Oceania ignores my middle name

We shouldn't have to go to the length of a legal name change when all we want to do is use our FULL name.

I cannot tell you how outraged I get when I get a bill from a credit card company that is addressed to "Mura Mager" when my card is in the name "Mura Kievman Mager". If I wanted to use the first version of my name, I would. But I hate it! I am Mura Kievman, and I will consent to be known as Mura Kievman Mager ... but NOT Mura Mager! (Of course, even my mother didn't understand that point ... but I think that's because when she got married in 1940 she didn't have the option.)

And then to top it off Social Security decided to change my name on their own which has caused all sorts of problems for me!

I have a good reason, I think, for wanting my full name to be printed. If I'm paying a bill with a check or credit card that is in the name Mura Kievman, but the bill is in the name Mura K. Mager I have a real concern that they won't be able to credit the payment properly.

And if someone from the south wants to be known as Billy Joe and not Billy or Joe, I'm with him!

Computers can solve many minor problems. I don't understand why so many companies cannot deal with names that consist of three words and not just two!

Just understand that for those of us in this situation, it's a highly sensitive situation! You may think it is irrational, but for us it is NOT.

Mura

I did go through the process of legally dropping my first name because I realized that the world wasn't going to ignore the name my mom gave me unless I did something about it. Fortunately, 30 years ago I started using my middle name exclusively, so my SS card, military ID card, and drivers license have reflected the name I've used all those years. It took all of 5 minutes before a judge and paying a $140 fee for the change and sending off for a new passport to complete the transition.

Was it worth it? You bet...and then some. Last week, I e-mailed Oceania about changing my name on their e-mails, and this week I have received two messages from their web master, stating the change should be in place within a month (some future e-mails have already been sent for processing). Is that good enough for me? Absolutely.

When I had my TA send Oceania a copy of the legal name change document, O revised my reservations immediately. (It wasn't O's fault that my mom picked a name I hated. :o )

I will admit that no one affiliated with O ever called me by my first name on last year's cruise. I just hated seeing that name on my World Card each time I used it to get back on Marina.

Hi All, I too feel extremely strongly about this issue.

1) I believe I shouldn't have to change my legal name to be addressed as I wish. Like another poster, my mother gave me my name for special reasons. When my first name is used along with my middle name in legal documents, I am fine with it. It is when large corporations assume that they can address me by this name that I get upset.

2) There is no reason whatsoever, that my legal name need be in emails, on the door of my room, in my face when I use or log into web pages, on documents printed from their web pages, on receipts, etc, etc. I will never sail on Princess cruises again because they were did all of this. I got far too much use out of my indelible marker. I'm so glad someone says there is actually a considerate cruise line out there (Crystal Cruises).

3) To me, my legal first name is a very personal and private piece of information. Any company that goes out of their way to display it is not going to get my business.

4) Middle name users are not the only people with this issue. *MANY* people do not use the legal form of their first name, eg Bert instead of Norbert. Many of them are going to dislike being called by their legal name.

5) I've taken a graduate level course in database administration. I also know that it would be easy to add a field to my record containing the name I wish to be called by.

6) It is incredibly inconsiderate to address a person in a manner they don't like.

Are there any other cruise lines besides Crystal Cruises that use a preferred name as much as possible?

One of my father's favorite sayings was "You can call me anything... but late for dinner". I dunno, it always gave him a laugh.

I would love it if people WOULD call me by my legal first name. Everyone wants to "nick" it.

Well, this is an old thread that suddenly got resurrected. Okay, so I'll bite.

First of all, if you don't like being called Norbert or Marquis de Lafayette (my father-in-law's first name, he went by Mark), you are out of luck, since all airlines insist on having full names now. I've been sent back to get new boarding passes when I was issued a pass with just my middle initial instead of my full middle name.

On a lighter note, we were travelling with our friend Jim, on the Paul Gauguin. Turns out his first name is Andrew, so everybody onboard started calling him "Mr. Andrew". He didn't mind, he just went with the flow. Of course, both his names are rather ordinary.

you might not anticipate because they affect other people. When our daughter, a travel and fitness writer, legally changed her name to a shortened version of our long last name, she had a fairly easy time of it. Otoh, we had a lot more to do, because her prior name was on many of our legal documents, all of which had to be changed. For us, several hours with our attorney, lots of new paper, and a big bill. Is she happy? Yes, and she does think it was worth it. And we're OK with her new name, too.

Wouldn't be just easier to get a legal name change if you are not comfortable with your first name anyway

 

Seems like a simple solution to me ;)

Have you ever looked up the procedure, and cost, of a name change? I have.

My legal name is Mary Katherine but all my life I have gone by Mary Kay.

Because so many people drop the middle name and just call me Mary I started spelling it all one word, Marykay. Solved the problem most times. But not for international travel. That requires a passport so once again I'm just plain Mary since no Kay appears nowhere on the passport, and of course Katherine is ignored.

So I looked into a legal name change to Marykay since my driver's license and FF memberships all have that name. What a complicated procedure, at least in our state. Forms, county clerk, petition to judge and subsequent court appearance to explain reasons. All of this plus $135. I decided to just leave the matter as is.