Denied Boarding !

[pmshirl]

I cruise and take my 15 yr old GD (she has been going along since age 11 on cruises), Her last name is not the same as mine and her mom(my daughter) & dad are divorced. We take a notarized letter and her certified copy of birth ( we don't have our passports as of yet) and have never had a problem. We have been asked in ths past year by the Customs & Imm. to show the letter and they have also questioned her as to what her relationship was to us. If this is sufficient for us taking a child with a different last name, and we are Not the Legal Guardian, why would you need anything different than the notarized letter and either a passport or BC?

[pugmommy]

We (my mom,daughter and I) just came back from Majesty in March and my 12 yr old daughter was never questioned about her passport---coming or going. Her last name is different than mine and her father lives in another state. Just an FYI for those that may be freaking out about a cruise coming up.

[needtocruisenow]

we took our grandson last year and had his birthcertificate and a notorized letter from my daughter and a separate notorized letter from her ex. no one even asked us at check in for the letters but we were told by TA we needed them

[OPSoccermom]

Just read through this whole thread and I'm about to have a heart attack! We will be sailing on the MOS in August and as of today we haven't applied for passports.

My biological daughter (haven't seen father since conception, has my maiden last name)

My biological son (I'm married to his father and he will be sailing with us)

My stepson (my husband biological child and his mother will not be sailing with us, has same last name as my husband)

I'm so confused after reading this thread. Can I get buy with a notarized letter and original birth certificates?

You may be able to get by with a letter and birth certificate, but keep in mind that although you do not need a passport to cruise in the Caribbean, you will need one to travel by air to and from these islands. As long as you run into no snags, you'll probably be fine, but if you should miss the ship or run into a medical emergency while on one of the islands, you may have a problem.

 

You have time to get the passports if you start now - I prefer to be safe than sorry, and chances are that you'll need them in the future, anyway.

[Esmerelda]

I just applied about 2 weeks ago for passports. I am a divorced mom but I have total custody of my boys. (I am remarried so different last name) I was told by RCC and by the Passport office that I would only need the boys passports to board the ship.

 

I also sailed twice on Carnival in years past and had all sorts of funky papers with me and they wanted nothing but the boys BCs when we boarded. I even had a signed paper the first cruise from their father and I was told it was not necessary.

 

I'm glad the passports will make this a little simpler.

 

Esmerelda :)

[toonjie]

Just read through this whole thread and I'm about to have a heart attack! We will be sailing on the MOS in August and as of today we haven't applied for passports.

 

My biological daughter (haven't seen father since conception, has my maiden last name)

My biological son (I'm married to his father and he will be sailing with us)

My stepson (my husband biological child and his mother will not be sailing with us, has same last name as my husband)

 

I'm so confused after reading this thread. Can I get buy with a notarized letter and original birth certificates?

 

I told you these threads always get hijacked with anecdotal evidence from everyone's experiences everywhere. Sure it's a good idea to have a letter from the other parent and its also a good idea to have a passport for the kids in case they have to fly home in an emergency, but the fact is since you are on the MOS, you don't need either a passport ( for now since you are traveling by ship) or a letter from the other parent, that is what the RCCL web page says and what they say when you call them most of the time. Only non-legal guardians need a notarized letter from one parent. The OP's question and the whole main issue is if all RCCL wants is permission from one parent, why occassionally on certain ships is one parent asked for documentation from the other parent?

[Jade13]

Wow, I'm traveling with Dh and my stepdaugher. I just plan to say I'm Mom. Besides, all the women I know now keeps their maiden names.

 

Knowone has every asked at the airport.

[Onessa]

OK, so... what if you're not divorced? I'm taking my kids on a cruise with family but my DH (their dad) is not going with us. Do I need a letter from him? All our names are the same.

 

 

Edited to add: I think I answered my own question. Here is the exact language from RCCL's website: MINORS NOT ACCOMPANIED BY A LEGAL GUARDIAN

Adults who are not the parent or Legal Guardian of any minor child traveling with them are required to present the child's valid passport and visa (or certified copy of the child's birth certificate) and an original notarized letter signed by at least one of the child's parents. The notarized letter from the child's parent must authorize the traveling adult to take the child on the specific cruise and must authorize the traveling adult to supervise the child and permit any medical treatment that must be administered to the child. If a non-parent adult is a Legal Guardian, the adult must present a certified certificate of Guardianship with respect to the child.

 

 

I think the OP's issue stemmed from the fact that the names were not the same.... check-in clerk wanted confirmation that wife was the parent or Legal Guardian.

