traveling with minor son

[familyplus2]

I know this has been discussed but can't find the thread. Here is my problem. My husband and I are taking our 3 kids (mine), my mom and a good friend of ours a miracle cruise may 1. The youngest is 15 - so he is the one I am concerned with - my children have not seen or heard from the father in 13 years so the youngest doesn't even know him. Just to be mean the father will not give me a notarized slip to travel - I really don't want to get to the pier and be turned away from this trip. Do you think they will say anything or just look at the passports and let us board?

[rsjc]

I've cruise with my daughter three times and I had the travel consent form. Each time I was never asked for it. But I had it if there was a need.

[familyplus2]

It would definately be my preference to have the form but there is no way to get that.

 

I don't want to be dishonest, but do you think a note that is not notarized but "signed" by him (aka his stepfather) just in case would work? $4000 and a family vacation would be a terrible loss if we were to have problems boarding.

[trock]

It would definately be my preference to have the form but there is no way to get that.

 

I don't want to be dishonest, but do you think a note that is not notarized but "signed" by him (aka his stepfather) just in case would work? $4000 and a family vacation would be a terrible loss if we were to have problems boarding.

 

Do you have a lawyer? I would not take a chance.. Do your children have your last name?

 

He very well may be waiting to report that you are taking the child out of the country.. does he know when the cruise is?

[familyplus2]

No lawyer in years. He left the state before custody was settled but insisted on joint custody. The marriage was pretty abusive so I counted myself lucky with having him out of the picture and him being satisfied with joint custody and rights he doesn't exercise. I never dreamed we would ever have this problem down the road:(

[trock]

No lawyer in years. He left the state before custody was settled but insisted on joint custody. The marriage was pretty abusive so I counted myself lucky with having him out of the picture and him being satisfied with joint custody and rights he doesn't exercise. I never dreamed we would ever have this problem down the road:(

 

Does he know about the cruise?

Do you share the same name? can you say he's dead? call carnival and speak to them...tell them what is going on

[familyplus2]

He doesn't know, like I said no contact. I don't even really know where he is other than in TN - child support is done through collections - nothing comes direct from him to us or the other way around.

 

We do not have the same last names, I have remarried.

 

I am afraid calling carnival would only cause them to question us and others like us. But it does seem like there should be some kind of way around the rule - I can't possibly be the only person with children of an absentee parent.

[trock]

He doesn't know, like I said no contact. I don't even really know where he is other than in TN - child support is done through collections - nothing comes direct from him to us or the other way around.

 

We do not have the same last names, I have remarried.

 

I am afraid calling carnival would only cause them to question us and others like us. But it does seem like there should be some kind of way around the rule - I can't possibly be the only person with children of an absentee parent.

 

Call anonymously...You are taking a big risk.. Like i said.. you can say he's dead.. for all you know he is.. I would just call and ask ..My sons father who he has never had contact is missing.. how do i bring my son on board?

[AJI2596]

I honsetly don't see the problem here. What if the father was never in the picture. Or what if you husband died or what if there is no father and you were inseminated?

[DqALEX]

I know this has been discussed but can't find the thread. Here is my problem. My husband and I are taking our 3 kids (mine), my mom and a good friend of ours a miracle cruise may 1. The youngest is 15 - so he is the one I am concerned with - my children have not seen or heard from the father in 13 years so the youngest doesn't even know him. Just to be mean the father will not give me a notarized slip to travel - I really don't want to get to the pier and be turned away from this trip. Do you think they will say anything or just look at the passports and let us board?

I cruise with my 3 kids in the summer without my wife. No one has ever asked me for any paper. i just show there passports and thats it. if i were taking one of there friends who were not my kid I would make sure I have something from there parents.

[Deefar]

If you tell them that the father is dead, you may have to prove it with a death certificate. You should probably talk to your lawyer about this. He/she maybe able to help you or direct you to someone who can. Good luck.

[MTcruiser]

I'm assuming that since he a has a passport you have full custody of him. We just went through trying to get a passport with only one parent. Finally got it but it took a few tries. Anyhow, if you have full custody and can prove it with documentation I would think you would be fine.

[familyplus2]

No, we have joint custody. I was able to get his passport without his father because he was 14 when we applied - anyone under 14 needs both parents to be present to ge the passport application filed, anyone 14 or older it takes only one parent.

 

I guess I can try to call carnival and not give away too much info on our booking. The thing is that if they just asked anyone of the 3 kids (20, 18 and 15 - old enough to know the deal) they would tell them they don't know him and haven't heard from him in 13 years.

 

and I agree, it really shouldn't be a big deal, he is 15 and has a passport, he should be able to go on a cruise with his family

[dillonsmom]

I honsetly don't see the problem here. What if the father was never in the picture. Or what if you husband died or what if there is no father and you were inseminated?

