Has anyone been turned away because they didn't have their birth certificate?

[goin2dzny]

Just curious... can't imagine getting to the port... and can not find your birth certificate. Surely, it happens... just wonder what they do?

Leaving in less than 24 hrs!!!

 

[Michelle]

Not me personally, but I have heard of people who were denied boarding due to improper documentation. It happens.

 

[mom2tiggers]

This happened to me! My first cruise, I had our birth certificates & other documentation in my carry-on bag. At the last minute I decided to give the carry on bag to the luggage handlers in the parking lot (I *never* do this). We got to the port early & I didn't even think about it until we went to check-in & they asked for our b.c.! I thought I was in a major bind. The woman behind the counter said, "Oh no problem" & had me fill out some kind of form for each of us in our party. It was really no big deal at all.

 

[Michelle]

Prior to 9/11 there were concessions made for those who forgot documents or did not have the proper documetns. Post-9/11 they are MUCH stricter about the documentation and I do know of people who were denied boarding because they did not have the proper documentation.

 

[RellingTwin]

It happened to me this past Sept.. I had 2 of mine and none for DH!!I was in a PANIC!!! They ask DH to fill out a form saying he was a US citizen and allowed him to board. They did warn me this would not be allowed for much longer.
Lesson learned: Double check all docs before leaving home. I spent a very stressful hour waiting to check in before finding out we would be allowed to board.

 

[mom2tiggers]

Originally posted by WebmasterMichelle
Prior to 9/11 there were concessions made for those who forgot documents or did not have the proper documetns. Post-9/11 they are MUCH stricter about the documentation and I do know of people who were denied boarding because they did not have the proper documentation.

The trip I was referring to was in Jan. 2002 - post 9/11. However, it sounds from another poster that they are going to stop allowing it. I could have been an exception since the b.c. were in our bags. They would have had to have someone go retrieve the bags for us.

 

[cathy59]

The weekend before our 1999 RCCL cruise, I discovered that my birth ciertificate was not in our safe as I had thought, and it was too late to get another one.

I called RCCL in a panic, and they told me that since my DH is a US citizen and we had his birth certificate, we just needed a copy of our marriage license with a raised seal (which we had) to use for documentation for me.

I wish I'd called before I lost 2 days sleep looking for my birth certificate!

 

[Lori1035]

Just back from the 1/23 3 day cruise. I was told at check- in that soon there will be no exceptions made for improper birth certificate. Mine doesn't have a raised seal on it and they were very hesitant to accept it last week. I was told that I should definitely send off for a new birth certificate which would have the seal or get a passport. I commented that this was my 3rd cruise in the past year with DCL and this was the first time they had questioned my birth certificate. In fact, our first cruise with them 11/01 I had accidentally brought a copy of my husband's bc. They never even noticed and I didn't say anything when I realized it (as I was handing it to them).

Lori

 

[katerkat]

Does anyone know if a passport with a maiden name + a raised seal marriage certificate is enough? I changed my name on everything except for the passport so far. (So, yes, I'll also have a DL with my married name and a military ID with my married name...)

 

[Lori1035]

katerkat, my mom had a passport with her maiden name and her marriage license with her in 11/01. She also had her driver's license with her married name. There was no problem for her.

Lori

 

[musicgirl]

I wonder if the following happens all the time or did our cast member make a mistake?

When we did the land/sea cruise last June, we checked into the hotel first. No one checked for our birth certificates. They only asked for dl's and I believe our KTTW cards when we got on the cruise bus. Is this normal?

 

[Goofy Girl]

I am so paranoid, that even though I am a US citizen with a birth certificate, I got a passport! There is no way i am going to risk missin' that boat!

 

[goin2dzny]

They never looked at our birth certificates!!!

 

[jporter]

I was looking over our birth certificates last night and noticed
you can barely find the seal on my two sons certificates. You
really can't see them but you can feel them. My husbands and
my seals are very pronounced. I know these are their
original BC's but it makes me very nervous! Anyone else have
seals like theirs?

 

[Lori1035]

My husband's seal is very faint and the bc actually looks like a copy to me. It's very dark and discolored. (I guess it is 40 years old and would be discolored) The CM that checked us in at the port in January said that she could see the faint seal so there was no problem with it.

Lori

 

[jporter]

After I posted the question, I called DCL and they said it
would be fine! Better safe than sorry. J.

 

[goofygal1975]

Originally posted by jporter
I was looking over our birth certificates last night and noticed
you can barely find the seal on my two sons certificates. You
really can't see them but you can feel them. My husbands and
my seals are very pronounced. I know these are their
original BC's but it makes me very nervous! Anyone else have
seals like theirs?

I was worried about this too, and STILL worry a little.(You never know how different people are when looking at these) I orderd a copy of both mine and my DS birth certificates in 2001. The "raised seal" is barely raised at all!! You can barely feel them at all. I was so nervous going into port. But they said nothing about it. AND this was 2 days after 9/11, so security was tighter.

I know I ordered mine officially from the state of FL, so they are the real thing!!!

 

[fredms]

One thing I don't understand about the "raised seal" is that I am bringing my fiancee's mom on the cruise with me for her 50th birthday.

She was born in Puerto Rico 50 years ago where there was no "raised seal". She has her original birth certificate which says "original" but no raised seal.

I called DCL and DVC (who I booked through) and they said it was fine, but I am still a little nervous. On the other hand aI don't want to spemd $60+ on a passport since she doesn't really travel.

 

[BrinxFam]

When I called last week to ask about the "raised seal" I was told by the CM that I spoke with that so long as it is a Certified Copy from the state that would be fine. I know that one of the copies we have did not have a raised seal. I hope she's right cause we really need this vacation! (May 18-25, 2003)

Melissa

 

[SusanU]

Last month we took SIL & nephew with us & I was as usual in charge of all the documents. We stopped at a drug store & my nephew's blew out of the car as I was sorting the paperwork. I just noticed it was missing and fortunately he looked outside & found it by a fence! Wow! Lucky for me, I would have been so panicked! And it would have been me making the mistake!