stolen wallet...no photo id to board ship???

[MszKitty]

I have a question for everyone.

I'd Iike your expertise or any first hand experience with this situation:

 

One week from today (2/18) I have a group of 50 family and friends going on the RCCL's Monarch of the Seas on the 3 night cruise from Los Angeles to Ensenada, Mexico.

My 19 yr old daughter's girlfriend is one of the friends joining us. Yesterday she had her wallet stolen. And, of course, in that wallet is her driver's license. So...she has no official photo ID. She has her birth certificate and she has a University of California Santa Barbara student ID. But no drivers license or state issued photo ID. She went to the DMV today to get her DL replaced, but they only give a temporary paper DL...no picture. She has to wait for the new photo DL to come in the mail, and we all know how long THAT takes.

I called RCCL 3 times today and got three different answers as to whether or not the student ID will work (along with her BC and temporary DL). I was even referred to Dept of Immigration, spoke to them and got yet ANOTHER answer. Immigration said she could get on the ship, but when she comes back into the Los Angeles, she might get held up, but it really all depends on how strict the immigration officer is that she goes to.

A couple of the people at RCCL said she will "probably be fine" and get on the ship with no problem....whereas a couple of them said she wouldn't even be able to board the ship.

I keep getting so many different answers, we don't know what to do. And,...she can't get a quick passport because, although she was born in the USA, her parents are Canadian citizens so she has dual citizenship with USA/Canada. And if she got a quick passport she would have to give up her Canadian citizenship and she and her parents (who are Canadian) don't want her to give up her Canadian citizenship.

 

So...my question is...has ANYONE had any experience boarding the ship or getting thru immigration once you were back at home port without the EXACT proper photo ID?

 

I feel so bad for this young woman. She has been looking forward to this cruise for 6 months...paid for it herself...and its not her fault her wallet got stolen. And now its even too late to get her money back because we are within 7 days of sailing.

 

Any piece of advice?

 

Thanks in advance.

[clbdsnygrl]

Does she have a canadian passport???? If she has a canadian passport she should be able to use that as her ID for the cruise.

[BobbyK]

I would make sure she brought everything possible (every picture ID, temp ID, police report if there is one, birth certificate, bank cards, school cards). Is there a form that she can have notorized documenting what happened?

[MszKitty]

Does she have a canadian passport???? If she has a canadian passport she should be able to use that as her ID for the cruise.

 

She doesn't have a Canadian passport. I'm not sure of the specifics, but something to do with her parents are living here in the states on work visas and they have to go back to Canada to get a passport for her and they just haven't done that yet.

[MszKitty]

I would make sure she brought everything possible (every picture ID, temp ID, police report if there is one, birth certificate, bank cards, school cards). Is there a form that she can have notorized documenting what happened?

 

Just before I read your reply I thought of the police report. I'm going to call her now and tell her to get copy of it and the notorized statement too. Those are both good ideas. Thanks!

[megr1125]

I agree with getting as much stuff as she can. And with the police report! US customs & immigration can be tough on people.....we got the impression on Amtrak recently that they are really cracking down...they were less than nice to me & my Sr. Cit mom and we have US passports and are always ready to answer their questions.

 

 

Can't the DMV be of more assistance???? CA doesn't just make the licenses on the spot??? Maybe it will show up in the mail! Good luck!

[Sea Island Lady]

I am really surprised that her photo license could not be issued right away. That's the way it is done here in my city.

Does she have an old expired license or permit with her photo? I know that my 20 year old had to have hers renewed, and they gave her a completely new license.

This is just another good reason for folks to go ahead and get passports so that they will have two forms of Gov. ID's.

[sailinglisa]

She should be fine with the photo student id........but I would just call the cruise line and double check that.

[39august]

It's hard to believe that you can't get a photo DL on the spot in CA! We can here in OK. Does the DMV offer photo ID's that are not DL's for those who don't drive. That is available here. You might look into it. I would be very concerned about getting BACK into the US without photo ID.

[NancyB84]

Even here in the sticks of Maine we can get a photo ID issued on the spot... just need to go to one of the larger DMV sites that does it. I agree with trying the temporary non-drivers ID too.. although, we can't do that here if we have a valid license. But, it is worth a try. Just keep trying. There has to be some way around this... there must be someplace to get an ID issued... Good luck and I hope things work out. Maybe the police will have a suggestion when you get the police report?

[hstrybuf]

When I recently renewed my DL in Kansas, they gave me a paper printout with the photo on it. Apparently, that's the way they're doing things here now and the actual DL will be sent in the mail. The paper DL is considered valid ID here and I hope the cruiseline would see it as valid too.

[birdog16]

She should be fine with the photo student id........but I would just call the cruise line and double check that

 

Royal Caribbean will not accept a student/college photo ID. Photo ID must be Federal, State, or Government issued.

[martdm]

First, regarding notarization, all a notary does is verify someone's signature is in fact their own. Usually, they'd require a driver's license or other official ID with a signature on it to match to the girl's signature when she signs it in their presence so I'm not sure if this option would be available to her without the license.

