Documents Question with a unique situation

[Jackie81]

My DH and I are planning a trip on the Pride in August. We've sailed only once before (for our honeymoon) and of course the kids stayed back at home. So now here we are, nearly 4 years later and we've decided that we would like to take our (my kids from a previous relationship). So this is where I find myself. My son, who is 15 and will be nearly 16 by the time we sail hasn't seen his biological father since he was 18 months old. I've tried contacting my ex a few times to see if he will sign the paper we need saying my son can go on the cruise but this guy just can't get it together. I know he's on drugs, homeless... just not in a good situation. This guy has had no contact with my son whatsoever (not so much as a card on any single birthday) So, I'm finding myself wondering if this paper has to be notarized or if its truly necessary at my sons age. No, he doesn't have a passport. All the questions on the passport application seem to want my ex to sign papers... I can't even get him to sign a paper for just one trip let alone for a passport. My ex doesn't care that my son does or goes anywhere, its just not important to him. So, again.. is this paper truly necessary? What will happen at port if we don't have it? We truly have no contact with my ex.

[Pops, Esq.]

I know this doesn't answer your question of whether that piece of paper is really necessary (although I believe I have seen on other threads that "necessary" is a rather fluid concept in this area--as in "it depends on who you ask."). But, check your divorce decree. It may address certain responsibilities he has, like signing travel paperwork. Some specifically address which parent has the right to apply for passports, and requires consent of the other. (Some, but not all). Then again, sounds like he isn't too impressed with "responsibilities."

 

Bad news is, that takes time and money.

 

Edit: found this on the carnival website (check the faq on "travel documents for u.s. Citizens"

 

Traveling with a Minor

When traveling with a minor where one parent or both parents (or legal guardians) are not cruising, we strongly recommend bringing an original signed letter from the absent parent(s) (or legal guardians) authorizing the minor to travel with you. This will expedite processing by the Department of Homeland Security.

 

"Strongly recommended" by Carnival. I would still check the countries you will be visiting to make sure there are no issues from a customs and immigration standpoint.

Edited December 16, 2015 by kbanowsky

[loxley]

No you will not need the letter.

 

You are going to find people that will try to scare you.

 

The letter is not needed period. If it was required, nobody would get on the ship without it.

 

Some will claim they are asked EVERY TIME THEY SAIL. Frankly I think they are either lying or they are shoving it to the people at check in.

 

Forget the countries you will be going too also. Mexico is the only county, or Canada if you are going that way, that require such a paper, but that is only if your trip ends in those countries.

 

Again, people are going to try to scare you. Many are going to attempt to get you into court to get expensive paper work. The kid is 16. I would not worry about it. Two years and he is free anyway.

 

 

 

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

[lizardhowson]

My wife and I take our grandson (he is 9 now) on vacation every summer and have done so since he was 1 1/2 years old. We have gone out of country, Carribean and Canada.

 

Although we always get a notarized letter from my daughter, we have never had one from his father except when we got him a passport.

 

Two seniors traveling with a young child - and we have never been asked for any documentation.

 

You are his biological mother, you do not need anything except his birth certificate.

Edited December 16, 2015 by lizardhowson

[SadieN]

Sailed with DD14 without her father. Didn't get asked for a letter at any time. The ship was only going to ports in Mexico.

[n6uqqq]

You do not need a letter signed by the other parent. It is only " strongly recommended " . Carnival is in business of selling cruises, not checking on family status. Carnival will only make sure ID and birth certificate name match. See link below for US customs. There will be no questions when your child is 16. Now if you had a young child crying and saying " I want my mommy ", then they (border patrol) are likely to investigate and you would be delayed.

 

 

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/268/~/children---child-traveling-with-one-parent-or-someone-who-is-not-a-parent-or

Edited December 16, 2015 by n6uqqq

[sparks1093]

My DH and I are planning a trip on the Pride in August. We've sailed only once before (for our honeymoon) and of course the kids stayed back at home. So now here we are, nearly 4 years later and we've decided that we would like to take our (my kids from a previous relationship). So this is where I find myself. My son, who is 15 and will be nearly 16 by the time we sail hasn't seen his biological father since he was 18 months old. I've tried contacting my ex a few times to see if he will sign the paper we need saying my son can go on the cruise but this guy just can't get it together. I know he's on drugs, homeless... just not in a good situation. This guy has had no contact with my son whatsoever (not so much as a card on any single birthday) So, I'm finding myself wondering if this paper has to be notarized or if its truly necessary at my sons age. No, he doesn't have a passport. All the questions on the passport application seem to want my ex to sign papers... I can't even get him to sign a paper for just one trip let alone for a passport. My ex doesn't care that my son does or goes anywhere, its just not important to him. So, again.. is this paper truly necessary? What will happen at port if we don't have it? We truly have no contact with my ex.