 

And just another reiteration - its not just the cruiseline that you need to 'worry' about. If you are flying, be certain you have verified what the airline's policies are about flying with only one parent (and verify it to your particular situation - if you are flying internation the policy may be different than flying domestically). If you are traveling across international borders (either to get to your port, home from your port, or during an excursion), you may also be asked for documentation other than what the cruiseline requires.

 

Also realize that if there is an emergency and you need to return to the US (or Canada for our Canadian posters!) from a foreign country, you may need other documentation to get home.

[Celebrity Bride]

OK, so... what if you're not divorced? I'm taking my kids on a cruise with family but my DH (their dad) is not going with us. Do I need a letter from him? All our names are the same.

 

This happened to me last summer. I am Canadian, went on a cruise from Vancouver to Alaska and flew home from Anchorage. I am married (3 years) and my husband and I have a daughter (1.5 years). We all have the same last names. I cruised without my husband and I was required to show passports for my daughter and I, a certified copy of her birth certificate that shows both my and my husband's names, my marriage certificate that shows my name change (as the birth certificate only shows maiden names, not married names, in Canada) and a noterized letter from my husband allowing me to travel with my daughter. I was asked to show this 3 times: At the cruise check-in, at the airport and going through customs.

 

Maybe I was one of the unlucky ones that just happened to be questioned like crazy. The only other reason that I can think of is that my husband is asian and I am caucasian and our daughter looked very asian (with the exception of her green eyes). Who knows what the exact reasons were, but I will always travel with as much documentation as I can, as I wouldn't want to be caught in a situation where I could not prove legal parentage without a doubt.

 

 

Jenn

[logan1_2000]

I had to show my divorce decree proving that I have sole custody before I was allowed entry back in the U.S.

 

I practice family law. The issue is indeed, as others have pointed out, one of custody and legal authorization to take a minor child out of the country. We have even had to go through the procedures when our client's ex- refused to sign the affidavit authorizing her to get the child a passport in the first place. A court order granting sole custody or otherwise granting authorization to one parent to take the child out of the country is never a bad thing to have available if the ex's are not cooperative with one another even o benefit the child (like when taking a cruise).

 

Still a shock that somewhere out there is a man who was lucky enough to be married to MissChievous and he blew that deal and lost her:p.;).

[HappyFamilyNJ]

Hopefully this doesn't post twice... I got the white screen of death the first time.

 

I did some more research on this. Apparently Mexico has a law that requires an authorization letter for entry into the country with children if both parents are not present. There is apparently a kidnapping case where the estranged mother took the kids to Mexico and now the father (who had custody) is suing Continental for allowing them to travel without invoking this law.

 

Link: http://apostille.us/news/continental_airlines_sued_for_negligence_by_father_of_kidnapped_threeyearold_child_illegally_taken_by_plane_to_mexico_by_exwife.shtml

 

Given that, and since the cruise I'm taking travels to Mexico and Belize, I'm getting a letter from DH. Here is where I found a sample:

 

http://www.singleparenttravel.net/Writing/Documentation/NotarizedLetter.htm

 

Hope this helps some of you, I feel better having it even if no one asks for it!

[Minoushka]

my legal name in quebec remains my single name

nowhere does my hubby's last name therfore my married appears on any document

my children have both our names

i need written notarized permission from my husband to travel with my kids and i do 3 times a year

i go thru this expensive exercise regularly

no one has ever asked me if they were my kids or for proof yet i need one every time

apparently princess insists on this too

my kids have always had passports and i carry their birth certificates with me all the time -keep it in the safe

 

remember always be prepared

[Minoushka]

oops i meant nowhere does my hubby's last name appear as part of my name

i am mrs my last name not his

wierd no????????????

[jtwisconsin]

Just read through this whole thread and I'm about to have a heart attack! We will be sailing on the MOS in August and as of today we haven't applied for passports.

 

My biological daughter (haven't seen father since conception, has my maiden last name)

My biological son (I'm married to his father and he will be sailing with us)

My stepson (my husband biological child and his mother will not be sailing with us, has same last name as my husband)

 

I'm so confused after reading this thread. Can I get buy with a notarized letter and original birth certificates?

 

You will need certified birth certificates for the kids, and the notarized letters and/or a passport would be nice to have but not necessary. If you get passports, I would also suggest bringing along the birth certificates as well.

