Passports on excursions?

[SansaStark]

Hello!
We booked our first excursion in Mexico with DCL, and I was wondering if you needed to bring your passport along. I’m worried about it getting lost, stolen or damaged.

 

[FreeTime]

In my experience the cruise director will make an announcement if you need to bring it on your excursion. This occurs when your excursion changes countries. For example, we recently had one in Alaska that went into Canada and we had to have our passports. However, I always take mine or at a minimum a copy in case there is an emergency and the excursion is not in the US. We don’t want to be in an excursion, be injured, be in the hospital and the ship leave with what we would need to get help at an embassy.

 

[MomOTwins]

For a Mexico stop, no you do not need to bring it

 

[71 Truck]

Any time we get off the ship I bring a color photo copy of mine and my wife's Passport if the physical Passport is not required.

 

[GPaLarry]

It is always good to either take your passport or a good copy just in case you get stuck in port and your ship is pushing away from the dock. YouTube has a bunch of "pier runner" videos that show cruisers sprinting down long, long piers to just miss their ship from either a delayed excursion booked on shore (not through the cruise line), not heeding the all aboard time or hitting too many bars on shore. Trying to book a flight to your next port without a passport (or copy) and credit card is a nightmare I never want to face.

 

[Strawberry's mom&dad]

Send a photo copy of your passports to your email. That way you have a copy that you can access and print out if needed.

 

[mocodis]

For Mexico, you do not need to keep it with you on any excursions. Just keep it in the safe onboard. Maybe have a photo of it on your smartphone.

 

[sethschroeder]

Send a photo copy of your passports to your email. That way you have a copy that you can access and print out if needed.

Just know that someone can likely gain access to that photocopy with not the best intentions.

Personally I wouldn't store that information in a spot you are logging in to fairly often. Lots of options out there such as DropBox as an example where you can enable 2 factor.

 

[Rob1872]

Do you NEED to bring your passport with you? No. Do I still bring passports in a travel pouch that I wear around my neck under my shirt in case something completely unexpected happens? Yes.

 

[msmama]

If you are at a port where you need your passport they will check that you have it several times before you actually get off the ship.

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

The cruise line encourages people to keep their passports in a safe during excursions in Mexico.

 

[spiders]

So for cruises that do not require a passport the common theme you'll hear people say is that while you don't need one, they are great in emergencies.

I am a fan of having the passport only because it makes life easier at check in, etc...

However, if you really are part of the group that wants to have your passport rare event that you end up in a hospital while on an excursion or something happens and you need to fly home unexpectedly then it does you no good to have your passport for this reason if you then leave it on the ship.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

So for cruises that do not require a passport the common theme you'll hear people say is that while you don't need one, they are great in emergencies.

I am a fan of having the passport only because it makes life easier at check in, etc...

However, if you really are part of the group that wants to have your passport rare event that you end up in a hospital while on an excursion or something happens and you need to fly home unexpectedly then it does you no good to have your passport for this reason if you then leave it on the ship.

If, for some reason, you are not onboard the ship when it sails, security will enter your room, open your safe, and remove any passports to be left with the port agent for you to collect.

 

[justKim]

Could you use a passport card if you get left behind in Mexico? I know they are for land crossing at the border, but could they be useful in a pinch?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Could you use a passport card if you get left behind in Mexico? I know they are for land crossing at the border, but could they be useful in a pinch?

They are good for land crossings. So, if you get yourself to the land border, you can return to the US.

They are not good for flying from a Mexican city to the US.

 

[Mom24Princesses]

I have never taken my pp off for excursions. A paper copy might be a good idea. We’ve only done Caribbean/Bahamian/Mexico cruises and most were to water. Now ...I think I did carry our PPs on an excursion with Carnival to the Xunantunich ruins in Belize. It’s < 1000 yards from Guatemala. But usually we’re in the water on excursions so I don’t chance it.

I travel in Brazil about once a year and I have a color scanned copy in every bag and I alway carried 2 PPs - my Brazilian Visa was in my old one so I had to carry it AND my new one everywhere I went. I think they just ended the Visa requirement for US citizens.