Minor Child with only One Parent
 

Heading out on the 15th from Balitmore with my 12 year old son. My husband is not traveling with us on this cruise. Cruise papers recommend that the absent parent provide a letter giving permission to travel. Just curious if anyone has run across this. My son and I have cruised alone together many times with no problem but for some reason I am parnoid this time.

Just have your husband do a notarized note stating that you have permisson to take your son on the cruise. that should take care of any problem should any arise

You'll probably be fine, but the letter can't hurt. I'd hate to have you show up to board and be turned away :(. There are so many "parent kidnapping's" going on that the cruise line's just need to cover their, umm, backsides ;).

Have a wonderful cruise!

It doesn't say anything about it being notarized although I've read this before. It just says, "When traveling with a minor and both parents/legal guardians are not cruising, we recommend bringing an original signed letter from the absent parent/legal guardian authorizing the minor child to travel with you." I guess I'll do this to be safe. Like Fern says, I would hate to have problems at the pier. I AM SO READY TO GO!!!

I have cruised with my daughters alone and I did need a notorized form from my husband saying that he knew I was talking the girls out of the country. Also, on another cruise I was taking 2 friends of my daughters and I also need a notorized form from their parents saying that they were aware we were leaving the country and giving me authority to make medical decisions. In Canada, they did ask for the form. I found a form on the internet for taking your child out of the country


http://www.freewebs.com/docdiva/Mino...%20Consent.pdf


Hope this helps

Kathy, just curious, what cruise line were you with? I have been on Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norweigan and this has never been a problem. Since the Carnival instructions don't specify notorized, I think I will go with just an original letter. I don't know why I am so concerned about it this year. We have cruised alone the past 4 years with no problem. Thanks for the input!

I cruise at least once a year and often more, with my grandsons, whose last names are not the same as mine. We have been cruising since they were small and one is now 22 and the younger is 17. Before our first cruise the TA told me to get a notarized letter from both their parents, which I did, and I've had one for every cruise since. In all the cruises we have taken since then, I have been asked (RCCL) if I have the form with me, and when I said yes, and offered to show it to them, they said No, that's fine as long as it's with you. Princess cruise lines did the same. Holland America is the only cruise line that asked me to produce the form and they copied it...
I use the form from the Cruise Diva website. In the search box just enter 'permission letter' and it will come right up.

I would add, if this is your own child you do not need it legally. You can travel anywhere with your own
child, this is just a Cruise line thing....

This is not necessarily true. I checked the U.S. State Department website and only looked at Mexico and I found the following:
Mexican law requires that any non-Mexican citizen under the age of 18 departing Mexico must carry notarized written permission from any parent or guardian not traveling with the child to or from Mexico. This permission must include the name of the parent, the name of the child, the name of anyone traveling with the child, and the notarized signature(s) of the absent parent(s).

It may not be checked nor enforced but I would not take the chance. As others have said don't take the chance of being denied boarding.

I have never had a question with a cruise line (mostly Carnival) in taking my son on board, and in one case, his friend as well. However, airport security is the one I'd worry about. They have all the questions and want to see the p roof, so I always traveled with a letter of permission.

donna

Thanks, it is Carnival that I'm cruising with this time and I've never had an issue so I hope that hold true.

It is not the cruise line that requires this it is U.S. Immigration (i.e. U.S. State Department) that requires this.

It is like the spot checks at the airport. You may never be chosen for a spot check but it does happen. You may never be asked for the letter but it is possible.

Avoid any possible hassles, or not being able to take your cruise, and get the notorized letter.

Take care,
Mike

We were on Carnival going to Alaska. I think they were mainly making sure i was not taking the children out of the country and my husband did not know about it. It was around the time there had been several children taken by 1 parent and they had left the country. It has been about 5 years ago.

I was totally in your situation. I had my husband notorize a paper saying I was taking our kids on a cruise...etc. I didn't even need the paper.

I am always making sure to "cover all of my bases" just in case.

HAVE A GREAT TIME ON YOUR TRIP!

I am in the same position as Queen of Diamonds above, I have been traveling with my grandson on land and sea vacations since he was 5 years old and always carry an updated, notarized, permission letter with me regardless of where I travel. Both Carnival and Royal Caribbean have asked me for the letter. Royal Caribbean copied it and Carnival just checked to make sure I had it. If there is a medical emergency involving your child or grandchild, the letter is sufficient authorization to allow you to make immediate decisions regarding treatment. My bank offers notary services free to bank customers and so does AAA Travel.

Just an update. Got back from my cruise today and no one asked any questions and no paper was needed.

cruise with 2 minor kids
 

I just got back from a carnival cruise with my 6 and 8 year old kids. I did not bring a letter from my ex-husband (as he would not supply one, just to "hurt" me) I had not troubles boarding the ship. I handed my passport and their birth certificates and off we went. No one asked for a thing. Its not needed on a cruise that begins and ends at the same port.:p

You were not asked to show it, but I have had clients that were asked to show the document on a "closed loop" sailing. That info you are stating is not correct regarding not being "necessary" for a closed loop cruise.

Bottom line, some will be asked and others may not....depends on how tight security, immigration, customs, etc is at any given time......Don't leave home without it when sailing on a cruise is the "safest advice" just in case you are asked for it !

And for those who may elect to bring a consent form:

CONSENT FOR MINOR CHILDREN TO TRAVEL

Date:_____________________

I (we):_____________________________________________ _________________
authorize my/our minor child(ren):_______________________________________ ____
to travel to:_________________________________ on:_________________________
aboard Airline/Flight Number:________________________________________
and/or Cruise Ship:_____________________________________________ with:
__________________________________________________ __________. Their expected
date of return is _______________________.
In addition, I (we) authorize:______________________________________ to consent
to any necessary routine or emergency medical treatment during the aforementioned trip.

Signed:_________________________________ (Parent)
Signed:_________________________________ (Parent)

Address:________________________________________
_______________________________________________

Telephone:______________________________________

Sworn to and signed before me, a Notary Public,

this _______ day of _______________, 20____
________________________________________
Notary Public Signature and Seal

Again, better to be safe than sorry... .

I've come across this too. At one point it was all too easy for parents to take their children on cruises and not come back during a custody dispute. It's a sad state of affairs, but I think the requirement is for the best.

Strangely, even though I have my wife fill out the required forms, I've never been asked to produce them.

Once when I was cruising with Patty (Some of you know Patty) I had to secure a letter from her public guardian to take her out of the USA with me. She is a ward of the State of NH. Since he had known of the cruise from the beginning he was more than happy to provide the letter.

Laura

You want to know the bottom line...

Just get a notorized letter..Is it worth the chance that you don't get it notorized, and you are about to board when the agent at the pier say's "Just one more item before you board, I would like to make a copy of your notorized letter authorizing your son to travel with you from his father"...Ooooopppsss.

And here is what DHS has on their website. No mention of notarization.

Travel Overseas | Homeland Security

Just returned from the Breeze with our 9 &14year old granddaughters. Had all the notorized papers but no one ever asked about it. Not the TSA, airline or at cruise checkin.Makes one think how easy it is to take a child out of the country.