Children sailing with one of parents only

[elektrawmn]

I haven't found anything on the boards here but I might be looking in the wrong place.

We leave on the Inspiration in a few weeks and just found this out. I got divorced recently and have physical custody of my daughter. Luckily my mom was reading closely through our paperwork and it said that for minors traveling with only 1 guardian, we should have a letter from the other parent stating they had permission to travel.

So I called Carnival. Sure enough, they told me that even though I have legal custody of my daughter, without a letter from her father stating I had permission to travel out of the country with her, we could get detained (esp in Mexico) until proper documention was found and approved.

Has anyone ever had any trouble with this before?

[firefly333]

You might ask for the form on the family boards, that way with the form being signed, you know everything is covered. Just go to the bank and get it signed and stamped, so no questions? I would even if 10 out of 10 say they were never asked for the form, if your child got hurt in a port and had to see a doctor, you might be the one person who would need it.

Iv seen a link to the form the other parent can sign, but didnt save the link, sorry.

[Nunu]

OP is there going to be a problem with the father signing the document?

[nybumpkin]

If you do a search on the family board, there is a sample letter available on one of the threads there. While you'll see lots of posts from people who have never been asked for the letter, it does happen. My husband traveled out of the country with our oldest son a number of years ago and did not have a letter, and was asked for it at the airport. They were allowed to travel, but only after son was taken aside and quizzed as to why I wasn't traveling as well.

[CapeCodCruiser]

If you have full custody of your child a copy of the court order stating that will do and you would not need the form signed by your ex.

Here is a link to a sample form if needed

http://www.seauonboard.com/Parental%20Authorization.htm

[elektrawmn]

Thanks everyone! He happened to be going by his attorney's office anyway and he just had them draw up a quick paragraph and notorize it. I just posted to see if anyone ran into any problems before.

Thanks again!

[rdler]

Wow. My son and I have cruised 9 times together since we became a family through adoption. I do not have a wife, and the woman I loved dearly died while I was in the adoption process. We are purely a 2-person family (okay, more if you add in the pets). How do you prove a negative? I don't have a wife and my son does not have a mother, per se. Nobody has ever asked me to travel with my adoption papers, just id.

[gill_boo]

We just travelled on the Glory this past month with 2 stops in Mexico, we had the notarized letter because my boyfriend shares custody of his 10 and 13 year old children with his ex-wife. No one ever asked us for the letter, or anything. But I don't think I would travel without in the rare case someone did. I would hate for a trip to be ruined cause we didn't get a $20 letter taken care of. We also had a stipulation in the letter that if anything happened to my boyfriend I could act as temporary guardian and authorize any medical care.

[lollylew]

Originally Posted by rdler

Wow. My son and I have cruised 9 times together since we became a family through adoption. I do not have a wife, and the woman I loved dearly died while I was in the adoption process. We are purely a 2-person family (okay, more if you add in the pets). How do you prove a negative? I don't have a wife and my son does not have a mother, per se. Nobody has ever asked me to travel with my adoption papers, just id.

How old is your son? This could be the factor of why you haven't been asked. If he was 4 or 5 per se, they might ask but if he is older and can pretty much answer for himself, then that might be why you haven't been asked.

[rdler]

Lolly, he is 7 now, but my son and I have been cruising since he was two. It is great father/son time because I don't park him in Camp Carnival (his choice) and unless one or the other of us pushes the other overboard, we have to do everything together. Also the dining rooms are great places to work on his manners, and I expect him to be polite to everyone we meet.

But this thread has made me start to worry.

He is (of course) old enough to identify me as his father. On the other hand if he were to be asked if he had a mother, he would say "yes", because certainly he does. Somewhere. If questioned, I guess he would say I'm not married.

But in none of these cruises have I ever been asked nor have I had it mentioned by a PVP.

Thanks for your response.

[elektrawmn]

It's tucked away deep in the travel documents... the part "most people" don't read...

