21st bday - Catch 22

[mspeg]

My only daughter will turn 21 while on board the JOS 3/20 sailing and we have been anticipating a joyful birthday celebration. Unfortunately, her license expires on her bday and, because NYS clearly stamps underage licenses they will not mail out her new one out until her bday which will be to late for us to have a valid license to board the ship. The DMV can not issue her a simple photo ID as it will cancel her license. To compound our problem, she attends a private university, not a state school, so her college ID does not count as a government issued ID. RCL has given us a variety of answers when questioned if she will be allowed to board, as she may not have valid identification to reenter the US. She was told to call Immigration but after several attempts and holding about 10 minutes their phone system disconnects you telling you their volume is to high.

 

We intend to head to Florida with every piece of identification we can locate including the license which is valid the day we board but will expire two days before we disembark and hope for the best.

 

Anyone have any other ideas? What would happen if your wallet were stolen?

[Shanafan]

Do you have time to apply for a passport? Oops, sorry just realized you said you leave in just over a week. I can't imagine you would have a problem with a birth certificate and drivers license, even if it expired 2 days prior. There would be no way possible to get a license. That ID got you on board, it should also get you back into the US

[brn2crz]

Actually,you will be fine.

You are considered the same age,throughout the cruise,even if you have a BD while on-board.Just have the paper one..that shows you have re-newed..And you will be A-ok.

[shipknotshore]

What about getting a passport. That usually does the trick. You always have her birth certificate too. Good luck finding the right answer so you can rest easy and have a wonderful cruise and birthday celebration.

[Croozin Soozin]

When we were flying home from our last cruise I handed my expired driver's license to the person checking us in at the airport. He handed it back and said this is no good, it's expired. Thankfully, we had our passports also - it was just easier to dig out the license at the time. Maybe because it had expired several months prior it was a problem - but I thought I would point this out anyway.

[firstcruise05]

Unless I read their site wrong I believe that RCCL considers the person to be the same age that they were when they boarded the ship. Which means that if she is underage when she boards that she will be "underage" for the entire trip but I could be wrong. It could also depend upon the bartender I guess.

 

Good Luck

[firstcruise05]

Unless I read their site wrong I believe that RCCL considers the person to be the same age that they were when they boarded the ship. Which means that if she is underage when she boards that she will be "underage" for the entire ship but I could be wrong. It could also depend upon the bartender I guess.

 

Good Luck

[mspeg]

I may not have been clear. We are not concerned about her age or her drinking - that is only the reason why NYS does not mail out the licenses before the actual birthday. The problem is will she be allowed to board with a license that will be expired by the time she is due to disembark. We will have her birth certificate but her only other form of picture ID is not considered governement issued. It is to late, and to expensive if even possible at this point, to obtain a pasport. Does anyone been in this situation and used another form of acceptable identification?

[brn2crz]

As I stated.

 

Your liscense will be valid when you board,and when you disembark.As you are considered the same age throughout the cruise,as you are when you board.

 

Is there some sort of renewal progam in your state,or do they simply mail out the new one when they turn 21.This can not be completly the way they do it...Or folks would be like you..without a valid DL..So there has to be some sort of process..Yes?

 

Like i said,if you do get a paper or reciept saying that either you (she) has renewed,or something sent out as a temp..then bring this as well.

 

I mean,surley they can't put everyones liscense in their hands the day they turn 21 can they??

 

Anyway..I know I am rambling,but I stand by my origianl statement,that it will remain valid throughout the cruise,as I experienced it in Sept 03.

[quiltingandcruising]

Does it expire on her birthday - I know mine expires (different state) the last day of the month of my birthday. But I think you would be fine because it states we can have an expired Passport - so why not an expired DL and only by a few days - I would be surprized if it was even questioned

[mspeg]

Well the NYS renewal process is only different when you reach 21 due to the removal of this underage stamp - and yes it expires on your birth day not month end. She renewed it online and paid the renewal fee in February but called the DMV when, after several weeks, we still had not received it. Thats when we were told they do not mail it until your birth day so that you are not in possession of a license that would make you appear old enough to drink when you may not be. She may have something from that transaction that would prove she renewed the license but it doesn't sound like the DMV is concerned about immigration problems - their focus appears to be underage drinking.

 

I am not concerned about what age RC considers her to be I am only concerned that immigration may not consider her in possession of valid identification. I take hope in your reply as it sounds like you may have had a similar situation and were allowed to board.

 

and I thank you all for taking the time to reply.......

[brn2crz]

Yes,mine expired on 9/17 of a 9/14 sailing.I did have my renewal paper with me,but they never asked for it.

 

If you were flying,it would be a different issue.But you should be fine.

Of course...Please..don't call me,when you all can't disembark:D

[Sheffie]

mspeg - could there be a chance that it will get there before the cruise? I would think that NYS wouldn't want to chance people driving with an expired license. Just a thought.

 

I can understand your worry, but bet it will all be fine.

 

Michelle

[mspeg]

Well thank you brn2crz - I thought you may have had personal experience there but now you raise another issue - we are flying! My daughters main problem was getting on the ship I never thought of the airlines. Surely they accept a school picture ID?

