Travel ID For Widow?

[Elaine5715]

A friend is going on her first cruise with her widowed mother.  Mom's passport is delayed and not going to arrive in time.  Mom does have her birth certificate and driver's license but she was married and widowed twice.  Does she need both marriage certificates and death certificates to show?

[klfrodo]

@Ferry Watcher May they’ll see this

[Ferry_Watcher]

Check-in agents usually look to see that the first name and middle name, as well as the date of birth match up with the birth certificate and the gov't issued photo ID match up.

 

Birth Certificate : Anna Eileen Collins DOB 12/16/1948

Current DL            Anna Eileen Jones  DOB 12/16/1948

 

This is how it is handled in Seattle for the Alaska cruises.

 

 

 

[staceyglow]

If her second marriage license shows her maiden name, I think that would be all she would need. I don't know why she would need a death certificate,

[klfrodo]

Thanks Ferry Watcher for sharing the information from a front line experience 

[Elaine5715]

2 hours ago, staceyglow said:

If her second marriage license shows her maiden name, I think that would be all she would need. I don't know why she would need a death certificate,

I wondered since divorce papers are mentioned for name change chains

[Ferry_Watcher]

6 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

I wondered since divorce papers are mentioned for name change chains

 

Unless your friend dropped her maiden middle name and began using one of her previously married names as her now middle name, I don't think she needs to worry.  The check-in agent isn't going to ask her about what AKA (Also Known As) names she may have had.

 

If she did take a previously married name as her now middle name, then she probably should bring the old marriage license.

 

Example: 

Birth Certificate : Anna Eileen Collins      DOB 12/16/1948

# 1 Marriage          Anna Eileen Brown      DOB 12/16/1948  (Anna has kids w/this husband)

# 2 Marriage         Anna Brown Edwards  DOB 12/16/1948  (Anna takes Brown as her middle name) 

#3 Marriage           Anna Brown Jones     DOB 12/16/1948

Current DL            Anna Brown Jones       DOB 12/16/1948

 

In this scenario, Anna probably needs to show where "Brown" became her now middle name, by brining that old marriage certificate.  If her Driver's License shows her current last name as Jones then that is good enough.

 

A bit confusing, but hopefully helpful.  As long as we can match up first & middle names and Date of Birth we are generally good to go.

[Elaine5715]

4 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

 

Unless your friend dropped her maiden middle name and began using one of her previously married names as her now middle name, I don't think she needs to worry.  The check-in agent isn't going to ask her about what AKA (Also Known As) names she may have had.

 

If she did take a previously married name as her now middle name, then she probably should bring the old marriage license.

 

Example: 

Birth Certificate : Anna Eileen Collins      DOB 12/16/1948

# 1 Marriage          Anna Eileen Brown      DOB 12/16/1948  (Anna has kids w/this husband)

# 2 Marriage         Anna Brown Edwards  DOB 12/16/1948  (Anna takes Brown as her middle name) 

#3 Marriage           Anna Brown Jones     DOB 12/16/1948

Current DL            Anna Brown Jones       DOB 12/16/1948

 

In this scenario, Anna probably needs to show where "Brown" became her now middle name, by brining that old marriage certificate.  If her Driver's License shows her current last name as Jones then that is good enough.

 

A bit confusing, but hopefully helpful.  As long as we can match up first & middle names and Date of Birth we are generally good to go.

Very, very helpful.  Thank you!

[DallasGuy75219]

To put it simply, if the names on her birth certificate and driver's license are different she needs whatever document(s) are necessary (generally wedding licenses) to bridge the two names.  That could be one or both marriage certificates, depending on whether she went back to her maiden name or kept her first late husband's name, respectively, after he passed. 

[lazydayz]

I have cruised with my birth certificate occasionally and never had to show anything to connect my birth name with my married name.  

[Elaine5715]

11 hours ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

To put it simply, if the names on her birth certificate and driver's license are different she needs whatever document(s) are necessary (generally wedding licenses) to bridge the two names.  That could be one or both marriage certificates, depending on whether she went back to her maiden name or kept her first late husband's name, respectively, after he passed. 

The vast majority of women who are married changed their names.  If this was absolute, then it should be noted in the required documents list. 

[klfrodo]

I think the ultimate answer was from Ferry Watcher who checks in customers for a living.

A few months ago, I would have said bridging documents are required. However, Ferry Watcher has earned my trust over the last few months as someone whose credibility is up there with Cheng75 and iamtrustworthy as subject matter experts.

Edited December 25, 2022 by klfrodo

[Elaine5715]

13 minutes ago, klfrodo said:

I think the ultimate answer was from Ferry Watcher who checks in customers for a living.

A few months ago, I would have said bridging documents are required. However, Ferry Watcher has earned my trust over the last few months as someone whose credibility is up there with Cheng75 and iamtrustworthy as subject matter experts.

And Heidi13, I agree. 

