing to do. I've been reading with interest the postings about carrying your passport with you.

 

I'm of the opinion that we should carry them with us ashore, he's of the opinion that it's safer to keep them locked in the cabin safe and only carry a copy. There seems to be pros and cons with either choice.

 

What I wamt to know currently is this: I know that you get your passport stamped whenever you travel to a foreign country. So when does it happen on a cruise? If you leave it on ship, you can't get it stamped, so do they stamp it on ship?

[RichardK]

 

I'm of the opinion that we should carry them with us ashore, he's of the opinion that it's safer to keep them locked in the cabin safe and only carry a copy. There seems to be pros and cons with either choice.

 

What I wamt to know currently is this: I know that you get your passport stamped whenever you travel to a foreign country. So when does it happen on a cruise? If you leave it on ship, you can't get it stamped, so do they stamp it on ship?

 

As to the first part, leave it locked in your cabin safe for the whole trip. Even taking a copy with you off the ship, would in my opinion be "ever-kill".

 

As to the second part, on cruises to the Caribbean and Mexican Riviera (your itinerary), stamping at individual ports-of-call is not done.

 

Again, leave it locked in the safe. See, life just became easier....... :)

[Spikesgirl]

We have had our passports collected, then stamped and returned to us during a cruise (Asia). We have stood in line on the ship and had them stamped (NZ to Aus). It really depends upon where the cruise is headed and the size of the ship. Sometimes it's done at the airport as you enter the country.

 

We never carry our passport on us if we can avoid it. The major benefit to carrying it (or a copy) is in case you miss the ship and need to get to the next port. We usually book ship excursions, so we don't have that worry. We do have several color copies and keep on in our safe deposit box, along with the original. The copy never leaves. We have a copy that we take with us, but carry in a different spot. Again, we will keep both in the safe while on the ship.

 

I like to look at mine on ocassion - it's a bit like a travelogue - and I can reassure myself that, yes, I really have been to this or that country.

 

Charlie

[johnql]

I'm of the opinion that we should carry them with us ashore, he's of the opinion that it's safer to keep them locked in the cabin safe and only carry a copy. There seems to be pros and cons with either choice.

You might want to check out this ongoing, long thread about the pros and cons of taking one's passport ashore:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=427348

[kitty9]

For cruises out of US ports to the Caribbean or Mexican Riviera, you don't get passports stamped. For that matter, even if you cruise the Med, you don't get stamps in passports anymore. When you cruise on any of the luxury lines, they collect all passports of ALL passengers and keep them locked up in their safe and only return them to the passengers on the last night of the cruise. So if the cruise lines don't feel it's necessary to take your passport off the ship, it must be OK. I've never, ever taken my passport off any cruise ship unless local law requires it, such as Russia and Vietnam. Even the US State Department website says that for places in the Caribbean and Mexico, it's better to keep your passport safe on the ship and only take a color photocopy of the information page with you.

[johnql]

Even the US State Department website says that for places in the Caribbean and Mexico, it's better to keep your passport safe on the ship and only take a color photocopy of the information page with you.

Can you provide a link to that statement? I'm not doubting you, but I looked for their advice regarding this a while back and couldn't find what you're stating.