Booked with maiden name, sail with married name

[1965]

We're hoping to take a cruise with our daughter & sil in 2024. When we book it they will be engaged, not yet married, & she will still have her maiden name. Between booking & departure they will marry & she'll take her husband's last name. If you've done this can you share if changing her name on the booking will be difficult? Thanks!

Edited November 21, 2022 by 1965

[Rick&Jeannie]

Have not had to deal with this but why not just book it with the new married name?

[reedprincess]

4 minutes ago, 1965 said:

We're hoping to take a cruise with our daughter & sil in 2024. When we book it they will be engaged, not yet married, & she will still have her maiden name. Between booking & departure they will marry & she'll take her husband's last name. If you've done this can you share if changing her name on the booking will be difficult? Thanks!

Book it in the name her official documents will be in - ie passport. If she has time to change her passport before sailing, then book the cruise in whatever her married name will be..

If she won't have had time to change her official ID docs before sailing - book it in her "maiden" name.. like airlines, cruise booking needs to match official documents. Nicknames, unofficial name changes, etc don't work.

 

[riffatsea]

Keep names all the same on important documents

Agree that you should book in whatever name c will be on passport etc

If not using passport then temember name must match drivers license and birth certificate

[1965]

Thank you for the helpful comments. If I understand correctly she can book using the last name she WILL have after marriage? As soon as possible after marrying she plans to have her DL & passport changed to her new last name. 

[cr8tiv1]

Lots of IFs.  
1.  Hope the wedding happens.  When is the big day?  When in 2024 is the cruise?

2.  Hope she gets a new driver’s license ASAP.
3.  Passports may take months to get back.  
 

doesn’t hurt to book her now, under married name. 

[beg3yrs]

Seems this is a question that Princess should answer. However, just to add another suggestion ...

 

Why not book with a hyphenated last name? That way no matter what happens, there's a match albeit partial but very normal these days.

[Potstech]

Also if it is that soon she should take a copy of her marriage license in order to show the reason for the name change.  If there is a discrepancy that can not be resolved at embarkation she will not be allowed to board.  Best to use the name that shows on all current documents than to risk missing a cruise.

[skynight]

Booked name must match the passport name and photo ID name.

[sabreline]

Unless the cruise is a few months after the wedding, there is NO WAY she will have a passport in her new name!! She will need to have her marriage license in order to change the name on her passport and that process could take 8-10 weeks!

[1965]

2 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Lots of IFs.  
1.  Hope the wedding happens.  When is the big day?  When in 2024 is the cruise?

2.  Hope she gets a new driver’s license ASAP.
3.  Passports may take months to get back.  
 

doesn’t hurt to book her now, under married name. 

Wedding is Oct. 18, 2023. Cruise is mid June, 2024. I didn't know it would be permitted to book under her future name. That would be the thing to do. Thanks!

[voljeep]

why is she changing her name just because she got married?

[mom says]

6 minutes ago, voljeep said:

why is she changing her name just because she got married?

Uh, because she wants to?

[cr8tiv1]

I often "hold" the second person in my cabin as Ms. TBA...haha.  Princess doesn't really care.  You can always change the name as long as it is before final payment.

[Thrak]

The best way to handle this is to book under her current name that matches her passport. It doesn't matter if she actually changes her name because, as long as the booking and the passport names match, she will be allowed to board. If those names don't match there is a good chance she will be denied boarding so why take the chance? She can always update her normal ID and her passport after the cruise and it will avoid any possible issues. If she really wants to be known by and called by her married name she can simply have that addressed via Passenger Services once she is on the ship.

[Mike45LC]

My wife's passport is in her maiden name, and we book our cruises under my name and her maiden name.  Once upon a time, it would have been shameful for a woman to be sailing under any name but her husband's, but those days are long past!  No one says anything about our last names not matching.  

 

Your daughter probably has time to get her passport updated to her married name (8 months), if she wants.  If that is her plan, I would book it under the married name in the first place.

[suzyed]

3 minutes ago, Mike45LC said:

My wife's passport is in her maiden name, and we book our cruises under my name and her maiden name.  Once upon a time, it would have been shameful for a woman to be sailing under any name but her husband's, but those days are long past!  No one says anything about our last names not matching.  

 

Your daughter probably has time to get her passport updated to her married name (8 months), if she wants.  If that is her plan, I would book it under the married name in the first place.

They may request the marriage certificate in this case.

[Mike45LC]

Just now, suzyed said:

They may request the marriage certificate in this case.

For the passport, the State Dept will need the marriage certificate. yes.  For the booking, no, Princess will not need it .  

[suzyed]

5 hours ago, beg3yrs said:

Seems this is a question that Princess should answer. However, just to add another suggestion ...

 

Why not book with a hyphenated last name? That way no matter what happens, there's a match albeit partial but very normal these days.

NO!! The hyphenated last name can be a nightmare!  My daughter had that and they never knew how to reference her name....first last name or last last name....it's not easy.

 

[suzyed]

7 minutes ago, Mike45LC said:

For the passport, the State Dept will need the marriage certificate. yes.  For the booking, no, Princess will not need it .  

Unless she shows up with a birth certificate (sometimes don't need the passport for the Caribbean), so in this case she will need the marriage certificate since her photo id with not match the birth records.
I agree, get it all change ahead of time.

[captain_hug99]

how much time does she have until her passport expires? If it is a while, why not keep it in maiden name until 6 months from expiration then change it. Passport name changes are not free and one needs to get a whole new passport. If she has many years left, keep the old one.

[ldubs]

6 hours ago, beg3yrs said:

Seems this is a question that Princess should answer. However, just to add another suggestion ...

 

 

Agree. This question comes up a lot and it seems a lot of confusion could be avoided if Princess provided some information.  Maybe in the FAQs.   

[Kitty Ellas Mom]

I don't have first hand experience with this but I've read several articles saying that if you buy a plane ticket in your maiden name and then change that is not allowed.  She should definitely check with the cruise line before booking.  It sounds to me like this could get difficult.  I hope it works out.

[minabruuke]

I legally changed my name, including obtaining an updated social security card and driver's license, in the few days between my wedding and my honeymoon because I was starting a new job the day we returned from our honeymoon and wouldn't have time when we returned. I had booked our honeymoon cruise using my maiden name because I knew that there was no way my passport would be updated in time and there was absolutely no need for it to be. The name on the booking needs to match the passport. It is perfectly acceptable to use a valid passport with your maiden name after you have legally changed your name. 

 

Ask your daughter what she wants to do. Since there will be time between the wedding and the trip, she can choose whether she wants to get a new passport with her new name before the trip or wait until after. If she is going to get a new one before the trip, book the cruise under her future name right now (this is allowed). If she wants to wait until after the cruise to update her passport, then book it under her current name.

[Shmoo here]

4 hours ago, mom says said:

Uh, because she wants to?

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