Hospital issued Birth Certificate vs Vital Records Birth Certificate

[gracie65]

Just back from a great cruise on The Carnival Fantasy. We had 2 in our group that weren't allowed to board. Please make sure if you are using a Birth Certificate that it's a state issued one from Vital Records not issued from the Hospital. Our friend cruised on The Glory less then three years ago with the exact same B/C only to be denied boarding this time. I think part of the confusion may have been because the one he had did have a raised seal like is always described, but why they allowed it a few years ago & not this time I don't know. We heard later in the week that 12 people were not allowed to board because of this reason. Until Passports are finally required please make sure your Birth Certificate is the right kind, even if you used the same one just double check it.

Carnival has covered themselves in the passenger contract in that they don't have to give you back anything & I have been on the boards long enough to understand that, but our friends aren't on the boards & didn't know how often this was discussed. I always try to tell friends about to cruise the pros & cons but didn't think about this because I knew he had cruised so recently. I understand that the contract states but as much as was spent looks like they would create a little customer re-pore in offering them some little something as a sign of good customer service but nothing, so please make sure you have the right kind of birth certificate while you still have time to get it before you sail. Also if you know of someone about to cruise with a birth certificate have them be sure it's from Vital records, I wish I had done this!!!!!

[blindrid]

It's well known that you need the proper BC as the hospital BC is just a souvenier of little legal value.

 

The requirements are always supplied by the cruise lines to limit the margin of error. Even with this, some people do not read the requirements. I ain't that hard.

 

That and not all have raised seals anymore.

[gracie65]

It's well known that you need the proper BC as the hospital BC is just a souvenier of little legal value.

 

The requirements are always supplied by the cruise lines to limit the margin of error. Even with this, some people do not read the requirements. I ain't that hard.

 

 

As I first stated I am and pretty much everyone else here on CC is aware of how that works. The purpose of this post was to be sure if you had friends who were about to cruise who did not post to just remind them of this. As I also stated he used the same birth certificate & sailed The Glory less then 3 years ago & those that don't read these boards often may appreciate the heads up.

[cullensmom]

Thanks for posting Gracie. A reminder can't hurt.

 

There's a new post on Carnival Funville from a woman who used the hospital bc, with her inky baby footprints, in fall 2009 and was refused boarding on the Inspiration out of Tampa on this past Saturday.

 

Her family of 4 didn't get to cruise and she couldn't understand why it was good enough to travel last year, but not this year.

 

I'm so glad I got my passport...one less worry :)

[Crazy4Koko]

How unfortunate to have that happen. Maybe they should have read the Carnival website a bit more when they printed their cruise documents, or perhaps a travel agent should have been more clear.....

 

 

We are cruising with our kids (their first cruise) in a few weeks time.. I bit the bullet and got them passports... it just made for one less thing to worry about.

[All4fun&fun4all]

On our 2007 sailing on Triumph out of Miami my DBF used what he had thought was his birth certificate all along. It had his baby footprints on it so it had to have been a souvenier one. We got onboard with no problem but at debarkation the customs officer warned us that next time it may be a problem. :eek:

Flash forward to this year and reading a post on birth certificates here on CC and I got scared for our 2010 Fantasy sailing out of Charleston. I contacted Ohio vital records for DBF and received an official birth certificate a month or so before sailaway. It was worth the piece of mind for the $40 it cost. ;)

Thanks for posting this information for the newbies that may come across these boards. :)

[gracie65]

Thanks for posting Gracie. A reminder can't hurt.

 

There's a new post on Carnival Funville from a woman who used the hospital bc, with her inky baby footprints, in fall 2009 and was refused boarding on the Inspiration out of Tampa on this past Saturday.

 

Her family of 4 didn't get to cruise and she couldn't understand why it was good enough to travel last year, but not this year.

 

I'm so glad I got my passport...one less worry :)

 

Yes, we have our passports too. Sounds like the woman you described basically had the same thing to happen. Then when they use it once you just assume it's what you need only to now find out it's not. Do you have a link to where you read that?

[Kurbanfan]

The only change could be that Carnival is finally employing more intelligent people at check in.......

[lorijeannj]

hint...hint....If the piece of paper one is holding looks like a Birth Certificate BUT has your cute little foot prints. forget it, it's a Birth Record.

This is not valid!

