Single mother traveling with child with same last name

[DiamondDiva23]

We're looking at a possible cruise on Enchantment next July with all of our combined adult children and their families. Our two oldest are married (one son his, one daughter mine) and our youngest (together) is 18. Our 23 year old daughter (his) is a single mother and her daughter, 9 years old has her last name. In fact it's our last name. In double fact, my stepdaughter & I have the exact same legal name. She had it from birth - I inherited it when I married her father. Anyway my point is can my stepdaughter travel with her daughter without any papers needed by the birth father who is not in her life?

 

2nd question - one cabin will be for my stepdaughter, her daughter, my youngest & her best friend. They will both be 18 on sailing day. My stepdaughter lives in WI and would be the adult in the cabin. Does it matter that the other 2 "children" in the cabin are Illinois residents? I don't think it does but I'm trying to think of any possible scenarios that may come up since one of my kids will be traveling in a different room with a different adult although they are siblings with the same last name.

 

Sorry for the confusion! Lol Blended families are easy until you start planning an event!

[Merion_Mom]

We're looking at a possible cruise on Enchantment next July with all of our combined adult children and their families. Our two oldest are married (one son his, one daughter mine) and our youngest (together) is 18. Our 23 year old daughter (his) is a single mother and her daughter, 9 years old has her last name. In fact it's our last name. In double fact, my stepdaughter & I have the exact same legal name. She had it from birth - I inherited it when I married her father. Anyway my point is can my stepdaughter travel with her daughter without any papers needed by the birth father who is not in her life?

 

2nd question - one cabin will be for my stepdaughter, her daughter, my youngest & her best friend. They will both be 18 on sailing day. My stepdaughter lives in WI and would be the adult in the cabin. Does it matter that the other 2 "children" in the cabin are Illinois residents? I don't think it does but I'm trying to think of any possible scenarios that may come up since one of my kids will be traveling in a different room with a different adult although they are siblings with the same last name.

 

Sorry for the confusion! Lol Blended families are easy until you start planning an event!

 

First question: You are supposed to have a letter from the father permitting the mother to take the child out of the country. If you cannot obtain such a letter, there are ways of getting a document from a judge, depending on your jurisdiction. Sometimes you are asked to show this permission; sometimes you are not. It is a gamble to travel without it.

 

I am in NO WAY giving legal advice, but I will also add that since you are "only" going to the Bahamas, and it is Mexico that tends to be strict about this, you MAY have a better chance of not having a problem.

 

BUT YOU MAY HAVE A PROBLEM CHECKING IN WITHOUT IT.

 

Second question: those states have no impact on the situation. Your stepdaughter is 23; that's all the RC needs to know.

[Goes Cruising]

I have cruised with my daughter for years, and have never been asked for any permissions from her dad/my husband. He doesn't care for vacations, so we have gone all over the world as mother & daughter.

 

I will ask if the child is traveling with a passport or other ID? I do know my husband was with us when we got her 1st passport, but renewals have not required two parent involvement.

[dancinman66]

Depends on where your from

In aus as a single dad I got questioned and mums not

Now they check everyone but is an electronic check unless leaving by plane

For you if returning cruise should not be a probl but feel she should contact immigration for sure on current requirement

Don't want to get caught

 

Cabin issue is no drama

 

 

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[Cruise Arizona]

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/268/~/children---child-traveling-with-one-parent-or-someone-who-is-not-a-parent-or

 

I would have something that either shows she has sole custody (if that is the case) or the letter of permission.

[scorpluvsdolphins]

If the birth certificate only has the mom's name and no father named, there shouldn't be any issues.

 

 

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[DiamondDiva23]

All US residents. I will ask her if she can possibly get a letter from the father. I don't know if she speaks to him or not because I don't like to be the nosy stepmother if you know what I mean. It's none of my business if her and the father of her child keep in contact or not but for the check in officials I'll ask & put it on them as the nosy ones! Lol

[DiamondDiva23]

She did recently take her to Texas for a modeling tournament/pageant thing with no problems flying out of WI. But that's flying not cruising.

I'm also not sure if the father's name is on the birth certificate or not. Her mother (my husband's ex GF) inefficiently handled all of this as his daughter was in her care at the time of the pregnancy and we were kept in the dark. One of the many reasons she's the ex.

[krisko]

Did I read that right? Your 23 year old daughter has a 9 year old daughter? My daughter is 13...that perked me right up!

[waterbug123]

First question: You are supposed to have a letter from the father permitting the mother to take the child out of the country. If you cannot obtain such a letter, there are ways of getting a document from a judge, depending on your jurisdiction. Sometimes you are asked to show this permission; sometimes you are not. It is a gamble to travel without it.

 

 

I have cruised and flown several times with my kids. (Divorced, joint custody) I always get a letter signed by their dad, but I have never been asked for it. We do share the same last name.

[Sunkissed Mommy]

I cruised on the Enchantment in May with my, then, 14-month old son and my mom. Nobody asked for proof that his father gave me permission to take him. I DID have a notorized letter giving me permission and proof that I am married to his father with me just in case.

Edited August 19, 2014 by smileyperry

[jcl410]

1) RCI does not require the absent parents permission. Sunce the last names match, no further documentation is required

 

2) CBP *strongly recommends* a letter from the absent parent. This would be for reentering the US, if they ask for it, and you don't have it, then there will be a delay while the circumstances are being checked out...

 

If the birth father's name is non the birth certificate it would be simplest, from a documentation stand point, to get the letter...... but if it would cause a lot of angst, I wouldn't sweat it..... If CBP does actually question your family coming back in after a 3 or 4 day cruise, it won't be hard to verify the particulars.

