Bringing a Friend

becca-becca

DIS Veteran
Joined
Dec 18, 2005
Is one able to bring one of their children's friends with them? My DS age 15 has a friend he would like to bring (also age 15), but I did not know if you were allowed to do that with customs and getting on a boat if the parents or legal guardians were not with you. Does anyone have any experience with this?
 
Sure. The documents his parents need to complete are in the paperwork you'll get from Disney.

I'd recommend you require him to have a passport. So much easier.

Nancy
 
My experience is from a Canadian perspective but hopefully it will be helpful to you.

I have often travelled to the US with my niece. I go to the Canadian customs site and search for information about travelling with a minor. One of the options is a letter that can be completed to take the child out of Canada. My brother completed and signed this letter each time I travelled with my niece. I kept it with me each time I crossed the border.

I'm guessing something similar would be used in the US and displayed if questioned. (I have only once been asked to provide the letter of proof at the border)

Cruising is new to me though so it may be a little different. Since another thread is saying that a child only needs to have their KTTW card scanned to get on and off the ship I'm guessing you would need to provide the letter granting permission to travel with the child at the original check-in.

Hopefully someone with specific experience can help you more.
 
D niece travelled with us on our Alaskan trip. We had a notarized letter signed by both parents stating she would be in traveling under our supervision during the specified timeframe and would include air, bus, automobile travel as well as transportation on the ship. We also stated that this trip would involve travel between the US and Canada. We also carried a copy of her health insurance information as well as their contact information.

We didn't have any issues.
 


DCL requires their form signed by a parent. DCL's form is on the website and in the documents they will send you.

I required the kids to have passports, a letter authorizing me to make any medical or legal decisions while traveling, and travel insurance.
 
I'm bringing my son's friend in August. He turns 18 on the day the cruise starts. Do I still need to bring any forms or is he now considered an adult?

This is an alaskan cruise.
 
slg said:
I'm bringing my son's friend in August. He turns 18 on the day the cruise starts. Do I still need to bring any forms or is he now considered an adult?

This is an alaskan cruise.

If he is eighteen when he boards the ship, then he is an adult. If he turns eighteen the next day, then he begins as a minor and you will need the letter.
 


My experience is from a Canadian perspective but hopefully it will be helpful to you.

I have often travelled to the US with my niece. I go to the Canadian customs site and search for information about travelling with a minor. One of the options is a letter that can be completed to take the child out of Canada. My brother completed and signed this letter each time I travelled with my niece. I kept it with me each time I crossed the border.

I'm guessing something similar would be used in the US and displayed if questioned. (I have only once been asked to provide the letter of proof at the border)

Cruising is new to me though so it may be a little different. Since another thread is saying that a child only needs to have their KTTW card scanned to get on and off the ship I'm guessing you would need to provide the letter granting permission to travel with the child at the original check-in.

Hopefully someone with specific experience can help you more.


I am travelling with my daughter (who will be 16 at the time) on the Med cruise in August. I read somewhere that a parent travelling alone with a minor needed a notarized consent letter from the other parent. My husband will not be cruising with us this summer, and I will be visiting Paris and Vienna before the cruise. Should I get one? Does it have to be notarized if my daughter is 16 and I am her mom who is still married to her dad?

Thanks and have fun planning!:goodvibes
 
Normally DCL requires nothing as this is YOUR child. The only exception would be if any of the countries you are visiting have special requirements.

It never hurts to have a letter from the absent parent, but it is not required.
 
I'm bringing my son's friend in August. He turns 18 on the day the cruise starts. Do I still need to bring any forms or is he now considered an adult?

This is an alaskan cruise.

A little OT from the subject of parental permission...but I assume you know that at 18 the friend will NOT be allowed access to the kids clubs even if your son is still a minor. DCL will not bend the "no adult" rules even for Vibe. If your son is also at least 18, then no issue as they'll both be able to access the adult areas together.

Enjoy your cruise!
 
Normally DCL requires nothing as this is YOUR child. The only exception would be if any of the countries you are visiting have special requirements.

It never hurts to have a letter from the absent parent, but it is not required.

Most countries require nothing but a passport. Since both parents must agree to the passport, the assumption is that any travel is approved. (I do know a divorced couple whose children's passports are held by an appointee of the court and any time either needs to travel, they must seek court permission. Lovely family, right?)

