Left Birth Certificate at home

[navybankerteacher]

Surely someone could get in the house and get the BC and overnight it to them so he could fly to the 1st port or second.

 

Probably the only thing would be for whoever got it from his house went straight to nearest airport and personally couriered to the port. Given 3 hour time difference between PA and Seattle an early Sunday AM flight could work.

[mapsmith]

Too late now, but the solution would have been to have someone go and break into the home (they didn't leave an emergency key with anyone?) and pay a bonded courier for Delta Dash or similar counter-to-counter service. Also Fed Ed offers a same day delivery feature. Neither of these options is inexpensive, but they are cheaper than catching up to a cruise.

 

I do believe that the FEDEX same day delivery service involves either Fax or email through certified and legal means. (usually through a licensed and bonded broker so if there is any shenanigans the broker would be on the hook) But using this method should be legal.

[navybankerteacher]

Having read to the end of the thread, I am now inclined to think this is just a silly hoax. OP joined CC yesterday, has only posted four times - all on this thread, and after advising of a miraculous (unexplained, and, frankly, highly unlikely happy ending) has not been heard from again.

 

Would the line permit a passenger to board who lacks sufficient documentation to disembark? Not only the line, but Immigration at the other end of the cruise, would want more than a FAX copy. Even if they were lax, I doubt the glib, unexplained happy ending.

[ducklite]

I do believe that the FEDEX same day delivery service involves either Fax or email through certified and legal means. (usually through a licensed and bonded broker so if there is any shenanigans the broker would be on the hook) But using this method should be legal.

 

If you have a FedEx account set up in advance, you can use the FedEx same day service. Anyone can set an account up and tie it to their credit card. DH and I have had one for years this way. We don't use it often, but when we've needed it, we've really needed it.

 

For the average person, a bonded courier would have been the solution. I'm surprised the OP/TA didn't think of it. They sound very inexperienced and not someone I'd want to book a trip through.

[cruzeluver]

OP was very up front about why they just joined CC. From their first post in this thread:

 

I joined this forum tonight to ask any and all what their advice to this poor gentleman would be.

 

So, they got what they needed and left.

[wwcruisers]

Having read to the end of the thread, I am now inclined to think this is just a silly hoax. OP joined CC yesterday, has only posted four times - all on this thread, and after advising of a miraculous (unexplained, and, frankly, highly unlikely happy ending) has not been heard from again.

 

Would the line permit a passenger to board who lacks sufficient documentation to disembark? Not only the line, but Immigration at the other end of the cruise, would want more than a FAX copy. Even if they were lax, I doubt the glib, unexplained happy ending.

 

A real possibility. On the other hand, maybe the client suddenly found the "forgotten" birth certificate -- stuffed in a pocket of their luggage they had not checked. You just never know. ;)

[utahtea]

This is the best bet. This is why having a copy of your documents on an electronic device is a good idea.

 

Great Idea! Going to do that now.

[Capt_BJ]

TROLL . . . . .

 

on another site they'll see aliens . . .

[cruisead]

I've seen on various TV programs on cruising where they showed they will allow a faxed copy of the BC and then allowed the person to board the ship. The one I remember was a show on Oasis of the Seas where one member of their travel party somehow misplaced the birth certificate. This person had a friend go to their house and get another copy of the BC and then faxed it directly to the Guest Services Desk on the ship. So, maybe that's what happened.

[sparks1093]

Assuming Princess enforces the requirements stated in their FAQs, they require an original birth certificate. It's their right to require more than the minimum documentation allowed by government regulations.

 

Some cruise lines (Regent Seven Seas and Azamara are examples) won't even allow you to travel using a birth certificate even if the government permits it for the itinerary. They require all passengers to have a valid passport on all cruises.

 

Princess also has its own unique requirement. If minors are traveling in a party with only one adult, Princess requires everyone in the party to have a passport, even on a closed loop cruise.

 

It's an interesting question regarding the difference between what the regulations allow and what the cruise line requires but given the choice between showing up with a copy or showing up with nothing I know which option I would choose.

[sparks1093]

Having read to the end of the thread, I am now inclined to think this is just a silly hoax. OP joined CC yesterday, has only posted four times - all on this thread, and after advising of a miraculous (unexplained, and, frankly, highly unlikely happy ending) has not been heard from again.

 

Would the line permit a passenger to board who lacks sufficient documentation to disembark? Not only the line, but Immigration at the other end of the cruise, would want more than a FAX copy. Even if they were lax, I doubt the glib, unexplained happy ending.

 

The DHS regulations allow passengers to present the original or copy of their birth certificate and there is no difference between a copy made on a copier and one that is made by a fax machine (or one that is scanned and saved on an electronic device and then printed). I have read several instances on CC where a faxed copy of a birth certicate saved someone's cruise (and that may have been what happened in this case).

[njhorseman]

It's an interesting question regarding the difference between what the regulations allow and what the cruise line requires but given the choice between showing up with a copy or showing up with nothing I know which option I would choose.

 

The DHS regulations allow passengers to present the original or copy of their birth certificate and there is no difference between a copy made on a copier and one that is made by a fax machine (or one that is scanned and saved on an electronic device and then printed). I have read several instances on CC where a faxed copy of a birth certicate saved someone's cruise (and that may have been what happened in this case).

 

Having a copy is obviously better than having nothing, but be prepared for the possibility of being denied embarkation if your cruise line's rules don't permit a faxed copy, printed copy or a photo copy.

