If One Spouse Is Taking The Kids On Cruise Does The Other Spouse Have To Write A Lett

[toonjie]

I am traveling with my 3 kids on the Mariner on 12/31 without my wife and we just got our docs and they state under the section Minors not accompanied by a legal guardian that a minor not accompanied by a legal guardian needs a notarized letter from one parent and ID, etc. That certainly makes it sound like if 1 parent is present then no letter would be necessary. What sense would it make if 1 parent coundn't take a kid out of the country, but they could simply notarize a letter and have someone else take them out of the country? Guess I'll call RCI in the morning and make sure! Throughout the whole process there has never been a mention of a letter necessary and my wife took the kids on Explorer to Bermuda this summer with no letter needed.

[Enchantment 04]

I am going on a new years cruise with my two older cousins. Do I need one of these notes? I'm 17 years old.

[toonjie]

Just got off the phone with RCI Crown & Anchor and let them know the discussion on this board. She immediately said that RCI does not require a letter from the other spouse if one parent or legal guardian is there. When I told her the discussion was on the RCI Cruise Critic board and people said they were asked for a letter, she double checked with her supervisors and the answer was the same: Royal Caribbean does not require a letter from a spouse if a parent or legal guardian is there. As long as you have the same last name as your kids, you don't need any documentation. She joked, "unless your kids are crying and screaming your not my parent, you'll be okay!"

 

Hope RCI has their info right!

[Merion_Mom]

Just got off the phone with RCI Crown & Anchor and let them know the discussion on this board. She immediately said that RCI does not require a letter from the other spouse if one parent or legal guardian is there. When I told her the discussion was on the RCI Cruise Critic board and people said they were asked for a letter, she double checked with her supervisors and the answer was the same: Royal Caribbean does not require a letter from a spouse if a parent or legal guardian is there. As long as you have the same last name as your kids, you don't need any documentation. She joked, "unless your kids are crying and screaming your not my parent, you'll be okay!"

 

Hope RCI has their info right!

toonjie, it's NOT RC you have to worry about! It's the authorities/immigration officials of a country that you may be visiting!

[Momeof3]

I just called also just to make sure. I was told the same if the kids have the same last name as the adult then there is no problems BUT if the child you have guardianship over has a different last name then you need to bring with you the papers stating that you are their legal guardian.

[toonjie]

toonjie, it's NOT RC you have to worry about! It's the authorities/immigration officials of a country that you may be visiting!

 

But in most cases RCI is the one who clears you through customs. The ship clears as a whole, you don't have to go through customs and immigration at each port. In St. Thomas, when the ship has been to a foreign port, everyone goes through immigration individually, but this is rare and the US doesn't require a letter. For example, I'm on the Mariner western itinerary and Mexico does require a letter if you were to cross the border say at San Diego, but not arriving on a cruise ship, the ship clears as a whole.

[scubapuss]

no letter needed. I don't have custody and have neverrrr been asked any questions. But if you want to be sure just have a letter noterized then no worries.

[KatWI]

I just called also just to make sure. I was told the same if the kids have the same last name as the adult then there is no problems BUT if the child you have guardianship over has a different last name then you need to bring with you the papers stating that you are their legal guardian.

 

I was very concerned because my son does not have the same last name as I do, so I just called too. I was told that I do not need a letter or any documentation for RCI or Customs while boarding the ship. I asked several questions and he made it very clear that I do not have to bring any documents with me...that it was not going to be a problem boarding the ship.

 

He did strongly advise me to contact the airlines though to be sure I wouldn't have any problems with them.

 

I'm still going to bring my court documents with me - showing that my ex has signed off on his rights and that he has no legal rights...(no custody, no visitation, no child support, etc) and that I have sole custody.

 

Has anybody ever heard of someone denied boarding the ship because they did not have documentation for their child? Definitely people have been asked for documentation but if they didn't have it...has anyone ever been denied boarding?

 

With all the amazing advice I have gotten on this site I am sure that if someone was denied boarding with their child...we would have heard about it!

[LittleBit]

So long as your children have passports and at least one parent in attendance, there is no legal requirement that a parent give permission except where there is a valid custody order that prevents that parent from taking the children out of the country, or otherwise regulates custody.

 

In that situation, where a parent has temporary custody (let's say, for vacation purposes) and the trial court's order specifically requires the permission of the custodial parent before the children may be taken out of the country, failure to comply with the court order could result in charges being filed for "interference with custody." It could also get the FBI and ICE involved in your vacation, which tends to make for a very lousy vacation.

 

Custody between married parents is shared, and either may act as the agent of the other with respect to the children.

 

 

That's all well and good, the idea that custody between married parents is shared, the only problem with that in reality, when I see a person and a child, I have no idea if the parent is a married with shared custody parent, or a divorced with custody parent, or a divorced without custody parent, or not even the parent at all. So I might ask you for a letter if I had some thought that you might not be legit.

 

And just because the child uses the word Mom or Dad in reference to that person doesn't prove anything - my Goddaughter constantly calls me Mom becasue I am a caretaker to her, several kids I used to take care of would often slip and call me Mmom because that's how they saw me...

 

Has anybody ever heard of someone denied boarding the ship because they did not have documentation for their child? Definitely people have been asked for documentation but if they didn't have it...has anyone ever been denied boarding?

Someone who worked with my folks was sent to jail because she took her son to Mexico for his 13th B-day. She had verbal authorization from the boy's (non custodial, non support paying) father, but the father's girlfriend wanted to cause trouble (it was a complicated family!) and said that the boy was taken without their permission. No written proof of the verbal authorization was available and she was tossed in jail for taking the child to Mexico without proper consent. That said, it was not on a cruise, so YMMV, but better safe then sorry, 'eh?

[DonnaK]

Just got off the phone with RCI Crown & Anchor and let them know the discussion on this board. She immediately said that RCI does not require a letter from the other spouse if one parent or legal guardian is there. When I told her the discussion was on the RCI Cruise Critic board and people said they were asked for a letter, she double checked with her supervisors and the answer was the same: Royal Caribbean does not require a letter from a spouse if a parent or legal guardian is there. As long as you have the same last name as your kids, you don't need any documentation. She joked, "unless your kids are crying and screaming your not my parent, you'll be okay!"

 

Hope RCI has their info right!

 

I took a Carnival Cruise from NY to the Bahamas with children and my mother (I am married - my husband stayed home) and I was required to present the notarized letter to immigration, not to the cruise line. So even if a cruise line does not require it, immigration might.

 

Whether it's a legal requirement or not, if they ask for it anyway and you do not have it, there will be a delay while you present your argument regarding why you don't believe you need one, and the ship might sail without you in the meantime, even if you are right.

[zuscruiserz]

dup??

[zuscruiserz]

I have taken my step son on 3 cruises in the last 2 years and have never been asked for a letter.

 

Doesn't mean it won't happen. I took my DD on a cruise in Feb for her 16th birthday and I WAS asked for that letter. Luckily I knew from CC that one was needed and I had a signed and notorized letter (and yes, DH and I are still happily married after 22 years!).

 

Also make sure you have a DL or federal ID card (public school ID or DMV issued ID is fine) for the 16 year old. Since DD didn't turn 16 until the day we boarded the cruise, she didn't have a DL, but did have her school ID card with her. This is a MUST HAVE!

[pmshirl]

Picture ID is only needed for children 16 years and OLDER!

[Happy ks]

I think that with the recent new passport rules for children under 15, you no longer need the letter. If you need to get a passport for a child both parents must be present at the passport agency to sign the application. If only one parent is present, then you must obtain a notarized permission form from the other parent (it's a pre printed government form.

 

When we travel it is just my DD (10) and I. Up until the passport changes we had to have what I call the "daddy" letter: a notarized letter from her dad with his permission for me to take her out of the country. The letter had to have the travel dates, and the address of the destination hotel (or cruise ship). Once the passport rules changed, no one asked for this letter. I am including airlines and RCI.

 

Just to be sure, call RCI and ask. On our last three cruises I had it for the first one, and no one cared. I did not have such a letter for the last two, and no one cared. You may want to call an airline, too, as they used to require them. Our last air trip to Mexico, in 2005, we did not need one. I had one just in case, but no one asked for it.

 

I don't think this response is quite right. I don't think it matters if your child has a passport or not, kidnapping would be kidnapping. Authorities who are checking (doing their job) won't care if the minor has a passport.

 

I'm not one to trust RCI for answers, especially not on the phone, they are pretty well known for misinformation and different answers each time you call. If I had a question regarding the legality of taking a minor child out of the country with only one parent, I think I would check with the government instead.

 

I've only had the occasion to take my kids out of the country once (flight) alone and I got the letter and had it notorized. I wasn't asked for it, but if I was, I would have missed the flight.

 

Bottom line, just like insurance, you only need it when you need it, but if you don't have it and you need it, you're in trouble and out of luck.

[zuscruiserz]

Picture ID is only needed for children 16 years and OLDER!

 

 

 

Also make sure you have a DL or federal ID card (public school ID or DMV issued ID is fine) for the 16 year old. Since DD didn't turn 16 until the day we boarded the cruise, she didn't have a DL, but did have her school ID card with her. This is a MUST HAVE!

 

That was the problem - she WAS 16 when we boarded :rolleyes: .

[picnicpat]

My husaband & I are taking our daughter (15) and her friend (15) in Jan on the Sovereign. We will all have passports. The freind comes from a divorce situation but the mother has full custody. My TA told me to have the mom write a note and have it notorized so my husband and I will have parental contol for her while on vacation. I am hoping this will be ok...

Good luck with your venture! We are all so excited this is the first time for all of us!

[toonjie]

Here's the copy from my cruise docs and also the same info from the website: (Again, we are only talking about RCI cruises, not Carnival, etc. I think some confusion comes in from what others have experienced on other cruise lines.)

 

Family Legal Documents:

Adults who are not the parent or Legal Guardian of any minor child traveling with them are required to present the child's valid passport and visa (if required) or the child's birth certificate (original, a notarized copy or a certified copy) and an original notarized letter signed by at least one of the child's parents. The notarized letter from the child's parent must authorize the traveling adult to take the child on the specific cruise and must authorize the traveling adult to supervise the child and permit any medical treatment that must be administered to the child. If a non-parent adult is a Legal Guardian, the adult must present a certified certificate of Guardianship with respect to the child.

 

So, if anyone could take a minor with a notorized letter from 1 parent, what sense would it make that 1 parent couldn't take the minor in person?

 

Further, if you did have any problems boarding, just write a letter, no need to notarize it since you are signing it in person and give the person behind you in line permission to take your minor! :p

[lilbratt17]

I just booked our cruise last weekend and was told by my TA that I would need a letter from my DH stating that it was OK for me to take our daughter out of the country. And yes it does have to be notorized.