What should I do with our passports?

[KateDrake]

Hey everyone!
First off, I just want to say a big thank you to everyone on this board! You have all helped me so much as my family has adjusted to life in Canada this past year, and I am so thankful for all of your help!

I am wondering what everyone does with their passports while traveling? Do you keep them with you? Or leave them in a safe? Do you email scans of your documents to yourself so you have copies in case the originals get lost?

Here's my worry: we are going on a Mexican Riviera cruise next year. Normally I would just leave my passport in the safe on the ship. But I'm nervous now that we live here in Canada. Mostly because if we lose our documents, I don't know who we'd ask to help us get home. We're US citizens (except for youngest DD who was born here). So we'd need help to get "home" — which is not the US! Would we need to contact both the US and Canadian consulate if we somehow miss the ship or lose our documents?

Part of me thinks I should just keep them with me when going ashore, but then another part of me worries about losing them! Will they let us back home to Canada if we lose our original passports with our work permits? I'm assuming they have a record of those somehow, right?

 

[uandmfan]

I personally like to leave my passport in the room safe unless I need it. I don't like the risk of having it stolen or lost. Keeping in mind the cruise ship staff can get into the safe - the odds are they won't take a passport . Although cash had been known to go missing at hotels.

If you lose your passports you would have to visit both consulates as neither could issue travel documents for non-citizens . If you are PRs in Canada then the Canadian consulate may be able to help. I'm not sure . The airline likely won't let you on the plane without a passport or maybe a PR card. You would have to check their rules.

As for the work permints, CBSA officers will be able to see you have them so I wouldn't worry about them not allowing you back into the country . It may take awhile to get the paperwork sorted out.

I would visit the foreign affairs website to find out the locations of consulates . I know that tourists in mexico lose their passports all the time so you wouldn't be the first person it happened to .

I always take a photocopy of the photo page when I travel. It just helps a bit if you lose it.

But I would take care not to miss the ship! Getting to a consulate can be a bit difficult.

Enjoy your trip

 

[Debbie]

I carried mine while in port on both the Disney Caribbean cruise last year, and the HAL Alaska cruise this year. I think I feel safer with it, than without. I've done the neck safe thingie in the past, but both these times, they were in my purse. I should add, that I like to be in control, so it just made sense for me.

 

[bdoyledimou]

You would contact the US Embassy and then the Canadian consulate to confirm your perm residency. Its all computerized. they know if you belong or not. Its just easier when you have your id.

you are also more likely to lose your passport by carrying it around, than to have it stolen leaving it in a safe (these days with e-passports what use is it going to be to anyone else anyway?)

 

[uandmfan]

Just to clarify I meant that leaving cash in a safe isn't necessarily safe although I have done it. I always leave my passport in the hotel safe. Much safer than carrying it around in my opinion.

If you do need to carry it around I would use a neck pouch or somethig. A purse or bag is more likely to be stolen or targeted by a pick pocket.

I used to get security briefings at work by people who were a bit paranoid.......

 

[LSmith]

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[Ted in Halifax]

When I am in Disney, my passports always stay in the safe. But when I travel to Mexico and Brazil, I keep my passports in my Money belt, but I also carry a wallet with some money and a few useless cards (i.e Starbucks etc).

If I was to be robbed, I would then have something to give them.

Ted

 

[minnie mum]

When I am in Disney, my passports always stay in the safe. But when I travel to Mexico and Brazil, I keep my passports in my Money belt, but I also carry a wallet with some money and a few useless cards (i.e Starbucks etc).

If I was to be robbed, I would then have something to give them.

Ted

This is what we do, too. The money belt is so easily hidden under your clothes. We also keep our credit cards there as well. Our wallets hold our daily cash and if on a cruise, our sail away card and DL. For beach days, though, the passport stays in the safe, and we'll just carry our sailaway card, drivers license, and a photocopy of the first page of our passport in the bottom of our beach bag..