SFLcruiser Posted February 28, 2017 Report Share Posted February 28, 2017 Do you all bring your passport with you while in port or leave them safely on the ship? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestingBird Posted February 28, 2017 Report Share Posted February 28, 2017 Depends on the port, I think. If I recall correctly, the ship's staff will tell you if it's needed. I know sometimes we took them on our excursions thinking we'd need them to get back onboard, but we didn't. Hopefully someone else can give you a better answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted February 28, 2017 Report Share Posted February 28, 2017 If it is needed in port, it will be stated in the Cruise Compass. Rarely is it needed, however. It is my understanding that if you leave it in your cabin's safe and miss the ship in port, security will retrieve it and leave it with the port agent so that you're able to catch up with the ship or get back home. enjoylife5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest toodle68 Posted February 28, 2017 Report Share Posted February 28, 2017 We both have the passport cards and do not remove the actual passports from the safe unless absolutely needed... but, I also will never step foot into another country without the passport card.. and a credit card with enough space for a plane ticket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted February 28, 2017 Report Share Posted February 28, 2017 We both have the passport cards and do not remove the actual passports from the safe unless absolutely needed... but, I also will never step foot into another country without the passport card.. and a credit card with enough space for a plane ticket. Given that the passport card is not valid for air travel, what benefit does carrying it provide over any other form of ID? Wouldn't you still need your passport? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted February 28, 2017 Report Share Posted February 28, 2017 In my opinion, if you leave the ship, you should bring your passports with you. The reason to have a passport in the first place is if you get stuck in a foreign country for whatever reason, having a passport means you can leave that country at your leisure. If you leave your passport onboard the ship and get stuck on an island, you will have to go to the US Consulate, apply for a visa and then once granted, be able to leave. That is neither convenient nor quick. So in short, always bring your passports when you leave the ship. RestingBird 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted February 28, 2017 Report Share Posted February 28, 2017 I never bring my passport when I go ashore. Perhaps one day I will regret it but I am more afraid of losing it than I am of getting left without it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted February 28, 2017 Report Share Posted February 28, 2017 I never bring my passport when I go ashore. Perhaps one day I will regret it but I am more afraid of losing it than I am of getting left without it. To play devil's advocate, you are concerned about losing your passport when going ashore but not your wallet? SeaPass card? cash? phone? Personally, I don't know why a passport would be any more or less concerning about losing than other valuables. RestingBird and DocLC 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enjoylife5 Posted February 28, 2017 Report Share Posted February 28, 2017 To play devil's advocate, you are concerned about losing your passport when going ashore but not your wallet? SeaPass card? cash? phone? Personally, I don't know why a passport would be any more or less concerning about losing than other valuables. I see your point Matt, but i would think of all those things the passport would be the hardest/most valuable to replace? I do worry about losing those things off ship, but i think worst case scenarios they could probably be resolved without too many ramifications, but the passport? Such a conundrum. On our southern carribean cruise last month, Royal told us to take our sea pass and copies of our passport with us. Maybe that is enough to calm our minds? Idk. Maybe there are back up plans worried cruisers don't know about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted February 28, 2017 Report Share Posted February 28, 2017 I see your point Matt, but i would think of all those things the passport would be the hardest/most valuable to replace? I do worry about losing those things off ship, but i think worst case scenarios they could probably be resolved without too many ramifications, but the passport? Such a conundrum. On our southern carribean cruise last month, Royal told us to take our sea pass and copies of our passport with us. Maybe that is enough to calm our minds? Idk. Maybe there are back up plans worried cruisers don't know about. Of course you don't want to lose your passport, but the entire reason to have a passport in the first place is not necessarily to just get on the ship on embarkation day, but rather, to have it if you get stuck somewhere and need to get home. If you leave your passport onboard the ship, there is really no point in having brought the passport in the first place. If you are marooned somewhere and the ship leaves, a photo copy will not allow you to leave the country. A lot of people leave their passports onboard, but unfortunately, it does them no good to have it there. enjoylife5 and RestingBird 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeK Posted February 28, 2017 Report Share Posted February 28, 2017 Of course you don't want to lose your passport, but the entire reason to have a passport in the first place is not necessarily to just get on the ship on embarkation day, but rather, to have it if you get stuck somewhere and need to get home. If you leave your passport onboard the ship, there is really no point in having brought the passport in the first place. If you are marooned somewhere and the ship leaves, a photo copy will not allow you to leave the country. A lot of people leave their passports onboard, but unfortunately, it does them no good to have it there. I have been all over the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and last summer on the Baltic Sea cruise. There