Changing Name before Cruise

[cruiselover2890]

I am getting married in June 2016 and I have a cruise booked on Harmony of the Seas in November 2016 with my new husband to celebrate my college graduation (finally - years later), celebrate our union with our families, and to celebrate my parents as they renew their vows for their 26th wedding anniversary. As of right now, the cruise booking has my current last name because I just got my passport renewed in 2014 and it took a few months before I got it back. I’m not sure if when I get married I should take on my husband’s name and get a new passport and such or just wait until after we go on vacation to change it.

 

So, I guess I want to know:

If I were to change my name, should I get my passport back in time and up to what time frame can you change your name on the cruise booking?

[Clarea]

I believe a name can be changed on a cruise booking up to 24 hours in advance.

[killtheump]

I am getting married in June 2016 and I have a cruise booked on Harmony of the Seas in November 2016 with my new husband to celebrate my college graduation (finally - years later), celebrate our union with our families, and to celebrate my parents as they renew their vows for their 26th wedding anniversary. As of right now, the cruise booking has my current last name because I just got my passport renewed in 2014 and it took a few months before I got it back. I’m not sure if when I get married I should take on my husband’s name and get a new passport and such or just wait until after we go on vacation to change it.

 

So, I guess I want to know:

If I were to change my name, should I get my passport back in time and up to what time frame can you change your name on the cruise booking?

 

To avoid any problems and take less paperwork I would change the name on my passport. You need two forms of Identification to cruise, fly etc. I would think that you would change your name on your Drivers License after you are married.

Make it easy and get a new passport.

Have a great wedding & cruise.

 

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/renew.html#step3

[cruisinfanatic]

To avoid any problems and take less paperwork I would change the name on my passport. You need two forms of Identification to cruise, fly etc. I would think that you would change your name on your Drivers License after you are married.

Make it easy and get a new passport.

Have a great wedding & cruise.

 

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/renew.html#step3

No, you don't

[cruisinfanatic]

I'd just get my passport name changed right away. Plenty of time until your cruise. When the passport arrives, change the name on your reservation.

All you need is a passport with the same name as your reservation, so you can put it off or change right away

[Homosassa]

Save yourself years of hassle of proving your identity with linking documentation from the name on your birth certificate to whatever surname you might be using 50 years down the road, and keep your own name.

 

As someone who kept her name when I married back in the 70's, I am so glad that I did as I see women trying to gather all the copies of marriage licenses and divorce decrees for several name changes that link back to the name on the birth certificate, Here in Florida, this documentation has been required for several years for new licenses issued or any renewals and is now required for new passports.

[cruisinfanatic]

Save yourself years of hassle of proving your identity with linking documentation from the name on your birth certificate to whatever surname you might be using 50 years down the road, and keep your own name.

 

As someone who kept her name when I married back in the 70's, I am so glad that I did as I see women trying to gather all the copies of marriage licenses and divorce decrees for several name changes that link back to the name on the birth certificate, Here in Florida, this documentation has been required for several years for new licenses issued or any renewals and is now required for new passports.

OP has a passport. Why would they need a BC?

[jenfromjersey]

FYI you will have to pay for a full renewal to change your name on your passport. I have opted to just wait until mine is expiring to change the name there. As such, I book cruises in my maiden name. It wasn't worth it to me to change the name on a passport that was still going to be valid for several years.

[dcgrumpy]

To avoid any problems and take less paperwork I would change the name on my passport. You need two forms of Identification to cruise, fly etc. I would think that you would change your name on your Drivers License after you are married.

Make it easy and get a new passport.

Have a great wedding & cruise.

 

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/renew.html#step3

 

I've never had to show 2 forms of ID.

[AWOL]

Don't change your reservation name if it matches the passport name.

My wife still uses her ex-husbands last name.

To further complicate things, her daughter uses a different last name and our daughter uses my last name so that's a total of three last names.

We have never had a problem going into other countries or returning to the states or going onto many different ships on most all of the major cruise lines.

