New documentation requirement?

[xxHadleyxx]

Interesting, thank you! Here they make it pretty easy by allowing you a free new passport in the married name, but it's not required.

 

Edit: I should add, my DL name was also not changed in those 2 days, so they did match - both in my maiden name.

 

Things may have changed in the US since I was married 18 years ago (I am too lazy to look it up right now :p) but back then you had a window to get it all done (I think it was 6 months) and the fee was pretty low; they actually added a print out reflecting the name change to one of my passport pages instead of issuing a completely new passport. But I was legally required to have the passport change once I made the decision to change my name and changed it on my DL.

[Havingfun2010]

Simple:

 

1) There is no questioning what works and what doesn't.

2) IF you get stuck, miss the ship in a foreign port a Birth Certificate/DL will make things more complex. A passport will save a lot time and frustration.

 

The EASIEST solution that is also cost effective is the Passport Card IF you just plan on cruises or land crossings. As previously said it works on cruises and is only $25 or $30 and is good for 10 years. If you lose your BC or DL, it could easily cost you as much if not more.

 

The funny thing about statement #2 is if I missed the ship, and got stuck, not having my passport would be the least of my worries. The whole cost of the mistake, including the airfare I must now pay, and hotel stay etc. Also to point out, most people who miss the ship, most likely left the passport safely in the safe instead of their pocket! I do have a passport, but not because of a cruise ship. The odds of you needing a passport in port is slim to none. (Unless of course you enjoy the parties at Senor Frogs)

[xxHadleyxx]

Interesting, thank you! Here they make it pretty easy by allowing you a free new passport in the married name, but it's not required.

 

Edit: I should add, my DL name was also not changed in those 2 days, so they did match - both in my maiden name.

 

Things may have changed in the US since I was married 18 years ago (I am too lazy to look it up right now ) but back then you had a window to get it all done (I think it was 6 months) and the fee was pretty low; they actually added a print out reflecting the name change to one of my passport pages instead of issuing a completely new passport. But I was legally required to have the passport change once I made the decision to change my name and changed it on my DL.

 

ETA: sorry about the double post; not sure what caused that!

Edited March 26, 2014 by NHDisneylover

[Iamthesea]

Ladysilver - You misunderstood my first question. ;)

 

spiritcat made this comment:

 

 

 

You probably can but only in the DL/bc line. Normally I have seen people able to trade down so to speak but not to bump up into faster lanes. There is a poster on here that works for cbp hopefully they will see your question and assist.

 

They will direct you when you disembark dependent on documentation in hand. If you state traveling together they may allow you but I suspect they will send you in the slower direction!

 

Thanks, we will go through line with daughter with BC and DL if needed. I just had never seen this at any other port. We will not be going out of Galveston. It's Ft. Lauderdale. ;)

 

Hope her Drivers License still has her maiden name. Both illegal by the way. Hope they don't catch it or she may not travel. Could have a bigger problem at Customs when she returns!

 

The daughter that will be using her passport, will not be using a DL.

 

We are following the suggestion of the cruiseline on booking the cruise using her maiden name to go along with her passport. Just in case, however, I will have her bring an expired DL with maiden name, her new DL with married name, and a marriage certificate. :cool:

 

When we get back home, I will have oldest daughter apply for a passport and have youngest daughter change her passport to her maiden name.;)

Edited March 26, 2014 by Iamthesea

[kyriecat]

If your passport was issued more than a year ago and you want to change your name, you have to pay the full $110 renewal fee again. I can understand why some women would rather book their travel under their maiden names and wait until their passport expires to change their name.

 

When I got married 19 years ago, I either didn't have to pay anything or it was a small fee to have my name changed.

 

The possibility of needing to provide a document (such as marriage certificate or divorce papers) to verify a name change is not a recent requirement. Whem my mom first sailed in 2004, she did not have a passport. I saw the documentation requirements and had her bring her DL, BC, and original marriage certificate. We sailed from Galveston and they did not ask to see the marriage certificate.

 

A couple years later we took an Alaska cruise. My mom almost didn't bring her marriage certificate since they hadn't asked for it the previous time. However, I convinced her to bring it anyway since it doesn't take up much space. That time they did ask to see it.

 

She got a passport after that.

