Birth Certificate Error

[nhquilter1]

My 83 yo father-in-law recently received a certified copy of his birth certificate from NY state in order to sail to Bermuda in October. After receiving it, he noticed that there were two mistakes on it. He called the NY Dept of Health and they looked at his original and informed him that yes, the mistakes were on the original, too. One mistake is in the spelling of his father's surname (no big deal) but the other mistake is in the spelling of HIS first name. From what he told me, there was a "k" added to his name but that in the doc he has it was very faint (I haven't seen it, so I don't know how bad it is).

Anyway, will this be an issue for him boarding the ship in Boston or going off and coming on in Bermuda? It's his first cruise so he's very nervous and I'd hate to get to Boston only to find out that's an issue. Does anyone have experience with this? He's got a call into NCL and hopefully they can assure him either way.

TIA!

[gooch47]

Anything anyone says on here will be just speculation. The call to NCL was the proper way to handle this.

[valleyvillage]

I would not mess with this. You might get told one thing here, one thing by NCL, one thing by the DOH, one thing by a travel agent, but the bottom line is that when you are at the pier getting ready to board, the only person who really matters is the one who looks at the documentation that morning. :eek:

 

I would get a passport ASAP and then you are safe and secure. You may be able to just use a passport card and they are less expensive. That's when we got for Mom because of the whole Last Name Maiden Name deal. Just did not want to take a chance and be one of those people crying at the pier. :(

 

And have a wonderful trip!

[collectingcoke]

Anything anyone says on here will be just speculation. The call to NCL was the proper way to handle this.

 

She is right we would all be guesising at this point.

[valleyvillage]

...is that you can call NCL and they can tell you it's fine. Then you can get to the pier and someone else looks at the docs and says "nope." I have seen it happen! Don't take a chance! Get a passport.

[jimswims]

My 83 yo father-in-law recently received a certified copy of his birth certificate from NY state in order to sail to Bermuda in October. After receiving it, he noticed that there were two mistakes on it. He called the NY Dept of Health and they looked at his original and informed him that yes, the mistakes were on the original, too. One mistake is in the spelling of his father's surname (no big deal) but the other mistake is in the spelling of HIS first name. From what he told me, there was a "k" added to his name but that in the doc he has it was very faint (I haven't seen it, so I don't know how bad it is).

Anyway, will this be an issue for him boarding the ship in Boston or going off and coming on in Bermuda? It's his first cruise so he's very nervous and I'd hate to get to Boston only to find out that's an issue. Does anyone have experience with this? He's got a call into NCL and hopefully they can assure him either way.

TIA!

 

There is no way that I would mess with this. I would not take NCL's word for it either because your father may be the one left on the dock. I would get him to get a passport today. You will have enough time if you jump on it and expedite it.

[MsTabbyKats]

My husband has the wrong birth date on his passport. When I book for him...I use the wrong date.

 

What does his driver's license have? NYS issues a license that can be used in lieu of a passport. I think it's good for Bermuda.

 

If you get a passport...make sure his booking is exactly the same as his name on the passport.

 

It might be best to get the passport in person...to avoid additional errors (they will probably use his birth certificate for the passport)

[swedish weave]

My husband has the wrong birth date on his passport. When I book for him...I use the wrong date.

 

What does his driver's license have? NYS issues a license that can be used in lieu of a passport. I think it's good for Bermuda.

 

If you get a passport...make sure his booking is exactly the same as his name on the passport.

 

It might be best to get the passport in person...to avoid additional errors (they will probably use his birth certificate for the passport)

 

Best advice I have seen --- If all documents have the same spelling and dates (right or wrong) they will be accepted and you won't have problems.

[swedish weave]

My husband has the wrong birth date on his passport. When I book for him...I use the wrong date.

 

What does his driver's license have? NYS issues a license that can be used in lieu of a passport. I think it's good for Bermuda.

 

If you get a passport...make sure his booking is exactly the same as his name on the passport.

 

It might be best to get the passport in person...to avoid additional errors (they will probably use his birth certificate for the passport)

 

deleted

[smeyer418]

My husband has the wrong birth date on his passport. When I book for him...I use the wrong date.

 

What does his driver's license have? NYS issues a license that can be used in lieu of a passport. I think it's good for Bermuda.

 

If you get a passport...make sure his booking is exactly the same as his name on the passport.

 

It might be best to get the passport in person...to avoid additional errors (they will probably use his birth certificate for the passport)

 

NY State issues an enhanced drivers license...

 

http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/edl-main.htm

 

you pay extra for this.

 

and the documentation requirement is probably worse than a passport...

 

All initially issued passports require that you personally appear somewhere. At your local post office(if they do passports) and any other place that is a passport agent(like your county clerk) but they all require a personal appearance for a new passport(renewals are handled by paperwork)....

