Need Help!! - Crusing Sat 24 Nov

[T0AST]

Hey everyone, I'm just looking for input, or any suggestions about what I should do about this problem

 

Yesterday, before my brother flew down from Ohio to where I live in Florida, he could not find his birth certificate. He did the usual 'look everywhere and anywhere' and could not find it.

 

We are cruising saturday out of Mobile AL, which is only like 2 1/2 hours from my house, so we'll just drive over Saturday morn.

 

Now he could have gone and got a copy of the certificate where he was born (Nashville, TN) but they're closed on friday! Instead of flying he was just going to drive all the way down here, stopping in Nashville Friday to get a copy, but their CLOSED for the 4 day Holiday! Gahhhh!

 

He has no passport, so the birth certificate was his 'proof' of citizenship.

 

The bottom line is, is he screwed?

 

Should I call Carnival?

 

What if he doesn't get off at any of the ports but stays onboard, will they let him on?

 

Any help or suggestions are appreciated, if not, I accept pity too, because of my brothers procrastination in finding or looking for his birth certificate, its splitting a family vacation in half.

 

:(

 

Thanks all.

[SouthernCaribbean]

He should keep looking..if he doesnt find it, he wont be cruising with you.

[sea_u_onboard]

Between a rock and a hard place.

 

Wow - he REALLY needed to be looking before now - but I know I don't need to tell you that.

 

You can try http://www.vitalchek.com/agency_locator.aspx?eventtype=birth# and asked for Overnight. Not sure how that will work with the holiday. I would have the certificate sent to Florida. Strike that - it states Tennessee only sends to applicants address.

 

They have online assistance so it might be worth a shot.

[ManyMore]

Yup, he's screwed.

[skylock]

Yup, he's screwed.

 

Not necessarily.

 

Last cruise my sisters mother in law was on on the Conquest, the lady going with her realized she had forgotten her purse with all her papers in it. There was not time to go back and get it. She figured she was screwed, but they had my sister's mother in law sign some papers verifying the friends identity and they left on the cruise together.

 

I just tried to call her and find out the full details but she is not home. I will try later.

 

This was just last year at Thanksgiving. The mother in law was telling us at Christmas and I do not remember all the details. But I do know the friend had no ID at all and I do know she was still able to go. I am just a little fuzzy on the details.

 

You can call Carnival, but they will probably tell you too bad, but I know for a fact exceptions have been made.

[PINEVIEW01]

I've also seen at the port once a lady leaving in tears as she was denied boarding and her very mad husband with her. It has also been reported hear. So, if he can come up with something he can do to get on great! If not be prepaired.

[T0AST]

skylock,

 

I hope this may work. We have a lot of people to vouch for him, but I don't know it will be good enough.

 

Dad (we're brothers) will be with us, with his Birth Certificate, and I'll have mine too. My brother and I were both born in the same place in TN, and having both of our parents as US born citizens automatically makes him a US citizen (duh), I'm just hoping they understand, or have a process to deal with this.

 

The obvious bottom line is we think its over, but we've all got our fingers crossed for a chance of good luck.

 

Not necessarily.

 

Last cruise my sisters mother in law was on on the Conquest, the lady going with her realized she had forgotten her purse with all her papers in it. There was not time to go back and get it. She figured she was screwed, but they had my sister's mother in law sign some papers verifying the friends identity and they left on the cruise together.

 

I just tried to call her and find out the full details but she is not home. I will try later.

 

This was just last year at Thanksgiving. The mother in law was telling us at Christmas and I do not remember all the details. But I do know the friend had no ID at all and I do know she was still able to go. I am just a little fuzzy on the details.

 

You can call Carnival, but they will probably tell you too bad, but I know for a fact exceptions have been made.

[skylock]

skylock,

 

I hope this may work. We have a lot of people to vouch for him, but I don't know it will be good enough.

 

Dad (we're brothers) will be with us, with his Birth Certificate, and I'll have mine too. My brother and I were both born in the same place in TN, and having both of our parents as US born citizens automatically makes him a US citizen (duh), I'm just hoping they understand, or have a process to deal with this.

 

The obvious bottom line is we think its over, but we've all got our fingers crossed for a chance of good luck.

 

I hope it works out. I have been unable to get in touch with my sister or her mother in law and I just had Thanksgiving dinner with them yesterday. I did not hear them say they were going anywhere for this weekend, but neither is at home and their cells both say they are not available. Where ever they are, they must be together.

 

Definately let us know how it works out and I will keep trying to find them tonight and will post any information I can get.

[Wennfred]

Please update us if he was able to board the ship when you return. I sure hope he makes it onboard.

 

 

Fred

[T0AST]

Alright everyone. Tomorrow is the day of judgment. I'll post up the results when I get back Friday.

 

I need everyone to cross their fingers tomorrow at 11 AM. I sure hope he gets on board, if he doesn't, it's going to spit a family vacation in half, and I'm going to be really sad about it.

 

So much planning, money, good thoughts, happiness, and family bonding time to be ruined by a stupid birth certificate.

 

Thank you all for your advice, please wish me luck.

 

-James

[NCTribeFan]

I can't imagine not having all my documents ready to go, oh, about 4 months prior to sailing!

 

I'm so OCD, I've been known to collect everything, put it in a "safe" place, and then not be able to locate them! But I've always found everything because I always look and double-check and triple-check!

[Essiesmom]

Strikes me that it is not the birth certificate that is stupid...E.

[happycruiser201]

Due back today I think, wonder if they all made the cruise?

[juneburke]

Almost the same thing happened on my honeymoon.. here's the story...

 

as you can imagine the weeks before a wedding can be somewhat crazy.;) Well my DH always keep his birth certificate in an envelope. well we had to get our marriage license and we both needed our birth certificate to get the license no problem there. where the problem started was we did not put his birth certificate back in the envelope. DOM DOM DOM....

 

we had our wedding and had to leave like 4 or 5 hours after so we could make it to the airport in time. (side note we got married in 2003 just a few short years after 9/11 so you still had to get there x amount of hours before you get on the plane.) so with that time frame we had to open all our gifts and deposit the money and spend time with family and friends. Not a lot of time to go over cruise papers just made sure we had the "Cruise Pack" Any way got to Miami went on the scariest taxi ride to the port. Okay so maybe "scariest" is a over statement but let just say I think the cabbie waxed his back seats. We were all over the place. Not that the cabbie taking a normal turn at 90 was any help. Okay so we get to the port and are in line what felt like ever (this was my first cruise) and we get to the desk where she checks the bc's i get out the "Cruise Pack" and showed her mine no problem now it's my husbands turn he gets out the good ol envelope opens it and says " what did you do whit my dc" :confused: This was our saving grace he had his military id card with him. Thank God for the Navy. We got on the ship and then remembered that we didn't put the bc back in the envelope.

 

just wanted to share my story while we wait to see if the brother got on the ship.

[bstman]

I am dying to know what happened!!!! Please update us!

[Valentine's Mom]

Hey Toast. Did your brother make the ship.. We have been dying to know????

[happycruiser201]

Update Please