[Tbay-eh]

We are Canadian so must have passports to travel now so it is a non issue for us but I am glad you are giving a heads up to others. Carnival has always required that you have a BC but they have been accepting Birth records etc as a convenience, what was yesterday is not today. I hope anyone traveling and reads these sites will give a head ups to all of those who might be assuming that the same old is the same old is not no more.

[nrdsb4]

Just back from a great cruise on The Carnival Fantasy. We had 2 in our group that weren't allowed to board. Please make sure if you are using a Birth Certificate that it's a state issued one from Vital Records not issued from the Hospital. Our friend cruised on The Glory less then three years ago with the exact same B/C only to be denied boarding this time. I think part of the confusion may have been because the one he had did have a raised seal like is always described, but why they allowed it a few years ago & not this time I don't know. We heard later in the week that 12 people were not allowed to board because of this reason. Until Passports are finally required please make sure your Birth Certificate is the right kind, even if you used the same one just double check it.

Carnival has covered themselves in the passenger contract in that they don't have to give you back anything & I have been on the boards long enough to understand that, but our friends aren't on the boards & didn't know how often this was discussed. I always try to tell friends about to cruise the pros & cons but didn't think about this because I knew he had cruised so recently. I understand that the contract states but as much as was spent looks like they would create a little customer re-pore in offering them some little something as a sign of good customer service but nothing, so please make sure you have the right kind of birth certificate while you still have time to get it before you sail. Also if you know of someone about to cruise with a birth certificate have them be sure it's from Vital records, I wish I had done this!!!!!

 

 

I'm thinking you meant "rapport?" and I agree it's too bad they didn't offer something for these people on a future cruise, even just a little something. Though we all know they are not obligated to do anything for them, I still feel for anyone in this situation.

 

I think it's great for you to give the heads up. To people who understand about the difference between the hospital BC (nothing but a souvenir) and an official certified birth certificate, it seems like a no brainer, but to people who don't travel often, are new to these boards, or who have been getting by with these unofficial documents, your post could be the difference between a great cruise and being left at the pier with their long anticipated vacation in complete tatters.

[nrdsb4]

The only change could be that Carnival is finally employing more intelligent people at check in.......

 

Yeah, I'm thinking certified birth certificates have long been the requirement, but the check in people either didn't understand the difference or didn't care to enforce it...

[gracie65]

On our 2007 sailing on Triumph out of Miami my DBF used what he had thought was his birth certificate all along. It had his baby footprints on it so it had to have been a souvenier one. We got onboard with no problem but at debarkation the customs officer warned us that next time it may be a problem. :eek:

Flash forward to this year and reading a post on birth certificates here on CC and I got scared for our 2010 Fantasy sailing out of Charleston. I contacted Ohio vital records for DBF and received an official birth certificate a month or so before sailaway. It was worth the piece of mind for the $40 it cost. ;)

Thanks for posting this information for the newbies that may come across these boards. :)

 

 

That was great they gave you a little heads up before you ended your last cruise. Obviously my friend wasn't told that after being allowed to cruise with the wrong one. Lets just say as of today he now has one from vital records. This has been a expensive lesson learned as they had one of the two Owner's Suites. They refunded the liquor pre-paid from Bon-voyage but not anything else. They did have trip insurance but I don't think it covers one's own ignorance, LOL.

I guess Carnival just has enough business to not to have to worry about at least making an offer to just retain future business. I know this has already been beat to death on these boards so I'll just say that as a business owner whether I goofed or my customer goofed I would atleast extend some sort of offer to keep the customer happy with me.

[amc80]

Question-

Has anyone used/tried to use the little wallet birth certificates? It has the same info as the full sized one and is from the Vital Statistics folks...it came with the normal birth certificate. It's basically a miniature version for your wallet.

[nrdsb4]

That was great they gave you a little heads up before you ended your last cruise. Obviously my friend wasn't told that after being allowed to cruise with the wrong one. Lets just say as of today he now has one from vital records. This has been a expensive lesson learned as they had one of the two Owner's Suites. They refunded the liquor pre-paid from Bon-voyage but not anything else. They did have trip insurance but I don't think it covers one's own ignorance, LOL.

I guess Carnival just has enough business to not to have to worry about at least making an offer to just retain future business. I know this has already been beat to death on these boards so I'll just say that as a business owner whether I goofed or my customer goofed I would atleast extend some sort of offer to keep the customer happy with me.

