Ladies--marriage license needed to cruise?

[cruisinfanatic]

I always bring my marriage license just in case. I also bring my passport and birth certificate. Yeah so I have a paper trail with me, a little OCD but it makes me feel better lol.

That's sure over kill. You got the passport to eliminate the other stuff.

As long as the passport matches your cruise docs, you will NEVER be asked for anything else.

[cruisinfanatic]

Mainly because it is not needed.

ditto.

I have NEVER heard of anyone being denied boarding because they didn't have a marriage license on them

[so_excited_to_cruise]

Hi all! I will be cruising for the first time in February, on the Pride, and intend to use my birth certificate and driver's license to board the ship. My issue (which I'm sure is one many of you share) is that I've been married twice and the name on my license doesn't match the name on my birth certificate. Do I need to bring my marriage licenses to establish a "paper trail?" Have you been asked for yours when sailing with a birth certificate?

Thanks for your help!

Jenn

We just returned from our second cruise. We do not have pass ports. We use a driver's license and a certified BC. I have never had to have a marriage license nor have they asked for one. The first time we sailed out of Port Canaveral the second time Miami. Both went very smooth.

[taylorray]

I have been married almost 2 years and have a passport that doesn't expire for another 4 years. My husband and I are going on our second cruise in September. Our first cruise was our honeymoon so documentation was no problem. Now that my name has changed I'm wondering what I should do. I was going to renew my passport early and have my married name on it, but now I'm wondering if I could just bring my passport with maiden name and marriage license?

[gsu_paintballer]

No one has ever been denied boarding for having too much documentation.

[Hstergo]

Mainly because it is not needed.

 

Since when is it not needed to prove who you are to board a cruise ship ?

[Warm Breezes]

You have a different last name on your ID and birth certificate and no one looked to at it in 9 cruises ?

 

That is correct. 9 cruises, 3 different cruiselines.

[Hstergo]

That is correct. 9 cruises, 3 different cruiselines.

 

That's odd because I myself have a passport but my family does not and we have been on 6 cruises on 2 different lines and 3 different ports. They where asked to show State ID and birth certificate every single time.

[Rachel302]

I have been married almost 2 years and have a passport that doesn't expire for another 4 years. My husband and I are going on our second cruise in September. Our first cruise was our honeymoon so documentation was no problem. Now that my name has changed I'm wondering what I should do. I was going to renew my passport early and have my married name on it, but now I'm wondering if I could just bring my passport with maiden name and marriage license?

 

Yes this is what I mentioned that I do with 6 years left on mine (8 when we got married). 3 cruises on 3 different cruise lines since our wedding (not including honeymoon where I booked under my maiden name) and I have always been asked for it.

 

I could just book in my maiden name but then it doesn't match my drivers license, credit cards, etc. and for a variety of other reasons I prefer using my married name and just bringing the paper. It's so easy.

[beachbum53]

Hi all! I will be cruising for the first time in February, on the Pride, and intend to use my birth certificate and driver's license to board the ship. My issue (which I'm sure is one many of you share) is that I've been married twice and the name on my license doesn't match the name on my birth certificate. Do I need to bring my marriage licenses to establish a "paper trail?" Have you been asked for yours when sailing with a birth certificate?

Thanks for your help!

Jenn

 

If you feel comfortable bringing extra documentation, that's up to you. As long as the name on your driver's license (or passport) matches the name on your cruise documents, that's all that matters. Odds are you won't be asked for a marriage license. The birth certificate is to show your citizenship (U.S., Canada, etc.) if you don't have a passport.

[Warm Breezes]

That's odd because I myself have a passport but my family does not and we have been on 6 cruises on 2 different lines and 3 different ports. They where asked to show State ID and birth certificate every single time.

 

I was asked to show DL and BC every time...I was never asked for my ML. DL in married name. BC in maiden name. Boarding Docs in married name.

[Hstergo]

If you feel comfortable bringing extra documentation, that's up to you. As long as the name on your driver's license (or passport) matches the name on your cruise documents, that's all that matters. Odds are you won't be asked for a marriage license. The birth certificate is to show your citizenship (U.S., Canada, etc.) if you don't have a passport.

 

That is incorrect.. If the passenger is using an ID instead of a passport on a closed loop cruise he or she must show a state or county issued birth certificate. If those two documents don't have matching names you need something linking them together. Why are people telling others differently. I bet if the OP is denied boarding no one on here would be willing to reimburse her for the money that she lost because of being misinformed .

[cdancer20]

You have enough time to get a passport. With a passport you do not need to worry about other documentation, just make sure your passport name is the name you book with. Have several friends whose passport name is different than their now married name.

 

Most married women's names do not match BC names.

How close is your DL to your BC?

 

Name on BC--Jane Amy Doe

 

DL Name Jane Doe Smith or Jane Amy Smith was good without the ML when SIL and I cruised before we got passports.

 

DL name Jane Smith Jones will need a marriage license.

