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xvi

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Posts posted by xvi

  1. That is the purpose of having the letter notarized... it cannot be falsified as it is signed and witnessed in presence of a lawyer...

     

    I understand your point but, actually, as a notary, I can tell you it is not executed in the presence of a lawyer. Also a notary only validates the name and person to the signature. There is no due diligence to actually verify that the person who is writing and signing the letter is the actual father of the child. A notary does not confirm or validate the content of the letter. My point being a notarized letter does not validate parental rights only that the person signing consents to the child traveling.

     

    In my case, and in the case of others, there is no second parent. A letter would never be an option.

     

    And as it turns out my son's biological father has an extremely common name almost as common as John Smith. Technically I could get a notarized letter from any John Smith providing consent. My point being the letter still does not serve as parental right.

     

    My son and I will continue to travel. Perhaps if our scenario were different maybe I would travel with a letter. I can certainly appreciate thinking "better safe than sorry" if that were an option.

     

    Happy cruising.

     

    Sorry, you may be right in some cases, but our lawyer actually did require not only our passports but the child’s passports as well to verify identity before notarizing our letter, so some do do their due diligence.

     

    Also, while in your case the father may not be in the picture, the advice wasn’t intended for you, but rather for the the original poster, who asked if they needed a letter from the father, alluding that they are in the picture. It goes without saying that if the second parent is absebtee, then a letter is obviously not possible, and you’d have to explain the situation to the authorities if questioned. I’m just reporting my personal experience that border patrol required BOTH a letter AND passports and we would have been detained for further questioning had I not been pro-active in securing these before the trip. If security doesn’t ask for them, awesome! I’d just rather not take that risk, personally, if it’s an option to get one. Obviously if there is no second parent, this doesn’t apply to you.

  2. I travel frequently w my son with different last names. We always travel on our passports. He is 12. We just recently returned from 10 days in Italy and France and 7 days on the Epic in the Med. We did not have any issues this trip. In all our trips, and there have been many, we were asked only once at US border on a return trip from Spain. And I told them the truth which is I have absolutely no idea where my son's father is and I have not seen or heard from him in 12 years. A letter from the parent is useless, it does not prove parental rights and can easily be written falsely. In addition to our passports I showed a copy of my son's birth certificate and that was it. We were cleared right through. I do not see how a letter would have made any difference. I think having the passport was the key. In order to obtain a minor's passport you need both parents to sign or if that is not possible, which was the case for us, I had to complete additional paperwork and affadavits at that time establishing parental rights, etc.

    Happy travels.

     

    That is the purpose of having the letter notarized... it cannot be falsified as it is signed and witnessed in presence of a lawyer...

  3. I don't know about the US, but in Canada, one parent traveling abroad with their child, irrespective of whether it is the mother or father or whether last names match or not, require a consent letter from the other parent who is not traveling. This is a measure to prevent child abduction during custody battles etc. We always get ours notarized to have all bases covered. It should state the name of the parent and child traveling and give permission to travel to (list the destination) and the dates of travel.

  4. Totally agree with Darcy on this. No one who is booking multiple hotels is doing so for the pleasure of it - the hotels are responsible for the behavior and creating the need to do this. - Sheraton Old San Juan bumped our reservations that we had made in the Spring -after multiple reassurance that they would not - blaming it on hurricane damage, when in fact it is filled with FEMA etc. That is the typical occurrence taking place with the Hotels in San Juan.

    Americandream, if your strategy works for you, I wish you the best of luck. If you are traveling to SJ and have a single long ago booked hotel reservation, and it plays out for you, then you truly are an exception to the situation taking place.

     

    That's not the first time I've heard this, that they're fudging the truth and claiming damage but in truth housing relief workers. Why don't they just say that? I hate the dishonest aspect of their claims and think it would be totally acceptable for them to say "partnering with FEMA to help rebuild Puerto Rico" instead of being deceitful when cancelling reservations...

  5. We've seen OBCs appear and disappear on myNCL. I now ask for an amenity confirmation form that clearly lists everything we are entitled to receive.

     

    Hmmm weird, eh! Ok I will ask for this confirmation of amenities report. I didn't even think of our OBC until now. I should have verified back in April when we booked, and not two weeks before the cruise! I'm kicking myself... I guess I just assumed the promo would be added to my account automatically as advertised... it's only when I read other threads about the OBC did I start to think it weird that I hadn't seen it in myNCL... Will call NCL and post my results here afterwards.

  6. Booked directly with NCL on NCL.com

     

    Not showing on vacation summary or edocs

     

    I'll have to call them directly. We have three reservations and it isn't showing for any of them. No doubt they'll try and say we didn't qualify but I read them terms and conditions myself and have a screenshot of the promo so we will fight it.

     

    Thanks all for your help.

  7. When we booked under the April promo we got to choose 2 "perks" plus $100 usd onboard spending (balcony).

    On myNCL I see the beverage and dining packages we chose, but nowhere do I see mention of the OBC, neither on myNCL or on my confirmation email. We booked direct through NCL and our sailing qualified. Am I missing something? Is it supposed to be shown anywhere? Or will I only see it once aboard?

    Thank you.

  8. As per google maps, 10 minute walk between the Neisson distillery and the beach at Le Carbet. Is the terrain walkable? i.e. safe? Is this a doable plan if we take a taxi from port to the beach / Le Petibonum and then walk to Neisson? Assuming one could call for a taxi from the distillery to get back to port? Thanks!

  9. I posted this on TripAdvisor but did not get any responses. This board seems much more active so any help is appreciated!

