Single mom traveling with teen only question

Ok, so I am traveling with my 15 year old daughter from NY to Bermuda. I know she can do a passport or birth certificate. To get a passport her dad has to be there in order to get one. If I decide to opt with the birth certificate does he need to provide any documentation saying that she can cruise (notarized note or something?)

Thanks!

Jen

NCL has a form on their website that can be filled out by the "stay home" parent giving permission for you to take your daughter out of the country. If you have Full custody of her, your custody papers are usually enough. If at all possible, the NCL form is the best way to go. I think it has to be notarized as well. We took an unrelated boy with us one time and had all of the forms, NCL and copies of his parents' drivers licenses, and they never asked for anything. A call to NCL might be your best bet to be sure you have everything you need to board the ship. The people who work at the port are not NCL employees. They are port employees.

Ok, so I am traveling with my 15 year old daughter from NY to Bermuda. I know she can do a passport or birth certificate. To get a passport her dad has to be there in order to get one. If I decide to opt with the birth certificate does he need to provide any documentation saying that she can cruise (notarized note or something?)

 

Thanks!

 

Jen

You should have a notarized statement from her father give permission for her to leave the country. The best practice is to include specific dates of travel, and a list of where she is going. This is true whether she uses a BC or a passport.

Ok, so I am traveling with my 15 year old daughter from NY to Bermuda. I know she can do a passport or birth certificate. To get a passport her dad has to be there in order to get one. If I decide to opt with the birth certificate does he need to provide any documentation saying that she can cruise (notarized note or something?)

 

Thanks!

 

Jen

When my kids got their passports, there was a form (DS-3053) which you had to get signed & notarized by the non-present parent and bring to the passport office. The other parent didn't have to be present if you had that form.

My wife & I are together, but it worked out better for our schedules that I took our son one day, and she took our daughter another day. We each had a form signed by the other and notarized, and we had no problems.

You should have a notarized statement from her father give permission for her to leave the country. The best practice is to include specific dates of travel, and a list of where she is going. This is true whether she uses a BC or a passport.

I looked at this form, because on our next cruise several family members will be traveling with their minor child, but not the other parent.

The form states: "This form must be completed if a minor is not travelling with at least one parent or legal guardian."

The form can be found here: https://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/ParentGuardianForm_01302012b.pdf

I looked at this form, because on our next cruise several family members will be traveling with their minor child, but not the other parent.

 

 

The form states: "This form must be completed if a minor is not travelling with at least one parent or legal guardian."

 

 

The form can be found here: https://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/ParentGuardianForm_01302012b.pdf

Thank you!

I am a divorced parent who has traveled with her tween/teens out of the country (we were on an Alaska cruise last summer that had a stop in Victoria, British Columbia). My ex has also taken the kids to Canada.

In both instances, we drafted a document giving the other permission to travel with the kids out of the country. We listed dates/place of travel passport numbers, addresses, phone numbers, etc. We also added a contingency allowing the traveling parent to make reasonable changes in travel plans if needed. We had these letters notarized and then traveled with them.

My ex thought the whole thing rather silly, but went along with it. Lo and behold, he was stopped and questioned at the US/Canadian border and was asked for documentation. He was then thankful that I had been so vigilant.

When I was on the NCL Alaska cruise, I was never asked for my letter, but I was still glad to have it with me. I am planning on taking my boys to Bermuda this summer and will definitely bring another notarized letter (and passports for both) to be safe.

There are two issues here, line policy and ICE (Immigrations and Customs) policy of each country you will be visiting...

The form on the NCL site is for the line, and will generally suffice for ICE if Notarized. That said, I prefer to suggest:

http://www.globetrektravel.com/minortravelforms.pdf - Minor Travel Consent.pdf

This is one of those situations where having and not needing is way more preferable than needing and not having. In reality its not likely they will check, with that said I have personally observed someone denied boarding because they didn't have a notarized permission, even though they had full custody.

I am a divorced parent who has traveled with her tween/teens out of the country (we were on an Alaska cruise last summer that had a stop in Victoria, British Columbia). My ex has also taken the kids to Canada.

 

In both instances, we drafted a document giving the other permission to travel with the kids out of the country. We listed dates/place of travel passport numbers, addresses, phone numbers, etc. We also added a contingency allowing the traveling parent to make reasonable changes in travel plans if needed. We had these letters notarized and then traveled with them.

 

 

My ex thought the whole thing rather silly, but went along with it. Lo and behold, he was stopped and questioned at the US/Canadian border and was asked for documentation. He was then thankful that I had been so vigilant.

 

 

When I was on the NCL Alaska cruise, I was never asked for my letter, but I was still glad to have it with me. I am planning on taking my boys to Bermuda this summer and will definitely bring another notarized letter (and passports for both) to be safe.

Can I ask you what you do being a single mom on the cruise? Are their activities or groups for singles that I could be part of or do you just enjoy the solitude??

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I can tell you better after we cruise in July. For my first cruise (last July), my boys and I traveled with my brother, his wife, and my dad. So I always had other adults to hang with.

I am a little concerned about how it will go this time around. I will talk to friendly people, but I'm not a "bar scene/dance club" person, so I am unlikely to go "out" at night. I am thinking my 13-year-old son will probably want to spend some of his time with me (he's not as outgoing as his older brother). And then, we'll plan on dinners together 3 nights at specialty restaurants and maybe a show or two. On other evenings, I plan to hang out on my balcony or maybe sit and listen to live music.