 

If you really want him to have a passport they have procedures in place to make it happen. May involve a bit more paperwork but it's still doable. I am sure that http://www.state.gov has all of the information that you need. Fact is your situation is not that unique, so it has been dealt with before by travel providers and our State Department.

[madeincanada]

We have taken our friends two children along with us on four cruises and were never asked for a letter.

[Pops, Esq.]

On the upside, and for future travel of all types, at 16, he can apply for a passport without two-parent parental consent, provided he has identification.

[lizardhowson]

And in this world of single parent families and high divorce rates, your situation is not unique at all, a substantial number of children grow up outside of the traditional "2 parents in the home" concept

Edited December 16, 2015 by lizardhowson

[A&Jfamily]

I have a son whose father is deceased (so I travel with the death certificate) and another son where I am divorced from his father, and his father will sign paperwork without problem and always does.

 

I have been on 5 cruises under the present circumstances and never been asked for either documentation. We have been Western, Eastern, Southern and Alaska on Carnival and Princess during this time.

 

Hope that helps.

 

PS - thanks for posting - it reminded me to get him to do the paperwork for our trip on the Conquest next week!

Edited December 16, 2015 by A&Jfamily

[meatloafsfan]

I'm going to be the lone person so far to say - I needed the letter.

 

I took my goddaughter on back to back cruises in 2011. She was 16 turning 17.

 

We crossed the Canadian border, no one asked for the letter.

We boarded the US airplane, no one asked for the letter.

We boarded the first leg of the back to back, no one asked for the letter.

We boarded the second leg of the back to back - I was asked for the letter.

Incidentally, we boarded the flight home, no letter.

Crossed the border back into Canada - no letter required.

 

It was just the one person, the one time.

I have no idea what would have happened if I didn't have the letter.

 

OTOH, what triggered the question was that we had different last names.

[lizardhowson]

Keep in mind, this is the biological mother who has a birth certificate. If someone were to ask, the birth certificate would be the definitive document. And this is likely a closed loop cruise.

[Havingfun2010]

It is not required to have permission to travel with permission from both parents in the USA. However, the reason it is strongly recommended is that some countries require such permission for various reasons to enter. I have been in and out of the country numerous times with my kids, and my wife has also. Having a passport does not change the rules either.

 

Is your kids the same last name as you or did you change your name? if the kids do not have a passport, and the name is different, you might want to bring some items like a marriage license showing your name change, and making sure their BC has your name on it, matching for course the name change on the ML. Just in case they question it.

 

I have been on cruises with "other" kids along, and each and every time, I was asked for a parental consent. The last name of the traveler was different, and so easily asked and obvious.

[topofE]

Not only has my daughter traveled alone with me, alone with grandpa, and alone with grandma, but I have never even considered getting a paper signed. Even the rare person who IS asked for it, isn't required to have it.

 

It is merely to prevent child abductions and the questions that can come up when/if the child doesn't know who they are travelling with or where they are going or something.

 

Every single time we have come back to the US, my daughter is asked where she went, who she went with, etc. In a friendly manner. Since she doesn't answer that she doesn't know who I am or where her parents are, we are always good to go :).

 

We've also traveled with other kids and had the same experience. "She is my best friend and I am going home now" is proof of a lack of abduction enough for them.

[JinxyB]

I've never been asked for a letter from my child's father- he is estranged from us and I have no idea where he even lives. My child has been on 11 cruises and I've never been asked! We were never married, so there is no divorce decree, either.

[imluvncruzn]

I've had ALOT of experience with this issue. I've been on 20 cruises with Carnival. I was divorced and my two oldest sons have a different last name then mine. They've sailed probably 10 times each now. I have NEVER been asked at anytime (embarkation, debarkation, entering a port, etc.) to show any type of signature from my ex-husband. They do not have passports and we have used birth certificates for boarding everytime. In addition, I have allowed them in the past to bring friends that are not even related to us. I've also brought my niece and nephew once. Again, I've never been asked for anything other than their birth certificates. When bringing others children I did have notarized travel consent forms with me but have never been asked to show them.

[hftmrock]

Keep in mind, this is the biological mother who has a birth certificate. If someone were to ask, the birth certificate would be the definitive document. And this is likely a closed loop cruise.

 

you have said this twice and in some situations you would still have a problem. in divorce cases where there are specific custody situations, if the BIOLOGICAL MOTHER did not have this paperwork and the father wanted to cause a problem, he could call authorities if she did this without his permission and she would be stopped when boarding or detained when leaving.