 

Aloha,

 

John

[Cruise Arizona]

John the letter is permission to leave the US with a child. the concern is custody disputes and child trafficking. Please read the Customs and Boarder Patrol link that I have put up on my first response.

 

This is in response to cases where for exmple the father is a foreign national and the mother is American, they have joint custody and he decides to leave with his child to another country never to be heard from again.

 

Get the letter, I have heard of cases where they had to get an emergency faxed letter from the father when a child was traveling with her step family Otherwise they would be denied boarding.

 

Flying from Wisconsin to Texas is not an issue because both are in the US, but cruising to the Bahamas is leaving the country.

 

Get the letter or bring court papers that show she has sole custody of the child.

[crazy4themouse]

Sooooo not an issue with a closed-loop cruise. A land vacation to someplace like Mexico is one thing -- a cruise is totally another. You don't really kidnap your kid and go on a ship with no escape, where they know who is onboard and who gets off, and even when you do get off it's on an island where they could easily find someone.

 

The cruiselines used to require letters from the absent parent, but quit that many years ago. My son and I have cruised 9 times since he was 5 (he's 18 now), and have flown to WDW a whole bunch of times, and not one cruiseline or airline or customs agent or anyone else has ever said word one. For reference, our last names are the same and we both have passports. His father hasn't been in the picture in many years.

 

The only time you need a letter at all is if a child traveling with you isn't yours at all. From the RCI website:

 

"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 the child’s birth certificate (original, a notarized copy or a certified copy) and an original notarized letter signed by at least one of the child’s parents."

 

If you can get a letter, great. If there is no reason for anyone to question you (different names, etc), they aren't going to. Have fun, and don't stress about it!

Edited August 19, 2014 by crazy4themouse

[waterbug123]

1)

2) CBP *strongly recommends* a letter from the absent parent. This would be for reentering the US, if they ask for it,

 

I really can't see where it would be an issue to RETURN to one's home country with the child. The issue is more about preventing a parent from "kidnapping" the child from the other parent and escaping to another country with him/her.

 

John the letter is permission to leave the US with a child. the concern is custody disputes and child trafficking.

 

Exactly.

 

 

And as I stated previously, I always get a letter, but have never been asked for it and never really expected to be. The main reason I get it is because it also is worded to give my boyfriend permission to give medical consent or sign liability waivers for them if necessary. Occasionally during a cruise or other trip, he will take them on some excursion that I don't want to go on. They've never needed any emergency medical care during such excursions and he's never been asked for proof that he's allowed to sign a waiver for them, but we have it just in case.

[Hombre59]

Did I read that right? Your 23 year old daughter has a 9 year old daughter? My daughter is 13...that perked me right up!

 

Im curious on this same front too........... (kids)

[mychild]

I'm a single mother who cruises with my daughter. We have the same last name on our passports and have never been questioned. With that said, our last cruise we took a friend of my daughters and yes they asked for a letter of permission from her parents. I was prepared with the letter and it was no problem. (Both girls were 13)

 

 

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[Adayatatime]

Am I reading it right that if any US citizen leaves the country with their child (divorced or not), they have to have written permission from the other parent? :eek: that must be so hard to do.

Edited August 19, 2014 by Adayatatime

[ATC cruiser]

Instead of asking questions here about what is, and what is not required, anyone with questions should go to the CBP website and do research there. RCI has no requirement at all to have a signed letter from anyone, unless you are traveling with someone other than your own child. It is a CBP suggestion to have a signed letter, preferably notarized, from the other parent, divorced or not, to prevent you from being detained at the pier until circumstances can be assessed. The following is from the CBP website

 

 

 

 

While CBP may not ask to see this documentation, if we do ask, and you do not have it, you may be detained until the circumstances of the child traveling without both parents can be fully assessed. If there is no second parent with legal claims to the child (deceased, sole custody, etc.) any other relevant paperwork, such as a court decision, birth certificate naming only one parent, death certificate, etc., would be useful.

 

Adults traveling with children should also be aware that, while the U.S. does not require this documentation, many other countries do; failure to produce notarized permission letters and/or birth certificates could result in travelers being refused entry (Canada has very strict requirements in this regard).

 

 

 

 

I just returned from a cruise with my daughter. I had a notarized letter from my wife, just incase. No one ever asked for it. The only reason I got a letter is because of what I've read here. My sister-in-law travels all over the world with my 16 year old nephew, because he fences internationally. My brother-in-law does not always accompany them, as far as I know she doesn't carry a letter with her. Now they travel by air, but why would that be any different. I don't think CBP even cares unless they have reason to suspect something. There are plenty of moms and dads who take their kids on vacation by themselves, with no letter, and no one has ever been asked for one. I took one just incase. If I ever cruised again with one of my kids, and my wife did not accompany us I doubt I'd get one again, unless the country we were going to required it. The U.S. does NOT require it.

 

 

 

 

Aft Cabins Rule

[DiamondDiva23]

Yes krisko you read that right. *Sigh* They live in WI & we live in IL. Try as we might she wouldn't give her to us to raise & he was always at the mercy of her crazy mood swings. She used to make the kids walk outside in the cold to a pay phone on the corner to call us collect when they had a home phone they could have used. She didn't want our Caller ID to show her phone number. Ridiculous. So many things were done that would take too long to mention. The ultimate was finding out my stepdaughter was pregnant, telling her mother to tell my husband's mother to give us the news because she didn't want to face him. He wanted to strangle her. I wanted to rip her head off but I kept my cool cuz damn it, I'm a lady lol!

Long story short my stepdaughter finished school, is in a nursing program & is raising a beautiful, healthy, happy little girl. And that's all that counts.