Traveling with birth certificate

[riviera]

We will be in Allure in a few weeks. Our friends have decided to go ( first cruise). 
my husband and I have always had passports but our friends will be using birth certificate and drivers license. According to RCCL website , “ your drivers license AND birth certificate must match the name on the cruise documents”. Obviously HER birth certificate has her maiden name ( and she has been married before so even if she brought their marriage license it won’t show her MAIDEN name.. I’m confident someone on cruise critic has experienced this and will give advice. As we all know, calling Royal 3 times, you will get 3 different answers ( their opinion). 🙄

thanks in advance. 

 

 

[doppelganger2621]

5 minutes ago, riviera said:

We will be in Allure in a few weeks. Our friends have decided to go ( first cruise). 
my husband and I have always had passports but our friends will be using birth certificate and drivers license. According to RCCL website , “ your drivers license AND birth certificate must match the name on the cruise documents”. Obviously HER birth certificate has her maiden name ( and she has been married before so even if she brought their marriage license it won’t show her MAIDEN name.. I’m confident someone on cruise critic has experienced this and will give advice. As we all know, calling Royal 3 times, you will get 3 different answers ( their opinion). 🙄

thanks in advance. 

When we did this on our first cruise about 10 years ago, my wife also brought our marriage license showing the name change and that worked for her. I imagine if the marriage license doesn't show the maiden name, she needs to bring her previous one/divorce decree, something like that.

Edited November 16, 2021 by doppelganger2621

[Biker19]

16 minutes ago, riviera said:

I’m confident someone on cruise critic has experienced this and will give advice.

You may need a bridging document which shows the name change(s) between birth certificate name and the name on the booking.

[binro01]

We have traveled many times with just our birth certificate and drivers license. I have yet to see anyone ask for a bridging document, but we do carry them. They see the matching first, middle and birthdate and that’s usually more than enough. 

[RhondaC]

I have cruised many times with my BC and license.  I've never been questioned about my maiden name being different.

[Montanagirlalways]

they don't take hospital birth certificates.  Need the official one

[nessachelle]

She should bring any bridging documents. I have always brought marriage certificates and divorce decrees showing all changes in name from maiden up to current. I have never been asked for them but I have them just in case. I am on marriage number 3 so it is a lot of paperwork to haul around. Finally got lazy and just applied for my passport..

[klfrodo]

WILL there be an issue without bridging documents? Most likely not. Have I read on CruiseCritic of someone who did not board because they didn't have bridging documents? Yes

 

WILL you be able to board the ship if you have bridging documents and nobody asks for them? Yes

 

These people work very hard for little pay. Is it possible to run into someone who's life is going to he11 and they are upset, have been screamed at by a Karen recently, and just looking to have a power trip and ruin your day? It's possible.

Take the bridging documents.

Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance.

[chengkp75]

Most likely there will be no problem without a complete set of bridging documents upon boarding.  Where bridging documents become important is on disembarking, as CBP recommends that you provide bridging documents, in order to avoid unnecessary delays in processing your return to the US.  Do they always ask for them at disembarkation?  No.  Can they ask for them?  Yes.

[Ferry_Watcher]

As someone who checks in passengers, I can tell you that as the agent looking at the birth certificate I am first making sure that it is a US gov't issued bc (not a hospital/foot print type bc).  I am comparing the name and birth date on the birth certificate with the gov't issued photo ID.  If it is a married woman who took her spouse's name, I am looking to see if the first and middle name on her birth certificate matches the first name and middle name, as well as the date of birth  with her current gov't photo ID.

 

Birth Certificate:  Sophie Elizabeth Jones  DOB 06/12/1970

Driver's License w/current married name: Sophie Elizabeth Miller DOB 06/12/1970

That would/should satisfy the check-in agent.

 

Also, the check-in agent doesn't have the authority to be the final authority on denying the passenger.  The check-in agent would FLAG the passenger in question and then a supervisor would become involved.  And if there is further questions or concerns about travel documents, the supervisor's boss and the ship's documentation officer gets involved.

The shoreside staff really wants to get you on the ship - if it is legally possible, they will make it work.

[riviera]

thanks everyone for your input.  She also has the REAL ID drivers license so that is great!  

But she will take all documents to be sure.  "better to have and not need, than need and not have"

Thanks again!!