When are you traveling to Bermuda? We will either be on the July 23 or the July 30 sailing.

So as far as the passport goes here is what the site says:

travel.state.gov > Abduction > Preventing Abduction > Passport Requirements for Children

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Passport Requirements for Children

Two Parent Signature Law for a Passport

The United States does not have exit controls on its borders. However, most airlines require each passenger to present a passport before boarding a flight headed for an international destination. Additionally, most foreign countries require each person to present a passport before entering the country. This makes preventing a passport from being issued to your child without your consent very important. Generally, if your child has a passport, it can be difficult to prevent the other parent from removing your child from the United States to another country without your permission.

U.S. law requires signatures of both parents or the child's legal guardians, prior to issuance of a U.S. passport to children under the age of 16. To obtain a U.S. passport for a child under the age of 16, parents (or the child’s legal guardians) must execute the child’s passport application and provide documentary evidence demonstrating that they are the parents or guardians. If this cannot be done, the person executing the passport application must provide documentary evidence that he or she has sole custody or is the sole parent of the child, has the consent of the other parent to the issuance of the passport, or is acting in place of the parents and has the consent of both parents (or of a parent/legal guardian with sole custody over the child to the issuance of the passport).

I would do a quick call to your lawyer if they are not going to charge you for a quick call as states can be different and each divorce case can also be unique. The more paperwork you have that is notarized the less likely you will even be questioned.

So as far as the passport goes here is what the site says:

 

travel.state.gov > Abduction > Preventing Abduction > Passport Requirements for Children

• Print
  
• Email
  

Passport Requirements for Children

 

Two Parent Signature Law for a Passport

 

The United States does not have exit controls on its borders. However, most airlines require each passenger to present a passport before boarding a flight headed for an international destination. Additionally, most foreign countries require each person to present a passport before entering the country. This makes preventing a passport from being issued to your child without your consent very important. Generally, if your child has a passport, it can be difficult to prevent the other parent from removing your child from the United States to another country without your permission.

U.S. law requires signatures of both parents or the child's legal guardians, prior to issuance of a U.S. passport to children under the age of 16. To obtain a U.S. passport for a child under the age of 16, parents (or the child’s legal guardians) must execute the child’s passport application and provide documentary evidence demonstrating that they are the parents or guardians. If this cannot be done, the person executing the passport application must provide documentary evidence that he or she has sole custody or is the sole parent of the child, has the consent of the other parent to the issuance of the passport, or is acting in place of the parents and has the consent of both parents (or of a parent/legal guardian with sole custody over the child to the issuance of the passport).

I would do a quick call to your lawyer if they are not going to charge you for a quick call as states can be different and each divorce case can also be unique. The more paperwork you have that is notarized the less likely you will even be questioned.

 

Thank you!

I can tell you better after we cruise in July. For my first cruise (last July), my boys and I traveled with my brother, his wife, and my dad. So I always had other adults to hang with.

 

I am a little concerned about how it will go this time around. I will talk to friendly people, but I'm not a "bar scene/dance club" person, so I am unlikely to go "out" at night. I am thinking my 13-year-old son will probably want to spend some of his time with me (he's not as outgoing as his older brother). And then, we'll plan on dinners together 3 nights at specialty restaurants and maybe a show or two. On other evenings, I plan to hang out on my balcony or maybe sit and listen to live music.

 

When are you traveling to Bermuda? We will either be on the July 23 or the July 30 sailing.

I'm on July 2. Well, there goes my thought of chatting with you! Lol!

Aww, that would have been fun! Hopefully each of us will meet nice people on our respective cruises. :)

Aww, that would have been fun! Hopefully each of us will meet nice people on our respective cruises. :)

Hope so!

Go to Bermuda's website to see if there are any additional requirements for minors traveling with one parent. I'm taking my granddaughter on an Alaska cruise this summer, Canada has additional requirements beyond NCL's and the US immigration.

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Thread starter, try the roll call board for your sailing; people gather there, pre-plan activities and excursions , finding others to hang out with, do whatever, etc.!

Otherwise the Studio evenings could be your place to be, the Studio's are single passenger interior staterooms, connected to a "living room". It's an exclusive area to those in Studio's but their evenings are open to all solo passengers.

A bit off topic! :)

I am a "single mom by choice" (meaning that I purposefully had my children on my own). Therefore, I am the only parent listed on their birth certificates. But we travel using passports, not birth certificates. We do quite of domestic and international travel. I have never once been questioned or had any problem. This thread makes me think that I should start bringing their birth certificates along as well, since I would have no way to prove that I am the only parent listed on their BCs just by showing the passports. I am probably over thinking this but, Hmmm... interesting thread

I am a "single mom by choice" (meaning that I purposefully had my children on my own). Therefore, I am the only parent listed on their birth certificates. But we travel using passports, not birth certificates. We do quite of domestic and international travel. I have never once been questioned or had any problem. This thread makes me think that I should start bringing their birth certificates along as well, since I would have no way to prove that I am the only parent listed on their BCs just by showing the passports. I am probably over thinking this but, Hmmm... interesting thread

I am totally surprised by everything I am learning. It makes me think there should have been some notarized note when my ex takes my daughter to Florida. I'm not sure if the security reason of this, but if it's to prevent kidnapping of a child I think there is a much better chance that could happen via plane then closed cuircet cruise.