Ways to Protect Your Phone, Passport, and Cash at Sea

Traveling by cruise ship lets you see the world and experience exotic destinations without giving up the joys of regular Broadway-style performances or Wednesday evening bingo. When you're moving around — whether exploring the ship or a port you've just docked into — overlooking basic precautions for securing your belongings can backfire.

Here are six practical tips that will help you keep money, devices, and documents out of harm’s way both at sea and when going ashore.

Keep your valuables safe

Whether you’re roughing it in the ship’s dingiest cabin or living it up in the royal suite, you are practically guaranteed a safe to store your valuables in. Use it. There’s no reason for your passport and other important documents, jewelry, and extra cash to be out in the open when you don’t actively need them.

Keep the safe’s size in mind, though. Your smartphone and tablet will likely fit, while bigger laptops may not. Boost the safe’s security by locking the cabin door and windows when you’re not inside, and don’t forget to take all your valuables out of the safe before you leave!

Back up important travel documents

Having a safe place to store important documents doesn’t protect them from theft or mishaps while they’re on your person. Keeping copies helps you prove your identity or reservation status even if the originals vanish or get damaged.

Aim for one physical copy stored in your luggage away from the originals. Keep digital copies of everyone’s passport, reservations, medical histories, etc., backed up to the cloud, too.

Use a shipshape eSIM

A good way of saving cash is to not waste it on expensive, inferior service, and cruise ship Wi-Fi can definitely qualify for that. The cost can become eye-watering if you can’t live without your digital routine. Also, connecting alongside hundreds of other passengers makes for a slow and choppy experience more often than not.

Luckily, eSIM providers have started catering to cruise ship passengers. You can choose a cruise plan before embarking, and it will activate automatically once you’re far enough from the shore. Better yet, you can freely set up and switch to destination-specific cruise eSIM plans and take advantage of local coverage and a more secure browsing experience.

Only carry the essentials ashore

There’s no reason to carry your entire wallet and expensive valuables while on shore, unless you want to be marked as a vacation-brained tourist and an easy target. You may need to bring your passport depending on the port. Other than that, have a rough idea of what you want to do after disembarking, then plan your budget and what you’ll take ashore accordingly.

A cross-body anti-theft bag is an effective way of securing the cash and items you do bring. Keep it close to your body and out in front, especially while walking down busy docks or when browsing crowded local markets.

Take precautions when connecting to public Wi-Fi

While eSIMs are great for staying connected at sea and abroad, nothing beats the free Wi-Fi in a portside café when you want to watch some videos or update your socials with your latest travel vlog.

Public Wi-Fi’s convenience comes at the cost of reduced security. The networks are easy to fake, and connecting to these fakes can result in anything from being redirected to harmful websites or accidentally downloading malware.

While you shouldn't avoid public Wi-Fi ashore, you'll want to take some precautions. Make sure to connect to the network with the exact name the barista gives you or that's printed on your receipt. Use a VPN when connecting to deter snoops. Modern malware can be sneaky, so a NordVPN antivirus coupon code could help you get a scan running and keep your connection secure.

Make your phone and its contents harder to steal

You need your phone to get around bustling port cities and take lots of vacation photos, which local thieves are well aware of. Some might try a phone-stealing scam on you. But why be sophisticated when a simple snatch-and-grab is just as effective at separating careless cruise tourists from their devices?

Your phone’s physical safety is crucial and easy to ensure. Don’t leave the phone out in the open while you’re not using it, and don’t leave it out of your sight when you are. Buy a sturdy wrist strap so it can’t be yanked out of your hand either.

You’ll also want to protect all the personal information, accounts, and payment options associated with the phone in case someone does manage to steal it. Keep the screen locked and require a strong PIN or biometric authentication to open it. Also, turn on phone tracking features and back up any important files you only store locally.