When Canada and Mexico didn't require passports, those were the two countries that required the notarized letters. Many abductions, even by other relatives, over the borders. Now Mexico doesn't care at all, and Canada is a little looser and usually will accept just the passport, but of course it is the 'usually' you have to worry about.

When my daughter was younger, I carried a copy of her birth certificate and even her old Chinese passport with me even when I flew domestically. I had no ID for her, she didn't look like me, she couldn't explain to anyone who she was or who I was. Never asked for it. She's since been to Mexico with my brother (same last name), China, on a cruise, and flown domestically all over - never questioned.

My other daughter is traveling to Paris on a school trip. I haven't been asked for anything except her passport.

Nancy
 
becca-becca said:
Is one able to bring one of their children's friends with them? My DS age 15 has a friend he would like to bring (also age 15), but I did not know if you were allowed to do that with customs and getting on a boat if the parents or legal guardians were not with you. Does anyone have any experience with this?

I just did this a week ago. My DD brought her friend. We had the notarized letter/permission slip Disney requested. They photocopied the note and handed it back. She only traveled with her original BC. I did have to fill out a separate custom form. But the customs guy didn't question anything. I think he asked her what her birthdate was. But he asked the same question to my daughter.
 
AngelDisney said:
I am travelling with my daughter (who will be 16 at the time) on the Med cruise in August. I read somewhere that a parent travelling alone with a minor needed a notarized consent letter from the other parent. My husband will not be cruising with us this summer, and I will be visiting Paris and Vienna before the cruise. Should I get one? Does it have to be notarized if my daughter is 16 and I am her mom who is still married to her dad?

Thanks and have fun planning!:goodvibes

I didn't need anything from my husband when I flew and cruised with my DD. I travel a lot with my kids and not with my husband and I've never been questioned. The same goes for crossing the bridge into Canada. Never questioned about permission from the other parent.
 
Is one able to bring one of their children's friends with them? My DS age 15 has a friend he would like to bring (also age 15), but I did not know if you were allowed to do that with customs and getting on a boat if the parents or legal guardians were not with you. Does anyone have any experience with this?

My DS 14 brought a friend last year. We just had his parents sign the release form stating we were able to take him. We did make sure the child had a passport in case anything happened, we knew it would be hard to fly back from an island unless he had the passport. Very simple and the kids had a blast.
 
We are bringing my DD's BFF on our Fantasy cruise this June. We already knew the child had a passport so we will just need to get the slip signed by the parents giving us permission to take her. I also plan to get a medical waiver and a copy of her medical insurance info to take with us.
 
Most countries require nothing but a passport. Since both parents must agree to the passport, the assumption is that any travel is approved.

This is not universally true. I recently completed a (Canadian) passport application for my son, and participation of both parents was "requested" but not necessarily required. Specifically, the form says this:

"Both parents are requested to participate in obtaining passport services for their child and to sign the application form. The other parent may be contacted."

Note "requested" and "may".

The application also says this, under the heading of "Documentation to Facilitate Travel Abroad":

The following documents may be required to support the entry of a child to another country:
  • Birth certificate showing the names of both parents.
  • Documents pertaining to custody.
  • If the child is travelling with one parent, a letter signed and dated from the other parent authorizing travel (letter may have to be notarized).

Not trying to dispute your knowledge of the US rules, but it's interesting that customs agencies in general would base policy on assumptions that may or may not be correct, depending on the issuing country.

Personally, I'd probably carry a signed letter. I don't imagine I'd bother getting it notarized, since the likelihood of even being asked for it is low. But a signed letter costs nothing, and if I *was* asked, it would probably at least be better than nothing. And like you said, it's the "usually" that you have to worry about. ;)
 
If he is eighteen when he boards the ship, then he is an adult. If he turns eighteen the next day, then he begins as a minor and you will need the letter.

Legally, he will be a minor when he boards, and hence needs the corresponding permission letters to pass thru customs.

Once on board however, he is considered an adult. He will NOT be able to participate in the teen clubs.
 
He turns 18 the day the cruise starts which is August 19, so then I assume we'll be fine.

I know he can't go to the teens club, that's why I'm bringing him as my son turns 18 on August 14, so he can't go to the club either and I want him to have a friend to hang out with.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!








Top