Help! First time cruising with children...many questions!

[chef_christoph]

Hello everyone, I have planned a Bahamas cruise on RCI Monarch OTS with my GF and some of her family and I need answers to some questions.

 

Please be patient with me as I'm sure these questions have been asked before but my searches thus far have not been helpful and I find the information available on the RCI website to be lacking. I did call RCI but, TBH, the customer service reps on the phone sounded very unsure about some of these questions when I asked them.

 

My GF has two daughters, aged 12 and 16 at the time of sailing, and my first questions have to do with the documentation needed to get aboard.

 

1) Neither of the girls have passports, and normally I know a birth certificate and photo ID can be used for adults who are US citizens travelling on a closed-loop cruise, but what about children? My GF has told me that she has Birth certificates for both girls but her 12yo DD doesn't have any form of photo ID right now. Apparently the DMV offers photo IDs for children over the age of 5, is this a good solution to that problem?

 

2) Neither of the girls' fathers are in their lives and their birth certificates, social security cards, medical records and school records list only my GF as their parent/guardian. Is there anything we will need to show that verifies my GF is the only parent and can take the girls out of the country?

 

3) Once we get aboard the girls would like to take part in the activities for the kids in their age range. They want to know if they can stay together or if they would be split into different groups based on their ages (12 & 16)?

 

4) We'd like to be able to provide the girls with some spending money on their seapass cards, what's the best way to go abut this? Just use cash and have it added at guest services?

 

That's about all for now...any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks!

[cb at sea]

BC is fine for closed loop cruises for under 16 years old...no photo ID needed for under 16.

If you are not the parent, you will need permission to take minors out of the country...notarized.

 

Yes...they will be in different age groups in the kid's club....and you wouldn't want it any other way. There will be PLENTY of time for them to be together....they won't be in the clubs 24/7!!!

 

You can apply a pre-determined amount of cash to each child's seapass....it's up to them to manage it for the entire week! Go to guest services after boarding and take care of it!

[chef_christoph]

Thanks cb!

 

Just to clarify, my GF is also coming on the cruise, and in all the documentation I mentioned in my op, everything lists my GF as the sole parent/guardian.

 

Will we need anything else to prove she is the sole guardian/parent and able to take her children out of the country?

 

I guess I just want to make sure we aren't surprised by any request for documentation we don't have when we get to Port Canaveral to check in.

 

Thanks for the help!

[kitty9]

If she has any kind of legal documentation, other than the BC's, she might want to bring that along. But as long as the biological father isn't on the BC, she should be ok.

 

They will not allow the 12 year old in with the teen program. It's mostly for liability reasons.

 

Only the 16 year old needs a photo ID, the 12 year old does not.

[chef_christoph]

Thanks kitty!

 

I really appreciate both you and cb taking the time to help.

 

You've both helped put my mind at ease.

 

Thanks!

[TheCalicoCat]

I know this is not what you asked, but...

My son took his first cruise at age 2 & we got him a passport to avoid any questions or problems like damaging or losing his Birth Certificate. I just added the cost into the cost of the cruise, not unlike pet sitting, parking at the port, extras on the ship, extras in the port, excursions, etc. & we now get a free souvenir in ports - getting our passport stamped.

[chef_christoph]

Thanks Calico, I get where you're coming from with the passport and I have never travelled anywhere without mine.