Passports for Loop Cruise

[Mrs. Thomas]

I am planning a family cruise that will take us to St. Maarten. Do you need a passport to get off the ship there? I went 10 years ago and we didn't need one, but everywhere I look it says I do. Have things changed? TIA

[OCSC Mike]

11 minutes ago, Mrs. Thomas said:

I am planning a family cruise that will take us to St. Maarten. Do you need a passport to get off the ship there? I went 10 years ago and we didn't need one, but everywhere I look it says I do. Have things changed? TIA

No, you can still sail a closed loop cruise with an official birth certificate and driver's license/state ID and get off in St. Martin.

[Mrs. Thomas]

@OCSC Mike Thank you so much! This is to be a surprise birthday trip for our daughter and, due to custody issues, I am unable to get her a passport. Her last name is different than mine so I'll have to take her BC. Will I need my marriage certificate too since my name on the BC was my maiden name?

[OCSC Mike]

45 minutes ago, Mrs. Thomas said:

Will I need my marriage certificate too since my name on the BC was my maiden name?

I believe so, yes. If no one else chimes in, or even if they do, by all means call RC to verify. That said, no harm in bringing anything and everything just in case.

[PL8SWPR]

"Should the last names of the parent and minor child traveling with them differ, the parent is required to present the child's valid passport and visa (if required) and the child's birth certificate (original, a notarized copy or a certified copy). The name of the parent(s) and the child must be linked through legal documentation."

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/what-family-legal-documents-do-i-need-to-board

[WAAAYTOOO]

If there is a custody complication involved, be sure and obtain notarized permission

[Xaa]

I understand you can't get a passport for your daughter, but you can get one for yourself @Mrs. Thomas.  We all know the reasons why, but this week, another blogger had a story of two women who were in Cozumel.  They rented scooters and were hit by another vehicle.  They landed in the hospital and missed the ship.  One of the women didn't have insurance and was pretty much asked to leave the hospital with her broken arm in just a sling.  Both were traveling on Birth Certificates and now have to visit a US Embassy to gain documentation to return to the US.

My wife, who hates cruise youtubes, looked over and said "This would be so much easier for them if they had passports and travel insurance"  I was so proud of her.

[Mrs. Thomas]

@Xaa I will definitely look into it as I want to go to some places in the future that I need one. Once she turns 16 I hope to get her one so we can travel together.

@WAAAYTOOO The custody issue, to be completely transparent, is that there isn't a set custody determination. We never went to court for it because he has had zero contact since she was 2. I don't even know where he is or how to contact him. This makes it impossible to get the proper documents signed. I've looked into getting full custody but it's more money than I have right now.

@PL8SWPR My plan is to take both her birth certificate and my marriage license. I will be double checking all of this with my TA too. 

[Atlantix2000]

1 hour ago, Mrs. Thomas said:

The custody issue, to be completely transparent, is that there isn't a set custody determination. We never went to court for it because he has had zero contact since she was 2. I don't even know where he is or how to contact him. This makes it impossible to get the proper documents signed. I've looked into getting full custody but it's more money than I have right now.

My plan is to take both her birth certificate and my marriage license. I will be double checking all of this with my TA too. 

Best of luck to you.  With different last names, showing the marriage license to connect them will usually be enough.  However, please be aware that they COULD ask more questions and if they do, the lack of custody or signed permission documents would be a reason to deny boarding.  It is a risk you will be taking anytime you leave the country while she is a minor (even if she has a passport).

[Mrs. Thomas]

On 9/18/2023 at 2:36 PM, Atlantix2000 said:

Best of luck to you.  With different last names, showing the marriage license to connect them will usually be enough.  However, please be aware that they COULD ask more questions and if they do, the lack of custody or signed permission documents would be a reason to deny boarding.  It is a risk you will be taking anytime you leave the country while she is a minor (even if she has a passport).

@Atlantix2000 I talked to my TA and she is double checking with RC. I will be taking my own BC as well as my daughters and my marriage certificate. It will show that she is my daughter. I'm still looking into other avenues as we have a little over a year before we leave. If she were to get a passport, it would prove that there isn't a problem due to custody because you have to have the other parent's permission before a minor child can get one. However, I don't know his whereabouts so that isn't a thing I can do.

[TXcruzer]

4 minutes ago, Mrs. Thomas said:

@Atlantix2000 I talked to my TA and she is double checking with RC. I will be taking my own BC as well as my daughters and my marriage certificate. It will show that she is my daughter. I'm still looking into other avenues as we have a little over a year before we leave. If she were to get a passport, it would prove that there isn't a problem due to custody because you have to have the other parent's permission before a minor child can get one. However, I don't know his whereabouts so that isn't a thing I can do.

Don’t make that assumption. 
 

Even with a passport; it is not unheard of for single parents to be scrutinized if taking a child out of the country. 

