Absent Parent Doc

[morriscats]

Has anyone who has cruised recently with children with an absent parent? Where you asked for notarized document from absent parent. I called Carnival and they say they don't require it but the Port might. We are taking our granddaughters but mom is onboard too with her new husband. Do we need "dads" permission?? So confusing.

 

8/29/04 Carnival Pride

10/13/04 Celebrity Mercury

Carnivale 1980

Nordic Prince 1993

Disney Wonder 1999

Celebrity Mercury 10/26/03

Carnival Pride 8/29/04

Celebrity Mercury 10/13/04

[StaceyM]

One of the families in our group is divorced and re-married. The mom has a letter stating that it is okay to take her two boys out of the country and it is signed and notorized by their father. She got it so there would be no problems at embarkation. Don't know if it is required but I sure wouldn't show up for any surprises.

[imsulin]

Just to be on the safe side, I'd sure have their Mom take a notarized letter signed by their biological dad! The minute you don't think you'll need it, you will, especially if the girls have different last names than their re-married Mom.

[Randy & Carmen]

Definitely get it notarized....I'm surprised Carnival said different...It was even that way before 9/11.

 

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Randy ~ Build17@aol.com

Dallas, TX

 

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[morriscats]

Thank you all - Randy - the PVP checked twice for me. First she said no problem,didn't need it, and then when I told her I had read it somewhere on this board she double checked and again said they did not require it. I will get it - don't want any surprises. What do people do who don't come here for info???

 

8/29/04 Carnival Pride

10/13/04 Celebrity Mercury

Carnivale 1980

Nordic Prince 1993

Disney Wonder 1999

Celebrity Mercury 10/26/03

Carnival Pride 8/29/04

Celebrity Mercury 10/13/04

[singleparentcruiser]

I have cruised with Carnival twice within the past three years and have never been asked for anything from deadbeat dad. Since I don't even know where he is, how would I even get that?!!

[imsulin]

Because your last name is probably the same last name as your kids'. The OP's situation is different.

[shirleygr]

I'm divorced and remarried and cruised with my boys from first marriage without any problem. Of course, I always get a notorized statement, just to be safe. Like someone else here said, the first time you don't have it, you will need it!

 

Shirley

cruising-courtesy-kindness

 

Surprise! 4 Night to Canada on the Victory . . . July 22, 2004

 

3-Night Anniversary Cruise on Majesty of the Seas . . . January 7, 2005

 

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NCL Majesty 11/98

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CCL Fascination 11/01

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RCI Majesty of the Seas 8/03

CCL Imagination 12/03

CCL Fascination 5/04

[singleparentcruiser]

Oh heck, what do I do now? Kids and my name are different. Dad is AWOL

[Ari & Jacqui]

I think it depends on WHO you actually speak to, have check you in, etc.

It happend once that my bf's stepsister was going out of town with her mom, and low and behold, no notarized letter from the dad. It was quite an ordeal, with several emergency calls to the lawyer and a fax machine.

I say get one just to be on the safe side.

Have a great cruise!!

~J

 

Miracle 6/26!!

[SSSkipper]

I have taken my son on a cruise who has a different last name than mine and they didn't ask for it. Also, I know I might get some people upset when I say this BUT there are circumstances where single mom's don't know where the deadbeat dad is and if they did the dad would say no anyway. (ok or a deadbeat mom). So I would say have a letter done and have a male friend sign it and get it notorized and say he is the father, who would know the difference. They don't know any of the fathers signatures! Sure the names may not match but he could be the adopted dad. There are ways around it IF its impossible to do the right way. Sorry to say, not all biological parents (fathers or mothers) are easy to find or would just refuse to sign because they can and know it would make the other parent upset.

[want2cruisenow]

You don't say where you will be cruising to, so I will assume Mexico since that is the only destination that I have personal experience with.

 

My family inquired about this issue three years ago and were told by several "official" sources (TAs and cruiseline representatives) that we would need notarized letters for my sisters to take their children without the fathers. I now see that Carnival's website only states that a letter is needed if you will be debarking in Mexico for greater than 24 hours, so maybe the rule has changed since then or maybe we were informed incorrectly.

