Were you asked for the consent letter

[jerseygirl79]

DH and I are sailing in Nov with his 5 y/o daughter. I've typed up a consent letter for him to have her mother sign. He is now insisting he has rights and doesn't need her permission. I have a feeling he's been speaking to my MIL.....LOL. In any case her mother has approved of her going with us and I don't know why he won't just get the letter signed.

 

My mother sailed with my 6 y/o brother in May and was never asked for her letter, even though she had it. Do they normally ask?

[6rugrats]

One right that a parent does not have is to take a child out-of-the country without notarized permission from the other parent, even if they have given permission for the child to obtain a passport. He does legally need this permission from child's mom. You could get a hundred other posters telling you they didn't need this letter, but that has nothing to do with your chances of being asked.

 

Will you be asked for it on a Caribbean cruise? Probably not, unless your cruise line requires it. Also, if you all have the same last name, it makes it difficult for anyone to know that you are not this child's mother.

 

That said, the one time you don't have it, you will be asked for it. Good luck, as it sounds as if you need it.

[smeyer418]

I wasn't asked but it is required. If they do ask and you don't have it from both parents you can be denied boarding without compensation.

[notentirelynormal]

Our last cruise with my 4 YO GS. They asked to see it when I checked in at the pier in San Pedro and when I got off the ship in Vancouver (Canadian immigration). They asked again at the Vancouver airport (US Immigration). Actually at the ship the guy even took the time to read it.

[cb at sea]

Tell him to get it signed, just in case. It would be AWFUL to get there and be denied boarding....

If he won't do it, call his ex and YOU do it!

[boulders]

I'm asked for it frequently when I cross the border between Canada and the U.S. and I've been asked for it when I board a cruise.

[Kerry's Girls]

DH and I are sailing in Nov with his 5 y/o daughter. I've typed up a consent letter for him to have her mother sign. He is now insisting he has rights and doesn't need her permission. I have a feeling he's been speaking to my MIL.....LOL. In any case her mother has approved of her going with us and I don't know why he won't just get the letter signed.

 

My mother sailed with my 6 y/o brother in May and was never asked for her letter, even though she had it. Do they normally ask?

 

How would the officials know what rights he has without some paperwork backing it up? He may have the right, but without the required proof, he could lose the cost of his trip because there are no refunds for missed travel due to his failure to bring required paperwork.

 

Because there has been a big recent news story on a woman who successfully kidnapped her own children to Japan, I wouldn't base my actions on whether people have been asked in the past. I would expect tougher checks for awhile because the officials are more aware of the problem. But, to answer your question, as a widow I certainly have the right to take my children whereever I want, but I have been asked once for a cruise (and my travel could have been disrupted had I not had the paperwork in hand) and I was also asked in both directions when we flew to London.

 

Best,

Mia

[tiyana4]

I was only hassled once crossing the border by auto (coming back into the U.S. mind you) from Canada. This was before DD got her 1st passport. After that incident we had Dad fill out the form beforehand. Funny thing, when we flew to Cancun a few years ago, we were never asked for it. Nor have we been asked in the 6 cruises since she has had a passport.

 

Maybe there is a connection, but I would get a few copies signed in advance if you travel frequently and leave the destination and dates portion blank. Then those letters will be good for the length of the notary's commission/term. As your itinerary comes up, just fill in the dates. That's what we used to do and it worked out great.

[sunandseagirl617]

My son lives with my husband and I and has since we were married 11 years ago! My son has a different last name than my husband and I.

 

My son is 16, has a passport, and has cruised with us SEVERAL times. We always travel with a consent/notarized letter from his father! We WERE asked for it (for the first time!!!) on our Freedom of the Seas cruise last June! I'm thankful we had it!!

 

Unfortunately, you just never know when you will be asked to provide it!! He cruises with his dad and new stepmom on Carnival and they NEVER ask for it! I'm guessing it has to do with the same last names!

 

I'm thankful to have a good relationship with my son's dad so it's never an issue when we travel! :)

[jean s]

My sister has joint legal custody and sole physical custody of her three children. She brought a notarized letter from her ex husband and she was asked for it both boarding the ship and returning to the US. I would much rather be prepared than be denied boarding.

