Single Parent Travel Documentation Question

I'm traveling next fall with my daughter on DCL for the first time, we've traveled Carnival several times. We both have passports, but I won't be able to get a travel consent letter from her father. It took me getting a lawyer to get the passport. I have joint legal custody and am the Primary Physical Custodian. There is nothing in our paperwork that states she cannot travel or needs consent from him. We're doing a 4-night Bahamas on the Dream. Does anyone have any actual experience being asked for a travel consent letter from DCL? Carnival has never asked for one. Thanks

I'm traveling next fall with my daughter on DCL for the first time, we've traveled Carnival several times. We both have passports, but I won't be able to get a travel consent letter from her father. It took me getting a lawyer to get the passport. I have joint legal custody and am the Primary Physical Custodian. There is nothing in our paperwork that states she cannot travel or needs consent from him. We're doing a 4-night Bahamas on the Dream. Does anyone have any actual experience being asked for a travel consent letter from DCL? Carnival has never asked for one. Thanks

As far as I know, since both parents consent is necessary to get a passport, as long as your daughter has a passport, you're good to go.

I ave cruised on DCL with my daughter (who is now an adult) MANY times from age 7-18. At no time were we asked for a parental consent letter.

We did have one odd incident when we were going thru Customs in PC. The agent asked my daughter who I was. Daughter said, "My mom," and that was the end of it. It just seemed odd that they asked as we were re-entering the US. I'd always figured that any excessive checks would happen upon leaving. FWIW, the initial cruises were with her on a birth certificate, I later got a passport for her. No problems either way. We also cruised on other lines when she was ages 4-6 with no issues at all.

I fully support the concept of a consent letter when it is possible, but sometimes it is not. As noted, we've never had any inquiries about our situation. And I never had a letter from anyone.

Have a great cruise.

My divorced daughter has sailed many times with her children, and never been asked for a consent paper. She is the custodial parent, but he has visitation every other weekend. She just lets him know when kids will be traveling.

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There are two issues here, Disney and US CBP...

Disney may not ask for a consent letter, but CBP still might. Carry a copy of the divorce decree that says you have full custody and that should suffice in your situation. They probably will not ask, but better to have and not need then need and not have (and I have personally seen a family denied boarding because CBP decided to do a random anti-trafficking check that day throughout FLA)

As I noted, I fully support the concept of having (and carrying copies of) as much documentation as possible. However, my personal experience of greater than one cruise per year on DCL over the 11 year period when she was a minor was that there was never an issue with DCL or any governmental agency.

Don't worry over it. Sure, pop a copy of the custody decree in your papers and it will stay there for the entire trip. There is always that "I saw it once" or "I read about it" case, so better safe than sorry. But reality, it is not an issue the vast majority of the time.

Thanks for the replies everyone! That eases my mind a lot. I always carry my custody papers with me on all of our cruises. Can't be too safe lol. I've never been asked for them, but I'm using a TA for the first time and she had mentioned the travel consent form from the other parent and I started to worry that DCL was different from Carnival. I did a lot of searching and only found that it is a requirement I believe if a minor is traveling without either parent, or if you're traveling to Canada by air or land, which we are not. Thanks again for helping ease my mind. Cruise Critic is an awesome community!

You are correct that there is a form required for a minor cruising without a parent (as in they are going with a grandparent or the family of a friend). That's a whole different issue.

You've got everything you need. Have a super trip.

My question is, how would they even know you're divorced?

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I have never been asked for any kind of paperwork when traveling on a cruise with my daughter and my mom. I am not divorced but not always possible for "papa" to go with us so he stays home with the littlest one and I take my daughter on vacation. Sometimes at CBP they do ask her questions like "what is your name" and "who is this with you".

They don't know you are divorced (I wasn't). They do know that you are traveling as a single parent. Their assumption is that it is a divorce situation. And there are far too many movies, etc. about one parent abducting a child, etc. Yes, it happens in real life and is something the authorities are to look for with international travel. But a closed loop cruise? I guess you could "miss the ship" in the Bahamas, but really?

I was actually scared the first time as my daughter's birth certificate is largely blank and what is filled in is a lie. That's what happens in adoption situations in my state--virtually everything is redacted. That, coupled with the fact that I adopted as a single parent (so there isn't even any false paternal information) makes for a very odd looking birth certificate. No problem--all they care about is that you have one and it is legal (certified). But the passport is much easier.

Not to scare you but I've been asked for the consent form almost every time I've traveled internationally. These have been at airport or train passport controls though.

It is like Murphy's law, of your have the paperwork, you will never have any issues.

All it takes is one CBP agent to doubt any answers and you could be asked to produce piles of paperwork.

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Tell your kid to not say anything stupid to Customs people. This is NOT the time to be funny. When they asked about any animal or plant products, mine once made a remark about her pet bird traveling in her backpack. Yes, the guy looked.

Not to scare you but I've been asked for the consent form almost every time I've traveled internationally. These have been at airport or train passport controls though.

So should I look up a consent form online for our international flights for our cruise in Sept? Im traveling with all my kids dh but my son (17 yrs old) has a different last name as Im remarried. He obviously has a passport or we wouldnt be traveling overseas but wondering even if I am his mom how would we prove it since I have a different last name.

As for being asked on closed loop cruises out of PC, my son and my daughter (dd from current marriage) were asked by customs who my hubby and I were. Glad my daughter didnt say anything goofy just because thats who she is.