This is so ridiculous. It seems that either you would need it and they would explicitly say so, or you don't. Having it based only by the person that you end up talking to is stupid. Everyone knows that women change their names when they get married and thus will not match 100% with birth certificate.

 

Therefore, it would seem to make sense and have no issues if Jane Doe Smith or Jane Amy Smith has a birth certificate for Jane Amy Smith that matches birthdate. Jane Smith Jones makes sense.

 

I'm traveling with my mom and sister next month and no clue if they should bring their marriage licenses. I know they should get them just in case but ugh!! Don't know.

[Warm Breezes]

That is incorrect.. If the passenger is using an ID instead of a passport on a closed loop cruise he or she must show a state or county issued birth certificate. If those two documents don't have matching names you need something linking them together. Why are people telling others differently. I bet if the OP is denied boarding no one on here would be willing to reimburse her for the money that she lost because of being misinformed .

 

Like I said before, I have never been asked for my ML in 9 cruises on 3 cruise lines. My DL has always been in my married name, which matched my boarding documents, and my BC has always been in my maiden name, which did not match my boarding documents with the exception of my first and middle name and my birthdate...which is what they verified. Whether you agree with that or not, that has been my experience, which is what the OP asked for.

[LuckyStar]

I have been married almost 2 years and have a passport that doesn't expire for another 4 years. My husband and I are going on our second cruise in September. Our first cruise was our honeymoon so documentation was no problem. Now that my name has changed I'm wondering what I should do. I was going to renew my passport early and have my married name on it, but now I'm wondering if I could just bring my passport with maiden name and marriage license?

 

Why can't you just book the cruise in the name that's on your passport. That's what the verbage when I booked said: your booking name must match your ID. You know you are married, so what if your name is different on a reservation? Seems like a lot of hassle to have to remember and carry all the 'bridge' documents. :D

[matj2000]

You don't need to bring all that massive amounts of information with you.

They will not need nor ask for it...

[Hstergo]

This is so ridiculous. It seems that either you would need it and they would explicitly say so, or you don't. Having it based only by the person that you end up talking to is stupid. Everyone knows that women change their names when they get married and thus will not match 100% with birth certificate.

 

Therefore, it would seem to make sense and have no issues if Jane Doe Smith or Jane Amy Smith has a birth certificate for Jane Amy Smith that matches birthdate. Jane Smith Jones makes sense.

 

I'm traveling with my mom and sister next month and no clue if they should bring their marriage licenses. I know they should get them just in case but ugh!! Don't know.

 

A classic case of over complicating things.

 

Why is it soooo hard to understand ? They have to make sure the person providing the birth certificate is the same person proving they that are a US born citizen.

[JamieNYC]

It sounds like you're outside the window now, but the State Department actually does not charge for a name change on your passport within one year of marriage. Here's the link, for anyone who might benefit from it.

 

the SD does not charge if the original passport was issued less than a year before the name change ... if your passport is over a year old, you do have to pay the fee - I changed my passport 2 1/2 yrs ago ...

[beachbum53]

That is incorrect.. If the passenger is using an ID instead of a passport on a closed loop cruise he or she must show a state or county issued birth certificate. If those two documents don't have matching names you need something linking them together. Why are people telling others differently. I bet if the OP is denied boarding no one on here would be willing to reimburse her for the money that she lost because of being misinformed .

 

We had been on seven cruises before getting our passports. We both had our drivers' licenses and copies of our birth certificates. No marriage license. We've both been married before. At no time, at any port, for any of the ships we had sailed on, had my DW been asked for a marriage license. As I said, as long as the name on your driver's license matches the name on your cruise documents, and you have a birth certificate that proves your citizenship, there will be no problem. I believe the cruise staff working at the counter where you check in have enough common sense to realize that most women do not retain their maiden name when they get married (though a few do), whether you've been married once or more than once. If you believe otherwise, I would suggest you call the cruise line directly for clarification.

[Warm Breezes]

A classic case of over complicating things.

 

Why is it soooo hard to understand ? They have to make sure the person providing the birth certificate is the same person proving they that are a US born citizen.

 

It is hard to understand because that has not been mine or many other cruisers reality. They do check my DL and BC. They look at first/middle names and birth date. They have NEVER verified any of my documents with a ML as you claim they have to do.

[cdancer20]

It is hard to understand because that has not been mine or many other cruisers reality. They do check my DL and BC. They look at first/middle names and birth date. They have NEVER verified any of my documents with a ML as you claim they have to do.

Exactly. This is what I was saying. It seems over complicated to ask a woman for a marriage license when this is a very common name change occurrence. I feel that if it was really required than the cruiselines would spell it out like they do all other required documentation.

[taylorray]

Why can't you just book the cruise in the name that's on your passport. That's what the verbage when I booked said: your booking name must match your ID. You know you are married, so what if your name is different on a reservation? Seems like a lot of hassle to have to remember and carry all the 'bridge' documents. :D

 

Like my post says, I am already booked and have been booked for almost a year now. My plan was to renew my passport so that everything matched.