[n6uqqq]

From the camels mouth:

 

Names on Travel Documentation

It is important that the guest's full name (first name and last name) on the cruise and airline tickets be the same as the guest's non-expired government-issued photo I.D. they plan to use for travel identification. In the event of a different name on the cruise/airline ticket and the guest's photo I.D. as a result of a marriage, divorce or a legal name change, documentation (original or clear, legible copy) supporting this change is required (at embarkation), such as a marriage certificate, marriage license or legal name change court document. Failure to bring documentation bridging the name differences could result in denial of boarding.

Note: For newly married or soon-to-be married brides, we strongly recommend that if the non-expired government-issued photo I.D. is in the maiden name, the cruise booking be made in the maiden name (do not include the married name); If the reservation was made in the married name, but the non-expired government-issued photo I.D. is in the maiden name, documentation (original or clear, legible copy) supporting this change is required (at embarkation), such as a marriage certificate or marriage license. Failure to bring documentation bridging the name differences could result in denial of boarding. 

[chengkp75]

39 minutes ago, n6uqqq said:

From the camels mouth:

This is from the CBP website.  While cruise line agents may accept documentation without bridging documents, it is CBP that rules.  As noted, without the bridging documents, you may be subject to a delay in processing through upon return to the US.

[n6uqqq]

So CBP can give you a hard time after the fact or "water under the ship"  since you already cruised, but Carnival could cause trouble pre cruise with their " required" verbiage if they so chose to do so.

[lazydayz]

It doesn’t say anything about birth certificates, right?  If the name on the ID and the cruise ticket don’t match, that’s when you need the bridging document.  The OP was asking for a widowed friend, who most likely has not changed her name in recent years. 

[Elaine5715]

On 12/25/2022 at 8:37 PM, lazydayz said:

It doesn’t say anything about birth certificates, right?  If the name on the ID and the cruise ticket don’t match, that’s when you need the bridging document.  The OP was asking for a widowed friend, who most likely has not changed her name in recent years. 

Correct, the name on the booking documents is on her driver's license.  

[serene56]

On 12/23/2022 at 7:17 PM, Elaine5715 said:

A friend is going on her first cruise with her widowed mother.  Mom's passport is delayed and not going to arrive in time.  Mom does have her birth certificate and driver's license but she was married and widowed twice.  Does she need both marriage certificates and death certificates to show?

  no       all she needs is birth certificate and state issued ID    Booking should be in the name that matches the state issue ID 

 

[Eli_6]

This is one reason I kept my maiden name once I got married. I already had degrees, a law license, was published, good credit, etc. in my maiden name and didn't want to confuse anything.

 

Then my brother married a woman (who also was a lawyer) with my same first name and now there are TWO of us and we get confused. Even worse, I used to live at my brother's house before he got married so we have a record of the same address.  I even get emails for her from her dentist's office.  Now she shows up on my credit history as an alias like I am trying to scam someone when, in reality, we are two different people!!!

[ontheweb]

48 minutes ago, Eli_6 said:

This is one reason I kept my maiden name once I got married. I already had degrees, a law license, was published, good credit, etc. in my maiden name and didn't want to confuse anything.

 

Then my brother married a woman (who also was a lawyer) with my same first name and now there are TWO of us and we get confused. Even worse, I used to live at my brother's house before he got married so we have a record of the same address.  I even get emails for her from her dentist's office.  Now she shows up on my credit history as an alias like I am trying to scam someone when, in reality, we are two different people!!!

You surely lead a complicated life. Could you have foreseen this and asked your sister in law before the marriage to keep her maiden name?'

 

And if you ever go on a same cruise as her, the two of you will probably give their computer system a nervous breakdown. 🤣

[Ferry_Watcher]

3 hours ago, ontheweb said:

And if you ever go on a same cruise as her, the two of you will probably give their computer system a nervous breakdown. 🤣

 

You probably are correct!  Sometimes a cruise will have 3 generations of family members with the same name: John Smith (Sr), John Smith Jr., and John Smith III.  There is usually some sort of check-in snafu - either in the room assignment, or credit card. It does eventually get worked out, but it can frustrating!

[ontheweb]

4 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

 

You probably are correct!  Sometimes a cruise will have 3 generations of family members with the same name: John Smith (Sr), John Smith Jr., and John Smith III.  There is usually some sort of check-in snafu - either in the room assignment, or credit card. It does eventually get worked out, but it can frustrating!

🤣, sometimes I amaze myself with things I think of.

[Ferry_Watcher]

34 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

🤣, sometimes I amaze myself with things I think of.

 

Too bad you don't live closer to a cruise port - you would probably be perfect helping people!

[smcgoldr]

Depending on the state and how they do their marriage licenses, you may only need the last one. In Florida, they include your maiden name on the marriage license. The most recent marriage license would bridge the married name, the name prior to that marriage and the maiden name (if different). Not all states do this. Some only have the prior name and not the maiden name.