JamieRenae

Hi!

So nothing like waiting until the last minute, we will be leaving on Carnival Triumph Saturday and in Cozumel on 11/13. Our kids want to go snorkeling and El Cielo looks beautiful as well. Any suggestions on a boat/snorkeling tour to get us all there?

Makes me nervous selecting someone!

We booked with Cozumel H2O for 2 weeks from now when we are there. They were very responsive and emailed back and forth with me several times, giving me all

of the specifics. It might be worth checking them out?

 

 

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How did you experience with Cozumel H20 go? We really want to book one for our family of 9 (6 kids) that gets us around and over to El Cielo....

I am seeing basketball related stuff, so the Triumph does have a bball court? My daughter will be thrilled. For some reason I didn't think it did?

Yeap, BC and photo id if over 16. We have taken my stepsons on two cruises in last two years and have only ever brought the BC, no letter from their mother or custody papers. Never had any problems. We are going again in two weeks.

 

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Good to hear! I really hope they love it on the ship and want to take many many more with us!!

This has been a hot topic for years. I can tell you from first hand experience that we have never been asked for a letter. We have cruised with my stepson for 10 years from several different ports and never been asked for it. We have cruised with 3 of his friends on multiple cruises, all minors, and never been asked for it. I will say we have always gotten it just to be safe, just never needed it. The document carnival issues says it is recommended. They would have a tough time denying you boarding on that statement and the fact that you will be bringing the documents you listed. You will not come into contact with any government official until you are in another country. We have been to Cozumel no fewer than 20 times and never had an issue. We also had a foreign exchange student from Finland go with us one year and had no issues.

 

 

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Thank you! That is the same thing the gal from NOLA Terminal stated. Hopefully they don't think we are trafficking kids, lord knows I certainly appreciate all the extra scrutiny they take with that, super important!!

Thanks for the responses everyone, I called to the NOLA port of call and a very nice gal gave me the cell # of one of the gals that handles all of the details like that with the port, she advised the only issue we may hit is on the way home if they find it suspicious we have that many kids (haha) and don't have a letter of travel, etc so the more legal paperwork we have the easier it will be, and the possibility of having additional questioning isn't guaranteed.

I think I feel okay now. :/ I just want a happy sunshine-y vacation :)

I will be on the same cruise as you. I can tell you that Cozumel just checks ship IDs and picture IDs. Same in Progresso.

But Homeland Security is a bit stricter. Try to get the parental letter.

Oh fun, the kids are so looking forward to their first cruise, I would just hate for it to be a negative experience for them.

So for minors, do they just check the ship ID card or do they have you provide the birth certificates at the time?

As for homeland security, is this something we go through upon entering the ship in NOLA, or something we do in at ports to/from?

Thanks!

Not a lawyer but maybe you could go to the judge and have him issue a court order with specific permission for the travel.

Yeah, I am beyond frustrated because we tried the bio mom approach for months and when she did respond it was brief and she'd hold it over us, maybe I will get around to signing it next year some time. UGH.

The attorney who handled my husbands divorce/custody issues is no longer working for the office and they are making him go on a waiting list to 'revise' on wording establishing paternity to place him on the BC. They have the same last name and he is on each of the others. Office of Vital Records will change it right away once its ordered, if we can find another attorney willing to assist quickly I will also provide all of out efforts to reach out to mom and maybe they can help get us authorization to travel also.

Also refer to the carnival FAQs

 

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2544/~/minor-guest-policy

 

Traveling with a Minor

When traveling with a minor where one parent or both parents or legal guardians are not cruising, we strongly recommend bringing an original signed letter from the absent parent(s) or legal guardians authorizing the minor to travel with you. This will expedite processing by the Department of Homeland Security.

I just got back from a cruise (10/21) and I was travelling with both of my minor kids and had a notarized letter from their dad stating he is aware of the out of country travelling.

I had split my kids up in a different cabin with their grandma, and my son was stopped at the port check in desk because his grandma was not his legal guardian (the last names do not match). I was right next to them at a check in desk and provided the documents to show I was his parent. I also presented the notarized letter, but she just glossed it over and handed it back to me.

Thank you! We are in adjoined staterooms as there are 8 of us total. One child going with us is a friend of our daughter's and her parents are signing all letters and having them notarized so we should be good to go there.

We just split us up in the rooms with my husband on one and I am on the other and Desaray (the 1 kiddo that does not have dads name on her BC) happens to be on mine but we will all be travelling together the entire time.

We couldn't the bio mom to return calls or cooperate for passports applications, she won't do anything that provides us any benefit. She hasn't seen her kids in over 2 years. We have a decree saying he is the primary custodial parent of all 4 kids and the name on her BC is Desaray Meyers-Cochran which is a combination of mom and dad's last names prior to being married (same for their oldest). I am working my tail off on getting a revised establish paternity court order from an attorney to get a replacement BC with his name on it but hoping it moves quickly enough. Regarding the letter authorizing travel I really don't know what to do with that as she is unresponsive. Maybe we can get the attorney to assist in generating a court order authorization to travel document also.

One last question.... does anyone know the procedures of physically disembarking in Cozumel? Do they check all of your documents when leaving the ship, getting back onto the ship?

Hello all,

My husband and I are taking our 5 kiddos on a cruise (with other family) on Nov 11 (Carnival Triumph out of NOLA to Cozumel). Out of our 5 kids, 4 of them are biologically his and 1 is biologically mine. The other parents are not involved in their lives so obtaining passports was a no go (without mounds of paperwork and court orders).

In my husband's custody decree it advises that he is the custodial parent of the 4 kids and she has the non custodial typical rights (which she does not even care to have).

On to my more specific question. His name is listed on 3 of the 4 kids birth certificates. In order to get his name on her certificate we have to get a court order and we are worried this will not occur in a quick enough time frame for the trip.

If we have all of the birth certificates paired with the custodial parent decree - will this be enough for travel?? I spoke with Carnival a few weeks ago regarding the lack of passports and/or consent to travel letter, they advised it would be okay, but I am still worried as we don't want to travel 17 hours to NOLA with all of the family and hit a snag with one of the kids fine details.

Please help put my mind at ease :eek: