Cruise documentation required for minors

[fantavet]

We will be having mixed familes going and I want to be sure I have the right paperwork in place. Hoping someone has been through this before. I'm taking my daughter and her 2 girls ( ages 5 and 10). The situation:

 

The daughter (Mom), and the 2 girls EACH have a different last name.

Mom's name is listed on both girls birth certificates.

The father of the 10 year old is deceased.

The father of the 5 year old is still alive.

 

Will airline and/or cruise allow Mom to take both girls as long as we provide birth certificates only?

 

I remember watching a documentary a long time ago where a Mom was getting questioned about boarding a cruise with her child because she did not have a permission form from the father. My TA seems to think as long as Mom is listed on both birth certificates there should not be a problem. 

 

Scott

 

 

 

[CruiserBruce]

Airlines do little or no checking of these things, particularly for domestic flights,  so we need more exact details as to where you are sailing out of. International flights are a whole different ballgame.

 

Are you booked? Have you asked the cruise line?

[GTO-Girl]

16 minutes ago, fantavet said:

We will be having mixed familes going and I want to be sure I have the right paperwork in place. Hoping someone has been through this before. I'm taking my daughter and her 2 girls ( ages 5 and 10). The situation:

 

The daughter (Mom), and the 2 girls EACH have a different last name.

Mom's name is listed on both girls birth certificates.

The father of the 10 year old is deceased.

The father of the 5 year old is still alive.

 

Will airline and/or cruise allow Mom to take both girls as long as we provide birth certificates only?

 

I remember watching a documentary a long time ago where a Mom was getting questioned about boarding a cruise with her child because she did not have a permission form from the father. My TA seems to think as long as Mom is listed on both birth certificates there should not be a problem. 

 

Scott

 

 

 

We took our granddaughters and their Mom on a Disney cruise and all of them have the same last name.  We still had to produce a notarized letter from the girls Dad that he knew we were taking them out of the country on a cruise.

 

So while some will say they will never ask (and they may not), but had we not had that letter I am not sure we would have been able to board.

 

Take everything you might need including death certificate for the Dad and if at all possible get that letter from the other Dad!!!  Because you never know when you will get someone checking you in who follows all the rules to an extreme….

 

 

[GeezerCouple]

30 minutes ago, fantavet said:

We will be having mixed familes going and I want to be sure I have the right paperwork in place. Hoping someone has been through this before. I'm taking my daughter and her 2 girls ( ages 5 and 10). The situation:

 

The daughter (Mom), and the 2 girls EACH have a different last name.

Mom's name is listed on both girls birth certificates.

The father of the 10 year old is deceased.

The father of the 5 year old is still alive.

 

Will airline and/or cruise allow Mom to take both girls as long as we provide birth certificates only?

 

I remember watching a documentary a long time ago where a Mom was getting questioned about boarding a cruise with her child because she did not have a permission form from the father. My TA seems to think as long as Mom is listed on both birth certificates there should not be a problem. 

 

Scott

The requirements may make more sense if you understand the reasoning behind some of these regulations.

 

For minors traveling without *both* parents, one of the concerns is child abduction by a non-custodial parent.  So if names don't match up, even if two parents are there, or if only one parent is there, then a notarized form where the absent parent gives permission for the traveling parent may be required.  Or from both parents, if others (e.g., grands, parents of friends, etc.) are the adults.

The US State Department website has more about this, and I think some forms that could be used (unless a cruise line has their own, more extensive, form, perhaps).

 

GC

[fantavet]

Thanks all. I was aware of the whole taking a child out of the country issue and probably need a form from the other parent. Or in one case a death certificate which I may have to scramble for. I understand the cruise can't take your word for it.

 

The cruise line does have a form that requires a notary so I will make sure I have that and will do what I can to get a death certificate. This is why I booked a year out.

[Philob]

If there are future plans for international (air) travel, you might want to consider going through the hassle and get the kids passports. 

 

Also while your at the bureau of records get additional certified copies of birth/death certificates & marriage licenses. We have copies, one each in a bank box, home file cabinet, and with a relative that is in town.

[navybankerteacher]

2 minutes ago, Philob said:

If there are future plans for international (air) travel, you might want to consider going through the hassle and get the kids passports. 

 

Also while your at the bureau of records get additional certified copies of birth/death certificates & marriage licenses. We have copies, one each in a bank box, home file cabinet, and with a relative that is in town.

Good idea - get them BEFORE you need them, and make sure they will be available WHEN you need them?

[sparks1093]

7 hours ago, Philob said:

If there are future plans for international (air) travel, you might want to consider going through the hassle and get the kids passports. 

 

Also while your at the bureau of records get additional certified copies of birth/death certificates & marriage licenses. We have copies, one each in a bank box, home file cabinet, and with a relative that is in town.

Except passports won't help with the last name issue. Additional documentation might still be necessary (and excellent idea having extras available) and that documentation would need to be in hand.

 

OP, if the mom can get a letter from the father who is alive that will help if questions arise (or if she has paperwork from a court giving her sole custody). As for the deceased dad having a death certificate in hand would help. Chances are good that none of this documentation will be needed, but if it is needed having it will be a blessing. 

 

With that said, a check in agent (airline or cruise) very well might ask each of the girls who they are traveling with. They will not want any input from mom at that point...no coaching, etc. They want to hear it from the child. So it is best if they are told of this before hand, especially if either of the girls are shy. When we traveled with our surrogate granddaughter we had a letter from the mom allowing us to take her out of the country and a copy of the court paperwork giving her full custody. SGD handled the questioning like a champ, which was a good thing because I forgot to mention this to her before we left.