has been only one port that required a passport to leave and come back and that was St. Petersburg, Russia. With that said I think you are right on taking your passport whenever you leave the ship. From now on I will be taking my passport with me. Thanks for the good advice. whitsmom, DocLC and Matt 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sailor_to_Cruiser Posted March 1, 2017 Report Share Posted March 1, 2017 In the middle east the ship keeps your passport at check-in. Each port stamps your passport but it is done on the ship to speed up the disembarkation process. It seemed a pretty seamless operation. This document explains the process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcarney Posted March 2, 2017 Report Share Posted March 2, 2017 To play devil's advocate, you are concerned about losing your passport when going ashore but not your wallet? SeaPass card? cash? phone? Personally, I don't know why a passport would be any more or less concerning about losing than other valuables. I'd much rather lose a wallet, etc over the passport. If I lose my wallet I can still enter the US when I get home. If I lost my passport, I may be S.O.L. enjoylife5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mworkman Posted March 2, 2017 Report Share Posted March 2, 2017 The best thing to do is print out a copy of your passport information prior to leaving home and take that ashore, leaving your passport on board if you have too. In the event that something should happen you can produce a copy for a consulate or embassy if needed as proof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted March 2, 2017 Report Share Posted March 2, 2017 I'd much rather lose a wallet, etc over the passport. If I lose my wallet I can still enter the US when I get home. If I lost my passport, I may be S.O.L. I don't believe you should choose to bring or not bring a passport with you solely out of fear of theft/forgetfulness. It is useless to you in your stateroom safe, should you be marooned somewhere. I agree I would not want to lose my passport, or my wallet, or pretty much anything I own. No one wants to, but I still take my wallet, passport and other valuables on shore with me because the benefits of having them with me far outweigh the concerns over losing them. MikeK 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted March 2, 2017 Report Share Posted March 2, 2017 The best thing to do is print out a copy of your passport information prior to leaving home and take that ashore, leaving your passport on board if you have too. In the event that something should happen you can produce a copy for a consulate or embassy if needed as proof. A copy might save you a few minutes, but you will still have to go to the consulate office and apply for a visa. If you had your visa on you, you could skip all that and head straight to the airport and leave immediately. A trip the consulate office (of any country) is an exercise in painful government bureaucracy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mworkman Posted March 2, 2017 Report Share Posted March 2, 2017 A copy might save you a few minutes, but you will still have to go to the consulate office and apply for a visa. If you had your visa on you, you could skip all that and head straight to the airport and leave immediately. A trip the consulate office (of any country) is an exercise in painful government bureaucracy. I know, but there are some that don't feel the need to take a passport with them for fear of losing it or having a place to keep it while on an excursion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted March 2, 2017 Report Share Posted March 2, 2017 I know, but there are some that don't feel the need to take a passport with them for fear of losing it or having a place to keep it while on an excursion. Totally understand what you're saying, but those same folks still bring their SeaPass card, cash, credit cards....why is the Passport any different? I promise this is the last post I will write about in this thread about this subject :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mworkman Posted March 2, 2017 Report Share Posted March 2, 2017 Totally understand what you're saying, but those same folks still bring their SeaPass card, cash, credit cards....why is the Passport any different? I promise this is the last post I will write about in this thread about this subject :lol: Because none of those articles are able to gain you your identification/identity like a passport does, those items can be replaced/cancelled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyw Posted March 6, 2017 Report Share Posted March 6, 2017 Do you all bring your passport with you while in port or leave them safely on the ship? I made a color copy of the info page of our passports at a 50% reduction in size. I laminated the "cards" and take those off the ship with me, the real passport stays in the safe in the cabin. I've never had any issues using the card as ID. Others take a picture of their passport with their phone, assuming they're taking their phone off the ship. SFLcruiser 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KWofPerth Posted March 8, 2017 Report Share Posted March 8, 2017 You either: a. leave your passport onboard and risk being marooned in a foreign land; or b. pack it in your bags and risk it being lost or stolen. Which is the most likely scenario? For mine, it is b. But pros and cons both ways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRC Posted March 8, 2017 Report Share Posted March 8, 2017 I have never taken my passport ashore. It goes in the safe as soon as I get to my room. I do have images of it and my Global Entry card on my Google Drive so that should (heaven forbid) something happen, an embassy/consulate can get me another fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexk Posted March 8, 2017 Report Share Posted March 8, 2017 We go to a travel show each year. The US Passport services has a booth there manned by government officials, they suggest you do NOT bring a copy of your passport, since you are at greater risk of the passport being lost or stolen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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