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Stolen Birth Certificates

carnivaljunkie

By carnivaljunkie,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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jetskier

jetskier

Posted
Posted
My husband thought he had an acceptable,certified birth certificate until he went to get a passport. It was the same piece of paper he had used on a past cruise without a problem. When he went to get a passport it was not accepted,the paper had a raised seal and had been accepted by US customs but still not official.

 

 

It is possible your husband had a short form birth certificate. The rule changed a couple of years ago and now the passport office will only accept long form birth certificates.

Dave

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helicopter

helicopter

Posted
Posted
They could try there tax person as I believe when you have a new baby the first year they need a copy of a birth certificate and social security card. and this time of the year they would be open on Sat.

 

Never heard of this... just did taxes, new baby (May) no BC or SS card required, just number.

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crzycick

crzycick

Posted
Posted
It is possible your husband had a short form birth certificate. The rule changed a couple of years ago and now the passport office will only accept long form birth certificates.

Dave

 

 

This reminds me, I've been checking for our BCs multiple times the last few weeks. I realized that my husbands is different than mine. We were born in the same state and one of them was issued in 2006 and the other in 2009, so only 3 years apart. One lists the parents birthdays and no age and the other only lists the age. One has a home address and the other doesn't. I think there were a few other small differences as well. I found it very strange.

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MsTabbyKats

MsTabbyKats

Posted
Posted
Instances such as this are why I scan our documents (all, including drivers license, birth certificate, and passports) into our PC, then email them to myself. I have access to them from anywhere in the world, and they are actual duplicate colour copies.

 

We store our Birth Certificates and Passports in our safe when not required - yes, in the same place...that's what a safe is for. However, unless a safe is bolted to a wall or floor, it is portable and subject to removal during a robbery. So, given that I don't need these on a daily basis, yes, I can understand how OP's SIL just discovered it missing. I am a planner by nature though, so would not have left it to this late date to put everything together (as previous posters have stated).

 

It is sad, and at this point mute to wonder the reason why they left it this late to get everything together...hopefully they will have the opportunity to enjoy some sun in Florida for a few days, as the cruise doesn't appear to be an option. :(

 

Probably the best piece of advice given.......

 

As far as the SIL/Daughter...they probably had one of those small portable safes...with only documents in it....and completely forgot about it at the time of the break in. If they had expensive jewels/cash/other valuables they would have noticed it missing.

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GOLDIEDA1

GOLDIEDA1

Posted
Posted
Probably the best piece of advice given.......

 

As far as the SIL/Daughter...they probably had one of those small portable safes...with only documents in it....and completely forgot about it at the time of the break in. If they had expensive jewels/cash/other valuables they would have noticed it missing.

 

I can't imagine waiting so late to check for documents. I make sure I have everything needed as soon as I book a cruise.

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donaldsc

donaldsc

Posted
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I can't imagine waiting so late to check for documents. I make sure I have everything needed as soon as I book a cruise.

 

The thing that I find strange is that the break in occurred several months ago and they just realized that the safe was gone. That is hard to figure unless it was a very small safe.

 

DON

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Webecruzen

Webecruzen

Posted
Posted

My 27 year old son lost his birth certificate somewhere between parking lot and embarkation. Luckily he was born in FL and was able to go to Dept of Vital Statistics in Miami and get a new copy and was on board the ship within an hour and a half after we boarded. Carnival embarkation employees would not give us a phone book or look up the number for us on the internet. Thank goodness for internet cabaple cell phones. Carnival embarkation staff in Miami just said no official birth certificate with ID or passport no boarding. Turned out to be a real easy fix and a great trip!

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MsTabbyKats

MsTabbyKats

Posted
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I can't imagine waiting so late to check for documents. I make sure I have everything needed as soon as I book a cruise.

Let's say I book a cruise...and I know where I keep my birth certificate.

It's in a certain secure but portable place. Being compulsive, I check to make sure it's there. It is.

 

I also have a very expensive jewelry collection.

 

I have a break in....I check the jewelry first...foremost...etc....and other overt valuables.

 

I would never think about the box with my birth certificate because it's of no economic value.

 

So...the day of the cruise comes...and I go to get my birth certificate....and guess what :mad:

 

That's why........

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Steve-N-Steph

Steve-N-Steph

Posted
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That may be true in MO, but it is not the situation in most states. All records are kept at the state level and unless you live in the capital and can go down and wait on them it takes much longer than that.

 

Not necessarily true, I happen to live in MO and but my sun was born in California I know that you can get the records in local offices on a walk in basis there and from a relative know the same can be done in Texas. So every state is different you just need to check. I'm sure an internet search of your particular state will result in the correct answers as ALL states have websites that will give you this information.

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mountainbreeze

mountainbreeze

Posted
Posted
Let's say I book a cruise...and I know where I keep my birth certificate.

It's in a certain secure but portable place. Being compulsive, I check to make sure it's there. It is.

 

I also have a very expensive jewelry collection.

 

I have a break in....I check the jewelry first...foremost...etc....and other overt valuables.

 

I would never think about the box with my birth certificate because it's of no economic value.

 

So...the day of the cruise comes...and I go to get my birth certificate....and guess what :mad:

 

That's why........

 

Great explanation!!! I was thinking the same thing!!

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  • 3 weeks later...
silvercrikhix

silvercrikhix

Posted
Posted

Hope it worked out well for the OP's family.

Apparently, state/county policies do differ.

In MN, you can go to the County Courthouse in the county you were born in and get a certified (with a raised seal) birth certificate in about 15 minutes.

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travelplus

travelplus

Posted
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I would call your Doctor's Emergency line and see if they can get a copy for you. Or go to the Hospital where the kid had procedures or was born at. Go to the Emergency Room.

 

How about the insurance card of your Grandson?

 

I thought this is why Grandparents are for to store extra copies. My Grandparents had a second original Birth Certificate, Copy of the front page of my passport just in case.

 

One idea is to file a police report and see if you can get a new birth certificate and have a copy faxed/mailed from the Census office. Have a copy of the police report and have the officer call Carnival Cruise Security Office.

 

Find the Home Phone Number of an Elected Representative who can waive the policy.

 

Do you have any connections use them(:

 

Call Carnival and tell them what happened. Tell Carnival that this is out of your control having someone steal Birth Certificates( who is stupid enough to steal kid's Birth Certificates anyways?). Explain how the kids were looking forward to a cruise, you took them out of school. If Carnival won't budge have the kid's pediatrician write a letter saying that they were patients of them since birth etc.

 

Back it up with School ID, Grades from their School any official document such as a copy of their Social Security Number.

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carnivaljunkie

carnivaljunkie

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Thanks to all for the encouragement, good thoughts and advice. Happily, the kids did get on the ship and we all had a wonderful time. It took two hours and several levels of supervision to get permission for them to board. My son in law had printouts from an on line company which obtains and forwards birth certificates that he had ordered and paid for them. The very reluctant supervisor aggreed to let them board if copies were sent directly to him and he could forward them to the ship. It probably helped that the family were all past guests and the supervisor believed the story of the loss and replacements on the way. On the Wednesday after Presidents day the Purser's office notified them that the documents had arrived. It sounded like the cruise line could be fined, big time, if the birth certs had not arrived. We thank all of you who worried about us and the wonderful people at Carnival who went way out of their way to help.

 

Twelve happy cruisers

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