I would have a consent form based on something online or just make it up. I'm married to my kids father but we have different last names. That didn't seem to cause problems but when I've taken the with me and my husband didn't come, about half the time I've been asked at the airport for something. One time I totally forgot because he was meeting us in Canada, just taking a later flight. Customs woman asked me and I explained, my kids chimed in, and she was satisfied. But I was afraid I'd have to call him and have him fax something.

It never hurts to have a letter of consent if you can get one without a huge hassle, and especially if the last names don't match. It is obviously easier with a passport than with birth certificates.

We've never been asked, regardless of the flight or cruise. Never needed it. On a Caribbean cruise, really NO issues. Canada is really strict, and international flights are also. For a cruise departing from Europe, I'd have a letter. But OP is on a Caribbean cruise with passports and has custody documents. She has also said it will be virtually impossible for her to get a consent letter. NO WHERE does DCL say one is required or even recommended. I believe she will be totally fine and likely will keep the custody documents in her file the whole time.

Yes, I know that the Caribbean is international, but they don't act like it is. To OP, if you want to be sure, call DCL. Do NOT tell them that you are already booked or that you have used a travel agent; in that case they will refuse to talk to you. Tell the CM that you need to speak to someone with expertise in single parent custody issues and explain just what you told us--that you have full physical custody and that the child has a passport which it took legal action to get...and that there is no way you can get a consent letter from the father. Ask if you can take a DCL Caribbean cruise with the documentation you have--they'll say yes, but you may feel better hearing it from them. The custody documents and the fact that you bothered to bring them will satisfy the Customs agents if they get involved.

I would most definitely have one, as the different name will be a red flag..

I give out these. Notarized is best if possible..

http://www.globetrektravel.com/minortravelforms.pdf - Minor Travel Consent.pdf

So should I look up a consent form online for our international flights for our cruise in Sept? Im traveling with all my kids dh but my son (17 yrs old) has a different last name as Im remarried. He obviously has a passport or we wouldnt be traveling overseas but wondering even if I am his mom how would we prove it since I have a different last name.

 

As for being asked on closed loop cruises out of PC, my son and my daughter (dd from current marriage) were asked by customs who my hubby and I were. Glad my daughter didnt say anything goofy just because thats who she is.

I would most definitely have one, as the different name will be a red flag..

 

I give out these. Notarized is best if possible..

 

http://www.globetrektravel.com/minortravelforms.pdf - Minor Travel Consent.pdf

Thank you Loonbeam!! I will print and have my ex fill it out and have it notarized. Do I need one for airlines (going to BCN), one for cruise, and then one for the airlines we are using coming back into the US or will I be able to hang onto the one by just showing whomever asks?

Just need to show it. One copy should be fine (that said, following my mantra to have and not need, I carry two copies of EVERY document that doesn't cost a ton of money to get, if nothing else in case of damage)

Thank you Loonbeam!! I will print and have my ex fill it out and have it notarized. Do I need one for airlines (going to BCN), one for cruise, and then one for the airlines we are using coming back into the US or will I be able to hang onto the one by just showing whomever asks?

technically they can ask for it at any time when boarding. That is why your agent told you to have one. They can deny boarding if they feel that things are not legit. Even for married parents and only one is sailing.

I sail a lot with my daughter, without my husband who is her dad. They have never asked for the form and I bring one about 50% of the time. But almost every time we go through customs after the cruise they ask her who I am and some other questions.

Tell your kid to not say anything stupid to Customs people. This is NOT the time to be funny. When they asked about any animal or plant products' date=' mine once made a remark about her pet bird traveling in her backpack. Yes, the guy looked.[/quote']

 

We took a Disney cruise four weeks after the 9/11 attacks. SERIOUS security.

I lectured my older son, the joker, from front door to security about making jokes or comments, no bomb jokes, no hijack jokes, NOTHING. We made it through without incident.

We took a Disney cruise four weeks after the 9/11 attacks. SERIOUS security.

I lectured my older son, the joker, from front door to security about making jokes or comments, no bomb jokes, no hijack jokes, NOTHING. We made it through without incident.

We cruised a week after 9/11. IDs were checked as you entered the port and again still far away from the terminal. And of course again at check in. Yes, they were serious. There were 2 security screens--one as you entered the terminal and one with a sniffer dog and repeat x-rays as you entered the big ears. There were large signs saying do not approach the dogs. I, being an idiot, spoke to the handler saying that I had a couple of prescription medications in my carry on bag. "Ma'am, these are not drug dogs. They are explosive dogs." Oops. Yes, serious security all around. But as you said, no incidents other than my stupid question. Like you, I instructed my daughter that these were "working dogs" and she needed to pretend that they weren't even there. And no joking. If spoken to, answer honestly with polite words.

On the cruise I'm on right now, I didn't get asked at any of the airports. But when we boarded the cruise in Rome, they asked for it and took the original from me for our file.

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Thanks for the info. As you noted in your May 28 post, this is another international boarding. And the agents are far more strict about cruises that are not closed loop or involve international travel. Yes, I know that technically Bahamian and Caribbean cruises are international, but they aren't treated that way usually.

Just out of curiosity, was Rome a "port of call" or did I somehow miss that this was an initial boarding spot for DCL this year? I know that other lines regularly use Rome as an embarkation spot, but DCL has not in the past.