 

In any case, we have cruised several times since then and have never been asked to produced any letters, even though two of my nieces have different last names from their mother and one niece is African-American (adopted) while the rest of the family is caucasian. We have always carried the required paperwork, but have never actually been asked to produce it.

 

We were further told while investigating this issue two years ago that the notarized letter is NOT REQUIRED if the single parent has SOLE LEGAL CUSTODY of the child. This is the case with one of my sisters and she always carries her divorce papers with her to prove her custody status.

 

In the case where you have JOINT LEGAL CUSTODY, the letter may be required, although a court order can be obtained if the other parent refuses to sign or if thier whereabouts are unknown.

 

SSSkipper, if you were ever asked for the paperwork your plan of having a male friend sign would not work. The father's name on the notarized letter has to match the father's name on the birth certificate. Even in cases of adoption, the birth certificate is changed at the time the adoption is finalized to reflect the new father's name. I know because my sister has two adopted children and their birth certificates were changed at the time of adoption to reflect her as their mother. Their birth parents are no longer listed on the birth certificate.

 

In cases where the parent's current name does not match the name on the child's birth certificate (such as when a woman remarries), you must provide paperwork (such as a marriage license) showing the name change and proving that the person signing the letter is indeed the same person as listed on the birth certificate.

 

Of course, that is assuming that you are ever asked to produce the letter AND that the person checking it is diligent enough to confirm the signature matches the name on the birth certificate. You may get lucky and sneak by, but I wouldn't count on it.

[StaceyM]

New question along the same lines.. What if you are taking a friend of your child's along who is 14. Would you need a notorized letter from his parents? It is sort of the same thing, different last names. And at what age would you not need one. What about a 19 year old. They are considered an adult, right?

[hill6]

I took my daughter's friend with us last year when they were both 14. I got a single notarized letter authorizing us to take the friend with us and also that if something happened we could get whatever medical treatment was necessary if something happened.

 

If you are taking a friend with you, you would be safe to get the letter if for nothing else the medical permission. My daughter has gone away with them also and I had no second thoughts about getting the letter for them to have. She will have it next year also when she takes a wonderful trip with her friend to Hawaii.

 

19 year olds are considered legal adults. No special doc necessary.

 

Triumph 7/8/00 (Eastern)

Triumph 7/28/01 (Western)

Glory 7/26/03 (Eastern)

Fantasy 7/4/04 (4 Night)

[Travelitis]

Need it when you fly, not necessarily for cruising -

 

I worked for an airline, and any good TA or airline rep will tell you to get the letter. It's not the U.S. who requires this when you fly to, say, Mexico, it's the Mexican govt. I'm normally really anal about the I.D., but Carnival has assured me they don't ask for it, and I'm not going to worry about it. My boys and I have different last names, but they have govt. issued photo I.D. even though they are 10 and 12. The Carnival agent I spoke to put me on hold and verified her information. If your relationship is such that getting this is a burden, then maybe it's not worth worrying about it. If you were to have some odd situation and be in contact with police in Mexico, then you might be asked for it. What are the chances?

 

If I were taking another person's child, I'd make sure I had a notarized letter authorizing me take them and to seek medical attention if necessary.

 

If you have the unfortunate situation of not knowing where bio-dad is, the only way to FLY out of the country is to produce sole custody papers, death certificate for him, or have a passport for your child. I've assisted numerous travelers who had to scramble trying to get correct I.D. The only reason we could accept a fax was that we had notaries.

 

Gael

 

 

[imsulin]

Actually, if you are taking a friend of your child's on a cruise, and that friend is under 21, they will also need the notarized letter. 18 may be OK in the US, but not on cruise ships. If your own child is 18 or older, you don't need the letter, but if your child's friend is under 21 - going on a cruise with you - you will need it.