They do not care what you call yourself as long as the papers match

[rudeney]

I echo what others have said about keeping the passport and reservation under your current name. You could still legally change your name for other purposes (Social Security, etc.) but as long as your passport matches your reservation, you'll be fine. If you do change your name and get a new driver's license and health insurance card, etc., then you might want to carry a copy of your marriage license with you on the trip to show the "chain" of names used, just in case it's needed.

[Lveh8lve]

Save yourself years of hassle of proving your identity with linking documentation from the name on your birth certificate to whatever surname you might be using 50 years down the road, and keep your own name.

 

 

 

As someone who kept her name when I married back in the 70's, I am so glad that I did as I see women trying to gather all the copies of marriage licenses and divorce decrees for several name changes that link back to the name on the birth certificate, Here in Florida, this documentation has been required for several years for new licenses issued or any renewals and is now required for new passports.

 

 

Married, divorced and I wish I never changed my name!! It's such a hassle!!

 

I'd keep all your travel documents on your maiden name. You need original certified married certificates to change your passport. That will take time after the wedding to receive and then you have to change your passport. Instead of stressing over time frames and the government to get their job done, I'd wait until after the cruise.

[bubba83]

FYI you will have to pay for a full renewal to change your name on your passport. I have opted to just wait until mine is expiring to change the name there. As such, I book cruises in my maiden name. It wasn't worth it to me to change the name on a passport that was still going to be valid for several years.

 

 

 

I did not have to pay for a full renewal to change my name on my passport after we married. We went on a cruise for our honeymoon so on the cruise my last name was my maiden name on all of our documents, my drivers license and my passport since we sailed the day after we married. When we got home and I worked on changing my name on every single thing it was on (drivers license, SS card, bills, etc) I just applied for the name change as well and the turn around was fairly quick. I don't remember if there was even a fee other than mailing it, and if there was it was minimal. I remember getting my old passport back with a hole they punched into it, and they even used the same picture for my new passport that was on my old one.

[Ashland]

Wait until after your cruise before you make the changes...we had the same situation when our son married and we sent them on a honeymoon cruise...our daughter-in-law made all the name changes once they returned.

[fredflint]

To be honest I would say don't change your name legally it can make things a hassle. You can call yourself Jill Smith instead of Jill Jones for the stuff that does not matter.

 

The cost on a passport for a name change is Zero

 

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/information/fees.html

 

But you do have to show the legal name change paperwork.

[reallyitsmema]

To be honest I would say don't change your name legally it can make things a hassle. You can call yourself Jill Smith instead of Jill Jones for the stuff that does not matter.

 

The cost on a passport for a name change is Zero

 

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/information/fees.html

 

But you do have to show the legal name change paperwork.

 

If you change the name on your passport in the first year of issue, there is no fee. If you change the name on your passport more than a year after it was issued, all fees apply.

 

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/services/correction.html#Changes

[mollyeilis]

I did not have to pay for a full renewal to change my name on my passport after we married.

 

You must have only recently gotten your most recent passport.

 

To be honest I would say don't change your name legally it can make things a hassle. You can call yourself Jill Smith instead of Jill Jones for the stuff that does not matter.

 

The cost on a passport for a name change is Zero

 

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/information/fees.html

 

But you do have to show the legal name change paperwork.

 

 

From the link you provided, it says that fees depend on circumstances.

 

"If less than one year has passed since your passport was issued:

 

 

• You will not have to pay any passport or processing fees, unless you request Expedited Service.
  
• Submit Form DS-5504"
  

 

 

But after that timeframe, it's going to be either the cost of a first-time application or a renewal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You need two forms of Identification to cruise, fly etc.

 

 

No you don't.

 

 

 

OP, you say "the cruise booking has my current last name because I just got my passport renewed in 2014 ". So you are NOT going to fall inside of the 1 year mark for a free last-name change. Might as well just not change the passport for now.

 

It also sounds like maybe you won't be taking his name at all; if you're still thinking about it, keep thinking! DH and I are happy that no one changed their names. Makes for amusing errors by strangers (and embarrassing IMO errors by relatives who refuse to pay attention). I've never regretted that we kept our birth names. And DS is hyphenated, so there are 3 last names in the family. :)