taking children not your own?

[redrn13]

We are traveling next week with two children that are not our own. Although we have a letter stating we have permission to seek medical attention and also travel with us, will this do? We called Princess Tuesday and they stated since Nov 2, 2005 you no longer need a nortirized(sp) stamp. Has anyone traveled since then? Quick reply helpful

[Dreamer333]

I too heard that a notarized letter is no longer required in Mexico... where are you travelling to?

 

However, if I were you, I'd still definitely get the notarized letter from the parents, just to be on the safe side!!!!

[Toto2Kansas]

There is a form that needs to be signed by BOTH of the children's parents and notarized OR if the children are in the SOLE custody of only one, then their signature. Without this form, the children will not be allowed onboard to leave the country. Hopefully someone will post a link to the form here as I can not remember where it is located.

[coiran]

Here tis!

http://www.lawdepot.com/contracts/consent/index.php?pid=google-consnt_us-main_a2&a=t

 

Ron

[Toto2Kansas]

I also found one on Cruise Diva's site:

http://***************/permission_ltr.htm

 

Darn, let me change it into a mini URL: http://*****.com/7ga7k

[nancyfancy40]

Just a weight in on this. I run an in home day care and all of my medical permission slips and travel permission slips are notarized. It it not that big of a hassle and you are more than protected. I have a notary that comes ones a year to my house, while all the parents are here and we get in done in less than 30 minutes.

 

I once had to take a child to a simple doctors appt for the mother and the doctor told me without the persmission being notarized he would not have seen the child.

 

Why not error on the side of caution, when you are dealing with other people most precious cargo intrusted to you?

 

Nancy

[nancyfancy40]

Just a weight in on this. I run an in home day care and all of my medical permission slips and travel permission slips are notarized. It it not that big of a hassle and you are more than protected. I have a notary that comes ones a year to my house, while all the parents are here and we get in done in less than 30 minutes.

 

I once had to take a child to a simple doctors appt for the mother and the doctor told me without the persmission being notarized he would not have seen the child.

 

Why not error on the side of caution, when you are dealing with other people most precious cargo intrusted to you?

 

Nancy

[suziehmkr]

A friend of ours that is taking the same cruise as us, called Princess last week to see if the court order that he has will work for taking his kids. He was also told that as of the beginning of November, such authorization was not required. He is taking the court order just in case. But he did get that answer from Princess.

[donna5]

Remember your bank normally has a free notary for customers.

[merela]

You don't want to be stuck at the check-in counter and looking for a notary.

 

Even if I were to take my children on a cruise without my husband, I would need a notarized letter from him stating it's OK for me to take the children out of the State and Country.

 

Do a search "letter of consent" on this board and you will find several forms you can use. Just fill it out and have the children's parents take the letter someplace to get their signatures notarized. They need to sign the letter in the presence of a notary. In California, it's $10 per signature (or less because by law, the notary can charge no more than $10 per signature in California), so this letter with both parents' signature will cost about $20.

 

I remember filling out a form stating we are parents of our children before we boarded Sapphire for Mexico 3 weeks ago.

[crazy4themouse]

Can someone tell me more about whatever changed at the beginning of November? This might really make my day. My ex is pretty uninvolved -- I'm not even sure where he is living now. He doesn't even call his son to say hello.

 

Is there a possibility now that I won't have to track him down and beg him to sign some form? We have your basic Texas custody agreement -- I have sole physical custody with no restrictions on travel or residence, and we have joint legal custody. It's so stupid.

 

Can someone please tell me where I can find out more about whatever changes have happened at Princess? Thanks!

 

-gina-

[jennew]

if you have sole physical custody you are all set. Bring that order with you.

 

By the way, my father was like your ex. My heart goes out to your son. Very few know the deep impact that can have a person.

[jennew]

I just wanted to add:

 

last year I took my kids on a NCL cruise and NONE of this was addressed. They did not ask a thing even though I was taking four kids under the age of 18. I wonder why Princess is so much more concerned?

[cacruiserjen]

That they weren't concerned! We went on a 2 night to nowhere out of San Francisco a few weeks ago on NCL. While they didn't give me a hard time for my dd (she is 9) I had totally forgotten about when my parents have taken our kids and we had it all notarized. Anyway, a friend who was traveling with us with her daughter (2) had a problem. She is a single mom. Dd was conceived by an anonymous donor at a hospital... Birth certificate states "undeclared" or something for father. And she brought ALL paperwork with her from the birth hospital and father's profile. They were saying they wouldn't let her take her. She finally won them over when she reminded them that we weren't even getting off the ship anywhere except back in San Francisco. Little annoying and very stressful. Not worth NOT getting paperwork in order, JUST IN CASE! JMO

[crazy4themouse]

I just wanted to add:

 

last year I took my kids on a NCL cruise and NONE of this was addressed. They did not ask a thing even though I was taking four kids under the age of 18. I wonder why Princess is so much more concerned?