[FireFishII]

Have you tried Googling the father's name.  It is amazing what you can find on the web.  

[Atlantix2000]

2 hours ago, Mrs. Thomas said:

@Atlantix2000 I talked to my TA and she is double checking with RC. I will be taking my own BC as well as my daughters and my marriage certificate. It will show that she is my daughter. I'm still looking into other avenues as we have a little over a year before we leave. If she were to get a passport, it would prove that there isn't a problem due to custody because you have to have the other parent's permission before a minor child can get one. However, I don't know his whereabouts so that isn't a thing I can do.

No matter what Royal says about it being OK, they do NOT have the final say.  If the port employees (who do NOT work for Royal) decide they need proof you have permission to take your child out of the country, you must have it or they will deny boarding.  Admittedly, a very high % of people in your situation will not get questioned but if you are unlucky, missing the cruise is a very expensive mistake.

There are many people in your situation who have no way to contact a missing parent to obtain permission.  There are ways to deal with this but there will be a cost.  From previous posts, it seems you've already looked into what it takes to officially get full custody.  Only you can decide if you are willing to risk having a surprise birthday trip get canceled.

[Mrs. Thomas]

3 hours ago, FireFishII said:

Have you tried Googling the father's name.  It is amazing what you can find on the web.  

I have, but I know things have changed a little. I have time to look into things and see what can be done. 

@Atlantix2000 I'm a very thorough person and will make sure that everything will be ok before we get down there. I have a little more than a year to get this done. I'm going to have faith that in time it will work itself out. If I'm lucky, he'll turn up out of nowhere and I can do things a little easier.

[Mrs. Thomas]

UPDATE: I called RC and they said that I will be just fine with the documentation that I have. This saves me a few thousand dollars on a lawyer and going to court. Thank you to everyone for your input. It helps to know that there is one less thing I have to pay for to get ready for this. Life keeps moving and there are always bills, but sometimes you have to make a few sacrifices to enjoy the limited time we all have on this earth to spend it with those we love. Safe travels everyone!

[need2cruz]

I've traveled with minors with different last names than mine and have never had a problem boarding.  Never have I been asked for marriage certificates or my birth certificate.  I have a passport, and all our minor children, don't.   I only bring their birth certificates.  Once the child is 16, they need a photo ID and birth certificate.  I'm sure this has to be a pretty common thing.

[Mrs. Thomas]

@need2cruz I don't have a passport, though I'm seriously thinking about getting one. However, I'm taking the marriage certificate to show that my maiden name is the same as what is on my daughter's birth certificate. I would rather have too many documents than not enough. No big deal for me. I'm truly looking forward to FINALLY getting to cruise again!

[MorganH]

My husband and I cruise with our two youngest kids and they are mine from a previous marriage. We all have passports and have never been asked for any additional information. This is until our last cruise on Allure this summer. The gentleman checking us in noticed the different last names and asked us about it. I always carry their birth certificates and my marriage license. Early on I also carried a notarized letter signed by their dad acknowledging the kids were traveling with us. The kids are now 15 and stopped getting a new letter years back. The gentleman called over their supervisor, looked over our documentation, and asked the kids their relationship to my husband (their step dad) and me. 
 

They both apologized for the extra questions. I told them we were happy they were making sure everything was done properly. 

[Mrs. Thomas]

On 11/2/2023 at 6:27 PM, MorganH said:

My husband and I cruise with our two youngest kids and they are mine from a previous marriage. We all have passports and have never been asked for any additional information. This is until our last cruise on Allure this summer. The gentleman checking us in noticed the different last names and asked us about it. I always carry their birth certificates and my marriage license. Early on I also carried a notarized letter signed by their dad acknowledging the kids were traveling with us. The kids are now 15 and stopped getting a new letter years back. The gentleman called over their supervisor, looked over our documentation, and asked the kids their relationship to my husband (their step dad) and me. 
 

They both apologized for the extra questions. I told them we were happy they were making sure everything was done properly. 

My issue is that there wouldn't be a letter from her biological father because he isn't in the picture at all. He hasn't seen her in 12 years at this point. I'm glad to hear that it shouldn't be a problem. Right now (thanks to the economy) I'm saving up for that deposit. lol

 

[Ryan79]

My stepson has a different last name than myself, my wife and my biological son. We have NEVER needed more than just his birth certificate, however we do take my marriage certificate with his mother with us just to link the last names. We have yet to be asked for this

[Colombia20102018]

I haven’t seen anyone mentioning this so I will throw it in just in case. St. Martin is a two country island. One half is French, the other Dutch. While in theory you can cross freely from one side to the other, one might be aware that regulations might be different. 

[Mrs. Thomas]

@Colombia20102018 Yes, I knew that it is a two country island. However, I don't plan on doing anything that day except sitting on the beach not too far from the port. It was one of my favorite places when we went on our honeymoon. It's a wonderful place to just that too.