Should you bring your passport on shore excursions?

Most of the time you will not need to show your passport when going ashore, however, it is still sensible to take some form of identification with you and I suggest bringing a photocopy of your original passport. You may be stopped by a police officer or need to show proof of I.D.



Whether you should bring your physical passport on a shore excursion is a common debate among cruisers, and the answer often depends on the specific port and your risk tolerance. Most cruise experts and cruise lines recommend leaving your original passport in your stateroom safe and instead carrying a high-quality color photocopy or a digital photo of it on your phone, along with a government-issued photo ID like a driver's license. This minimizes the risk of losing your most vital document or having it stolen while exploring. However, you must carry your original passport if the local government specifically requires it for entry (which your cruise director will announce) or if you are planning to travel far from the port on an independent excursion where you might miss the ship's departure. In the rare event that you miss the ship or have a medical emergency, having your original passport on your person makes arranging international travel much easier. Ultimately, always check the "Daily Program" provided on board for the specific requirements of each destination.

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Ships & Cruises – Frequently Asked Questions What documents will be required when I check in for my cruise? A: At check-in, all Guests must present valid passports or other acceptable proof of citizenship. All travelers are required to have a valid passport to enter or re-enter the United States by air.

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U.S. citizens on closed-loop cruises will be able to enter or depart the country with proof of citizenship, such as an Enhanced Driver's License (EDL), a government-issued birth certificate (issued by the Vital Records Department in the state where he or she was born) or passport, and if 16 or older, a government ...

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Necessary cruise documents include acceptable official forms of identification, proof of your booking number and boarding information, and confirmation that you aren't ill. You must present these upon arrival at the port.

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Since the excursion is supposed to only take place within the allotted port time, the ship will wait for passengers coming from a cruise line excursion that's running late. However, if you've spent the day independently on your own, there are certain steps you must take to make sure you're not left stranded.

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Even if the cruise is only visiting destinations within the British Isles Common Travel Area (which includes the UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands), you must still take a passport.

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Never have anything in your back pockets, as this makes it very easy for pickpockets to target you. Some prefer to have fanny packs in leu of a crossbody during their shore excursions, which can be a great solution for carrying valuables and keeping money in a safe place.

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The Head of Household must declare all merchandise purchased or acquired abroad and which he/she is bringing back into the United States. That includes items purchased in duty-free shops (on board) and in port as well as items received as gifts. It also includes items the guests have begun to use or are wearing.

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Upon entering the terminal, you'll need to show your cruise documents and go through a security line. You will need to pass through an x-ray machine and have your carry-ons scanned, but the process is not as rigorous as at the airport. (You likely won't need to remove your shoes, for example.)

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We recommend paying for on shore purchases that are over $10 with a credit card to reduce the amount of cash you need to carry when off-ship and for a good record of your purchase, and use pocket change or local currency for the rest.

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Consider a waterproof case or a plastic waterproof pouch to have the freedom and fun of bringing your phone with you in the ship's pool and to the beaches at port. Use your phone as an alarm clock to make sure you're up at the right time for excursions, pool parties and dinner reservations.

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To ensure you are not charged by your phone company on your cruise, you have two choices: Turn off your phone as soon as your cruise ship leaves port, or, if you want to use offline applications, put your phone into airplane mode.

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Finally, if you find yourself without proper identification, you can't get through to your ship or cruise line, or you don't speak the local language to ask for help, call the U.S. embassy (or the embassy of your country if you're not American) closest to the port you're visiting, or show the address to a taxi driver ...

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In the United States, anyone on a cruise ship whose last port of call was outside the US is required to pass through US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), unless if the last port of call was equipped with US preclearance facilities (in which case the ship will be treated as a domestic arrival).

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