Traveling with children/different families

[tgunn1978]

We have several family members traveling in May on Triumph from Galveston, Tx.

 

My nephew will be bringing his daughter, that he has sole custody of, and his niece. His niece lives with her grandmother and grandfather. Her mother lives a couple of towns away, and will sign a letter giving her daughter permission to travel with her uncle. But her father has never been in her life.

 

She is 10 years old and doesn't even know what her biological father looks like. Will a notarized letter from her mother and her birth certificate be enough? There will be no letter from her father. She can get a letter from both grandparents, because that is who she lives with. But that is choice, not court ordered.

 

Also, my nephews fiance is bringing her son. He is 3 years old. His father wasn't a legal citizen, and disappeared shortly after his sons birth, back to his home country. He hasn't been heard from since. What documentation will she need, since she has no clue where her son's father is?

 

These kids do not have the luxury of having a loving, father in their lives, and are looking very forward to this cruise vacation. Thats all they have talked about! We definately don't want to get all the way to the ship,...only to have to disappoint these children because we don't have proper documents to take them on this cruise.

 

Have any of you been in a similar situation? What did you do? All help is very much appreciated!

[Out of Iowa]

Start by calling Carnival and describing these parent-child situations. If it were me, I'd may want to be doubly sure and talk to an attorney before sailling.

 

Anticipate that you will be paying for some birth certificates from the State, notarized statements and perhaps legal time for advice...start early!

 

Have ALL the proper paperwork; as you wrote, you don't want the children to be disappointed!

[loxley]

OP, if you check the carnival site, it is only a suggestion you have the letter unlike the requirement for the birth certificate. The letter is required by Mexico bla bla bla.

 

If you fly to Mexico, they will not let you on the plane without the letter because if they do, when you get to Mexico without the letter, they will put you straight back on the plane. If you go by ship and do not have the letter, all they could do is put you back on the ship which you were going to do anyway.

 

Just make sure you have the required version of the birth certificate and you can take whatever you can get in the form of a letter, but I bet you will not even be asked for it. My sister has not been asked in the past 7 years. She doesn't even bother with it anymore when we cruise, but we had to have it when we flew down.

[Homosassa]

Forget Carnival. Check with the US State Department. Their website has some of your questions answered on their website. You may have to call to have all the details worked out.

[GradUT]

These are very complicated legal issues concerning the children. No matter what, the mothers need to get their child's status regarding their fathers (and, in the case of the niece, her grandparent/caregivers) adjudicated to prevent problems in the future--some much more important than a cruise. Their respective mothers need to talk to a lawyer NOW.

[MissMeggieMurphy]

i have traveled with assorted nieces and nephews over the years and have never had a cruise line ask for any parent releases for said children as long as i had a birth certificate for the children. of course i carry a notarized power of attorney for medical care but i have never had to show it.

 

per US customs and immigration about permission letters:

 

Adults traveling with children should also be aware that, while the U.S. does not require this documentation, many other countries do; failure to produce notarized permission letters and/or birth certificates could result in travelers being refused entry (Canada has very strict requirements in this regard).

 

since debarking at cruise ports does not involve the showing of documentation other than s&s card to reboard i don't think this will be an issue, or it never has been for our family. the worst that can happen is someone, though i can't for the life of me think who, may require the kids to stay on board the ship at ports.