minor sailing with 1 parent

[PTAngel]

Myself, son, & granddaughter are sailing on Oasis OTS on 6/17/22.  I am a little concerned because her mother is not sailing.  I thought we needed a "permission slip" from the other parent.  They have joint custody of her.  I had to call RC yesterday & they said not needed as long as she is with 1parent.  Is this correct?  We will have her birth certificate & ID.  I'm thinking to be safe, have a letter from her mother too.

 

[Britchip]

When I sail with my daughter and granddaughter we always take a letter from my son in law giving permission for my granddaughter to be out of country with her mum. Better to err on the side of caution IMO

[D4]

Why take a chance and not have that document with you?  If you need it and don’t have it, you’re screwed.

[PTAngel]

Thanks.  That's what I thought.  RC sure can mess you up.  I'm glad I didn't take their word for it.

[Ashland]

We had a similar situation. Our son sailed with our extended family and his wife wasn't able to sail at the time ... too late in her pregnancy. He had every kind of documentation for their little one that could have possibly been asked for and no one did. Better to be prepared than not.

[smplybcause]

Odds are you won't be asked for it, but if you happen to be the one asked do you want to risk not being able to go? 

[CGinMTL]

8 hours ago, PTAngel said:

Thanks.  That's what I thought.  RC sure can mess you up.  I'm glad I didn't take their word for it.

RCI is replying to board the ship only. They are not taking into account that " foreign countries". I am divorced and took my daughter on several cruises from 9 to 18. Only twice did a see a doubt come across an officials face. Didn't wait for them to say anything. Informed them I had a letter from the dad. They looked at it and all was good. If you can get the letter. Do it. 

[Lane Hog]

40 years ago it was a requirement when the notion of a single parent household was still far-fetched and somewhat scandalous. 

 

Now that we are reduced to genderless birthing persons and child support payers, most countries don't bother as long as you have passports.

[pasodancer]

Funny now, wasn't funny then.  I am a stepmom and my DH had full custody of his children.  I maintained my maiden name so the kids had different last name.  In airport - DH was off somewhere and I was w/ the kids trying to keep them amused until flight time.  One of them had a melt down and was screaming at the top of their lungs "you aren't my mommy".  Quickly, security surrounded me escorted us off to a conference room.  They wanted ID and proof that I was their parent / guardian.  DH had to be paged over intercom system.  Wasn't a good way to begin a vacation.  After that lesson I always travelled with Power of Attorney for the children, plus copies of all their documentation as backup. 

[Homosassa]

50 minutes ago, Lane Hog said:

40 years ago it was a requirement when the notion of a single parent household was still far-fetched and somewhat scandalous. 

 

Now that we are reduced to genderless birthing persons and child support payers, most countries don't bother as long as you have passports.

You are so wrong!!

 

There are countries that even with passports, the children will be questioned (if old enough), out of hearing of their parents, who the adults are they are traveling with.

 

There are countries that take human trafficking and child abduction very seriously.

 

While a cruise ship passenger in port for the day  probably will not have the scrutiny, anyone trying to enter and leave the country by air or other means will find a different situation.

 

Costa Rica is one example.

[Lane Hog]

Great.  How do they prove that a notarized letter is authentic?

 

They can't.   I was a notary for years.  All that proved is that the person making a statement presented themselves and their ID.  It doesn't validate their statement or even the ID they present.

 

Today, with custom stamps available via Amazon, anyone with a couple bucks can buy a fake notary stamp and nobody at immigration will be able to verify who's stamp or signature is or isn't valid. 

 

Outside of the two or three countries that still require it for entry and exit, it's a false sense of security. If a child is going to say you're not their parent to law enforement, a piece of paper won't change the mind of someone suspecting you of child trafficking.  But some reasonable questioning will.

 

I've been working in travel for over 35 years. Lots of mythology and fear mongering goes on over international documentation.

 

I know for a fact that none of the major airlines ask for a notarized letter of consent anymore. Some countries (including Costa Rica and Mexico) do look out for human trafficking when leaving the country, but a passport cures those ills quickly.  Far harder to forge a passport nowadays. 

Edited April 10, 2022 by Lane Hog

[Cutigerlady]

When my kids grandparents took them out of the country, I registered the trip with the department of state. The kids were asked who they were traveling with and if their parents were aware of the trip.  We also had a letter, but they didn’t look at it. We also gave them a medical power of attorney for medical care while with them. 

[PTAngel]

Thanks.  All good information.  Son is getting a letter from the mother.  I will suggest he gets it notorized.  