 

 

Thanks for your comments, I appreciate it. I also don't know why Princess is so much more strident than anyone else on the issue. All three sailings with Disney, it has never once been an issue. And my son and I fly all the time -- never once has any airline questioned it.

 

That in itself is odd to me. If a disgruntled non-custodial parent wanted to take their child, I imagine it would be on an airplane -- NOT on a self-contained, non-escapable floating hotel, which then goes to other places (islands) where it would be difficult to quickly and cleanly make some sort of getaway. The custodial parents would know pretty quickly if their child was missing, and since the child couldn't have boarded the ship without a birth certificate, they could pretty quickly track them down. And in the meantime, what is the kidnapping parent going to do, jump overboard with the child?

 

I'm not saying that care does not need to be exercised, and my problem with my ex is just that -- my problem. It just seems pretty strange that Princess would be so worried about the issue and airlines aren't. It should be reversed, IMO.

 

-gina-

[jennew]

a friend of mine went to the Virgin Islands a few years ago and they had problems at the airport. Her daughter (13) needed permission from her father. The airport held them up so long that they almost missed their flight. They finally reached the father by phone and got verbal permission.

 

I guess I am gald that they take these types of precautions....but it sure can be a pain in the butt.

[rkdahl]

We've taken nieces and nephews with us on multiple trips and Princess cruises. I have always created a notarized 'approval' letter each time just in case. However, even though Princess and the airlines state these are (or were) required, I have yet to have anyone ask me to show the document for any reason.

 

I suspect that if something were to go wrong or one of them needed medical attention it might have been a different story. But so far I have never been challenged at check in by Princess or any airline even though the kids last names are different than ours.

[jennew]

Hey aunt/uncle rkdahl!!!

 

When is our next cruise?

 

LOL...that is really nice of your guys to do that. I would like to take my niece with us one day.

[redrn13]

Thanks for all the wonderful input. I still will have the parents do a general let me seek medical attention and travel with me on the cruise and have it notarized. I am still taking their Birth Certificate also. Only other possible question is that one of the child parents has pass away, will the mom have to show that to get the letter signed?

[peagreenid]

This too is a requirement by Disney Cruise Line- they just don't enforce it. But as an agent, they always remind me that it is required. Now if you choose not to have it and they don't ask for it.... Great.... BUT- if they do ask for it and you don't have it...They can deny boarding.

As far as Airlines go- I have a friend that works for Alaska Air. Their family of 4 was traveling with another family of 4 that didn't work for Alaska Airlines. They wanted to use their flight privelages to go to Mexico and he took his kids and hopped Frontier Airlines and she took the other family and stayed on Alaska Air so they would have enough "FREE" seats for all eight of them to get to Mexico. He was totally blown away when he got to Denver minus the wife to have Frontier tell him he couldn't travel to Mexico with his kids without a notarized letter from her. Now he says he always carries one in his backpack just in case.

I would error on the safe side.

smiles Patty

Thanks for your comments, I appreciate it. I also don't know why Princess is so much more strident than anyone else on the issue. All three sailings with Disney, it has never once been an issue. And my son and I fly all the time -- never once has any airline questioned it.

 

That in itself is odd to me. If a disgruntled non-custodial parent wanted to take their child, I imagine it would be on an airplane -- NOT on a self-contained, non-escapable floating hotel, which then goes to other places (islands) where it would be difficult to quickly and cleanly make some sort of getaway. The custodial parents would know pretty quickly if their child was missing, and since the child couldn't have boarded the ship without a birth certificate, they could pretty quickly track them down. And in the meantime, what is the kidnapping parent going to do, jump overboard with the child?

 

I'm not saying that care does not need to be exercised, and my problem with my ex is just that -- my problem. It just seems pretty strange that Princess would be so worried about the issue and airlines aren't. It should be reversed, IMO.

 

-gina-

[RealtorSandy]

We are travelling with "a rental" in 2 weeks and we signed the Princess papers and were told to have a notarized letter from BOTH parents. This is key in our case as the childs parents are divorced.

 

Rather be safe than sorry! Good luck and have a wonderful cruise!

[rickdeni]

We just took my husband's niece on the Disney Wonder. They have a form that has to be filled out by the child's parent. I had each parent fill out the form and have it notarized. They only wanted one and handed me the other back. I just felt it was better safe than sorry. I also had one parent sign a permission slip for medical purposes.

[JLC@SD]

Remember your bank normally has a free notary for customers.

 

My bank told me it was free and available only for official bank business. Too many lawyers out there for them to chance doing all the freebies they used to do.......so I suggest you call before showing up......:)