Multiple minors traveling with one adult. Required to have passports?

[kitkat343]

2 hours ago, donaldsc said:

There is a good reason for that rule.  While you may be able to get onto a ship  and then return back to the US w/o a passport, you can not fly back to the US w/o one.  What if the kid w the passport has a medical emergency and has to fly back to the US w you.  The kid w/o the passport will not be allowed to get onto the plane w you and you can not leave a minor child alone in a foreign port. Also what the sole adult (you) has a medical emergency.  The same problem occurs.  

 

What will happen probably is that none of you will b e allowed to board the ship.

 

DON

Right.  For a minor's passport, both parents are required to be present in the US and apply in person.  It's  a huge pita, but necessary to prevent trafficking or one parent taking a child away in the middle of a divorce.  If there's a emergency and both parents are in Mexico with the child, I assume a passport can be issued but I have no idea if a passport can be issued to a minor child without either parent present.  I hope it all works out for you, and agree your son won't be much company without his gf  

[cr8tiv1]

Time to start formulating plan B.

 

The general consensus has been that GF will not be able to get on this cruise without a passport.  Obtaining a passport this late in the game doesn’t seem like it will be issued.

 

So what’s next?  Insurance may cover you and your son under cancel for any reason (except for lack of travel documents).  You both have passports.  Cancel for a different reason and request Future Cruise Credit?

 

Time to move on to the next step.  I’ve heard of passengers making appointments for emergency passports.  Made appointment, walked in and out with one in hand.  Someone just told me about this happening….can’t recall who it was.  

Good luck

 

https://affinitytravelcert.com/document/pdfs/PCT_Plt_Landing.html

Edited May 19, 2023 by cr8tiv1

[1965]

10 hours ago, memoak said:

The son appears to have a passport it is the friend that doesn’t. They would not necessarily have travel alone. 

In #7 the op says the kids may stay home & she may have to travel alone. Could be the son won't go w/o the gf. 🤷‍♀️

[Abercrombie2019]

If the son uses "cancel for any reason", will the OP have to pay the single supplement?

[flutprop]

1 hour ago, 1965 said:

In #7 the op says the kids may stay home & she may have to travel alone. Could be the son won't go w/o the gf. 🤷‍♀️

He would go if I made him. I just don't think he would be great company since we have been looking forward to the trip together. I am pretty sure he would be welcomed to stay with GF family for the week.

[ldubs]

12 hours ago, flutprop said:

They moved to Florida last summer. So no longer in his district.

 

The parents will be driving all of us down to FLL from Orlando. I can't imagine forcing my son to sail without the GF if she is turned away. He would not be good company for the week.

 

OK, the parents should consider contacting their congressperson's office and request help.  Worse case is a wasted phone call.  

[capriccio]

13 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

OK, the parents should consider contacting their congressperson's office and request help.  Worse case is a wasted phone call.  

 

They can help by exerting some pressure if the paperwork has been submitted but that doesn't seem to be the case.  Tomorrow is day 14 before the cruise, the parents of the GF should be on the phone at 10 am to make an appointment:

 

• Make an appointment by calling 1-877-487-2778 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Mondays through Fridays, or on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Our appointment line is closed on federal holidays. We do not charge a fee to make appointments.
• If you have not yet applied, you must be traveling internationally within 14 calendar days. If you have already applied, you must be traveling internationally within 5 calendar days. 
• Be able to show printed proof of international travel (such as your flight itinerary, hotel reservation, cruise tickets, or international car insurance).
• Pay the $60 expedite fee in addition to the regular application fees.
• Note: your appointment must be within 14 calendar days of your international travel if you have not yet applied, or 5 calendar days if you have already applied. If you need a foreign visa, the date of your appointment must be within 28 calendar days of your international travel.

[cr8tiv1]

@capriccio has outlined the best step to take TODAY. 

Clarifications:  

GF has not yet applied for a passport?

Son will/will not go?  

Cancel for any reason covers this particular situation?

 

I'm sorry that this cruise isn't working out the way you had hoped.  Seems like it was a really nice gesture.

[TheMoe]

On 5/18/2023 at 2:39 AM, flutprop said:

I am traveling with my 15yo son and his 15yo girlfriend in June. We booked the (closed-loop) Princess cruise to the Caribbean about a week prior to final payment. My son and I have passports, but his girlfriend does not. I had told the mother that she would only need her original birth certificate, which they had.  When I signed into the Medallion app to complete all the documentation in April, I got a pop-up that because there was only one adult with multiple minors, all passengers would be required to have passports. 

I understand the reasoning for this. The family has been trying to get a passport and was told it would take a few months. The most recent conversation they had with the passport processing center was they could get an appointment for a same day passport, but it could be at any location in the US. The current appointment offered was Hawaii!

So both parents will be coming to check in with me with only the birth certificate and hope she can get on the ship. I really hope the kids will not be disappointed.  Does anyone have any experience with this?