[SSSkipper]

Wanttocruisenow, I didn't think of that, it was late lastnight when I responded and I was tired. But, on my childrens birth certificate it doesn't have the fathers signatures or mine or the fathers name. ITs the wallet size ones that are legal that I take with me. So it could work in that instance. A friend of mine took a notorized letter and had a friend just sign the absent parents name (because she could not find the father) but she was never asked for it and if she was they wouldn't have known his signature. I know its best to do the right thing but it was impossible in her circumstance.

I was just trying to help if it were impossible to find the absent parent.

[mhenry]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>New question along the same lines.. What if you are taking a friend of your child's along who is 14. Would you need a notorized letter from his parents? It is sort of the same thing, different last names. And at what age would you not need one. What about a 19 year old. They are considered an adult, right?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

Yes, if you are taking a 14 year old along you will need a notarized letter from their parents.

 

A 19 year old does not need a letter since they are a legal adult in the U.S. You may, however, be required to book the 19 year old in a cabin with an adult over the age of 25. Most cruiselines impose this restriction on anyone under the age of 21 since this age group has been known to cause problems on cruiseships.

 

Many cruiselines (not sure of Carnival's rules) will allow an under-21 year old to stay in a separate cabin if it is close to an adult traveling companion's cabin, especially if the adult is their parent or legal guardian.

[imsulin]

Being a "legal" adult in the US is not the same as being a "legal" adult on a cruise ship. The cruise lines set their own standards, and it has nothing to do with what's "legal" age-wise in the US. Carnival will not allow under-21 passengers to book independently, and they are considered "minors", and will need that notarized letter if they are not cruising with a parent/s. This is mainly for a "minor" (under 21) friend who is cruising with their best buddy and his/her parents.

[mhenry]

imsulin,

 

I respectfully disagree. I have cruised several times on Carnival (and other lines) with various nieces, nephews and family friends who have been over 18 but under 21 at the time of sailing. The notarlized letters are required by the U.S. and foreign governments to prevent child abductions (particularly in divorce situations).

 

Since an 18 year old is a legal adult, they have the right to travel outside the U.S. without parental consent, therefore there is no fear of child abduction and the letter is not required.

 

The rules requiring 18 to 21 year olds to stay in a cabin with over 25 year olds are not laws imposed by U.S. or foreign governments, but rather are rules imposed by the cruiselines to try and prevent the problems that have been caused by this age group in the past. The cruiselines don't care if those 18 to 21 years old have permission from their parents, only that they will be traveling with a responsible older adult (over age 25).

 

I was once asked to produce the notarized letter for my 15-year old nephew, but not for his 18 and 20 year old brothers on the same trip.

 

Since I am an obsessive worrier when traveling, I have varified this information before each and every cruise with numerous TA's, cruiseline representatives, and even attornies (my father is an attorney so I have several connections that are knowledgeable in this area).

[singleparentcruiser]

Sorry to rehash this, but any advice for my situation? Next month's cruise is to Canada. Next year's cruise is to E.carribbean. Kids and my last names are different, dad is nowhere to be found. What on earth would I get notarized and who on earth would sign?

Thanks everyone!

[imsulin]

Good points, mhenry, but I remember the many times I booked the "Spring Breakers" university students (most under 21), and the scramble that ensued with trying to find an adult they knew who was at least 25. No parents or relatives were cruising with them (and that's a key issue), and ALL of them were required to produce a notarized letter from their parents designating Mr./Ms/ 25 as their "legal guardian" for the duration of the cruise. Things change significantly when a family member accompanies minors. NCL is the only line I know that will allow a 21-year old to be the "guardian", and can book under 21 in the same cabin. Princess and Disney and Windjammer allow independent bookings by 18 and older, but these lines are not especially attractive to that age group - demographics and price being considered. As I said before, the notarized letter is required for the under 21 passenger who is NOT cruising with a family member, and as you (and I) stated, these are cruise line requirements. That letter is technically required. It may not be asked for, but better to be safe than sorry. I've witnessed two separate boarding events where "Jack/Jill" - both 18-19, cruising without any family member, were required to produced a notarized letter from their parents, allowing them to cruise, and designating an adult "guardian". No letter. They were denied boarding at the time, and there was a mad scramble for telephones and fax machines. One was on Carnival, and one was on RCI. They were both screaming that "they were adults", but the boarding agents weren't listening to that. They eventually made it onboard, because we saw them. I will state again that on CCL and RCI, any minor under 21 who is NOT cruising with a family member will need the notarized letter.

