Cruising With
Kids
Going
to sea with your children, grandchildren, and youngster's friends
by Linda Coffman
"Are we there yet?" Like
many baby boomers, I asked that question from the back of my
parents' station wagon and answered it from the driver's seat of my
own. Some of our happiest family memories are a result of our
travels together.
Car trips can be fun, yet nothing
beats a cruise for hassle-free family enjoyment. It's not uncommon
these days to see several generations embarking together for a
shared adventure to new and out-of-the-way destinations.
While multi-generational cruises
are popular, so are single-parent and grandparent cruises with the
children. It's also not uncommon for parents to invite a teenager's
friend to sail along.
For single (divorced, widowed, or
simply married, but solo) parents, grandparents, or family friends
taking children on a cruise, there is an often overlooked planning
step that can end a vacation before it begins—the permission
letter.
Airlines, cruise lines, and
immigration agents can deny minor children initial boarding or entry
to foreign countries without proper proof of identification and
citizenship and a permission letter from absent or non-custodial
parents.
According to Department of State
Publication 10542: "With the number of international child
custody cases on the rise, several countries have instituted
passport requirements to help prevent child abductions. For example,
Mexico has a law that requires a child traveling alone, or with only
one parent, or in someone else's custody, to carry written,
notarized consent from the absent parent or parents. No
authorization is needed if the child travels alone and is in
possession of a U.S. passport. A child traveling alone with a birth
certificate requires written, notarized authorization from both
parents."
Proof of identification and
citizenship is relatively simple to obtain—either a certified copy
of a birth certificate or passport. The permission letter is a bit
more vexing since most people aren't aware of the necessity to have
it, let alone what it should include.
An attorney could prepare a formal
affidavit, but a simple letter-style document is adequate as long as
it is signed before a notary duly authorized to administer oaths. To
be acceptable, it should include specific details about the trip,
the custodial adult(s), and the child(ren). While no one wants to
think about medical emergencies while on vacation, it is also wise
to include consent for the adult to authorize emergency treatment
for the child in case the need should arise.
Some parents, particularly mothers
who don't share the same last name as their children, take no
chances and also carry a copy of their divorce decree or, in the
case of widows, a death certificate.
After going to all the 'trouble' to
secure proper documentation, it could turn out that no one even asks
for it. Why did you bother? Because if you hadn't, the possibility
exists that your cruise ship may have sailed without you and your
very disappointed family. You may even find that it's easier to get into
a port of call than to leave it with your own child!
For a sample parental consent
letter that can be modified for individual purposes and printed, CLICK
HERE
Family
Cruising, The Basics:
Will your family enjoy a cruise?
Do's
and don'ts & what to know Before
You Go
Photo by Barry
Winiker, courtesy of Carnival
Cruise Line
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