 

Aside from that snag, I'm not sure what advantage having a written statement from her with a notarized signature would gain. All it means is that she signed the form, not that what is accounted in the statement is correct.

 

Second, have you looked into any other types of official IDs she could get. For example, in my County, the Sheriff's office will provide an official ID for anyone who requests one. Perhaps getting something like that would serve the purposes of an official ID? Just a thought. It certainly would hold more weight than her notarized signature would.

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

I can imagine how frustrating it must be to call 3 times and get 3 different answers! There has got to be someone, somewhere that this has happened to and RCI knows how to deal with it, right? You would think so anyway!

I was surprised that the DMV could not issue a new DL w/ photo ????

I hope the police report and notorized statement works.

I hate to say it but a passport would of been the ideal solution. ;)

 

 

***

[AlbertaGirl]

That sucks for this young lady:( There is absolutely no way she will get a Canadian Passport isssued to her in a week. My sister in law had to get hers and my nieces in Toronto and it took almost 2 weeks - and she applied for it there and picked it up on Friday.

I sure hope that you can find a solution - everyone gave you alot of good ideas here!

 

Good Luck!!

 

Dawn

 

Sailing away on Feb 14 - Brilliance of the Seas!

[Guest OBAYbee]

My daughter lost her license. We had a new one issued and a temporary one WITH a picture was mailed in 3 days.

[JudyOh]

States will issue a photo ID (used by people who do not have a drivers license) in OH it is done at the BMV and is issued right away. I'm sure your state has the same thing.

[barbgazz]

If you go to your local county sheriffs department, they can issue a photo id while you wait. If not, call around and ask some questions about ID without a license.

[MszKitty]

Thanks everyone for your replies....

 

She's already been to the California DMV and California does not issue photo ID's right on the spot. You have to wait for it to come in the mail. Even with temporary drivers licenses....they are only paper...no photo...have to wait for the photo to come in the mail.

 

martam....You're right about the notarized thing. My husband told me the same thing. A notorized statement just proves that that is your signature...doesn't prove that the statement is true. So we are nixing that idea.

 

SeaIslandLady....I will ask her if she has an expired license. Chances are she doesn't. She's only 19 and has only lived in California for a few years. But its worth a shot!

 

 

 

Regarding the passport thing. She was born in USA, however raised in Canada with her Canadian citizen parents. So she has dual citizenship. They moved to California a few years ago on a work visa and someday intend to go back to Canada. In order to obtain a USA passport, she would have to give up her Canadian citizenship and she doesn't want to do that. They would have to go back to Canada to get a Canadian or dual citizenship passport issued.

 

After posting on these and other boards, and talking to other people, I am now feeling confident enough that her college ID, her birth certificate, her temporary drivers license and a copy of the police report will suffice. She will also take any other form of identification she may have.

[TahoeBob]

It's hard to believe that you can't get a photo DL on the spot in CA! We can here in OK. Does the DMV offer photo ID's that are not DL's for those who don't drive. That is available here. You might look into it. I would be very concerned about getting BACK into the US without photo ID.

 

California is very slow to get a photo ID, it took me about 4 weeks once to get a new D.L. after I lost mine, as for a photo ID that are not D.L. it is the same thing. My DW can not drive and it took her the same amount of time to get the photo ID

[rocktheboat]

She was born in the US. She doesn't have to give up CCanadian citizenship for a passport. They don t ask you that. She was born here and thats what they ask. And even if she was not born here she could go to the Canadian Embassy and get one there. Do you think a child born to Russian Cits go back to russia for their passport.

All you need for a passport is a birth cert, it has nothing to do with where her parents were born since she was born in the US.

[MszKitty]

She was born in the US. She doesn't have to give up CCanadian citizenship for a passport. They don t ask you that. She was born here and thats what they ask. And even if she was not born here she could go to the Canadian Embassy and get one there. Do you think a child born to Russian Cits go back to russia for their passport.

All you need for a passport is a birth cert, it has nothing to do with where her parents were born since she was born in the US.

 

I understand what you are saying, but its more complicated than I'm explaining it. She was born here to Canadian citizens and they lived in Canada all her life until 3 years ago. She does not want a US passport only. She wants a dual citizenship passport...or something like that. But, regardless...she now only has 4 days in which to get anything and thats not enough time to get any sort of passport.

[Grandma Dazzles]

I don't believe there is such a thing as a "dual nationality passport." I am a naturalized American citizen and have an American passport. However, for a while I had passports from two countries - I let the original one expire (by choice).

 

She should apply for a U.S. passport, can be issued on the spot in many large cities. I needed one in an emergency and traveled to Chicago (about 2 hours from my home at the time). It took about 5 hours to get. I did have to have photos, check, etc. before arriving at the passport office.

[medic123]

My SIL lost his wallet two days befor his cruise. he was allowed to use his student ID with no problems.

[smeyer418]

On Monday go to your local state representative's office and see if they can help. Most have people who help constituents and will be happy to make a call and see if they can light a fire under the DMV. Homeland security is particularly obnoxious and rules are rules.