looks like family cant go now

[offalyrover]

Just a warning to anyone that may be considering taking a cruise or just traveling outside the USA to make sure that all your documents are in order . And that you get all your necessary documents together well in advance of your cruise .
Heres my story . I went this morning for a passport for my familys 3/21/04 Wonder cruise . I happened to have been born in Ireland , but have lived in the USA my entire life , except for 3 months after my birth . I even served in the US Navy for 4 years with a stint in the persian gulf . When I came into this country I came in on my fathers coattails , as he was a naturalized citizen and had naturilization papers to prove this . . This was 1963 . I was told to bring this with me to the passport office , so i brought a copy . Unfortuately when i got there , they said i needed the original from 1958 .This document is long since gone and ordering a new one would take up to a year and cost hundreds of dollars . To complicate matters my father passed 2 years ago . My only recourse , I believe , is to try to obtain a Irish passport in short order if i have any chance of making this cruise . There is no problem proving my citizenship there .
So I am going to exhaust all avenues before cancelling . But its something I should have looked into sooner . I just dont want anyone to make the same mistake as me and wait till the last minute to get everything in order . We live in a different world , with tighter security measures implemented by our government to make us all safer . That is probably why they are insisting on original documents .
I'm not sure if anyones had a similar experience that maybe they know a better way to solve this problem . any suggestions would be appreciated .
thanks

 

[mmouse37]

First and foremost....welcome to the Dis board!!! Secondly, I am sorry to hear you may have to cancel your cruise.

I can't offer any advice but wish you all the best in obtaining the necessary documents in time.

Again, welcome to this board...the people here are knowledgeable and very willing to offer assistance when they can.

Good luck.

MJ

 

[Mickeyhugger]

I have no answers but am saying prayers for you that someone will be able to help you to where you can still make this cruise. It's still two months away.

 

[ChattyKathy]

That is so stupid, they say your not a US citizen but yet it was alright that you served in the USNavy?? What did you use for papers when you joined?
That stinks offalyrover! I feel for you.
My son just got back from Greece, I did not like it that he left the USA 3-weeks ago in amidst all the elevated alerts ...I was a nervous wreck until he got back home here this past Monday. He told me he didnt think security was that bad coming back into the states like everyone lets on, but you never know.


Kathy ...sprinkling pixie dust over you and your family, Good Luck!
((())))Big hugs & wishes to you and yours! Keep us posted

 

[gonna go cruising]

Surely time is on your side. I would go to local government officials, officials where your dad resided, etc and see if they can help to expedite your papers. I understand them wanting originals, but somewhere, on file in some basement, has to be a copy just waiting to be notarized so you will be able to go. Please do not give up hope. Someone will surely listen and be your guardian angel to get you through this.

Please keep us informed and one of us may come up with some kind of advice that will help.

 

[kcashner]

Call your congressman. Just a hint, but they have an amazing way of expediting things. There should be a local office you can go thru.

IF you really get stuck, DCL was wonderful when we needed to re-schedule a cruise do to a family emergency.

 

[MickeyB426]

Call your congressman. Just a hint, but they have an amazing way of expediting things. There should be a local office you can go thru.

I'll go you one better.

Call your congressman, the day after you call the local newspaper.

Nothing motivates a politician like the prospect of bad press.

I can see the headlines now..."NAVY VET NOT ALLOWED ON DISNEY BOAT"

 

[brerrabbit70]

Have you called DCL? Maybe they will accept some of your old Navy records. Just a thought, but my hubby was in the Navy before we got married. He said he had to have a passport then. Do you remember if you had one? If so, maybe they could look up your old info.

It's worth a try.

Sending a truck load of Pixie Dust your way!

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

NAVY VET NOT ALLOWED ON DISNEY BOAT

Ooh, that wouldn't be fair bad advertising for disney... but change that to cruise from "disney boat" and I'm right with you- that's exactly what I was thinking! How DARE they be allowed to serve in the Navy.. they are a Navy vet for crying out loud- yet NOT allowed to go on a cruise??? Oh it's okay to serve for our country but if you want some pleasure in your life- jump through hoops to prove you are a citizen. *sigh*
That's so not right.... on so many levels.

 

[Tandyc]

Can't you use your bc with a raised seal of course and your drivers license. I was born in the US and have no unusual background relating to other contries, I plan to take only my bc and drivers license.

I agree you should call DCL and see what they suggest, but maybe it's not as difficult as getting a passport. I hope not.

As a citizen in the good ol' USA, I appreciate your service to the US and think it is wrong for you not to be able to cruise as planned.

Good luck.

 

[bettemom]

When I born the Doctor had to leave rush out of the hospital for some other emergency and my birth certificate was never signed or registered with the state where I was born. All I ever had was a decorative card from the hospital saying when and where I was born. Schools / DMV always accepted that card... I ran into the same problems you are experiencing when I attempted to get a passport 10 yrs ago. I had no " official" record of my birth with the embossed registrar/state seal. I had a friend in Naval intelligence and he asked for all of my family info one night. A few weeks later I had a document from the navy that was a registered legal document of my birth. Right away I got a passport and was warned by the passport office to never let the passport expire.

Here is an thought, You served in the military so perhaps try to get the same a document similar to that I was sent and then you can get your passport...

Good Luck, Kim

 

[CRSNDSNY]

offalyrover: I really do hope everything works out for you and your family.

******PIXIE DUST******

 

[dclwdwlover]

If you have an original bc I would just use that & forget trying for a passport, unless there's a reason I'm not understanding that you cannot.

About 6 months before we cruised last year I looked into getting a passport as opposed to just doing what I have always done & used my birth certificate. The reason being that I changed the spelling of my first name when I was a kid (12yo) & I did it by just crossing out the letter I didn't want to use anymore & writing over it with a pen. I never had a problem using it - got a driver's license, social security card, notary license, marriage cert., etc. with it - but I was afraid that with all of the heightened security I would get to the check-in desk & be turned away. We had gone right after 9-11 & didn't have a problem, but I still thought there would be one this time.

Getting a passport was a BIG problem because of what I did & the fact that I am adopted & the records are sealed. (Won't go into that long story) It was going to be a long, costly venture & might not have arrived in time anyway they said.

So, I opted to take my chances & when we got to the check-in desk there was no question about the document & it was just as easy as the other times we cruised. I was all armed with tons of proof of who I am & past cruising documents & never had to pull one out.

I hope that this is the same for you. Best wishes.

 

[gonna go cruising]

Originally posted by offalyrover
... I happened to have been born in Ireland , but have lived in the USA my entire life , except for 3 months after my birth .

I think the birth certificate is not a solution due to not being born here. As I posted earlier, start with local officials. Another idea, not sure if you have anything like this near where you live, but we have local news people who handle problems such as these. It is a section on the news where they handle problems we are unable to handle alone. You may want to check into it. I think here it is called "on your side" but could vary.

Most places that can help will be closed Monday for MLK. Tuesday morning, I would most definitely be calling up local elected officials and going higher up the chain if necessary. Surely your Navy papers will help you out.

Good luck!

 

[skoi]

Wow, sorry for the problem. I would second all the "call your representative" advice. You must be a very calm person because I would be in jail or chained to some desk at the passport office if they told me something like that.

I don't think the navy papers will help, since non-citizens can serve in the armed forces as they take an oath of their own. Doesn't prove that you're a citizen because you served in the military.

Hopefully you'll have more luck with the Irish authorities.
Keep us updated.

Julie

 

[cmitch9999]

My friend had a similar situation being born in England..Father US citizen in the navy and Mother was naturalized citizen. Birth certificate was stolen and no other proof of citizenship. She had to file a special immigration form called 'report of foreign birth'..think it cost about $100 or so to do that .. meanwhile she found her mother's passport and on the passport my friend was listed as a dependent so when she went to the passport office they took that and sent it in to the regional office to make a decision about it.. luckily for her the regional office did take the mother's passport as proof of citizenship and issued the passport. It took about 2 mos for the report of foreign birth to get to her... I don't know if there is an expedited way to do that. (report of foreign birth can be used to issue passport or can be used for proof of citizenship)

I had called to several passport agencies on the internet and did find one who thought he could get the passport for her-- you might want to think about that as an option..they were very nice about talking on the phone about how it might be done. Since they are experienced with walking thru applications they have probably had a case like yours before. you will pay (dearly) for this personal service tho.

I remember how glad I was to hear she had her passport in hand and and could cruise..we only had about a 2 mos time frame and it did all work out.

Good luck!
Chris Mitchell

 

[tecdavidt]

OK, you lived here a lot of years, you have served in the USA Navy, do you have a social security no.? I'd be calling the people that have been suggested here. I bet the person who told you no originaly thinks their job is more important than it really is. I realize tight sercurity and all but come on, been here since '63? and served in the Navy and if you do indeed have a social security no. I would say, hello, you are a US citizen. I bet you pay Fed. income tax too. Let us know on the board what you find out. Good Luck. Kathy

 

[CGC33A]

You would be surprised who is and who is not a citizen. You CAN serve in the US Military and NOT be a citizen (service can occasionally expidite citizenship for those wanting it). You can have a SSN and not be a citizen and you can pay taxes and not be a citizen. I think many of these people are classified as resident aliens (but I am no expert on INS matters). Every now and agoain I will read in the newpaper about someone at the risk of deportation b/c their situation is not in "order", even people who have been here since infancy & never knew they weren't citizens!

 

[offalyrover]

I want to thank everyone for thier suggestions and there words of encouragement . This is obviously a knowledgable lot that reads and writes on this form , and I have come away with some good ideas that I will certainly employ . I will be contacting my local congressman on Tuesday as soon as the office opens up . I have been told that he also heads some veterans affairs subcommittee on capitol hill , so I'm sure he will be someone of influence and will be able to help me out . If these efforts fail , I still should be able to get a passport from the Irish consulate in NYC (Even though my wife thinks this may somehow get me deported. Shes a worrier I'm afraid) . Anyway time is of the essence as I dont want to lose my deposit or more , but I am more ecouraged now as before . Just cant wait till Tuesday to get the ball rolling . Once again . Thanks all.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Originally posted by CGC33A
You would be surprised who is and who is not a citizen. You CAN serve in the US Military and NOT be a citizen (service can occasionally expidite citizenship for those wanting it). You can have a SSN and not be a citizen and you can pay taxes and not be a citizen. I think many of these people are classified as resident aliens (but I am no expert on INS matters). Every now and agoain I will read in the newpaper about someone at the risk of deportation b/c their situation is not in "order", even people who have been here since infancy & never knew they weren't citizens!

I had no idea a person could live here since infancy with parents that are naturalized citizens, grow up to have a SS #, serve in the military as well as be taxed as a citizen- yet still not be a citizen some 40 odd years later. That's unbelievably unfair in my opinion.