Leaving the ship in port

[beckyjohns]

How does this work with kids? DH and I are planning on scuba diving and leaving the 2 kids (18 months old) with Grandma and Grandpa. They will probably want to get off the ship with the kids. Is this going to be a problem if DH and I are not there with them? In other words, can anybody take the kids off the ship or do they need our permission? Can anybody help?

[boulders]

You should give Grandma and Grampa a letter authorizing them to take your children off the ship. Your children's seapass card should be linked to yours and they should not be permitted off the ship unless accompanied by you and your husband.

 

 

You should also leave a letter authorizing Grandma or Grampa to seek necessary medical attention for the children. Make sure both letters authorize both grandparents - something like: I authorize John and/or Mary Smith...., NOT I authorize John and Mary Smith. The second phrase could be interpreted as requiring consent of both grandparent.

 

Leave your medical insurance info and the children's seapasses with the grandparents too.

[NoelsCat]

I agree with the previous poster -- but I have to say that our actual experience was different. My son's grandparents took my 2 yr old son both off and on the ship on many different occasions without anyone requesting any other documentation than his sea pass card. So, while I agree completely that you should have the aforementioned documents -- in my experience you will not need it (*but you should!*)

[beckyjohns]

do i need to file the letters with the pursar? or just give them to grandma to bring with her as she leaves the ship?

[cb at sea]

They aren't going to check--as long as everyone has the proper room keys, you don't need letters to authorize anything.

[Terpnut]

There's a big legal difference between having the grandparents fly out the country with the grandkids versus the grandparents taking the grandkids off a cruise ship while in port. Because the federal government has laws governing child custody, kidnapping, etc., grandparents and others must have the right legal paperwork in the former situation, but it's mostly unnecessary for the latter.

 

As the other poster said, the truth is the cruiseline doesn't really care WHO takes your kids off the ship as long as they have their Seapass or cruise card with them. And, because you are in a foreign land, the laws there govern and most of them don't care if a stranger takes your kids off the boat.

[notentirelynormal]

We never needed proof of anything when we took my GS off. Just his cruise card.