consent letter info

[son]

just got back from carnival inspiration to cozumel with myself and my two sons and they did ask for the consent letter before we boarded in Tampa. I am like others in that I had no idea where dad was. I wrote an affidavit swearing that I had not seen him and had no way to find him and had it notarized. It worked just fine. We had no trouble with our documents. I have joint custody so I was very concerned about this letter. Hope this helps ease some concern for others in the same boat.....or ship. lol :)

[crusinmama06]

That's good advice. I took one when we went in November (went without my hubby) and I handed it them with the birth certificates but I dont know if they looked at it or not.

 

But it's always good to be prepared. And I hear Mexico is the worst for this. They require one.

[nicki1pt]

Is there a specific form to use or do you just make the letter yourself and get it notarized? I'm concerned also. I'll be travelling with my daughter and only have Birth Certs.

[son]

Heres a link for the consent letter. For an affidavit, I just made one up stating that I had not seen his father in four years and that I was supporting my son emotionally and financially since the divorce. I swore an oath in front of a notary and signed it and had the notary sign and stamp it. When carnival asked for the letter I told them I did not have one but, I had a sworn affidavit instead and they accepted with no problems.

http://www.singleparenttravel.net/Writing/Documentation/NotarizedLetter.htm

 

This was my biggest worry in planning our vacation. Just be sure to have as much documentation as you can. Confuse em with paper work. thats how the lawyers do it. lol

[mousetravel]

Do they actually read over every detail or do they just glance to see the signatures, notary, etc.?

[son]

She may have read it, I'm not sure...But, everything went smooth and I she didn't really have time to be technical about where I put comma's or anything like that. The form just has to state the childs name, dates you will be away from the US, Ports your visiting, and your time of arrival, Dad has to sign in front of a notary. Thats it. For an affidavit I just typed three paragraphs into a word doc. the first was attesting that I hadnt seen dad since March 03, the second attested to the fact that I did not know where to find him, and the third attested to the fact that dad had no permant address. I signed and had it notarized. She never asked for an explantion and I told her it wasnt the letter when I handed it to her.

[Dgonza]

I am a single father, and I dont know where the mother is. I have full custody of my two girls. I was a little concerned about what documents I needed to take. We all have passports, and I have all my court papers stating the mothers whereabouts are unknown and that I have full custody. So I called Princess yesterday and she said I didnt need to take any documents. Is that because we all have passports? I am still thinking of maybe taking my court documents just to be safe. That would be awful to be denied boarding. I know when I applied for my kids passports I had to have extensive paperwork. In fact I even got their applications kicked back because they needed the original court papers with the embossed seal, which I didnt have. All I had was the one with a stamp that says certified copy. I had to go get the embossing from the court. Maybe since the dept of state goes through extremes, that alleviates the cruiseline from requiring all the documents??

[son]

Mexico is the only destination that requires the letter however if you show that you have sole custody-through the divorce-then you do not need the consent letter. Having the passports is not enough. If you have joint custody then you must have the consent letter in addition to the passports. If your traveling as a single parent I would bring as much documentation as you can. I had a three ring binder full of stuff just to make sure our vacation was not ruined. Have fun

[Dgonza]

Ok thanks!! I Have full custody so no worries there. I have the court papers packed up already. I will also be traveling with my mom and my sister and her friend. So its not like I am taking my kids all alone. I think the documentation I have is good enough. I am hispanic too, so if all else fails, I will just talk to them in spanish...lol

[nicki1pt]

Just an FYI,

It may differ b/t cruise lines, but I called RCCL to verify and they said I don't need the letter since I'm the mother. If I were a grandparent, aunt, friend, etc then the letter would apply. Of course I'm still going to bring it just in case :0.

[Kerry's Girls]

Just FYI, I've done the Mexico route alone with my toddler twins three times (2x on Princess and once on Carnival) and have never been asked about the father. I do always have the certified death certificate with me just in case, because my understanding is it would be necessary if we suddenly had to fly out of Mexico.

 

Best,

Mia

[son]

I also called carnival and my ta asking if I needed the consent letter. Both told me I did not. I wasn't taking any chances with my children. I called the State dept and the Mexican Embassy, both told me I did need it. Sure enough Carnival requested the documentation before we even left port. Just make sure you bring what you can. No need ruining a vacation by not having what they may or may not require.