 

As someone else mentioned, the birth certificates have the added advantage of having the names of the parents on them. We found out first hand that this is sometimes an issue on our Majesty cruise with my 11 year old step-daughter who has a different last name than the rest of us. This particular Customs agent was a stickler for detail and wanted proof that she was my wife's daughter. If we just had a passport for her it might have been more of a hassle.

[johnjen]

I totally agree with the OP, citing the professionalism range between employees. My step daughter has a different last name than the rest of us. We all had our own passports and had no problems whatsoever getting onboard, but I see the OP's point. If they had some other RCL clerk, they might have just not said a word about it.

 

One rule of thumb I've alwas followed is that if you call someone up, especially RCL, and they don't give you the answer you want to hear, just hang up and call back later. Chances are you'll get someone else - and a totally different answer.

 

I also agree with the other poster that said children who have passports should also have their parent's names on them as well - good idea!

[charlesjoy]

We booked a cruise on Serenade this past week. My wife's 14 yr old son is from her first marriage so he has a different last name then us. With all the emphasis on Passports we went out to get him a passport. Well, once at the pier RCCL asked my wife to prove he was her son and until she could denied us boarding. Luckily, we were able to get a friend to go to our house, get his birth certificate, go to Staples, and fax it to the pier in San Juan. When I asked if we'd get our money back if we couldn't get them a copy we were told that it was up to the TA. Our TA, Cruise Planners, lost our tickets so we never got them, then we were told to print the SeaPass from the RCCL website and present it at check in. I think that someone should have picked up on the different last name since they know his age when booking and informed us that we needed additional documentation. Luckily, all turned out well and we boarded. It is amazing how the proffesionalism form one employee varies from others. Some are downrite rude who do not show an ounce of sympathy. Another example, when we told our TA we never got our tickets we were told to go online to print out the tickets. When online we wanted to verify that we were printing the correct items. When I called RCCL I got a rude woman who wouldn't tell me what to print out. She told me that I had to call my TA. I told her it was her website and that's why I called her. After I hung up, I called back and got a polite man who told me exactly what I needed. Amazing.

 

Just used the same agency and will never use them again. After final payment they admitted to losing our room number and we had to take a room we were not happy with. They should have given you all the correct information. And losing your tickets sounds like a sorry excuse to me, same type we received. Glad your cruise worked out but should have never happened with a good TA.

[Desert Cruizers]

After reading all the info on this thread, I am more confused then ever! Here is my situation: I am divorced, we have a 16 year old daughter and we have joint custody, although in name only because she never stays with him. When we applied for her passport they didn't ask for anything from my ex-husband! I know there is a form that i need to have signed by my ex and notarized saying that I have his permission to take her out of the country. Does it make a difference when you have joint custody vs. sole custody? We are going to Paris this summer and I will definitely do my research on all this. In our divorce decree it says that either one of us has a right to get a passport for her, but we have to let the other person know the details of the trip. I never thought that there would be actual laws about this, I was just basing this on our divorce papers!:o

I actually took not only our Passports but Birth Certificates also for our last 2 cruises. didn't have any children to worry about, but going to the Caribbean then thru Panama last 2 cruises, just brought everything just in case.

[Lightsluvr]

I am a single dad. My son just greduated high school and I have been the custodial parent since he was 7. (His mother and I are good friends...now)

 

My point is that I have taken him on several cruises since he was about 12 and never once did anyone ask about his mom or any additional paperwork...other than his passport. I also never got signed permission from his mom...although she would have probably given it freely. In hindsight I was lucky and foolish because they could have denied boarding and really screwed things up..

 

That never happened to us, but I can understand why some would be strict about proper paperwork...

 

Do you have the same last name as your son? Were you traveling with your spouse? If so, it probably never dawned on anyone to ask if your spouse was not your son's mother...

 

I think where the problem arises is where the last names don't match, which of course most often affects the mother...

 

Just a thought.

 

LL

[terinzak]

We just came back from a 4 day cruise. My son is 12 and has a different last name. We cruised with birth certificates and had abslutely no problems. Since his dad is out of the picture, I did not have a notarized letter and they didnt ask.

[shallwechat]

we brought my son's best friend with us last year. we were told by our travel agent to make sure we brought birth certificate because last name was different and we also brought a letter from his mother/father stating he could sail with us.

 

a couple of friends of ours have son(s) with last names due to remarriage and our TA very well informed them to bring birth certificates and she also brought her custody papers....this way the ship knew she wasn't kidnapping them or something. i thought that was a very good idea....and of course, we love our TA! he is always very informative and covers all the basis!