Hospital Birth Certificate

[Toliverair]

Has any one ever had any luck getting on board a Norwegian ship with a hospital birth certificate? I know the NCL site says they are not acceptable, but we have just discovered someone in our party has one. Our ship leaves Saturday, we are in transit to Florida now. The state of birth is Kansas. Does anyone know if there is anyway to get a same day Kansas birth certificate and have it shipped overnight? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[SPB in da RVA]

A hospital document is NOT a birth certificate. It is a certificate of birth. It is NOT acceptable. You must have a CERTIFIED birth certificate or you will be denied boarding. If it is only one member of your group everyone else can board and enjoy the cruise.

 

https://www.ncl.com/about/required-travel-documentation

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwje46b5r7jLAhVEez4KHUe6AXQQFghGMAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kdheks.gov%2Fvital%2Fdownload%2Fbirth_fillable.pdf&usg=AFQjCNF1RtedH7raQID637HeXwi9nXPCzg&sig2=HpzfcidXfwGDhW6K_OedTA&bvm=bv.116573086,d.cWw&cad=rja

 

Wish you luck. I think you will need it!

[SPB in da RVA]

Says priority takes 3-5 business day! http://www.kdheks.gov/vital/birth_howto.html

[sparks1093]

Has any one ever had any luck getting on board a Norwegian ship with a hospital birth certificate? I know the NCL site says they are not acceptable, but we have just discovered someone in our party has one. Our ship leaves Saturday, we are in transit to Florida now. The state of birth is Kansas. Does anyone know if there is anyway to get a same day Kansas birth certificate and have it shipped overnight? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

I wish I could be optimistic but I cannot be, the birth certificate has to be issued by a government entity, not the hospital. Does that person have a birth certificate on file with someone, such as employer, school, etc.? If so maybe that entity would be willing to fax it to the port. Another possibility is calling vital records in Kansas and see if it is possible for them to fax a copy to you at the hotel or to the port.

[HighVoltage#9]

On a trip to Bermuda, someone in our group had a non valid passport. She changed to her married name got a new passport and the old one was canceled, stamped with big red letters "canceled" and holes punched in it.After a few phone calls, NCL took a faxed copy of her birth certificate., so much for Home Land Security.

[sparks1093]

so much for Home Land Security.

 

Which means exactly what? The DHS regulations state that an original or copy of a birth certificate may be used, so NCL was acting within the regulations by accepting the faxed birth certificate. (This is not the first time that I've read of a faxed birth certificate saving someone's cruise.)

Edited March 11, 2016 by sparks1093

[HighVoltage#9]

Which means exactly what? The DHS regulations state that an original or copy of a birth certificate may be used, so NCL was acting within the regulations by accepting the faxed birth certificate. (This is not the first time that I've read of a faxed birth certificate saving someone's cruise.)

 

An original or certified copy with the raised seal,it was neither

[dijid]

At this point you need to start searching for an expeditor. (Searched "expedited birth certificate") There are companies that claim they can get a birth certificate to you in a day. It will cost $$$, but might be the only option at this point.

[sparks1093]

An original or certified copy with the raised seal,it was neither

 

The DHS regulations make no reference at all to certified copy and "copy" means just that and since many states issue birth certificates without raised seals that is also is not a requirement.

 

Here are the regulations:

 

"When traveling entirely within the Western Hemisphere on a cruise ship, and when the U.S. citizen boards the cruise ship at a port or place within the United States and returns on the return voyage of the same cruise ship to the same United States port or place from where he or she originally departed. That U.S. citizen may present a government-issued photo identification document in combination with either an original or a copy of his or her birth certificate..."

[HighVoltage#9]

Good to know

[luckyinpa]

in PA you can walk into the state office and wait a few hours and walk out with one. maybe your state has this option.

[LrgPizza]

in PA you can walk into the state office and wait a few hours and walk out with one. maybe your state has this option.

They are in Florida about to board a ship in the morning. The birth certificate is in Kansas.

[cb at sea]

The hospital "Record of Live Birth" is NOT a "birth certificate"...and can't be used to travel on a cruise.

[Crusin6]

And today is Friday.....

 

Lots of luck

 

 

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[triptolemus]

Tomorrow is going to be a bad day for these folks.

 

If the port agents were NCL employees, I would say just keep trying to check in until someone accepts the document. But since they are contractors, I don't think the usual strategy used for NCL customer service will work.

[Lady Anna & Sir Troy]

When taking a faxed birth certificate there is certain regulations they follow.

[Crusin6]

Tomorrow is going to be a bad day for these folks.

 

 

 

If the port agents were NCL employees, I would say just keep trying to check in until someone accepts the document. But since they are contractors, I don't think the usual strategy used for NCL customer service will work.

 

 

Now that is funny

 

 

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[Mistizoom]

I would call the Vital Records or Recorder's office in the county where this person was born ASAP (well before close of business today) and see if they can fax a copy of the birth certificate somewhere you can get it (to your hotel, for example). But you need to be prepared it might not be possible.

Edited March 11, 2016 by Mistizoom

[LrgPizza]

I would be making sure that party without the birth certificate has a room booked where they can enjoy the week while they wait for the rest of your group to return. Unless it's a kid. This isn't a kid, right? That would suck, being all alone in a hotel for the week as a kid.

[valleyvillage]

Has any one ever had any luck getting on board a Norwegian ship with a hospital birth certificate? I know the NCL site says they are not acceptable, but we have just discovered someone in our party has one. Our ship leaves Saturday, we are in transit to Florida now. The state of birth is Kansas. Does anyone know if there is anyway to get a same day Kansas birth certificate and have it shipped overnight? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

According to this http://www.kdheks.gov/vital/birth_howto.html if you have someone walk in to the office they can get it immediately. They could then overnight it to you or fax it if that is acceptable. Good luck.

[punkincc]

When taking a faxed birth certificate there is certain regulations they follow.

 

 

Care to elaborate with some information that might be useful?

[bruadhin]

I would be making sure that party without the birth certificate has a room booked where they can enjoy the week while they wait for the rest of your group to return. Unless it's a kid. This isn't a kid, right? That would suck, being all alone in a hotel for the week as a kid.

 

Funny, but mean. Definitely funny, but mean.

[sparks1093]

When taking a faxed birth certificate there is certain regulations they follow.

 

Sorry, no, the same regulations apply.

[sweetpee_1993]

To the OP: I have used https://www.vitalchek.com in the past and they were fast. I think I recall an expedited service. Put in a call to the vital records office of the county of birth RIGHT NOW and try to get it faxed or emailed to you.

 

Personal experience: This was on a different cruise line but documentation requirements should be universal. Night before our cruise, around 7:00 pm, a friend who I was cruising with discovered she had forgotten her passport at home. We were in Florida. She lived in Nevada. She called her husband at home, had him scan her official birth certificate, and email it to her. She went to the hotel's business center and printed it out. At embarkation check-in she presented the printed copy with her military photo ID. A supervisor was summoned, quick look, and everything was fine. She was allowed to sail on the closed-loop Bahamian cruise out of Florida. The verbiage that says a copy of the certificate is quite literal. A copy IS acceptable.

[GORDONCHICK]

Sorry, no, the same regulations apply.

 

Actually, they would accept it from a gov agency but not from an individual unless it's clearly marked an original. And someone else mentioned that it has to have a raised seal - they do not. Most states aren't using raised seals anymore.

Edited March 11, 2016 by GORDONCHICK