[chengkp75]

34 minutes ago, riviera said:

thanks everyone for your input.  She also has the REAL ID drivers license so that is great!  

But she will take all documents to be sure.  "better to have and not need, than need and not have"

Thanks again!!

Just know that "Real ID" makes no difference for a cruise.  It will help her fly to the port, but the only photo ID that changes the requirement for a DL and birth certificate is an Enhanced Driver's License, which Ohio does not issue.  Real ID has a star on the license, but EDL has a US flag on it.

[Cru1s1ng2009]

yeah, just bring the marriage certificate. I always bring mine but no one has ever asked. I am just paranoid that they wont let me on one day. 

 

[CatLuvsH20]

Ugh so my passport expired during COVID and am leaving in 19 days... I am trying to get into the passport place but they only take apts 14 days before leaving.  Fingers crossed I will get it.  That being said, I have a certified copy of my birth certificate (has raised seal).  It could have come from when I was born bc it looks like it is disintegrating LOL.  Will they take that?  I do have bridge cert on my marriage ( yes I like things more complicated so my marriage cert is in spanish).  Hopefully I will get my passport but if not my backup is the birth cert and marriage cert.

 

[Ferry_Watcher]

@CatLuvsH20Check-in agents have seen birth certificates in all kinds of conditions - I wouldn't worry about it.  You did mention that your marriage license is in Spanish - I am guessing that you were married overseas, but born in the US.  Just checking...

 

One time I had a passenger who stated she was a naturalized citizen, but presented her foreign birth certificate as her travel document.  She did not have her US passport or her naturalization certificate with her.  Needless to say that she did not get the ship.  Quite sad as she was the matriarch of a large family traveling together for vacation.

[CatLuvsH20]

Thanks so much!  My birth certificate is a copy with a raised seal.  Do you think that will work?  Yes I was born in the USA.  I even can bring my expired passport.  This is just a back up.  I feel confident I will be able to get my new one.

[flamingos]

I know someone who was turned away at the gate because she had ONLY her Real ID driver's license.  It was not acceptable and she didn't sail.

[SRF]

Some people are not reading.

 

The OP's marriage certificate does NOT bridge from Birth Certificate to DL.  There was a PREVIOUS marriage and name change.

 

She should bring BOTH to be sure.

 

Having a passport is so much easier.

[AustinCruise]

9 hours ago, flamingos said:

I know someone who was turned away at the gate because she had ONLY her Real ID driver's license.  It was not acceptable and she didn't sail.

I know someone who did the same. No vacation and believe they lost their $$.

[poocher]

Just to make it even more obvious re: my name change, when I took my husbands name, I started using my maiden name as my middle name.  So all my current id’s including DL and passport have my legal name as Jane Smith Jones with Smith matching the surname on my birth certificate.

[perfect match]

1 hour ago, poocher said:

Just to make it even more obvious re: my name change, when I took my husbands name, I started using my maiden name as my middle name.  So all my current id’s including DL and passport have my legal name as Jane Smith Jones with Smith matching the surname on my birth certificate.

That’s what I did, too. Passport, license, all my ID’s are first name, maiden name, DH’s last name. It has worked out well for me. 

[flamingos]

11 hours ago, poocher said:

Just to make it even more obvious re: my name change, when I took my husbands name, I started using my maiden name as my middle name.  So all my current id’s including DL and passport have my legal name as Jane Smith Jones with Smith matching the surname on my birth certificate.

I did the same, especially since my generic middle name was not in honor of anyone or had any special significance.  

[poocher]

Seems to me that, back then, it was common practice to use your maiden name as your middle name after marriage.  Wasn’t a conscious decision on my part, just what you did. 🤷‍♀️

[SRF]

In Maryland, upon marriage a woman can drop her original middle name for her maiden last name.  Or keep both.  Or hyphenate the last name.  All this without any legal action, other than marriage.

 

Anything else needs a court order.

 

I would THINK that someone dropping their middle name for their maiden name or keeping both would be OK without that bridging document.  BUT, if it were me, I would HAVE the document with me.  Just in case.

 

Again, best is to get a passport.

[RhondaC]

I just checked my marriage certificate (2nd marriage).  It shows both my first maiden name, and my second married name, and then my current new married name.  All listed on the marriage certificate, so if you bring that, and the new name matches your driver license, you will be fine.