 

so its not just because she is the BIOLOGICAL MOTHER. there can be other situations that can be problematic

 

it doesn't appear as this applies in the OPs case

[bakersdozen12]

Just out of curiosity, what is your custody status of your son? You don't have to answer that publicly, I'm just bringing it up because I had the same situation with my ex-husband and my now 18-year-old son. His father and I separated when he was 14 months old and he had almost no contact with him after (same story, drugs, homelessness, etc).

 

Anyway, to make a long story short when I eventually found him to serve divorce papers when my son was 6, I ended up getting sole physical AND legal custody. When I ended up needing to get my son a passport a couple years later, I didn't need a letter from my ex, I just had to show them that I had sole legal custody. I'm thinking that if you have the same, that all you will need to do is show proof of legal custody.

 

Anyway, best of luck!

Edited December 16, 2015 by bakersdozen12

[singbluesilver1]

When I travelled with my son on rccl to Bermuda I was asked for a letter from my sons father, luckily he had sent me a notarized one even though he hasn't seen my son in years and we have no contact

 

But yes they did ask not sure what would have happened if they hadn't

 

 

But with all the child abductions it worries me that so many people have no issues traveling in and out of other countries with children who aren't theirs

 

Seriously this is bad

[Cpw221]

I'm glad to see this post today! We are in a similar situation. My DH and I each have a child from a previous marriage. We have a two cruises planned for 2016. My Step-son's (13) bio Mother is a drug addict and currently in rehab (for the fourth time...but I digress :rolleyes:). Their divorce degree gives her joint legal custody, but we have primary physical custody. We've sent a parental consent form to her via email and her known address, but who knows if she'll get it, as we've had no contact with her in months.

 

My DD's (12) Father has agreed to sign the consent form, as we have shared legal and physical custody.

 

From what I'm reading here, how concerned should we be about Carnival asking for the form? My DD and I have different last names, but SS has the same last name as DH and myself. My SS is certainly old enough to explain who everyone is and where we're traveling. I'm so nervous that we won't get the form from her and we'll be that one family who cannot board without it! Should we bring our divorce decrees just to be sure? We're traveling to Mexico on the February cruise and the Bahamas in September.

[wingnt68]

I have and will be traveling with my former step daughter and I had to provide Carnival with a notarized letter from her father (my ex) allowing her out of the country with me. I have had friends that took some of their kids friends with them and they were held at the port until they received a letter from the parents. I say get it. Not worth the risk.

[MsSoloTravel]

I have no personal experience with this. I did see an hour long special about Carnival on the Travel Channel a few years ago. They were showing embarkation in Miami, I think, and how it all works. A mother and her new husband were trying to cruise with her biological child and we're not allowed to board without a letter from the father. The woman worked with her and contacted the captain who came off the ship. They said if the woman couldn't get the letter faxed by the deadline to turn in the manifest they would not be allowed to board. Luckily they got the letter faxed in time.

 

I find it weird that some people would be asked and some not.

 

I also find it interesting that the letter doesn't appear to have to be notorized. Who's to say the biological parent was the one to write it?

[loxley]

I have and will be traveling with my former step daughter and I had to provide Carnival with a notarized letter from her father (my ex) allowing her out of the country with me. I have had friends that took some of their kids friends with them and they were held at the port until they received a letter from the parents. I say get it. Not worth the risk.

I told you there would be someone that tried to scare you.

 

I cannot say for other cruise lines, but on carnival you will not need it.

 

Somewhere on the carnival site buried in the faq there is something that says along the lines exactly what I told you.

 

The letter is recommended for closed loop cruise, but required if debarking, as in ending your cruise, in Mexico.

 

However, I have come up with a solution if you are asked for it but are not comfortable saying you do not have it. Just say it is in the car, step it off line, wait a min and go to another check in person.

 

The letter is NOT required, there fire you do not have to have it.

 

I have been fighting this issue for years of people trying to scare people that are in the ops situation about a letter that the person thinks should be needed, but on carnival, it is not.

 

There used to be a woman who always checked in on these types of threads that claimed she always asked for the letter. Every time she did, I asked what happened if they did not have it. She did not answer one single time, so you can deduce from that what you like.

 

But as I said, the official word from carnival is buried in the faq"s. It was impossible to link direct to it, but it is there. There is a link on this thread about the official rule from border control and again it only says recommended and in all honesty that is for border crossings, not in transit on a cruise ship.

 

There also used to be a woman that always claimed she wss not only asked for the letter every time she cruise, but she was also, according to get, asked for the letter every time she got off the ship in cozumel. Again, I asked her every time for more details, like who asked to see it in coxumel. She answered One time with a round the Bush answer that it was port authority. I think she wss a liar.

 

 

 

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

[MsSoloTravel]

Carnival only stongly suggests you have an original letter. So, no you shouldn't need one. But if you want one for your own peace of mind, just write one yourself. It doesn't say anything about being notorized.