Minor Children - Divorced

[Poohbeck]

My niece-in-law will be traveling with us and her husband (our nephew) on our big family cruise. She has two children from a previous marriage who will also be traveling with them. She is divorced and the father of the children has not been around for a year or so and she doesn't know where he is...

 

We are not sure if it will be an issue that the kids are traveling with only one parent. She now has a different last name since she re-married, but, she can bring her marriage liscense if needed.

 

The Carnival website states the following if traveling to Mexico, but doesn't specify if travelling not to Mexico. The phone lines have been busy with Carnival, so, we will call later, but thought we could ask here.

 

Any experiences would be helpful.

Thanks.

 

:

Minors traveling to Mexico

January 16, 2013—Mexican immigration policy requires that children under the age of 18 must provide the following documentation when traveling to Mexico:

If minor is traveling with only one parent:

• A valid passport

• A tourist card (to be issued by the airline or cruise before arriving in Mexico)

• A notarized letter of permission (including dates and destination) from the other legal parent, in both English and Spanish. Both letters must be notarized.

o If the other parent is absent or deceased, provide evidence of sole custody or single-parent status (e.g. death certificate, sole custody document, or “father unknown” document).

If the child's last name is different from the last name of the accompanying parent, an original document as proof of parentage is required (photocopied documents are not acceptable). Parents’ name changes must be documented (e.g., original or notarized copy of marriage certificate).

[MissKIA]

If she has sole custody and has court papers proving this she should bring those with her. She does not need a letter is she has this.

 

If they have joint custody or don't have a custody agreement she might get asked for a letter and if she doesn't have it they might not let her board.

[Poohbeck]

Thanks MissKIA!

I'm wondering what happens for single Moms that don't know where their Ex went??? She will call Carnival.

[MissKIA]

Thanks MissKIA!

I'm wondering what happens for single Moms that don't know where their Ex went??? She will call Carnival.

 

I think she can go to court and get something that legally says she has no knowledge of the father's whereabouts but that could take a lot of time and money. I'm so glad my teens are almost adults so I don't have to worry about this any more. Its suck a pain in the ***!

[dpalmquist]

I had to show papers one time and that was on Carnival.

[DISNEY1975]

The OP is obviously divorced, if she is remarried. She would have to get the divorce decree stating sole custody. If not, a notorized letter from the father.

 

I just did a quick google search and found a bunch of threads on this topic. Although everyone was safe, rather than sorry by bringing the documents, only one person was asked to show the letter at the pier (of the 20+ I scanned through). It was Princess and they made a copy.

 

Carnival never asked, according to the cruisers.

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

Hi,

we'll be travelling with our foster kid this summer... we called Royal Carribbean and they mailed a form that needs to be signed by the legal guardian and notorized.

 

Stef

[JinxyB]

I'm a single parent, never married to the deadbeat, but my son has always had my last name. I've cruised 5 times with him, 3 Carnival, 1 Princess, and 1 NCL and have never been asked for a letter, even when ports included Mexico. I don't have any custody letter either.

[bguppies]

I'm a single parent, never married to the deadbeat, but my son has always had my last name. I've cruised 5 times with him, 3 Carnival, 1 Princess, and 1 NCL and have never been asked for a letter, even when ports included Mexico. I don't have any custody letter either.

 

That seems to be the key, to whether or not anything ever gets asked at check in at all.

 

The kids having a different last name from parents seems to be the red flag.

 

Bill

[srjones1]

My step daughter is the only one of our family of 6 with a different last name and although her dad gives us a letter for her we have never been asked for it.

[Talex831]

The birth certificates will list the mother. There should be no question about her validity.

 

 

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[gcooper]

My niece-in-law will be traveling with us and her husband (our nephew) on our big family cruise. She has two children from a previous marriage who will also be traveling with them. She is divorced and the father of the children has not been around for a year or so and she doesn't know where he is...

 

We are not sure if it will be an issue that the kids are traveling with only one parent. She now has a different last name since she re-married, but, she can bring her marriage liscense if needed.

 

My advice, quit asking strangers on the internet for legal advice and don't trust what some stranger on the phone at Carnival says. Have your niece contact the attorney she used when she got divorced (or another divorce attorney). They deal with these types of issues all the time...it is what divorce lawyers are paid to do. :D

It may cost a couple hundred dollars to draw up "power of attorney" or whatever kind of documents she needs but she is already spending around a thousand to go on vacation!

Also from the looks of it, you guys are 40 days out...I would have gotten this figured out BEFORE booking, but that's me. ;)

[gcooper]

That seems to be the key, to whether or not anything ever gets asked at check in at all.

 

The kids having a different last name from parents seems to be the red flag.

 

Bill

 

The issue is not JUST about getting on the boat... there are all kinds of legal wranglings that could pop up, such as in case of an emergency (god forbid) and you sure don't want some foreign country or corporation stepping in between you and your child.

[CatlinSTJ]

I researched this a bunch the last time we cruised. She will need the letter to sail and could be denied boarding or denied entry/reboarding at the ports if she doesn't have it. If she has sole PHYSICAL custody, the divorce decree will suffice. (Not quite the same as sole/full custody.) It also depends on the age of the children, which in this case sound young. Most of the time you are never asked for the letter, especially if you're travelling with older teens. But, if you are asked for it you better have it or it could be a mess.

 

If she needs to go to court to get permission to travel with the kids out of the country, she can file with the judge or magistrate that granted her divorce or if they've been back to court the last judge or magistrate that she was in front of. (This was legal advice given to me.) If the father is not able to be located, she needs to be able to prove that and then show where she's traveling to, why, and the itinerary. Shouldn't be a big deal as long as she allows time for the legal process to work. If there's no ex spouse protesting, there shouldn't be a huge expense and she doesn't really need an attorney. (We thought that we were going to have to do this when my ex decided to get weird. I have full custody, but not sole physical custody, so it was kind of silly for him to argue as he would have to prove I was a flight risk with our then 17 year old.)

 

Hope that helps!