When traveling with a minor and both parents/legal guardians are not cruising, we strongly recommend bringing an original signed letter from the absent parent/legal guardian authorizing the minor to travel with you. This will expedite processing by the Department of Homeland Security. Please note that a notarized letter to this effect is required if debarking with children in Mexico

[wentworth]

Our granddaughter has done 3 cruises with her mom. She started
cruising at 16 months and will be sailing again in February.
My daughter does bring a consent letter from dad but has never been asked for it.



rdler. could you make an extra copy of your adoption papers showing
you to be the only parent? Sounds like you and your son have a
great time cruising!!

[cmecruise1962]

Even though I have never been asked. I just wouldn't want to be asked and not have it. My family motto has always been "better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it!!"

[buzzsmom]

My mom and I took my two sons on a Princess cruise in April while my husband was deployed to Iraq. Princess told me that I would need a notarized document stating that it was ok to take the boys out of the country without both parents. I secured the document, but in the end, no one ever asked for it. Hope this helps!

[bplazo]

I have never been asked for anything when travelling with my daughter.

[conchead]

We had no problems when my wife and I went with my son. I had the letter "just-in-case" they asked for it. I didn't bring it up and neither did Carnival. Maybe if there is a different last name or something they might ask..I don't know.

[skylock]

Originally Posted by rdler

Lolly, he is 7 now, but my son and I have been cruising since he was two. It is great father/son time because I don't park him in Camp Carnival (his choice) and unless one or the other of us pushes the other overboard, we have to do everything together. Also the dining rooms are great places to work on his manners, and I expect him to be polite to everyone we meet.

But this thread has made me start to worry.

He is (of course) old enough to identify me as his father. On the other hand if he were to be asked if he had a mother, he would say "yes", because certainly he does. Somewhere. If questioned, I guess he would say I'm not married.

But in none of these cruises have I ever been asked nor have I had it mentioned by a PVP.

Thanks for your response.

Stop worring. As long as it is a cruise, no one is going to ask for any proof from you. The US side does not care at all. Technically it is Mexico that wants you to have a letter, but there will never be any body to ask to see it. That is why Carnival "suggest" a letter, but does NOT require a letter.

Now, if you decide to fly out of the country, that is a whole other matter and you would need the papers no matter where you are flying. So if you ever decide to fly, check into what they will want to see long before the flight so you can have it on hand. Even then, the requirements are so wishy washy as to be a complete waste of time. But they are still required.

[nancydee]

I travelled with my 14 yr old DD last July. Because we are from Canada I was told I would need a signed letter from her father to get her into the U.S. then I would also need it to get on the cruise ship.

I was not asked at the Canada/U.S. border. I was not asked getting onto the ship nor at any of the ports.

I was asked coming back into Canada though.
So it's nice to know I can take my child all over the world, but can't bring her back home! lol

[kathyemma]

Adoption papers are all you need - showing you are the only legal parent.

When my dd was 3 I went to get her passport - she has no father - no father listed on the bc. The man at the post office gave me a hard time about the father not being there. When I showed him the birth cert and pointed out there was no father listed -he asked how that was possible. I listed off a few ways for him - he finally just rolled his eyes and sent everything away for the passport. When I travel with my dd i bring her passport and the birth cert that shows there is no father. Have not been questioned - and now that she is 11 i don't think i ever will be.

Kathy

[momoftwins2]

I took my 13 year old twins on their 1st cruise Oct 8, 2009. I brought along a signed paper from their dad stating I can bring them on a plane, and on a cruise to a forgien country. No one asked for the paper, but I say bring one just incase, because you never know when you will need it. Play it safe.

Only once my father needed it when he brought my kids to Canada last year (I was not with) to visit relatives and he was asked if the kids were related and if he had permission to bring them across country lines. Luckily he had the signed paper (that one actually was signed by me and their father). So like I said you never know when they may ask.