[CeleBrat]

Just filling out our cruise docs for an upcoming cruise in the NCL Sky, and found this in the fine print:

 

Minors: If the Guest is an adult accompanying a minor or minors, and the adult Guest is not a spouse, parent, or legal guardian of the minor(s), the adult Guest must present an original, notarized parental/guardian consent letter authorizing the minor's travel, and further authorizing medical treatment in case of emergency, to a representative of the Carrier at the pier.

 

So--if traveling NCL you do not need to bring a notartized letter if you are traveling without BOTH of the child's parents. For them, one parent is enough.

 

CeleBrat

[boulders]

It's not only the cruiseline that requires the paperwork, it's immigration. It may be immigration of the U.S. or of another country that you will be visiting. The point is, if immigration decides that you don't have the proper paperwork, you don't get in, period.

[CeleBrat]

...versus Disney Cruise Line, which I was also just filling out some cruise e-docs on their site. They actually have a downloadable form on their site for minor traveling with one parent. So---off to go get that notarized.

 

CeleBrat

[leanna may]

I will be taking my 4 children on a cruise in Feb. on Carnival.My 2 oldest daughters have not heard from their biological father in over 10 years ,their 14 and 16. The travel agent at Carnival told me there would be no problem , because Carnival does not ask for the permission slip unless the other parent has contacted Carnival (not wanting the chid to go ).I have no contact with their father and no idea where he is at. Does anyone think this will be a problem or what can I do as a back up plan??? Travel agent said it will be no problem...

[pg.]

I will be taking my 4 children on a cruise in Feb. on Carnival.My 2 oldest daughters have not heard from their biological father in over 10 years ,their 14 and 16. The travel agent at Carnival told me there would be no problem , because Carnival does not ask for the permission slip unless the other parent has contacted Carnival (not wanting the chid to go ).I have no contact with their father and no idea where he is at. Does anyone think this will be a problem or what can I do as a back up plan??? Travel agent said it will be no problem...

 

I personally think you are at least risk for them asking,, younger children are more likely to be spirited away to foriegn countries to live by disgruntled divorced parents then older teens.

 

I travel to Europe with my kids alone sometimes.. and I am married to their father,, up until they were about 14 I always brought a letter we had notarized saying it was ok for me to be travelling alone iwth them,, I was never asked for it mind you. At 14 we stopped getting letter notarized( hey it cost 100 bucks each time,, and you need a fresh letter each trip).

[njmomof2]

I will be taking my 4 children on a cruise in Feb. on Carnival.My 2 oldest daughters have not heard from their biological father in over 10 years ,their 14 and 16. The travel agent at Carnival told me there would be no problem , because Carnival does not ask for the permission slip unless the other parent has contacted Carnival (not wanting the chid to go ).I have no contact with their father and no idea where he is at. Does anyone think this will be a problem or what can I do as a back up plan??? Travel agent said it will be no problem...

 

I guess the issue here is whether you have documentation showing you have sole legal and physical custody of your older daughters. If you have something like that, then that will be proof when asked (if you have sole custody both legal and physical, you can make decisions w/o consent). There is always the chance that you will be asked for it if travelling alone with children, and if you do not have it, they can deny you boarding.

 

Unfortunately, many travel agents do not have the correct information required. This information is needed not only for the cruise line, but airlines and immigration authorities. I would absolutely advise you to bring whatever legal documentation you have showing that you have sole custody (not knowing if you were married to their dad or not).

 

ETA: And that comment by the agent about not asking for the slip unless the other parent calls to complain is ridiculous. If a parent were planning on abducting their child, they wouldn't tell the other parent, and if a parent knew the other one didn't want them going with the child, they would not inform the other parent. So how would they know to call the cruise line? And if they objected, how would the parent be able to produce a letter giving permission, since that would indicate that the objecting parent refuses to let the child go? That just sounds silly. They need to be sure that any parent travelling alone with children has the permission of the other parent (whether a spouse, x spouse or other).

[njmomof2]

At 14 we stopped getting letter notarized( hey it cost 100 bucks each time,, and you need a fresh letter each trip).

 

Where do you live that you have to pay $100 for a notarized letter? I am a notary in NJ and if I was able to charge (since I do most of my work in my capacity as a paralegal at work), the maximum fee I can charge by statute is $2.50.

[Kerry's Girls]

I will be taking my 4 children on a cruise in Feb. on Carnival.My 2 oldest daughters have not heard from their biological father in over 10 years ,their 14 and 16. The travel agent at Carnival told me there would be no problem , because Carnival does not ask for the permission slip unless the other parent has contacted Carnival (not wanting the chid to go ).I have no contact with their father and no idea where he is at. Does anyone think this will be a problem or what can I do as a back up plan??? Travel agent said it will be no problem...

