Traveling Alone with Minor Daughter - Documentation?

My 9 yr. old daughter and I are cruising to Bermuda in October on RCI. My wife cannot go with us due to a conflict.

Do I need a notarized letter from my wife granting me permission to take our daughter on the cruise to Bermuda? We are not divorced. My daughter has a valid passport.

I know this comes up a lot when only one parent is traveling/cruising with their child. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

A notarized letter from mom and her passport and you are good to go. We have taken our granddaughters on numerous cruises without their parents and have never needed the letter, but better safe than sorry. Hope you two have a blast.

Yes, you should have a notarized authorization from your wife saying you have permission to take her on the trip.

Don't know if it is Bermuda specific, but I have taken my minor son on two closed loop Caribbean cruises just he and I out of Florida and never had to show anything from my wife/his mother who had to stay back for other children's activities.

My 9 yr. old daughter and I are cruising to Bermuda in October on RCI. My wife cannot go with us due to a conflict.

 

Do I need a notarized letter from my wife granting me permission to take our daughter on the cruise to Bermuda? We are not divorced. My daughter has a valid passport.

 

I know this comes up a lot when only one parent is traveling/cruising with their child. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

need...... not really

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - YES

there is a change (rare) that you might be stopped and questioned and your daughter questioned. its best to get a notarized letter if you can get one and it appears this would be easy for you to do so I would definitely not take a chance.

Since it is so easy to get it is a better safe than sorry type of thing. You'll bring it with you and probably not need it.

Since it is so easy to get it is a better safe than sorry type of thing. You'll bring it with you and probably not need it.

Agree, think about how bad it would be if they would not let the child on the ship.

Thanks for the responses. I'll bring a notarized letter signed by my wife.

I assume I can just draft a basic "letter" or is there specific legal language that the letter must contain?

There is a template that you can find online. It is pretty straight forward. I have traveled with my children many times and have not needed it BUT I have a friend that did have to present the signed from when taking her 12 year old daughter to the Bahamas. It was needed prior to boarding the plane.

Thanks for the responses. I'll bring a notarized letter signed by my wife.

 

I assume I can just draft a basic "letter" or is there specific legal language that the letter must contain?

Here's a template from the Australian website:

http://www.royalcaribbeaninternational.com.au/rcfilelibrary/consent_form_au.pdf

I've taken my nieces on the Oasis twice. First time they did not ask for anything. Second time they asked for the letter. (And we did have it.)

Your own child with same last name will not require anything. Can't hurt to take the document, but not needed.

Here's a template from the Australian website:

 

http://www.royalcaribbeaninternational.com.au/rcfilelibrary/consent_form_au.pdf

Is there one for the USA?

Not required but maybe nice (easy) to have. Our DIL passed away and we have traveled with DS and minor GS a couple of times. DS has a copy of the death certificate but nobody has ever asked. They have passports so that tends to speed things up a little.

Is there one for the USA?

Here you are:

https://royal-caribbean-consent-form.pdffiller.com

My 9 yr. old daughter and I are cruising to Bermuda in October on RCI. My wife cannot go with us due to a conflict.

 

Do I need a notarized letter from my wife granting me permission to take our daughter on the cruise to Bermuda? We are not divorced. My daughter has a valid passport.

 

I know this comes up a lot when only one parent is traveling/cruising with their child. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

I can't say for sure if you need it or not but like others said I would certainly take a notarized letter. I take my young niece on an annual cruise and each time Royal takes a copy of my letter. On our last cruise in December I even had to show it to the guys at the rock climbing wall. For the small cost to get it notarized I wouldn't risk it.

Have a wonderful cruise.

Is there one for the USA?

I've not seen one from the cruise line.

I was asked for the notarized letter when I traveled alone with my minor daughter. The port agent barely glanced at it, but I was asked. I don't know what would have happened if I did not have one.

I haven't done a cruise with my kids but without my husband (not yet anyway, will in 2020) but I do travel with the kids on my own internationally 2-3 times a year. I always have a notarized letter with me, but I have never been asked for it. I would think if it was needed, it would be most likely needed coming in to Canada or back into the US, since families usually go through immigration/passport control as a family unit there. In some of the other countries we have been through most recently, the kids (even my 8 year old) have had to go through on their own, sometimes with a completely different agent then who was processing me.

In any case, it is easier to get the consent letter/form than to deal with not having it if you need it.

Thanks for the responses. I'll bring a notarized letter signed by my wife.

 

 

 

I assume I can just draft a basic "letter" or is there specific legal language that the letter must contain?

And bring a copy of your wife's passport and/or drivers license

I've cruised as well as flown to Europe with my minor child and I write my own letters and get them notarized

I'm very specific with the details

Dates

Location

Vessel/airline name

Etc etc

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