[3ITTravelers]

Sort of on topic but different situation. My sister in law is traveling with us in June on Mariner and is bringing her daughter. Her daughter’s biological father is deceased. Does my sister in law need her daughter’s biological father’s death certificate?  My sister in law is married to my brother, but my brother has not legally adopted his wife’s daughter. Daughter is 8. TIA

[SRF]

I would say that comes under the same idea of having it and not needing is better than needing it and not having it.

 

 

[outtoseacruise]

On 4/9/2022 at 10:12 PM, PTAngel said:

Myself, son, & granddaughter are sailing on Oasis OTS on 6/17/22.  I am a little concerned because her mother is not sailing.  I thought we needed a "permission slip" from the other parent.  They have joint custody of her.  I had to call RC yesterday & they said not needed as long as she is with 1parent.  Is this correct?  We will have her birth certificate & ID.  I'm thinking to be safe, have a letter from her mother too.

 

Bring the entire settlement agreement and the parent plan with that is on file with the clerk of court and has the judges signature on it. Mine specifically states that my daughters can travel and cruise internationally. I also had it worded that I retain custody of the passports and my X MUST renew them and can not hinder the renewal or cruising in anyway. It is over 100+ pages and when my daughters travel with me it is in my computer bag to prevent any issues that can happen. 

[Lane Hog]

7 hours ago, outtoseacruise said:

It is over 100+ pages and when my daughters travel with me it is in my computer bag to prevent any issues that can happen. 

How many times has that actually been needed?...  

[outtoseacruise]

31 minutes ago, Lane Hog said:

How many times has that actually been needed?...  

Never, the question is if you have a crazy X do you want to be in a foreign country without the legal docs to keep you from being detained. If you have a BSC X and you don't have the docs and she accuses you of custody issue you could have a problem. Better safe than sorry and wishing you didn't have them. 

[akb5k]

On 4/10/2022 at 11:06 AM, Lane Hog said:

Great.  How do they prove that a notarized letter is authentic?

 

They can't.   I was a notary for years.  All that proved is that the person making a statement presented themselves and their ID.  It doesn't validate their statement or even the ID they present.

 

Today, with custom stamps available via Amazon, anyone with a couple bucks can buy a fake notary stamp and nobody at immigration will be able to verify who's stamp or signature is or isn't valid. 

 

Outside of the two or three countries that still require it for entry and exit, it's a false sense of security. If a child is going to say you're not their parent to law enforement, a piece of paper won't change the mind of someone suspecting you of child trafficking.  But some reasonable questioning will.

 

I've been working in travel for over 35 years. Lots of mythology and fear mongering goes on over international documentation.

 

I know for a fact that none of the major airlines ask for a notarized letter of consent anymore. Some countries (including Costa Rica and Mexico) do look out for human trafficking when leaving the country, but a passport cures those ills quickly.  Far harder to forge a passport nowadays. 

Sorry, trying to reply and it reposted? See below!

Edited April 12, 2022 by akb5k

[akb5k]

Happened to me just prior to COVID- so definitely more recently than 35 years ago! I travel with my daughter (different last names) and have sole custody. We were a 4 hour drive from home checking in for a flight to Barcelona on a major airline. They asked for proof that I could leave the country with her. Luckily I always take a notarized copy of my custody order. But even that was a tough sell- they wanted to see the original. I have also been asked once at cruise checkin (Disney). Always carry documentation, better safe than sorry!

[Lane Hog]

Well, Timatic says otherwise (based on the assumption you were all US citizens flying to Spain), and that's the de-facto source for all things international documentation...  

[mauimary]

Four years ago my husband and I took two of our grandchildren on a cruise to Alaska stopping in Canada.   The children were 7&8 at the time. They both had passports and just to make sure we had notarized letters with us from both of their parents(2 separate families and two different last names) with us.  When we checked in and offered the letters nobody at Celebrity seemed to know what to do with the letters.  Better safe than sorry.  

[PTAngel]

Thanks for all the replies.  My son will get a letter from his X & hopefully have it notarized, just in case.

 

He will also have a birth certificate (no passport).

[Tree_skier]

On 4/9/2022 at 10:05 PM, PTAngel said:

Thanks.  That's what I thought.  RC sure can mess you up.  I'm glad I didn't take their word for it.

Royal doesn't need it but CBP may.  Have the document, there is no downside.

[PTAngel]

Thanks.  I knew I could get a more accurate answer here on CC.