Key Aspects:
- Carnival Cruise Line recommends guests leave their passports onboard in ports of call. Crew members will retrieve them in case of an emergency.
- The US State Department, however, advises travelers to keep their passports with them in foreign countries, even if cruise lines recommend otherwise.
- Different guests have different preferences that often depend on which ports of call they may be visiting.
While it isn’t necessary for guests to travel with passports for most closed-loop cruises from US homeports, what should guests do with that critical document in ports of call if they do have one?
There is a lot of misinformation and different opinions about the need to take a passport ashore in port. One understandably confused guest reached out to John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador, for clarification.
“Some people say you should bring your passport with in a foreign country. Others have said you are supposed to leave your passport in your room safe,” the guest explained.
Much of the confusion comes because passengers on both sides of the issue claim that Carnival’s “official policy” backs up their suggestion, whether to leave the passport onboard the ship or take it along in ports of call.
“It had been mentioned that Carnival will assume the responsibility of getting your passport to you in the event it is needed or leave it with someone in port if you miss the boat,” the guest continued. “Can you provide any clarity to this discussion? What should people do with their travel documents while in port?”
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To be clear, Carnival Cruise Line does not have any official policy on passports and does not require that guests either take them into port or leave them on the ship. The cruise line does offer strong recommendations, however, which Heald has kindly explained.
“It’s a very very, good question and when this is asked, it’s always a good time for me to remind everybody what we recommend. You should not take your original passport with you when you go ashore,” he states.
Heald does note that guests will need a photo ID to show local security officers when returning to the ship. This could be driver’s license, a photocopy of one’s passport, or a similar ID.
But what happens if a guest does leave their passport onboard but then needs it while in port? This could happen if they accidentally miss the ship or have some sort of medical emergency and aren’t able to return to the ship by the all-aboard time.
“In case of an emergency which meant you could not return to the ship we do indeed have a policy in place,” Heald confirmed. “Your passport would be collected from the guest cabin (including retrieving it from the safe) and by our housekeeping officers, a Guest Services officer, and someone from our security team.”
Having multiple crew members on hand to retrieve a guest’s paperwork ensures that everything is done according to proper procedures and is documented accordingly.
“We would then return the passport to the ship’s agent,” Heald continued. “We have one in every single Port who takes care of the ships need’s during the time there. The agent would return the original passport to you.”
While this is the cruise line’s recommendation, the US Department of State does not agree and instead advises guests to always keep their passports with them.
“Always carry your passport with you in case of an emergency. You may need your passport in the event of an unexpected medical evacuation or if the ship docks at a different port,” the state department advises. “You should bring your passport even if your cruise says you won’t need it. ”
What Do Frequent Guests Do?
More than 320 other guests commented on the question, offering their own advice and experiences.
For some, whether or not they take their passport with them depends on the destination. In the Caribbean or the Bahamas, they may choose to leave their official documents onboard.
In Europe, Mexico, or South America, many guests feel more comfortable having their passport close by.
Others note the risk of taking one’s passport off the ship in case they fall victim to any nefarious behavior.
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“I take my drivers license and I have a picture of my passport saved on my phone. I don’t want to lose my passport to a pickpocket on shore,” one guest explained.
Some guests carry both a passport book and a passport card. The book stays in the stateroom safe, while they will use the simpler and more convenient passport card as their ID in ports of call.
