daughter disembarking without parent??

[jimandami]

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone has experience with this situation. My 14 year-old daughter and I are cruising on the Wish with another family, but in separate staterooms. Upon disembarking, I am flying home but she is traveling with them to Vero Beach for a day or two. My flight is pretty early out of MCO so I was planning to self-carry and get off the ship as soon as possible, while they can take their time. I did fill out the form allowing her to get off the ship with them when I did online check-in, but I wanted to make sure there would not be an issue going through customs?

 

[Mommb]

The form you filled out for DCL may suffice, but it would be a good idea to provide a signed letter to the other family giving explicit permission to the adults to take her off of the ship and to Vero Beach. That way it will be available to show to the TScustoms agents if requested.

 

[Calantha]

I did fill out the form allowing her to get off the ship with them when I did online check-in, but I wanted to make sure there would not be an issue going through customs?

but it would be a good idea to provide a signed letter to the other family giving explicit permission to the adults to take her off of the ship and to Vero Beach.

Personal experience here: DS (now 8) and I have different last names. I travel without DH a lot since he likes a 'stay-cation'. We have passports.

Most of the time, the agents are super nice and don't pay any attention to names. However, in July last year, the Agent basically threw a fit that I didn't have other documentation to say that he was my son. I'm standing there in line trying to get off the boat, trying to reach DH. Thankfully, I did have other family in the other line who does have the same last name as him, and I offered to call them over. He said no, but next time I had better have his birth certificate too.

I was pretty furious, but I now have a photo of the birth certificate in case it comes up again.

Long story short, have the letter, just in case.

 

[nancipants]

Personal experience here: DS (now 8) and I have different last names. I travel without DH a lot since he likes a 'stay-cation'. We have passports.

Most of the time, the agents are super nice and don't pay any attention to names. However, in July last year, the Agent basically threw a fit that I didn't have other documentation to say that he was my son. I'm standing there in line trying to get off the boat, trying to reach DH. Thankfully, I did have other family in the other line who does have the same last name as him, and I offered to call them over. He said no, but next time I had better have his birth certificate too.

I was pretty furious, but I now have a photo of the birth certificate in case it comes up again.

Long story short, have the letter, just in case.

UGH, not looking forward to this whenever my son and I travel together.

 

[Calantha]

UGH, not looking forward to this whenever my son and I travel together.

Honestly, that's the only time it has happened in 8 years. We flew a lot before the pandemic and we just went on the Wish in January. I was flabbergasted, so many moms/kids have different last names.

His excuse was "kidnapping." But I could still be kidnapping him with the birth certificate. This is why we got the passports.

Also, I know I would need a letter if we ever went to Canada, etc. (But they require it anyway, regardless of last names).

This was a closed-loop cruise!!!

 

[Clarkson U]

UGH, not looking forward to this whenever my son and I travel together.

Whatever letter you get I would get it notarized as well

 

[Atlantix2000]

His excuse was "kidnapping." But I could still be kidnapping him with the birth certificate. This is why we got the passports.

Passports prove identity and citizenship, but they do not show a relationship. The birth certificate establishes parenthood. But even that isn't always enough because a single parent could be kidnapping their child or taking them out of the country without permission of the other parent. Therefore, it is also recommended to have a notarized letter from the other parent (or death certificate, or divorce decree showing who has custody, etc, as appropriate). Yeah, it can be complicated and annoying but better to have documentation you don't need than the other way around.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

I thought everyone in the same stateroom had to disembark together. Is that not true?

 

[auntlynne]

 

[scrappinginontario]

I thought everyone in the same stateroom had to disembark together. Is that not true?

Definitely not. On our cruise last week my 14 was ‘done’ after our excursion. I took her back to the ship then turned around and disembarked on my own to do some shopping in the port area. It was fun to look up and wave to her on our verandah!

My take: just get off the ship together. There is not a real “at your leisure“ disembarkation. They want everyone off the ship! And leaving the others to deal with any possible issues is not necessarily worth doing breakfast in Cabanas v. MDR.

There is no need to do this. DCL has a form onboard that a parent can sign each time a child is disembarking without them. They announce it at every excursion meeting.

There is no need for the entire party of OP to miss breakfast or rush due to their earlier flight.

 

[happycamper47]

Definitely not. On our cruise last week my 14 was ‘done’ after our excursion. I took her back to the ship then turned around and disembarked on my own to do some shopping in the port area. It was fun to look up and wave to her on our verandah!

There is no need to do this. DCL has a form onboard that a parent can sign each time a child is disembarking without them. They announce it at every excursion meeting.

But that was not at the end of the cruise. I think there is a big difference.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

Definitely not. On our cruise last week my 14 was ‘done’ after our excursion. I took her back to the ship then turned around and disembarked on my own to do some shopping in the port area. It was fun to look up and wave to her on our verandah!

There is no need to do this. DCL has a form onboard that a parent can sign each time a child is disembarking without them. They announce it at every excursion meeting.

There is no need for the entire party of OP to miss breakfast or rush due to their earlier flight.

I meant at the end of the cruise. We were separated by a few people in line, thinking we just each scanned our card on the way off, but the CM asked for all of us to get together.