 

Yes - you could have a huge problem. The cruise line has nothing to do with the government reps who could stop you from leaving or entering the country and will not care that your travel agent told you it would be ok. I'm not sure what the answer is to getting legal paperwork in your case, but I would get started on it now - and then you'll have it for all your future travels as well.

 

Best,

Mia

[patseacruiser]

I had a reservation for my niece on Royal and I will tell you that they told me that they needed that letter BUT they also needed a waiver for every activity on the ship and one for each port to go into that country and a notarized letter to be able to make medical decisions. Need to check with the cruiseline to be on the safe side.

[pg.]

Where do you live that you have to pay $100 for a notarized letter? I am a notary in NJ and if I was able to charge (since I do most of my work in my capacity as a paralegal at work), the maximum fee I can charge by statute is $2.50.

 

You are kidding right,, 2.50,, isn't that the price of a Big Mac.. here our lawyers and notaries don't work for pennies. And while I agree watching someone sign a letter is hardly work,, LOL, I do think they are owed more then what I tip a paperboy for their professional stamp .

I live in British Columbia Canada.. as my header states.

 

PS Do notaries in States work for tips,, if not,, maybe they should,, we have a former waitress on these boards who said she averaged out at 25 dollars an hour with tips.. ditch them robes and get yourself into an apron..LOL

[njmomof2]

You are kidding right,, 2.50,, isn't that the price of a Big Mac.. here our lawyers and notaries don't work for pennies. And while I agree watching someone sign a letter is hardly work,, LOL, I do think they are owed more then what I tip a paperboy for their professional stamp .

I live in British Columbia Canada.. as my header states.

 

PS Do notaries in States work for tips,, if not,, maybe they should,, we have a former waitress on these boards who said she averaged out at 25 dollars an hour with tips.. ditch them robes and get yourself into an apron..LOL

 

Nope, not kidding. As a matter of fact, I have my notary renewal application sitting right on my desk in front of me and it states that pursuant to N.J.S.A. 22A, the maximum fees a notary may charge by law is $2.50 for a variety of things that we can do. I'm sure that if you went into a business and needed something notarized, the business might charge you something else (and make it a "service fee" perhaps) but the cost for the notary signature/stamp cannot exceed the statutory amount.

 

I work as a paralegal and when I'm notarizing documents as part of my job, I cannot charge, as I'm being paid a salary for my work, part of which includes being a notary (and they pay for the renewal and any other fees associated with it). I've notarized things for friends and family but never charge. I figure why would I? If I needed a favor from someone and they were able to help out, I figure they would do it for me in return.

 

It's not expensive or costly to be a notary...my renewal is only $25.00. And most people who are notaries are working in other capacities at places that offer the service (like banks). So I don't see why someone would pay so much for it. From your side, I'm being cheated out of valuable income. From my side, you're being ripped off. Funny how things look different from each perspective.

[beachchick]

Just filling out our cruise docs for an upcoming cruise in the NCL Sky, and found this in the fine print:

 

Minors: If the Guest is an adult accompanying a minor or minors, and the adult Guest is not a spouse, parent, or legal guardian of the minor(s), the adult Guest must present an original, notarized parental/guardian consent letter authorizing the minor's travel, and further authorizing medical treatment in case of emergency, to a representative of the Carrier at the pier.

 

So--if traveling NCL you do not need to bring a notartized letter if you are traveling without BOTH of the child's parents. For them, one parent is enough.

 

CeleBrat

 

That's not what matters overall though. The countries involved, often including the USA, Canada, and Mexico for re-entry, can and sometimes do require that one parent who is traveling without the other parent prove that they have authority to take the child from one country to another. Proof can be custody papers showing sole physical and legal custody, notarized letter from the other parent, certified copy of death certificate (if one parent is deceased), or BC listing only one parent (although that one I'm not 100% sure about).

 

It doesn't matter if "one parent is enough" for NCL because they do not make the decisions about immigration at the ports. It is unlikely that there would be a problem, but it's not impossible either.

 

 

I had a reservation for my niece on Royal and I will tell you that they told me that they needed that letter BUT they also needed a waiver for every activity on the ship and one for each port to go into that country and a notarized letter to be able to make medical decisions. Need to check with the cruiseline to be on the safe side.