[sparks1093]

Having a copy is obviously better than having nothing, but be prepared for the possibility of being denied embarkation if your cruise line's rules don't permit a faxed copy, printed copy or a photo copy.

 

Of course. But if a cruise line would treat a passenger that way it's not really a cruise line that I'd be in a hurry to cruise with (recognizing the difference between showing up intentionally with the incorrect documents and having the necessary documents lost/stolen/forgotten and having to use back-up documents that don't meet the cruise line's rule but do meet the requirements of the regulations).

 

(And it wouldn't surprise me to find out that in the OP's case the client was allowed to sail with a faxed copy as that's the only way I can think of that it was allowed, unless as another poster said the client found the birth certificate in a pocket somewhere.)

[xxoocruiser]

OP stated that the client spoke to the Port Authorities implying that the client had not actually checked-in with Princess Cruise Lines. The Port Authority does not check you in rather it's Princess Cruise that checks you in and verifies the documents. Also it would be Princess Cruise Lines trying to sort this out before the ship actually departs and not the Port Authority. :confused:

[gooch47]

This thread is interesting since I had always thought you had to have a government issued birth certificate with a raised seal. Apparently not the case.

 

Would there be an issue returning to the US with the copy?

[sparks1093]

This thread is interesting since I had always thought you had to have a government issued birth certificate with a raised seal. Apparently not the case.

 

Would there be an issue returning to the US with the copy?

 

When I returned from my cruise with CCL I presented a copy of my birth certificate and the CBP Officer didn't bat an eye.

[alexspepa]

This thread is interesting since I had always thought you had to have a government issued birth certificate with a raised seal. Apparently not the case.

 

Would there be an issue returning to the US with the copy?

 

several states no longer issue birth certificates with raised seals - Virginia is one. We requested a certified BC from VA last year and it came with no seal.

 

No problem whatsoever using it.

[Padraic]

several states no longer issue birth certificates with raised seals - Virginia is one. We requested a certified BC from VA last year and it came with no seal.

 

In several states a certified document (birth, death, etc.) will not have a raised seals but rather the certificate has a watermark in the paper.

[lax19]

Or the OP's client met a guy who knew a guy .... hundred bucks later, he had a "birth certificate". ;>}

Edited June 9, 2014 by lax19

[navybankerteacher]

This thread is interesting since I had always thought you had to have a government issued birth certificate with a raised seal. Apparently not the case.

 

Would there be an issue returning to the US with the copy?

 

I went to the web site help.cbp.gov to check, and the wording is somewhat obscure. It requires an original "... or copy of birth certificate (issued by the vital records office..." . That can be read either way - either the original birth certificate itself as issued, or any copy of if; or the original birth certificate itself or a copy of it, which copy was also issued by the vital records office.

 

The fact is, from the instructions put out by a number of cruise lines, the copy itself needs to have been so issued; or at list those cruise lines think so.

 

It seems that there is a happy ending to the story as presented, but it still smells: OP came back several times thanking posters for input - and then vanished after declaring that there was a happy ending but without giving any indication of what the ending was.

[sparks1093]

I went to the web site help.cbp.gov to check, and the wording is somewhat obscure. It requires an original "... or copy of birth certificate (issued by the vital records office..." . That can be read either way - either the original birth certificate itself as issued, or any copy of if; or the original birth certificate itself or a copy of it, which copy was also issued by the vital records office.

 

The fact is, from the instructions put out by a number of cruise lines, the copy itself needs to have been so issued; or at list those cruise lines think so.

 

It seems that there is a happy ending to the story as presented, but it still smells: OP came back several times thanking posters for input - and then vanished after declaring that there was a happy ending but without giving any indication of what the ending was.

 

I see two possible scenarios: 1) the client was able to get someone to fax a copy of the BC to the port or 2) the client found that he actually had the BC with him all of the time. (And FWIW the original birth certificate always remains on file with the issuing authority and they issue certified copies, which most people consider to be the original.)

[njhorseman]

No US citizen has their original birth certificate. The original resides with the issuing state, city or county as an electronic record (in today's world).

 

My current "original" is computer-generated and titled "Certification Of Birth". It states the following: "This is a certification of name and birth facts on file in the Office of Vital Records, Department of Public Health, City of New York."

 

My first "original", issued shortly after my birth in the 1940's is a negative photostat copy (an early version of a copier dating to the start of the 20th century). Even this states that it is "...an exact copy of a certificate of birth registered..."

[Stratheden]

We have copies of our passports on our phones and iPads. (we could only use them to assist in getting new ones if we lost the originals.). Birth certificates are not used for travel ID over here.

 

If you had a copy of your birth certificate on your phone would that be acceptable in the US? You could probably print it out in an emergency. Just a thought.

[gooch47]

I'm not sure I like this copy thing. Anyone with a little expertise in PhotoShop could make changes on a scanned copy. It would be tough to get fonts to match up but it could be done.

[sparks1093]

I'm not sure I like this copy thing. Anyone with a little expertise in PhotoShop could make changes on a scanned copy. It would be tough to get fonts to match up but it could be done.

 

DHS was aware of photoshop when they wrote the regs. Every passenger is run through a number of government databases and if anything seems to be remiss there are other government databases that can be checked further (such as every birth certificate can be verified with the issuing agency either online or by phone).