[xxHadleyxx]

The funny thing about statement #2 is if I missed the ship, and got stuck, not having my passport would be the least of my worries. The whole cost of the mistake, including the airfare I must now pay, and hotel stay etc. Also to point out, most people who miss the ship, most likely left the passport safely in the safe instead of their pocket! I do have a passport, but not because of a cruise ship. The odds of you needing a passport in port is slim to none. (Unless of course you enjoy the parties at Senor Frogs)

 

I don't ever carry my passport on my person in port--this is true. I leave it in the room safe. I do always carry the port agent phone number with me though--if something deterred me and I thought I would miss the ship (I was stuck in a traffic jam, was in a fender bender and had to make a police report, etc., I could call and ask to have the passport left at the pier.

 

If I had to leave the ship due to medical emergency or a family emergency back home, I would be able to take my passport with me.

 

See? Simpler :)

 

I fully understand that for someone who very rarely travels, they may decide that the benefit of saving money outweighs the risk of not having a passport--but that does not mean that there are not risks. Similarly, we do not buy travel insurance (we have medical coverage which includes evacuation from a ship if needed). We KNOW we are risking having to pay our own way home from a port, or lodging in a port while someone is in the hospital or even after bus not able to travel, losing money we miss the cruise due to a flight delay, etc. Currently, the savings is worth the risk to us--but I do not try to pretend there is no risk or that it would not be much simpler to have insurance if anything went wrong.

[alfaeric]

You need to take another look at the way things work.

 

You get to the ship and show them your passport, then get on the ship.

 

I get to the ship and show them my BC and DL and get on the ship.

 

You know where you keep your PP at home so it is easy to find.

I keep my BC and DL and I know where they are so it is simple.

 

If you lose your PP or forget it at home it is a real pain.

If I lose or forget my DL and BC it is a real pain.

 

 

 

please tell me how your life is simpler by having a PP.

 

If you ONLY cruise or cross the border to Mexico and Canada, that could be easier, although I suspect that you would get more scrutiny and spend more time at the crossing.

 

However:

1) Europe- passports can go there, BC and DL only can not.

2) Fly to Canada and Mexico- so if I were to cruise out of Quebec, I can fly there. Or take some time visiting things in Mexico I saw on a cruise- I can fly there, too. Not sure I would entertain driving to the Yucantan.

3) Fly to other Caribbean places that I find interesting (other than Puerto Rico and the USVI).

4) The rest of the world.

 

If traveling is a hobby, or a major part of your life, then passports are the way to go. And they are easy to use on a cruise. Heck, we use them at airports instead of DL's on many of our trips.

 

I have no more fear of losing my passport than my wallet. They are very much the same, although I personally think that there's more people who would want to steal my wallet, since it has more liquid items in it.

 

All of that does make my life easier.

[Iamthesea]

If your passport was issued more than a year ago and you want to change your name, you have to pay the full $110 renewal fee again. I can understand why some women would rather book their travel under their maiden names and wait until their passport expires to change their name.

 

Didn't know this. DD will be celebrating her 5th anniversary next September and her passport will be the same age. She will probably opt to wait. I just remembered that she used her passport to take a cruise 2 years ago with her sister. I'll have to ask her if she took any other documentation or what name her cruise was booked under.

[killtheump]

I am confused by this. Why is this illegal in the US?

 

In Australia a woman changes her name by common adoption when she marries (as opposed to deed poll) and as such is fully entitled to be known by either her birth name or her married name. For example many women continue to use their birth name in their professional life. There is no rule/law saying you have to change your ID at all, and if you do change it there is no time requirement.

 

Like the other poster I departed for my honeymoon 2 days after my wedding and the paperwork to lodge the marriage certificate had not yet been completed by the priest or the local authority. There was no way it would have been possible for me to obtain a new passport in my married name. Australian immigration had no problems with me using my 'old name' passport, neither did US immigration when I landed in LA nor when I went through Port Evergaldes.

 

As stated by others if there is a name change you must change your name on all documents. In the State of Illinois you must change your Drivers License within 10 days. I am not sure of how long you have in other states. Here in Illinois they actually make it pretty easy and cost efficient. For $29.95 they change your DL, passport, IRS, Voters Registration, Vehicle Titles, bank, credit card notifications, and Insurance Notification. Makes much easier then the old days when you had to do all yourself. I know because I have 2 daughters that changed their names and my sister works for the County Clerk and helped them get it done.

The last thing you want to do is go in front of TSA or Customs with 2 different names on your Passport & Drivers License. You will have problems.

[kyriecat]

Ten days is not very much time to get your paperwork in order to have your name changed. I left for my honeymoon the day after my wedding and was gone for 9 days. I never would have made it! I think it took a couple of weeks to receive my notarized marriage certificate.

 

What happens if a woman takes a two-week honeymoon or doesn't decide to use her married name until later? I know at least one woman who didn't change her name until the couple decided to have a child. She wanted her last name to match her baby's and changed her name about 3 years after they married.

 

Since a passport is a federal government document and not a state document, how is the state of Illinois authorized to change a passport name?

[Mark_K]

Ten days is not very much time to get your paperwork in order to have your name changed. I left for my honeymoon the day after my wedding and was gone for 9 days. I never would have made it! I think it took a couple of weeks to receive my notarized marriage certificate.

 

 

 

What happens if a woman takes a two-week honeymoon or doesn't decide to use her married name until later? I know at least one woman who didn't change her name until the couple decided to have a child. She wanted her last name to match her baby's and changed her name about 3 years after they married.

 

 

 

Since a passport is a federal government document and not a state document, how is the state of Illinois authorized to change a passport name?

$29.95 gets you a kit with all the forms you need to fill out and send in to various places. In Illinois you have ten days to change your drivers license after you change your name with SSA not ten days after your marriage.

 

 

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[killtheump]

Ten days is not very much time to get your paperwork in order to have your name changed. I left for my honeymoon the day after my wedding and was gone for 9 days. I never would have made it! I think it took a couple of weeks to receive my notarized marriage certificate.

 

What happens if a woman takes a two-week honeymoon or doesn't decide to use her married name until later? I know at least one woman who didn't change her name until the couple decided to have a child. She wanted her last name to match her baby's and changed her name about 3 years after they married.

 

Since a passport is a federal government document and not a state document, how is the state of Illinois authorized to change a passport name?

 

I don't make the rules or laws. It states 10 days I am sure many don't do it in that time line. But that what it states. We got our Passports from The County Clerks Office which is not a Federal Agency but they took care of everything.

[Iamthesea]

The last thing you want to do is go in front of TSA or Customs with 2 different names on your Passport & Drivers License. You will have problems.

 

Not planning on giving both. When I travel, I take my passport, only. One daughter will be using a birth certificate and a DL (both have same names) and the other will use her passport, only. That will be fine for getting on the ship. If for some reason we have trouble with her passport going through customs, we will have back up documents. ;)

[matj2000]

I love the "what if you need to fly home" argument.

How much does that happen 0.01%.

[Mark_K]

I don't make the rules or laws. It states 10 days I am sure many don't do it in that time line. But that what it states. We got our Passports from The County Clerks Office which is not a Federal Agency but they took care of everything.

Nothing is automatic, and you have the rest of your life to change your name, or not, after marriage.

 

In Illinois you have to change it with the Social Security Administration before you can change your drivers license. SSA gives you two years after a marriage to change it without having to provide any documentation beyond a marriage certificate. The ten day period referenced in Illinois law begins when your name is changed with SSA.

 

 

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Edited March 26, 2014 by Mark_K

[S.A.M.J.R.]

I fully understand that for someone who very rarely travels, they may decide that the benefit of saving money outweighs the risk of not having a passport--but that does not mean that there are not risks.

 

If traveling is a hobby, or a major part of your life, then passports are the way to go.

I think this is the key. It's very possible (probable?) those who ask whether they need a passport DON'T travel out of the country often, so their NEED for a passport is low. However, instead of folks saying "you don't need a passport, but if you don't have one, here's what can happen... ", you get the "passport police" on here who are emphatic that EVERYONE should have a passport and if you travel without one, you're a cheap bastard who will end up stranded in a foreign country. No, no one has specifically said that, but that's the feeling I get from reading some of these posts.

 

For the record, my family has passports and will use them for our upcoming cruise.

[coasterjan]

Recently I was told by a Royal Caribbean representative that a birth certificate and drivers lisence is no longer enough for a married woman to board a cruise ship. She said I need to bring my marriage lisence also. I've never needed it before. Just to be sure, I called and asked a different person and got the same answer. :mad:

 

I could understand needing to bring a marriage license if your married name does NOT appear on your drivers license, i.e. you were recently married and you are traveling under your new name, but your government-issued ID is still in your former name.

 

You had to "prove" who you were with the DMV to be issued your drivers license (meaning you had to show *them* your marriage license to get the name changed), so it makes no sense to have to show a marriage license to Royal Caribbean to prove your name change again.

[DrD]

A passport is also good if you suddenly have to flee the country, I keep mine in safe with $50,000 cash. They're also very cool.

 

 

On a different but related note, I've never understood why in these modern times women change their names after marriage. It seems like a real PITA and you can call yourself and introduce yourself however you want.

 

My wife didn't change her name, partially because she's also a doctor and it's and even bigger PITA to change your name then. But she goes by and introduces herself with my last name. Much easier all around. And we can write each other prescriptions etc without ringing any alarm bells!

 

I suspect in another generation or 2 we'll look back at this practice as quaint.

Edited March 26, 2014 by DrD

[DrD]

 

You had to "prove" who you were with the DMV to be issued your drivers license (meaning you had to show *them* your marriage license to get the name changed), so it makes no sense to have to show a marriage license to Royal Caribbean to prove your name change again.

 

Ha! It's the government.

 

I had to prove I graduated medical school to get a license, but every time I apply for privileges they want license AND med school diploma. And if I need a license in another state I have to prove it all over again.

 

One dept of government never seem to trust another to do its job properly. Probably wise.

[ryano]

 

My wife didn't change her name, partially because she's also a doctor and it's and even bigger PITA to change your name then. .

 

Thanks for the explanation :) My surgeon is also married to a surgeon who did not change her last name after they married. I would never ask why because its none of my business but i was curious for sure :)

[smoosh21]

Instead of getting a full passport book which costs $120, I would suggest a passport card which is $30. It is good for 10 years, and can be used for any land crossings, and cruises.

 

You cannot fly with it, but if all you plan to do is cruise closed loop cruises, it is not expensive.

 

Even though the price of a passport is $120 (plus the $25 signup fee), remember that it is good for 10 years, so it is about $15 a year. That is less than a couple cups of starbucks coffee, or two packs of cigarettes, or a cheap meal at a fast service restaurant. Not expensive for the piece of mind of not having to bring a birth certificate with you.

 

Now, if only they would put Global Entry into Cruise ports I would be totally happy. Skip the lines at the airports and at the Cruise Ports :D

[Sadie cruiser]

Paula, I know you asked a question in your post about the Marriage Certificate and you are getting a lot of answers and lectures about the need for a Passport. I did too when I asked questions about documentation and don't feel the need to explain why I don't have a passport. Either should you. :)

 

I don't travel with a passport and very infrequently cruise so I don't have the need for it. My family all have the original birth certificates and driver's license as I.D's. I DO BRING ALONG THE MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE ALSO BECAUSE THEY HAVE CHECKED FOR IT. I hope that answers your original question. Have a nice cruise and don't worry about not having a passport.

[DrD]

Here's what it says in my cruise docs:

 

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) requires that all travelers entering and departing the United States, Canada,

Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda must present a valid passport book or other Department of Homeland Security-

approved travel document that establishes the bearer’s identity and citizenship. Open-loop cruises (voyages that begin

in one U.S. port and end in another U.S. port) will require a valid passport book or another WHTI-compliant document for

entry or reentry into the United States. Closed-loop cruises (voyages that begin and end in the same U.S. port) allow U.S.

citizens to travel with additional travel documents such as a birth certificate plus a government issued picture ID card (i.e.,

a drivers license). The name on your travel documents needs to match the name on the cruise line reservation or be linked

by other legal documents such as a marriage certificate. A birth certificate, issued by a government agency (state, county,

city, etc.), is an accepted travel document. A birth notice, issued by a hospital or other or other type of medical facility, is

not an acceptable travel document. The name on your travel documents must match the name on your cruise reservation

or be linked by a legal document such as a marriage license. For more information regarding domestic travel document

requirements, visit: http://www.getyouhome.gov/.

[Ladysilver]

Paula, I know you asked a question in your post about the Marriage Certificate and you are getting a lot of answers and lectures about the need for a Passport. I did too when I asked questions about documentation and don't feel the need to explain why I don't have a passport. Either should you. :)

 

I don't travel with a passport and very infrequently cruise so I don't have the need for it. My family all have the original birth certificates and driver's license as I.D's. I DO BRING ALONG THE MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE ALSO BECAUSE THEY HAVE CHECKED FOR IT. I hope that answers your original question. Have a nice cruise and don't worry about not having a passport.

 

 

Thank you for answering my question. I really appreciate it. :D

[Mark_K]

I could understand needing to bring a marriage license if your married name does NOT appear on your drivers license, i.e. you were recently married and you are traveling under your new name, but your government-issued ID is still in your former name.

 

You had to "prove" who you were with the DMV to be issued your drivers license (meaning you had to show *them* your marriage license to get the name changed), so it makes no sense to have to show a marriage license to Royal Caribbean to prove your name change again.

You're proving that the document you're using to establish citizenship (your birth certificate) is yours by the marriage license. The fact the the DMV gave you a new drivers license doesn't do that at all.

 

 

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