Marriage Certificate along with ID

[DancerMama25]

Hello all!  I’m my last few days of prep before our Navigator Cruise next week.  Question: we are traveling using original birth certificates and driver’s License.  It’s my understanding, although the information isn’t stated anywhere, that I also need to have our marriage license as my married name does not match my maiden name on my birth certificate.  My question is this: do I have to have my ORIGINAL marriage license, or is a photocopy ok?  What has been your experience with this?  Thanks!  🌴🛳🍹 7 DAYS!!!

 

[booplesnoople]

Yes, you will need your marriage license. I'm sailing on Mariner in October and I contacted RCCL directly about it because my husband and I were trying to decide if we wanted to get passports, and I was told explicitly by them that if my married name is on my license and my maiden name is on the birth certificate then I'll also need to bring the marriage license.

Here's the email response I got from them to verify. Hope this helps!

[sparks1093]

I would expect that a photocopy would be acceptable since under the DHS regulations a copy of a birth certificate is acceptable. (I presented a copy of my birth certificate to board a cruise and I have read of many cruises being saved by the timely faxing of a birth certificate, even on Royal Caribbean.)

 

 

[madiaka]

I had a certified copy. I traveled with that until my passport was updated. 

[DancerMama25]

Thank you all.  This is exactly what I needed to know!   Will go grab my original to add to my birth certificate and boarding docs. 

[MrsKC08]

You will need a copy of the marriage certificate. I myself had to show a divorce decree as well because my new marriage license had my old married name, so I had to show birth certificate, divorce decree and new marriage license. This has been some years ago...and I don't need it any longer, but I always tell people to take it. Rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

 

 

[booplesnoople]

19 minutes ago, MrsKC08 said:

I myself had to show a divorce decree as well because my new marriage license had my old married name, so I had to show birth certificate, divorce decree and new marriage license. 

 

 

My mom had to do the same thing when she went on one with my stepdad. It's hard enough with one name change!

[fredflint]

best reason to get a passport !

[SRF]

2 hours ago, fredflint said:

best reason to get a passport !

 

THIS ^^^^^^^^^^^^^'

 

😄

 

[shippmates]

It would be so much easier with a passport.

 

[matj2000]

You don't need all that paperwork.

 

My mother has been on 3 cruises and only has a DL &  BC. 

 

She has been married 3X and has no paperwork from any of it.

 

Had no issues boarding the ship...

[Mythbuster]

8 minutes ago, matj2000 said:

You don't need all that paperwork.

 

My mother has been on 3 cruises and only has a DL &  BC. 

 

She has been married 3X and has no paperwork from any of it.

 

Had no issues boarding the ship...

 I would be careful advising someone to not follow the rules just because they have been loosely enforced in the past.  All it takes is a new agent or sudden note from Customs to start strictly enforcing the guidelines to ruin someone's vacation. 

 

Having said that I don't understand why someone who travels or cruises more than once would not get a passport.  They are easy to get and not that expensive.  Just go to your local post office for the forms and interview and drug store for your photo.

[SRF]

13 hours ago, matj2000 said:

You don't need all that paperwork.

 

My mother has been on 3 cruises and only has a DL &  BC. 

 

She has been married 3X and has no paperwork from any of it.

 

Had no issues boarding the ship...

 

That is fine, until someone enforces the rules, and she is standing on the dock watching the ship sail away.

 

 

[ONECRUISER]

13 hours ago, Mythbuster said:

 I would be careful advising someone to not follow the rules just because they have been loosely enforced in the past.  All it takes is a new agent or sudden note from Customs to start strictly enforcing the guidelines to ruin someone's vacation. 

 

Having said that I don't understand why someone who travels or cruises more than once would not get a passport.  They are easy to get and not that expensive.  Just go to your local post office for the forms and interview and drug store for your photo.

Agree, have seen someone not able to cruise and turned away without chain of name documentation 

Edited June 19, 2019 by ONECRUISER

[leisuretraveler223]

If only the federal government would issue some sort of documentation that could be used for identity, particularly relating to travel.

 

You know, like maybe some sort of ....... "passport"!

[ShillyShally]

14 hours ago, Mythbuster said:

 I would be careful advising someone to not follow the rules just because they have been loosely enforced in the past.  All it takes is a new agent or sudden note from Customs to start strictly enforcing the guidelines to ruin someone's vacation. 

 

Having said that I don't understand why someone who travels or cruises more than once would not get a passport.  They are easy to get and not that expensive.  Just go to your local post office for the forms and interview and drug store for your photo.

