My passport is always securely on my person. I'd never carry it in any bag or leave it anywhere. I don't understand why anyone would allow themselves to be separated from such a vital document.

Audrey

Count me in as one who carries it with me whenever I'm off the ship. I keep a copy in the safe and another in the luggage, but the original goes with me. I try to take care to not wear backpacks or carry a purse (usually a dreaded fanny pack, carried around front) that could be easily swiped or pickpocketed. My tourguide in Florence almost had her backpack pickpocketed in front of the Duomo -- very crowded place and she was distracted.

I just can't predict when there may be a medical emergency or other mishap that might detain me or Mr. Xine when we are traveling, and I want to make sure we are prepared in case we do miss the ship.

Do you also carry photocopies of your money, and keep the real stuff in the safe?? You know, just in case it gets stolen or lost? AFAIK, an Embassy won't replace that... so I just put the two together (the money and the passport) and keep a careful eye on them.

Honestly, if you are carrying more money with you then you need and don't have the rest locked up in the safe, you are just looking for trouble.

I agree, I take the passport with me at all times in my purse or in a passport holder around my neck.

I'd never carry my passport in a purse. Far too risky. I actually sew extra pockets into my trousers with a hidden zip (hidden inside another pocket) to the pocket that holds my passport. I need about 3 hands to get it out of there, but that means that no-one else can get it out either.

I also keep emergency cash and a spare credit or ATM card in there. Pickpockets are welcome to grab my wallet.

Audrey

I left the passport on board in the safe. I have only cruised Mexico and the western Caribbean, in other words, I am there to swim and to snorkel and having to care for an important gov't document would ruin the entire experience. Leave the passport in the durn safe and be free to snorkel, splash, swim, and just be relaxed.

If there is a medical emergency, my photocopy of the passport will allow the U.S. embassy or whoever to get me another passport. Trust me. Old people cruise. They know how to handle it. Life is too short to give up my snorkel while I keep paperwork strapped to my being.

I have done both ship excursions and independent excursion, depending on how far I plan to travel from the ship. Obviously, when I'm independent, there is little likelihood of missing the ship, except for a medical emergency, because I'm in control of when I get back to the dock. When I'm with a ship's excursions, trust me, if the ship sails without us, there are plenty of other older folk in the same situation. We will not be left in Guatemala forever. Our goverments will find a way to work it out. Don't stress so much!

A passport is too large and uncomfortable to always be "securely on your person." Maybe some day they will change it to a scannable credit card sized object with a magnetic stripe containing all that information. Then I will be happy to cart it around. But it's a freaking paperback book! There is no way for a small person to carry it comfortably. It is awkward and obvious in a neck pouch and will not be safe from armed robbery because it's so large it's clearly visible. When worn in a hip/leg pouch, it pokes into my thighs. It's a very poor design. They should have all of that information in a small card/chip if they really expect us to carry it everywhere. And it better be waterproof if they want it carried at the beach.

Haven't been on Windstar recently, but on the cruises I've been on, they took your passport and held it hostage seemingly to force you to remember to pay your bill prior to departure. Not very happy with this.

I agree with peachfront. If you are in the Caribbean and going to the beach, diving, snorkeling, etc. your passport is much safer in the safe in the room.

When not cruising (land trips) I usually keep the passport safe - if staying in a private house, leave it there buried somewhere, if in a hotel, usually in a safe.

Often I carry a copy of the passport with me but since I have the passport number, issuance and expiration date memorized, I can give that info to a US consulate from memory.

John

When cruising in the Caribbean, I leave it in the safe. Water activities really don't lend themselves to being practical with carrying it around. Plus, it definitely would be much easier to make arrangements to get home from there should I miss the ship (which I vow never to do!!) When I cruise overseas such as to the Med however, I take it to port with me in case of emergency (on cruise about 35 people missed the ship due to a traffic jam from Paris to the pier. The ship left without them)

When I travel on a land based trip I will generally leave it in the safe of the hotel.

It's for exactly this reason (as it's essentially useless otherwise unless say, I decide to drive to TJ) I got a Passport Card when I renewed my passport this year. My real PP will stay in the room safe when I take a cruise later this year, and the Passport Card will go in the clip with the one credit-card, a few $$ and my ship's card (all of which go in the "crotch safe"; the belt-hook wallet).

I've also got scans of my PP (and those of my traveling party) in a hidden-away place on the internet, just in case I lose everything while abroad.

I was surprised at the speed of passport renewal, too- I sent off my old PP, the $$ and the new pictures (waaaaay better looking than the set from '99! :) ) on the 1st of July and I had my new "Sure, the RFID's unhackable; trust us!" version (and my punched-up original PP) on the 11th. The passport card showed up before Sept. 1st, which I guess isn't bad considering they're new.

As someone who has never taken a cruise, I have a question.

When you dock in a country, are you not required to clear any customs and immigration services where they would want to see your passport? Is there some other document that customs & immigration officers look at, or are there no customs and immigration at all?

Thanks,
Greg

It's my understanding that they "pre-clear" you in all the countries you're entering on your cruise as part of your checkin to the cruiseline (but then again, I've only done Caribbean and Mexico cruises, none that are "real" international). All we do is slide our key-cards on the way off the ship, then slide them again on the way back on, and only deal with customs back home after getting off the ship.

Some folks with more of an international experience can talk about those, I'm sure.

I do know that the cruiselines need your passport information well in advance of your voyage for this reason.

I second the Passport Card. We got ours last week. The size of a drivers liscence. Handy to carry and acts as a passport for all lnad and marine crossings. Leave the full passport in the safe and acrry the Passport Card. Everything is covered then.

+1

$20 well spent.

more casual than most
 

I guess I don't worry as much as most of you. Just returned from our first cruise - left the passports (mine and kid's) in the inner pocket of the backpack sitting on the cabin floor most of the trip. I did take them along for the shore excursion to Victoria, but that's it. Never even opened the cabin safe.

Mind you, I only had about $400 in cash at the start of the trip, and that amount slowly decreased over 10 days, so I made sure the cabin door was latched and went out and had fun without worrying about security. :cool: