Travelling with minors - Has anyone been denied in Long Beach?

[HighCPU]

Just wondering if anyone has been denied boarding with a minor at the Long Beach port due to lacking minor documentation.

[candigirl41]

I sailed out of Long Beach with my daughter when she was underage. I had my husband sign a notarized statement that I was allowed to take her on the cruise to Mexico. They didn't ask to see it. She did have a passport and I don't know if that made a difference. I wouldn't chance going without it. If you are denied you are out the money you paid for the cruise. I just wrote something out and took him to get it notarized at the AAA office.

 

Candi

[HighCPU]

Thanks Candi

 

 

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[hftmrock]

if you can get the documentation, it would only benefit you

 

500 people could tell you they never needed it and you might be asked.

[swodog94]

Concur with what's been said...bring the paperwork; better safe than sorry. Many times, if the child has the same last name as the adult, the check-in agent won't bat an eye. But if the last names differ, that's a red flag.

[evandbob]

You can get on a cruise without having a notarized approval letter from his/her custodial parents, but what happens if the minor gets an injury? You'll need a medical proxy as well. And US Customs is always looking out for human trafficking victims, so without a notarized letter of parental approval, you may have some explaining to do in their offices upon your return.

[shellster1]

I read threads like this, (which by the way, are totally legitimate questions) and I always wonder to myself why it has never occurred to me to ever travel with a letter from DH:

I am happily married. My DH and I have one 9-year-old son. I've traveled alone with him more times than I can count. I've taken him out of the country (to Canada and St. Martin) by air, and we've been on several cruises. (He's gold level on Carnival.) Not once did either DH or I even think to print out some sort of letter giving me permission to take our DS without DH. Not once have I ever been questioned by anyone. Reading all these posts, I'm thinking perhaps for our upcoming cruise, I might get a notarized letter from DH just to be safe. I guess you never know!

[SadieN]

Only read about a few times that a letter is requested by shoreside personal.

 

 

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[cmichael1279]

I travel with my nieces and nephews quite often (without my sister) and I always bring as much documentation as possible. Notarized travel permission forms and notarized medical permission forms as well as their birth certificates and passports. Sometimes they don't ask to see the forms at all, sometimes they ask lots of questions! If you have an account with Chase bank, they'll notarize for free.

[bury me at sea]

I have taken a minor granddaughter twice. She not only has a different last name from mine, but is obviously and beautifully dark Hispanic. She has a passport.

 

I always get notarized letter from each of her parents that includes authority to make medical decisions on her behalf. No one has ever asked for it, and neither has a medical issue ever arisen.

 

I already have them for our cruise in August and would not take her without them.

 

For our summer of 2018 cruise I get to skip this step. She will be 18!

[evandbob]

While Carnival probably won't deny you boarding the ship with a minor due to a lack of documentation, a real problem may occur when you disembark and face US Customs. They are keen to stop any sex trafficking of minors and may ask you to come into the office for additional questioning.

A woman traveling with her own minor children probably won't get questioned, but a guy with any minor having a different last name will set off red flags that Customs will want to follow up.

[JinxyB]

I cruise regularly with my minor child and have never gotten a notarized letter from his father (we do not live together and my child has my last name). Last year I got a lawyer to draft a custody document giving me sole legal and physical custody of my child. The legal document also specifically states I can travel internationally without having permission from his father and I can obtain a passport without his signature (father is a deadbeat). I now travel with a copy of this document to show if I am ever questioned. My child has a passport as well. This was expensive, but gives me peace of mind that I won't have any issues if say, I want to travel to Canada or Mexico by air ( or other international destinations).

 

Regarding Long Beach, the only time I have ever been questioned by customs was debarking a cruise there. They asked my child who I was, but no further interrogation was warranted.