Odd NCL Email today

[Shoppie124]

Is it normal to get an email from NCL notifying you that you will be traveling with a minor under the age of 18?

[Heronymous]

It’s only weird if you don’t have any kids. Lol

[tallnthensome]

I got mine yesterday as well .... It was a bit odd but I am traveling with my two kids on the Sun next month. It was actually a good email reminding those who are traveling with children they are not the parents of to have the correct documents to avoid an traveling issues. 

[Jjllaapp2019]

I received mine as well and this is my second cruise with norwegian they sent the same one last time too.. It's just a formality with single parents and kids

[newmexicoNita]

and it is a great idea. Some people need reminding or may not even know the requirements. Better to be safe than sorry. . 

[tomk3212]

Amen to Nita!!  We witnessed a really heartbreaking incident in the NYC cruise terminal years ago where a family couldn't board because they had minor children without the proper paperwork.  Very sad to see.  We overheard the conversation whereby they were trying to fax the required docs.  Never heard anything else but I don't think they got aboard.  Sad.

[Shoppie124]

You make some good points.  I guess I’m in the minority, my daughter travels with her passport.   

[mugtech]

16 minutes ago, Shoppie124 said:

You make some good points.  I guess I’m in the minority, my daughter travels with her passport.   

I believe the paperwork to which they referred is what is required if children are not with their parents.  Takes more than a passport.

[bearette]

Yes, if only one parent or neither are  parents/ guardians and are traveling with a minor you need a notarized letter stating they are allowed to travel.  It is to prevent child abductions ( during custody disputes) and sex trafficking.

[Jjllaapp2019]

51 minutes ago, Shoppie124 said:

You make some good points.  I guess I’m in the minority, my daughter travels with her passport.   

My daughter travels with her passport too! Looking forward to getting everyone together! 

[Hotspring]

On 7/31/2019 at 3:47 PM, Shoppie124 said:

Is it normal to get an email from NCL notifying you that you will be traveling with a minor under the age of 18?

As suggested, the key point of that email is to ensure parental approval is obtained and the documentation is available.

While the passport requirement is a given, for the reasons listed plus medical authorization should an emergency arise,

the cruise lines require this document to be filled out appropriately.   Even if the kids have the same last name as you, like they are cousins, it is too risky to not have the parental approval document on hand when boarding.   Something may slip out and everyone in the cabin may be removed from the ship.

 

NCL is well aware that with the declining birthrates, there are a lot of single child families that travel with friend or family kids to give their kid a traveling companion.     With the 3rd and 4th passenger cruise free promotions there are lot of folks that do not mind incurring the extra port and DSC to bring friends for their kid.

 

Also the same requirement is made when traveling to and from Canada with kids that are not yours, regardless as to whether they have their passport.

[negn]

You do not need a notarized letter.  You do NEED the parent/guardian release form signed along with photocopies of the patents drivers license.  The form can be found on the web page and printed from there 

[Shoppie124]

17 hours ago, Hotspring said:

 

 

Also the same requirement is made when traveling to and from Canada with kids that are not yours, regardless as to whether they have their passport.

I cross the border all the time with my daughter's friends with only their passport.

[Hotspring]

6 hours ago, Shoppie124 said:

I cross the border all the time with my daughter's friends with only their passport.

Slightly off topic, but, really odd that the border guards on both sides are so different on the other side of the country.

 

My spouse and her sister with their daughters where held up going through the Peace Arch crossing because they did not have paperwork from me or my SIL ex-husband that it was ok to take the kids to BC.   They had to call us and get faxed permissions before they could proceed (slowing them down a couple hours in the boring border station).    They used the same faxes to return to the USA later in that night.  While I have not been asked for the approval paperwork when I have taken our now 13 YO daughter to Vancouver, I did have to present it to come back into the USA.  This despite my daughter has a current passport and did not joke about not being my daughter.   So it is better to be prepared with all the approvals to travel across borders and provide medical attention to kids that are not yours or you share responsibility.   (If the NY/Canadian border is as porous as you are suggesting with only needing a passport to cross, it is no wonder the current administration thinks we have are a border problem.)

 

Thank goodness NCL is watching out for us for those that have not experienced some of the medical authorization and border crossing hassles sometimes thrown at us unexpectedly.