 

Unfortunately I think you are correct. Not many travel insurance policies will cover not having proper documents. So sad for your friend.:(

[LemurCat]

It's well known that you need the proper BC as the hospital BC is just a souvenier of little legal value.

 

 

Apparently not, as this is yet another thread started by yet another poster who had someone in their party, if not their whole party, turned away.

[gracie65]

Apparently not, as this is yet another thread started by yet another poster who had someone in their party, if not their whole party, turned away.

 

 

It was only 1 in our party but of course his gf didn't board because he couldn't. We did hear while we were on the ship that there were 12 in all on this sailing this happened to, not sure if they meant 12 cabins or 12 individuals but we didn't know any of the others.

I hate this happened to our friends & hate this left a bad taste in their mouth about Carnival & I can see both points but it won't keep me from cruising Carnival. We have been on 14 Carnival cruises & I'm not giving up the free wash & fold laundry for anyone!!!LOL

[LemurCat]

It was only 1 in our party but of course his gf didn't board because he couldn't. We did hear while we were on the ship that there were 12 in all on this sailing this happened to, not sure if they meant 12 cabins or 12 individuals but we didn't know any of the others.

I hate this happened to our friends & hate this left a bad taste in their mouth about Carnival & I can see both points but it won't keep me from cruising Carnival. We have been on 14 Carnival cruises & I'm not giving up the free wash & fold laundry for anyone!!!LOL

 

I hate that it happened to your friends too. But people on this board act tend to treat anyone who posts a cautionary tale such as yourself with a certain lack of respect because they believe "everyone should know this stuff". Well, if everyone knew this stuff, your bud and his girl wouldn't have been turned away. ;)

[Maverick1795]

When I called the port authority in Charleston, they said that the wallet sized certified birth certificates from the department of vital records in south carolina would work! We have had other family members use these as well with no problems. In fact, just this morning we went to Conway to get our DD's BC. She was born late last year. The lady at the desk said, "Now DON'T laminate these. When you get to the cruise ship, they will look at this little gold seal at the corner and feel of it. That is considered our raised seal."

[crzndeb]

If a person was allowed to cruise before with what they thought was the correct BC, why would they think to check it to make sure it was the correct documention the next time they cruised. Not all birth records have footsies...

 

When my daughters were born in Cali in the 80's, I received what is called an abstract BC and it was not a birth record from the hospital....we used it for cruising, but when my oldest was going over to England for the Milennium and needed a passport, we found out we couldn't use the abstract.

 

I think this is a really good suggestion for those that don't travel much to double check what BC you have, and if there is any doubt, order another one from a legit vital records site.

[gracie65]

u may have seen my guy friend there today too that wishes he had done this before last Friday.

[Maverick1795]

We were there this morning around 930 or so. I just called the Port Authority again and spoke to another officer there who did reassure me that eventhough they were the wallet birth certificates, they would be fine because they had the little "raised seal" on em and they were from vital records and DHEC. She said that everyone but the baby, because she's 1, would need their photo id along with the bc and everything would be fine! I'm sooooo looking forward to going. After we get back, we're gonna start the passport process though.

[mom2tcdx2]

hint...hint....If the piece of paper one is holding looks like a Birth Certificate BUT has your cute little foot prints. forget it, it's a Birth Record.

This is not valid!

 

Sadly this is not 100% true, my father's original birth certificate that was issued when he was born in 1949 did have his foot print on it. Worst part is the states keep changing them too - I personally have three state issued birth certificates from Virginia and I was born in 1971 - all three of them look completely different from each other.

 

And of course most states don't have the raised seal, but I do believe they do mention vital statistics or something like that one them.

[gracie65]

see below goofed.

[gracie65]

I hate that it happened to your friends too. But people on this board act tend to treat anyone who posts a cautionary tale such as yourself with a certain lack of respect because they believe "everyone should know this stuff". Well, if everyone knew this stuff, your bud and his girl wouldn't have been turned away.

 

While I don't have nearly the posts you have, hopefully they like you, will see I'm not one of these that comes on and makes a few posts & never see me again. I truly just wanted to let anyone know, who may know anyone still cruising with a birth certificate to make sure it's the right kind. I wish I had seen a post like this about 2 weeks ago so I would have thought to have had everyone with us to double check. Sorry to be so wordy with all that. That's what happens when someone from Tennessee moves to SC I guess we just can't shorten our words!!!LOL