 

Sheffie - We had been hoping it would get here but now we are down to 5 more mail delivery days till we leave and no, my daughter called the DMV this morning as the hysteria was reaching a fever pitch - they confirm that they do not mail the new license until the birth day due to the removal of the underage drinking stamp. Since your license is renewed it will appear as legal on the computers if you are pulled over or worse yet involved in an accident - but I'm not sure if immigration has access to (or could take the time to access) NYS records.

 

We will go with the soon to be expired license, whatever paperwork she can print from the internet to prove the renewal was processed, school picture ID, birth certificate and whatever other picture ID she can locate.

 

That and high hopes for a great cruise on the Jewel

[mspeg]

opps

[TPKeller]

Wow it sure sounds like NYS has a flawed system here. I understand the goal for the drinking age stamp/photo, but the stupid part is making the old license expire on the date of birth rather than a couple weeks later. As has been stated, this system guarantees the holder will be without a valid license for at least the time of a USPS delivery, and in cases of travel, and given the current security requirements, even worse.

 

I am not from New York, but I would suggest calling your state legislator's ombudsman's office. I know of stories in my state where the local state senator was able to light a bonfire underneath the Department of Motor Vehicle officials to get hard and fast rules "bent" a little in the name of common sense.

 

May be worth a try. That is one of their jobs, being a liason between the common citizen and the government red tape machine... it's amazing what a state senator can do to soften up that brick wall you have been talking to.

 

Theron

 

P.S. Perhaps you could suggest for them to ship it with signature required to a parent and assure them that you will hold the license until the actual birthday...

[Iamthesea]

Our experience at the airport is that the officials scarcely take a look at our kids drivers ID. We also don't remember having to show any ID when re-entering the US. We only had to hand in our declaration papers.

[TPKeller]

Our experience at the airport is that the officials scarcely take a look at our kids drivers ID. We also don't remember having to show any ID when re-entering the US. We only had to hand in our declaration papers.

Please pardon me for quoting your post in particular... just happened to be the last one! ;)

 

The problem with this and all the other "we had no problems, you probably won't either" kind of advice is that you can't ever be 100% sure, and when you're on vacation, you really just don't need extra stress. Unless you have what you know for certain is valid documentation, you will always have that little bit of doubt, worry or concern about what might happen, and that is no way to have a vacation.

 

Theron

[mspeg]

Actually my daughter is a clean cut tall good looking average American girl and it is a family joke that she tends to get pulled over for that extra search when traveling. One time she had on flip flops, a short denim skirt and a tank top - I couldn't believe they had to take her aside to be 'wanded' - like where was she hiding something! Last cruise we thought she had broken the curse only to find that her luggage had been searched at some point - either airlines or cruiseline - prior to delivery to our room.

 

So - if anyone is going to have their license reviewed it will be her.

 

and I understand that RC won't even let you board if they see you won't be able to disembark.

 

I have to agree about the NYS system - when I was a 'kid' your drinking age bday usually called for drinking and it seems this system doesn't even allow you to have a valid ID in order to do what you are now legally entitled to!

[natish3000]

Calling RCCL?

And the airline you are using?

I'm sure they have dealt with this problem before and can probably answer your question very quickly and with authority.

This should get you a REAL answer as well as put your fears at ease.

When you get an answer please post it here in case anyone else has a similar problem.

Good Luck!

[lorilou]

I was on the Explorer in January. I was the only person in our 4 person party who had a passport. When we got all of our departure stuff (tip envelopes, luggages tags, etc...) they all got a piece of paper for immigration. It had a barcode on it and we assumed had their information embedded from when they embarked. They were not asked for anything else - just the sheet. I had to show my passport -- nothing else.

 

Anybody else have this experience??

 

Lori

[MiniMom57]

Another thought.....the New York State DMV issues State picture ID cards. People who do not drive get them for ID in place of a license. I don't know how long it takes to get them though.

[Happy ks]

I think you are worrying too much. I worry too much sometimes too. If her ID is valid on the day you set sail, it is fine for identification purposes for the entire cruise. I would also not worry about the flying either, especially if she also has a student ID and her birth certificate with her. Why not look into the requirements through the airline, many of them have this info on their websites. I think they are looking for government issued ID and a birth certificate would satisfy that requirement.

[mspeg]

Thank you for the reassuring words - wish you all worked for immigration!

 

Our concern is mainly because several calls to RC have given us several different answers but their main theme has been to call immigration as it is their rules but you can not get thru to them - the call automatically disconnects after 10 mins saying their call volume is to high! We tried the state issued ID thought but it is issued by the DMV - and it replaces your license. If she gets one she effectively cancels her license and would have to start the whole license application process over when she returns ........

 

I would think we are safe with the airline as she has the valid private school ID (not considered 'government' issued) and we are not leaving the country by air.

 

I just hope this is a matter of we are worrying to much ......

[jodymacd]

My 2 Cents...about the drinking "problem"..LOL! I thought that I read somewhere, either on this board or on RCCLs site that a parent can sign a waiver for their child (age 18 - 20) to be able to drink once in international waters. I'm not 100% sure of this, but it may be worth checking out. Happy Bday to your DD!!