Staci333

On 9/4/2023 at 9:33 PM, Ferry_Watcher said:

@Staci333 - hi Staci, I think I saw you at check-in for the Quantum 9/4.  If that was your family, it looked like it went just as I thought, and it appeared that your paperwork was approved quickly, and you never had to 'take a seat' in the Documents area.

Hope you have a great cruise - it looks like there are lots of toddlers and pre-schoolers on that sailing.  Hope your little cutie makes lots of friends!

@Ferry_Watcher Yes, that was us 😊 We had no issues boarding, which was such a relief. Your information was so helpful! Thank you again! I wish you would have introduced yourself, everyone at check in was great and super nice!

For those who may be traveling with foster children, we had her birth certificate and a notarized letter from the court. Our notarized letter layed out our whole trip, including our flight information and hotel we were staying in Seattle the night before. It also listed out our cruise itinerary day by day. During check in we were taken aside for copies to be made of the documents and next thing we knew we were on the ship. 

Our little had a fabulous time and she can’t wait for her next one!

1 hour ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

 

Hi Staci, just wanted to circle back with you re your questions about taking your foster child on a Royal cruise.  So far there hasn't been any denials, however we are only about 3 weeks into this. 

 

What you should expect - (although it could change between now and your Sept sailing): At check-in you will be asked about your foster child as he/she will have a different last name that yours.  You will show all your paperwork to the check-in agent (the original birth certificate, the letter from the judge, the placement letter saying that you are the legal guardians).  The check-in agent will take the documents and bring them to the Documentation Team for approval. 

 

It is likely that that since this is an unusual situation, that the ship's Documentation Officer will become involved.  I would be prepared to be asked to take a seat in the Document Recovery area while the paperwork is looked over.  It may take phone calls being made to corporate Royal, with the pier's supervisor staff advocating for you, and explaining the intricacies of your US legal documents to the foreign ship officer(s) - themselves all very nice, talented, and educated folks, but not versed in the US legal system.

It's possible that by the time you are sailing, there may be other similar situations (foster child), and that will facilitate your check-in with your paperwork.

Hopefully, knowing what might/probably will happen will ease any anxiety between now and your sailing date.  I will let you know if there is any changes or updates.  

@Ferry_Watcher

Thank you so much for all your help and guidance! You have helped put my mind at ease. I think I have all the documents I need and I am looking forward to enjoy this cruise with our little! It is a lot of jumping through hoops, but understand why they are necessary!

Thank you again and I will let you know how it goes when we cruise to Alaska in just about 3 weeks!

On 7/29/2023 at 11:21 AM, Ferry_Watcher said:

 

Hi Staci, going forward, each situation will be considered unique.  While I can't give you a definite answer, it seems to me that all your documents will be enough.   Commonsense so far is ruling the day, and the folks working as supervisors in Seattle are very good people, so I think you are good.  Since you have at least a month before your cruise, you could ask the foster agency or the judge if there is anything else you might need, but it looks like you have checked all the boxes already - especially the letter from the judge., but that is just my opinion

Let me ask Monday during one of the Royal days a hypothetical foster child question, and see what the answer may be. 

Thank you so much! I feel I have everything I need, but I do appreciate you asking!

12 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

 

It looks like you probably have it all covered, especially the letter from the judge giving you permission to travel.

As I mentioned earlier, all this is so new, that we haven't dealt with non-typical scenarios like yours (foster parents).  Our next Royal / Celebrity cruise day is Friday, when we should have another staff meeting.  I can ask about this at that time.

That would be wonderful if you could ask! Any information is appreciated!

@Ferry_Watcher

Could you tell me exactly what I would need to have for a Foster child that we plan to take with us to Alaska out of Seattle in September?

This is what I was planning to have with me at check-in:

• An original birth certificate
• Letter from judge stating we are allowed to take her on the cruise
• Placement letter with my husband and I as her legal guardians

We obviously have different last names, would I need anything else?

Thank you for any help!