Agreed! Heck I had a hard enough time with TSA/Customs when I had a passport that had been updated but only referenced the new name in a one printed line on the back page so every time I was questioned why the names didn't match and when I told them to check the last page they thought somehow I was duping them.  I was so happy when I just renewed my passport to the correct name!

[SRF]

3 hours ago, ShillyShally said:

Agreed! Heck I had a hard enough time with TSA/Customs when I had a passport that had been updated but only referenced the new name in a one printed line on the back page so every time I was questioned why the names didn't match and when I told them to check the last page they thought somehow I was duping them.  I was so happy when I just renewed my passport to the correct name!

 

The good news is, they no longer do that.  Only want to change a name is a replacement passport.

[jessed]

Before we got passports, we had  been on 15+ cruises and have never been ask for marriage license along with driver's license and BC.

[jessed]

RCI says "US citizens may sail using their: Official Birth Certificate and a supporting Government issued Photo ID, like a driver's license or an identity card. Or a passport."  You have nothing to lose by bringing your ML.

[SRF]

11 hours ago, jessed said:

RCI says "US citizens may sail using their: Official Birth Certificate and a supporting Government issued Photo ID, like a driver's license or an identity card. Or a passport."  You have nothing to lose by bringing your ML.

 

And potentially a lot to lose by not having it.

 

Just like permission letters for minors who are not your children.

 

You may be OK, or you may be calling and trying to get documents faxed to be able to board.

Edited June 20, 2019 by SRF

[sparks1093]

14 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

And potentially a lot to lose by not having it.

 

Just like permission letters for minors who are not your children.

 

You may be OK, or you may be calling and trying to get documents faxed to be able to board.

I'm definitely in the "better safe than sorry" camp on this one, but there is nothing on the CBP website that states this as a requirement (as I understand it there is a FAQ somewhere where they say that they can ask for additional documentation if they feel it's warranted). When someone changes their name on their drivers license they have to submit a document justifying the name change to DMV and this information is captured in the DMV's database, which in turn is verified by CBP during the cruise. Again, better safe than sorry. (And yes, one could get a passport to avoid carrying the extra paper if one wishes but it's worth noting that you don't have to submit a name change document for a first time passport application, it only needs to be submitted to change a name on an existing passport.)

[SRF]

The issue is, if the people at the port say you need it, do you want to be standing there arguing as the ship sails away? 🙂

 

I just checked the passport requirements, and it is interesting, you don't need to prove your name change, but you need all sorts of supporting documents to change your sex marker.

 

But you are right, you do need a photo ID, so you had to submit the MC for that name change.  But I wonder if they actually check for any previous name with the citizenship document?

 

And what would happen, if you got your DL after marriage?

Edited June 20, 2019 by SRF

[sparks1093]

52 minutes ago, SRF said:

The issue is, if the people at the port say you need it, do you want to be standing there arguing as the ship sails away? 🙂

 

I just checked the passport requirements, and it is interesting, you don't need to prove your name change, but you need all sorts of supporting documents to change your sex marker.

 

But you are right, you do need a photo ID, so you had to submit the MC for that name change.  But I wonder if they actually check for any previous name with the citizenship document?

 

And what would happen, if you got your DL after marriage?

That's why I say it's better to be safe than sorry. I would expect that in the case of getting the DL after marriage that the name change document would still be required to show the change, but that might be a case when CBP would need to ask for the name change document as additional paperwork but that wouldn't happen until after the cruise. For grins I went to the Vermont DMV site and this is what it says for a new license:

 

• If name on license is/will be other than the name that appears on a primary source document (for example, through marriage, adoption, court order, or other mechanism permitted by State law or regulation), evidence of the name change through the presentation of documents issued by a court, governmental body or other entity as determined by the Commissioner is required. DMV will maintain copies of the documentation presented, and maintain a record of both the recorded name and the name on the primary source documents.

Edited June 20, 2019 by sparks1093

[fdthird]

Everything works, till it doesn’t!

 

i like sleeping at night, and not having the right docs is just one more thing to keep me up before we get on the ship, but hey, that’s just me.

 

Just saying.....

[SRF]

OK, I just had a chance to talk to a US Consular Officer.

 

According to a person who actually issues passports, you need a bridging document if your current name (on your photo ID and to be in your passport) and your citizenship document do not match.

 

I asked why this was not stated on the Consular Affairs website and her answer was that she does not control that.  

 

If you want to argue with a person who daily issues passports, go for it.