[Relax@Sea]

My Cousin just went through this he only had 4 weeks before his cruise and is still waiting and hoping for the passport to get delivered but what he did was to change his name on the ships manifest and went to the DMV and changed his Drivers License to reflect his certified Birth certificate now his Birth Certificate name matches his Drivers license and in addition he also got a State I.D. that matches his Birth Certificate and confirmed all this with Customs and the Cruise line it took 1 day at the DMV and a few phone calls and everything matches and he also is bringing the letter from the Cruise line and the letter from the customs department just in case. We will know on 8/27/2011 if all is well. According to the DMV this is a very common issue with older US Citizen.

[more cruises]

I have known of people who had to go and change their DL because it didn't match their certified BC. You MIGHT be able to board with the slight discrepancy but if you get someone who is a stickler for the rules it could be a real issue.

 

When in doubt - all IDs and booking names must match EXACTLY.

 

Can the state fix it at their end and send a new BC?

[SeaShark]

I agree...the passport is the safest option. I hope that everything works out for you.

[DKAL]

My 83 yo father-in-law recently received a certified copy of his birth certificate from NY state in order to sail to Bermuda in October. After receiving it, he noticed that there were two mistakes on it. He called the NY Dept of Health and they looked at his original and informed him that yes, the mistakes were on the original, too. One mistake is in the spelling of his father's surname (no big deal) but the other mistake is in the spelling of HIS first name. From what he told me, there was a "k" added to his name but that in the doc he has it was very faint (I haven't seen it, so I don't know how bad it is).

Anyway, will this be an issue for him boarding the ship in Boston or going off and coming on in Bermuda? It's his first cruise so he's very nervous and I'd hate to get to Boston only to find out that's an issue. Does anyone have experience with this? He's got a call into NCL and hopefully they can assure him either way.

TIA!

 

Find your local Post Office that takes Passport Applications and bring all your documents with you. They can tell you if the documents are sufficient for applying for a Passport.

 

It's so easy to apply right then & there. They take the pictures too.

[smeyer418]

...

It's so easy to apply right then & there. They take the pictures too.

 

some do some don't....

[fergusonvt]

NY State issues an enhanced drivers license...

 

http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/edl-main.htm

 

you pay extra for this.

 

and the documentation requirement is probably worse than a passport...

 

All initially issued passports require that you personally appear somewhere. At your local post office(if they do passports) and any other place that is a passport agent(like your county clerk) but they all require a personal appearance for a new passport(renewals are handled by paperwork)....

 

We have the enhanced DL's here in VT also. I have one and there was indeed more documentation required then for our passports.

[fergusonvt]

Find your local Post Office that takes Passport Applications and bring all your documents with you. They can tell you if the documents are sufficient for applying for a Passport.

 

It's so easy to apply right then & there. They take the pictures too.

 

 

There is a government website that indicates which ones do the pictures and which don't. Since one of the documents required for a passport is a certified copy of the BC won't he have issues if it has the name mis-spelled on it?

[cruisin07family]

There is a government website that indicates which ones do the pictures and which don't. Since one of the documents required for a passport is a certified copy of the BC won't he have issues if it has the name mis-spelled on it?

 

This is what I thought when I read everyone's suggestion to get a passport. That won't work with the bc not matching his other documents. I had this same issue. My original DC birth cert was handwritten and when it was typed, I assume the original handwriting was illegible because my name "Carla" became "Carle". I used it for earlier travel without issue but after 9/11 when things tightened up, I was afraid this wouldn't work since my SSN, driver's license, etc. all had "Carla". I couldn't find the documents required for DC to find an error had been made (baptism certificate or official school record before age 6) so I actually had to ask the court to order a name change to have my bc corrected. It took about 10 weeks between petitioning the court, the name change request running in the newspaper for 3 wks, and receiving the court order. Then I mailed the raised seal court order to the Dept. of Vital Statistics to get a corrected bc. It was not an easy or quick fix. Good luck. I have no idea if the person checking you in will even notice but I understand your concern.

[ManyMore]

I work there... one letter off is not going to matter. As long as the rest of the info is correct... place of birth and date you will be fine.

[smeyer418]

There is a government website that indicates which ones do the pictures and which don't. Since one of the documents required for a passport is a certified copy of the BC won't he have issues if it has the name mis-spelled on it?

 

 

if you are going to tell someone there is such a website isn't just as easy top post its URL?

 

http://iafdb.travel.state.gov/

[xtianmom]

The birth certificate is the legal spelling of his name, regardless if it is the way he has spelled it all of his life. Wonder if this has ever come up before, must have when he needed to provide a birth cert for marriage, driver's license, social security.

 

Get answers from the legal/professional source, not on CC. We are just a bunch of amateurs.

[Essiesmom]

Many years ago, my mother needed a birth certificate to get a visitor's card to visit Mexico (with a Girl Scout troop - she was asst. leader). My mother was born at home, and apparently the doctor didn't file the birth certificate right away, and forgot or disremembered the name. So my mother, who had spent 49 years thinking she was Olive Louise, received a birth certificate that said Harriet Louise! Olive and Louise are both family names...Fortunately, my grandmother was still alive, and they were able to file an affidavit to get the BC corrected. EM