 

If no father was ever in the picture then the birth certificate would not have a father's name on it, I'm guessing her son does not have a passport because 2 parents are required to be present for one of those so she's going to have to bring a valid certified birth certificate which will name both parents. I am a single parent, my son's father is not named on the birth cert, so I have no problem travelling with him. He does have a passport and aI still carry the cirth cert with me just in case anyone asks me about his father

OP you might want to check out the family cruising page and ask the people over there if they have any experience with this.

Hope this helps.

[Carolinamamasita]

I know this has been discussed but can't find the thread. Here is my problem. My husband and I are taking our 3 kids (mine), my mom and a good friend of ours a miracle cruise may 1. The youngest is 15 - so he is the one I am concerned with - my children have not seen or heard from the father in 13 years so the youngest doesn't even know him. Just to be mean the father will not give me a notarized slip to travel - I really don't want to get to the pier and be turned away from this trip. Do you think they will say anything or just look at the passports and let us board?

 

I believe that you may be able to write a letter stating that you have sole custody and that the father has not been involved with the child for so many years ... and get it notarized

This may also work

 

I have raised my son on his own since birth, single mom

and have a paper that I wrote stating this.

I was able to get a passport this way,

and I also take it with us on vacation too

the letter is notarized.

[familyplus2]

thanks for all the input.

 

Just to clarify the passport rules- since my son was 14 when we applied for the passport his father was not needed even with his father's name listed on the birth certificate. Both parents are only required for children under the age of 14

[jpmaximus]

If you are the birth mother it should be good enough.

[bankonus]

I believe that you may be able to write a letter stating that you have sole custody and that the father has not been involved with the child for so many years ... and get it notarized

This may also work

 

I have raised my son on his own since birth, single mom

and have a paper that I wrote stating this.

I was able to get a passport this way,

and I also take it with us on vacation too

the letter is notarized.

 

 

This is correct, you just have to make sure to have it notarized. If you were a single man they wouldn't question it because the last name would be the same. But women who are re-married send up the big red flag with the different last name. Have a great cruise, and after all this, they probably won't even ask for it!:p

[MTcruiser]

Does your son have the same last name? Thats what was holding us up. But we got it handled through, old passports, marriage license, divorce decree, and new marriage license....nightmare, but finally its over...

[ILUVCRUZEN]

My son has a different last name because I remarried. I did not have to provide any documentation to Carnival and was not questioned. I used his birth certificate because he doesnt have a passport. On the other hand, I did have to provide the certified letter once when flying out of the country to show that his father gave me permission. I was very mad because they did not tell me this ahead of time and we had to rebook our flight until the next morning. Luckily his sorry no-childsupport paying dad lives in the same town so it wasn't much of a problem to get him to sign the paper and have it notorized.

[SaltyBunni]

I know this has been discussed but can't find the thread. Here is my problem. My husband and I are taking our 3 kids (mine), my mom and a good friend of ours a miracle cruise may 1. The youngest is 15 - so he is the one I am concerned with - my children have not seen or heard from the father in 13 years so the youngest doesn't even know him. Just to be mean the father will not give me a notarized slip to travel - I really don't want to get to the pier and be turned away from this trip. Do you think they will say anything or just look at the passports and let us board?

 

The only concern would be if he reports you are trying to take his children out of the country without his permission.

 

Do not tell him your itinerary in case he decides to be a poophead and have the police at the pier.

 

And bring your custody paperwork - just in case.

 

Carnival will not turn you away. But police can detain you until the matter is straightened out, causing you to miss your sailing.

 

If you plan on leaving the ship for more than 24 hours in Mexico - then you would need a notarized letter of consent.

[Amlee]

On March 15th while boarding the Celebrity Summit, I watched a 17 year old girl be denied boarding by immigration because her mother didn't have a signed form from her father giving her permission to leave the country. They had cruise several times with several different cruise lines and had never been asked for anything. This family was crushed. It was also getting very heated as the step-father was very mad about it all.

 

Later that day I was in front of guest relations as the grandparents pleaded with the cruise line to do something for them. The lady said it was out of their hands as it wasn't their rules. She did call down to the terminal and then left with the family to see what she could do. Several days later I did run into the grandparents. I asked them if everything worked out for them. The mother was on speaking terms with the father and they were able to work out for him to go somewhere sign a paper, have it notarized, and the ship let him fax it in on their fax machine. The girl was then allowed to board with her family.

 

I have traveled twice with minors who aren't mine. 1 time Carnival, 1 time Disney. Both times I had a signed form with me. Neither time was I asked for them. I even pulled it out and handed it to the women at the Carnival terminal, and was told I didn't need it.

 

I am again traveling with minors (4 under the age of 18) next Jan. The mother of one is completely out of the picture and has been for sometime. She has no custody or rights to him. But we already have lawyers working it.