Traveling w/minors who aren't mine. Looking for experiences

[hftmrock]

Well you guys are making me feel a lot better about it.. I was getting worried that I would need to ask for a copy of their divorce papers and custody papers and all that, and I REALLY didn't want too! :)

 

 

if you are only getting one parent, I would think you need those custody papers. usually you need BOTH parents or the documented reason why one parent would be ok (death, full custody, etc)

 

so if you are getting only 1 parent, there is a chance that wont be enough

[jjtimes6]

We take one of our daughter's friends with us every year. I always have the parents sign and notarize a letter, and carry that and her passport. We have done this since the girls were 15. I have never been asked for the letter upon boarding, and have only been asked for it once at customs on debarkation. The time I was asked for the letter was on a cruise that stopped in Mexico. They seem to be stricter about it then.

 

As to charging privileges: I give both girls full privileges. They like the frozen virgin piña coladas, and they have never gone overboard on spending. The two of them rack up about $30 total, with frozen drinks and the candy store.

 

This is the letter I use (which came from these boards years ago):

 

CONSENT FOR MINOR CHILD TO TRAVEL

 

Date:_____________________

 

I:_____________________________________________ _________________

authorize my minor child: Full Name here, Date of Birth: Birthdate here to travel to: Port for cruise on: Date of flight aboard Airline/Flight Number: Name of airline and flight numbers for all flights and to travel out of the United States on the Cruise line cruise ship Name of ship , departing on Departure date and returning on: Last date of cruise, and visiting (but not limited to) the following ports: List all ports with the date you will be in them.

Minor child will be traveling with: Name of adult responsible (Relationship) and Name of other adult (Relationship). Their expected date of return is: Expected return date, via Airline/Flight Number: Airline and flight numbers.

 

We hereby designate (Both Adult names here), whose relationship to the child is (relationship to child or to family) , to be responsible for our child during the cruise. Furthermore, should my child require routine or emergency medical attention during the cruise, I specifically authorize the above named persons to make any and all necessary parental decisions concerning any and all medical treatment that my child may require.

 

Signed:_________________________________ (Parent)

 

Address:________________________________________

 

_______________________________________________

 

Telephone:______________________________________

 

 

Sworn to and signed before me, a Notary Public,

 

this _______ day of _______________, 20____

 

________________________________________

Notary Public Signature and Seal

Edited April 11, 2014 by jjtimes6

[jjtimes6]

I know that you are discussing minor non custodial children, but just wondering what documents you would need for your own children, ages 9 and 6. Only reason I'm asking is because my daughter is talking about taking her kids on a cruise. Just curious!

 

 

I get the same letter from my ex-husband for my daughter, that gives permission to me and my husband (her step-dad) to make any decisions and to travel out of the country. I have full 100% custody, but do this anyway, as she has a different last name. We've never had a problem, and I've only been asked for the letter one time.

[ShipsAhoy425]

Sounds like it's pretty much hit and miss! I wish there was a little more consistency, but that would make things too simple :D

[hftmrock]

thats why you need all of the documentation. You don't want to be the 'hit'

[avandrie]

We take one of our daughter's friends with us every year. I always have the parents sign and notarize a letter, and carry that and her passport. We have done this since the girls were 15. I have never been asked for the letter upon boarding, and have only been asked for it once at customs on debarkation. The time I was asked for the letter was on a cruise that stopped in Mexico. They seem to be stricter about it then.

 

As to charging privileges: I give both girls full privileges. They like the frozen virgin piña coladas, and they have never gone overboard on spending. The two of them rack up about $30 total, with frozen drinks and the candy store.

 

This is the letter I use (which came from these boards years ago):

 

CONSENT FOR MINOR CHILD TO TRAVEL

 

Date:_____________________

 

I:_____________________________________________ _________________

authorize my minor child: Full Name here, Date of Birth: Birthdate here to travel to: Port for cruise on: Date of flight aboard Airline/Flight Number: Name of airline and flight numbers for all flights and to travel out of the United States on the Cruise line cruise ship Name of ship , departing on Departure date and returning on: Last date of cruise, and visiting (but not limited to) the following ports: List all ports with the date you will be in them.

Minor child will be traveling with: Name of adult responsible (Relationship) and Name of other adult (Relationship). Their expected date of return is: Expected return date, via Airline/Flight Number: Airline and flight numbers.

 

We hereby designate (Both Adult names here), whose relationship to the child is (relationship to child or to family) , to be responsible for our child during the cruise. Furthermore, should my child require routine or emergency medical attention during the cruise, I specifically authorize the above named persons to make any and all necessary parental decisions concerning any and all medical treatment that my child may require.

 

Signed:_________________________________ (Parent)

 

Address:________________________________________

 

_______________________________________________

 

Telephone:______________________________________

 

 

Sworn to and signed before me, a Notary Public,

 

this _______ day of _______________, 20____

 

________________________________________

Notary Public Signature and Seal

 

 

 

We decided to invite our DDs friend with us on our cruise in November. This template letter was exactly what we were hunting for - thank you for posting it! :)

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[ShipsAhoy425]

So wanted to update you guys, we got their birth certificates, a notarized letter from Dad, custody papers and everything for my nephew and niece that we took this past summer, and they didn't ask for any of it. This was at New Orleans.

 

We are going to surprise them again this Christmas, and I'm going to gather everything up again, this time we'll be going out of Galveston, so I'm eager to see if it's any different (I guess it all depends on who is checking you in)

[Swampbaby]

I was afraid someone was going to say that. He's giving me a notarized letter and their original Birth Certificates (they never go anywhere, so they don't have passports) but for some reason, in the past, when talking to him or my sister about the divorce, child support, anything even remotely related to all of that, it's like some top secret mission that we aren't allowed access to. I am REALLY dreading having to ask.

Ahh, decisions, decisions! :eek:

 

Court papers are on file at the County Courthouse. Getting a copy of the custody papers shouldn't be a huge problem. We had a non-blood related to any family member grandson move in with us. EVERYTHING was available at the County Courthouse, including when we adopted him at his age 12.

[hftmrock]

So wanted to update you guys, we got their birth certificates, a notarized letter from Dad, custody papers and everything for my nephew and niece that we took this past summer, and they didn't ask for any of it. This was at New Orleans.

 

We are going to surprise them again this Christmas, and I'm going to gather everything up again, this time we'll be going out of Galveston, so I'm eager to see if it's any different (I guess it all depends on who is checking you in)

 

there is probably a 95% chance you will NEVER be asked for it... But that wouldnt stop me from bringing it every time. Murphy lives on my shoulders sometimes

[ShipsAhoy425]

there is probably a 95% chance you will NEVER be asked for it... But that wouldnt stop me from bringing it every time. Murphy lives on my shoulders sometimes

 

Totally agree with you here.. ;)

[kelly11]

We brought our 5 year old granddaughter and a friend of our 11 year old son with us, we had passports for both kids, birth certificates and notarized letters from the mother of our granddaughter and from the mother of our sons friend. We sailed from Tampa and they only looked at the passports, never even asked us how these children were related to us:rolleyes: but we always go by the "if we don't have it they will be sure to ask for it" logic lol. We set up money on our teenage sons S&S cards but at a limit in case they want to buy anything or go to the arcade, havent ever had a problem with that.