Make sure you have notorized permission for them to travel with you and a notorized medical form giving you the right to seek medical care and make decisions in an emergency.  The can walk-in to any Passport Issueing Office and get it within 2-hours on the spot.  I got mine in Miami before a flight to Europe, which is an example that her parents can go to any office.  Just because her parents go with you to check-in doesn't mean they will let her board if they state all minors need passports. Passports are needed to RETURN to the US and not leave the US.  If any of you should break a leg and/or need hospital care and/or miss the ship in a port, you can't return to the US without a Passport. You would then be forced to contact a US Embassy to obtain one, which can take several days, leaving you with added hotel expenses.  Be smart and get the passport.  No judgement, but traveling with 15-year old boyfriend and girlfriend is playing with fire. You can't watch them all the time. 

[memoak]

59 minutes ago, TheMoe said:

Make sure you have notorized permission for them to travel with you and a notorized medical form giving you the right to seek medical care and make decisions in an emergency.  The can walk-in to any Passport Issueing Office and get it within 2-hours on the spot.  I got mine in Miami before a flight to Europe, which is an example that her parents can go to any office.  Just because her parents go with you to check-in doesn't mean they will let her board if they state all minors need passports. Passports are needed to RETURN to the US and not leave the US.  If any of you should break a leg and/or need hospital care and/or miss the ship in a port, you can't return to the US without a Passport. You would then be forced to contact a US Embassy to obtain one, which can take several days, leaving you with added hotel expenses.  Be smart and get the passport.  No judgement, but traveling with 15-year old boyfriend and girlfriend is playing with fire. You can't watch them all the time. 

You can’t watch teenagers all the time on land either. Do you not trust teenagers. Sounds like helicopter parenting to me

[beg3yrs]

2 hours ago, TheMoe said:

....  No judgement, but traveling with 15-year old boyfriend and girlfriend is playing with fire. You can't watch them all the time. 

 

1 hour ago, memoak said:

You can’t watch teenagers all the time on land either. Do you not trust teenagers. Sounds like helicopter parenting to me

Wow! I was wondering how long it would take before the conversation devolved to this. Thirty four posts. Longer than I expected.

[memoak]

1 hour ago, beg3yrs said:

 

Wow! I was wondering how long it would take before the conversation devolved to this. Thirty four posts. Longer than I expected.

I think everyone is much safer with the son being with ac15 year old he and dad know rather than meeting. a 17 year old girl you never saw before. I know from experience 

[TheMoe]

5 hours ago, beg3yrs said:

 

Wow! I was wondering how long it would take before the conversation devolved to this. Thirty four posts. Longer than I expected.

 

5 hours ago, beg3yrs said:

 

Wow! I was wondering how long it would take before the conversation devolved to this. Thirty four posts. Longer than I expected.

It's true that we can't watch our kids on land either. I'm not a helicopter parent, but why make it so easy for them at 15 to make a life altering choice. Put a 15 year old boy and girl together all the time and you are opening pandoras box because they will do what feels good and comes naturally. I took my son and his friend at 15 year sold on a cruise and I came back to our cabin unexpectedly and found 2 girls hiding in the bathroom. I'm simply stating that they will do what comes naturally. 

[charliedalrymple]

On one of our cruises, they came on the loudspeakers at about 2:30 a.m. and woke everyone up because a 14-year-old girl was missing. It turns out she had hooked up with a 17-year-old boy that evening. They had stolen some liquor from one of the bars and were together in his cabin (which his parents had purchased for him alone).  I would imagine that the rest of the cruise was not much fun for either set of parents.  

[arizonaperson]

@flutprop

were you able to take your cruise as planned ? Just curious on the passport issue.

[flutprop]

51 minutes ago, arizonaperson said:

@flutprop

were you able to take your cruise as planned ? Just curious on the passport issue.

Yes, we were able to sail. They didn't even question the lack of a passport. Her BC was enough. Goes to show the rule is not well known to any Princess staff. 

 

We also asked about a parental consent form and the ship said no need, but when we were in our cabin after boarding the Director of Guest Services came and asked for one. So a bit of miscommunication there. The parents has a copy and we're able to text a photo of it and their DL and ship was happy.

 

We had a great trip.

[arizonaperson]

@flutprop

great, I am glad to hear it all worked out to sail. 

[DebJ14]

On 5/18/2023 at 7:21 AM, flutprop said:

They have. They were told they could only get an appointment for Hawaii. They live in Florida. So both parents and the girl would have to fly to Hawaii for an appointment. Not going to happen.  14 days prior to sailing is Saturday, so going to try calling then. I don't know the parents work schedules and whether they all have a weekday off to do this. 

The kids may end up staying home and I get a vacation alone. Time will tell.

They should contact their Congressman.  Ours sends out a weekly newsletter and says if anyone needs help getting a passport issued to please contact the Congressman's local office and the staff will assist you in getting appointments or if you have already applied, they can somehow speed up the process.