    Oct 24, 2017, 1:35 PM

     

     

    We are stopping at Martinique for the day on a cruise in late-January. We arrive at 8 and leave at 4:30. It is my wife and me and our 4 children (ages, 11, 6, 4, 2) and my parents (early 70s). I've mostly figured out what to do at our other port destinations, but I am a bit vexed by Martinique. I think I've narrowed it down to two options:

     

     

     

    Option 1- Pointe du Bout.

     

    I like that it there is a ferry from FDF that makes the transportation easy (I've read that cabs are expensive). I also like that there is a little tourist village there near the beaches which should cater to our needs of, i guess, sitting around the beach and eating lunch, maybe a little snorkeling.

     

     

     

    Option 2- Le Carbet

     

    The zoo sounds like fun and our kids love zoos. It also appears that there are good lunch and beach options nearby. My concern is that it seems like maybe it would be more difficult to get there than option 1.

     

     

     

    Option 3- Any other suggestions?

     

     

     

    So if anyone could weigh in my choices and my preconceived notions, I would appreciate it. As I wrote, we are big group so transportation is a bit complicated. We like to eat and drink well and would be willing to pay a little more for that. Thanks for the help!

     

    We're on the same page. Also considering these options and not finding much info. I speak french and even searching the french pages there isn't much information. The Martinique forum is also pretty quiet so I don't think we will get many answers.

     

    Point-du-bout looks "just ok"... I feel like it is the easiest option but is kind of... settling. I believe there are much more impressive places to see on the island... it's just a question of getting there.

     

    We are leaning towards Le Carbet as the Le Petibonum beach restaurant gets good reviews and the Neisson distillery is nearby. However, we are probably looking at 150 bucks for cab fare. Kinda a lot for a beach day. Similarly, we would love to go to Les Salines, which is arguably Martinique's most beautiful beach, but probably closer to $200 in taxi fares.

     

    Still researching our best options. Will let you know if we find anything fantastic. Good luck!

  10. Jacqui O's in Antigua has lobster but its VERY expensive. I have also heard a number of restaurants in Martinique serve lobster, LePetibonum comes to mind.

     

    Awesome! Both of these are already on my list of best beach bars so sounds like plan! Thanks very much

  11. Healthcare insurance is unlikely to cover them outside the country. OP is from the U.S..

     

    Sorry, not uber familiar with US insurance, we have global coverage through work benefits so don’t require additional insurance... but wouldn’t some private US health insurance have global coverage as well? Well I guess there’s always travel insurance with medical coverage if not. I certainly wouldn’t let my child go without some kind of health insurance coverage.

  12. I typed “lobster restaurant Antigua” into Google and got a list of restaurants plus other matches. The one important one is on TripAdvisor - you can search restaurants on each island, search for a specific dish, and they will have ratings and reviews.

     

     

    Sent from my iPad using Forums

     

    Why do you assume I haven’t already done the reasearch when I’ve stated several times in this thread that I have already done the basic googling and not zeroed in on what I’m looking for... It’s pretty simple to compile a list of restaurants on google and read Tripadvisor reviews (I’m a senior reviewer there so I know the drill)... but that’s not really what I’m looking for. What I’m looking for is shout outs from my cruise peeps if they’ve had a really standout lobster meal on their port days... personal testimonies... recommendations specific to cruisers... etc etc.

     

     

    This thread was started for those who may like to share with everyone their best meal at port now that NCL doesn’t carry lobster, not as a debate or lesson on “how to google”... which is what it Is turning into. Please reserve those comments for other threads.

     

     

    If you have a restaurant shoutout, we would love to hear it, and appreciate all recommendations and suggestions on “must go” places to get my mom her lobster fix :)

     

     

    I will also add that a lot of the “lobster restaurants” that specialize, like Rock Lobster in St. Kitts, only do dinner... which is why I’m asking if anyone has had a nice lobster lunch specifically.

     

     

    Thank you :)

  13. "Boaty McBoat-Face" Most servers will know how to make it. Not sure if it's a common cruise drink on other lines, but I've only ever had it on NCL. It's amazing!

     

    Amazing lol. Best drink name. :')

     

    What’s in it?

  14. A little sensitive. I think they where trying to help. Not everyone is computer literate. If you ask for help take what you need from those helping and try a thank you [emoji850]

     

     

    Sent from my iPhone using Forums

     

     

    Wow. Really? And do you think you are being helpful? Hmm.

     

    I think I already stated the fact that I had googled my query prior to posting. What I'm seeking is first hand accounts and this is the place!

     

    I definitely appreciate the help of those who take the time to read my question...

    and I definitely appreciate those who have been kind and generous in offering up some helpful insight...

    but not so much those offering snark, like yourself.

     

    If you read back in the thread, I believe you'll see that I have thanked those who did actually offer their assistance, and I thank them once again for their assistance.

  15. Hotels current booked

    -Best Western (Manager guarantees Ill have a room - if you can believe him)

    -Hyatt City Center

    -DoubleTree

    -Hampton Inn

    -Comfort Inn (expecting to get cancelled soon)

    -Holiday Inn (they cancelled last week)

     

    If I'm understanding you correctly and you are holding reservations at multiple hotels for 4 people that is incredibly selfish on your part.

     

     

    From what I've read A LOT of people are doing this...helps to explain the shortage of rooms...

  16. Ports will have "warm water" lobster...not quite the same as "cold water" or "Maine" lobster.... You can google your ports and add "restaurants that have lobster"....

     

     

    As stated, have already googled and did not find what I was looking for... but thanks for assuming I'm incompetent...:rolleyes:

     

    I'm sure plenty of restaurants have lobster, what I'm looking for is personal recommendations from people who have had a memorable experience at one in particular or have heard of a good place. Google can list results but cannot give opinions like the good folks at cruisecritic can. Human interaction and all...

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