[CruiseFever]

"Has anyone who has cruised recently with children with an absent parent? Where you asked for notarized document from absent parent. "

 

Yes and Yes

 

I cruised with my 16yo daughter in March and they almost did not ask for it but saw her birthdate on her passport, realized I was the only adult and wanted that letter!

 

I do remember reading one post and I don't remember even which board it was on about how someone in a similar situation forgot or did not know about that letter requirement but they let them board anyway.

 

Happy Cruising

 

Chris

 

www.LifeIsCruising.com

 

Next up:

Caribbean Princess 06/26/04

Star Princess 10/24/04

Diamond Princess 12/22/04

Sapphire Princess June '05

Caribbean Princess 09/17/05

Carnival Valor 10/30/05

 

[want2cruisenow]

singleparentcruiser,

 

1) You may not need any letter depending on your destination. I think I remember reading somewhere (don't remember for sure) that Canadian destinations do require a letter. I don't know anything about E. Carribbean.

 

2) Is Deadbeat Dad's name on the birth certificate? If not, then you don't need a letter since there is no legal father.

 

3) Do you have court paperwork granting you custody of the child? If so, what do the papers say regarding LEGAL CUSTODY. If they grant you "SOLE LEGAL CUSTODY" then you don't need the letter. If you share "JOINT LEGAL CUSTODY" with Deadbeat Dad then you do.

 

4) If you had more time then you could file for a court order granting you rights to take the child without the letter. Since you are cruising in a month, this is probably not a possibility for the Canadian cruise, but might be an option for the E. Carribbean cruise.

 

5) If all else fails, rest assured that you probably won't ever be asked for the letter anyway. From what I have read, few people are ever asked to produce it even when traveling to destinations that definitely require it. It's definitely better to be "safe than sorry" but if there's no way you can obtain it, I would just go and hope for the best and chances are it will work out okay.

 

As a suggestion, regardless of what happens with your cruises, I would also recommend that you investigate the possibilities of going back to court and getting "SOLE LEGAL CUSTODY" (if you don't already have it). Sole legal custody means you have sole decision-making rights over the child (including medical, education, and travel). JOINT LEGAL CUSTODY means he has equal decision-making rights. Since you don't know where he is, it's probably not an issue right now, but would be nice to have if he ever came back and tried to cause trouble since it would put you in a position of greater power. Also, it would ease your travel concerns in the future.

 

I'm not a lawyer, but I'm guessing it wouldn't be difficult or expensive to get sole legal custody since he isn't around to fight the process.

[johnzh]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>No parents or relatives were cruising with them (and that's a key issue), and ALL of them were required to produce a notarized letter from their parents designating Mr./Ms/ 25 as their "legal guardian" for the duration of the cruise.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

If this is true, then it is a totally senseless requirement by the cruiseline. I have a 19 year old son. I can sign as many notarized letters as I want designating a third-party as his "legal guardian" and it means nothing since I, myself, have no legal authority over him (believe me, sometimes I wish I did!).

 

If the cruiseline wanted him to have a "legal guardian" for the duration of the cruise, they would be better off having HIM sign a notarized letter designating the guardian. A letter from me means nothing!

 

I can certainly understand why they would want an older adult traveling with an 18-21 year old. And that is their right since it is their cruiseship and they determine who gets on.

 

I can also understand why they would want to restrict certain activities (drinking and gambling) for that age group. Again, that is their right since it is their cruiseship.

 

But to require a parent to appoint a "legal guardian" is totally senseless since the parents no longer have any legal authority over their adult children.