 

For a niece (or other minor who is not your own child) that makes sense. But for one parent traveling without the other parent, they do not need all the extra "permissions," including the medical. All the cruise lines and immigration departments need is proof of authorization to take a child from one country to another. A parent traveling with his or her own child almost never needs to have notarized leters for medical decisions (either parent can make them) or onboard activities (ditto).

 

You are kidding right,, 2.50,, isn't that the price of a Big Mac.. here our lawyers and notaries don't work for pennies. And while I agree watching someone sign a letter is hardly work,, LOL, I do think they are owed more then what I tip a paperboy for their professional stamp .

I live in British Columbia Canada.. as my header states.

 

PS Do notaries in States work for tips,, if not,, maybe they should,, we have a former waitress on these boards who said she averaged out at 25 dollars an hour with tips.. ditch them robes and get yourself into an apron..LOL

 

I don't know about elsewhere, but notaries charge about $15 for simple signatures in our neck of the woods.

 

 

The bottom line regardng the original question is this: Is doesn't matter how many people say they have never been asked for the notarized letter or other proof. It only matters that a parent (or other adult) can be required to show proof. Without it, you can be left at the pier with no recourse.

 

beachchick

[lollylew]

DH and I are sailing in Nov with his 5 y/o daughter. I've typed up a consent letter for him to have her mother sign.

 

If you don't mind me asking, what did you write in the letter? I will be sailing this coming May with my 4 yr old (no daddy, just grandma and aunt) and am curious as to what I need to say in the letter. Thanks! :)

[Onessa]

DH and I are sailing in Nov with his 5 y/o daughter. I've typed up a consent letter for him to have her mother sign. He is now insisting he has rights and doesn't need her permission. I have a feeling he's been speaking to my MIL.....LOL. In any case her mother has approved of her going with us and I don't know why he won't just get the letter signed.

 

My mother sailed with my 6 y/o brother in May and was never asked for her letter, even though she had it. Do they normally ask?

 

"normally ask"?, No. Can they ask?, yes they do.

 

Also, if you fly internationally they WILL ask. And there are other officials who may ask.

 

I will be taking my 4 children on a cruise in Feb. on Carnival.My 2 oldest daughters have not heard from their biological father in over 10 years ,their 14 and 16. The travel agent at Carnival told me there would be no problem , because Carnival does not ask for the permission slip unless the other parent has contacted Carnival (not wanting the chid to go ).I have no contact with their father and no idea where he is at. Does anyone think this will be a problem or what can I do as a back up plan??? Travel agent said it will be no problem...

 

I think I've shared this story before -- not cruise related but a good cautionary tale never-the-less. A former neighbor's wife packed up one afternoon and left. She normally did "pick up" from daycare, and she never showed. DH got a call from daycare, he called his wife's sister who explained his DW had left him. DW called twice over the next few months but the DH did not hear from her for over 10 years and had virtually no contact with her family either (their choice). Good dad, nice guy -- DW just "didn't want to be married any more" and "couldn't be saddled with" her kid. She refused to grant him a divorce for years and he had to go through the hassle of doing it without her. Fortunately his lawyer also got him sole custody and guardianship of the son, because 10 years later DW and her sister return and had "found" some off kilter religion. Even with all the proof and full custody -- neighbor had to go back to court to protect his DS from his mother. DS had a medical condition and the "mom" wanted to discontinue DS's medical treatment and pray for him to be healed. Without the custody decree, the dad would have been ordered to give the mother visitation rights and she would have denied son medical treatment. The custody decree gave the father and his lawyer time to counter the papers that the religion's legal staff had already filed on behalf of the "mom". Even just a few unsupervised "trial" visits with the "mom" could have been deadly for the boy who really had some major needs.

 

My BIL a social worker in a large metropolitan area has a litany of horror stories of absentee parents (or other relatives of the absentee parent) making waves. While most turn out ok, they can be a real hassle to clear up.

 

Point is, there is much more to full legal custody than just one less hassle when traveling. If one of your children's parents is AWOL, it can be well worth the effort to clear this up. If you have a court order that grants you sole custody, that is what you would need to bring with you on trips. It may not be inexpensive, but this way, no matter whatever the future may bring, your kids will be protected.

[luv2travell]

on our trip toMediterranean cruise this past aug when we were checking in the gentlemen checking us in took his time reading the paper work i have and called his super to read.