Passport glitch

[Uncleromulus]

After reading many threads about the Passport requirements, etc, and denials of genuine birth certificates-- it happened to us.

Mrs U's Birth certificate was deemed "unacceptable"--even tho it was signed by the attending doctor and the hospital administrator, was dated, had both her parents names, and had the raised official seal. The reason for denial?

Because it came from the Hospital.

Which most Birth certificates issued in Md. in 1955 (and given to the parents) came from.

So now we have to go to vital records--where they will look up the exact same information and send it to us.

Fortunately we're not cruising anytime soon so time isn't a factor. But I see now how so many people can become annoyed at the whole process.

Now I am too

 

[GetGlowing]

Aren't you glad you didn't rely on the birth certificate to get you on the ship? My mother had a similar situation when she applied for her passport. They would not accept the birth record she has used since 1947.

Then after fighting with my dad about ordering his fresh birth certificate and getting a passport, Ohio sends him a b.c. with all the pertinent information EXCEPT his name! It was (blank) (blank) (last name). Can you believe that????

So your trials may not be over. Lol.

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

Unless you think you'll never cruise again before your passport expires or traveling outside the country by other means, I would always recommend a passport. I have never heard of someone being denied access to boarding when a passport has been presented.

If this has happened; (not counting expired or near expiration date) I would like to hear about it.

 

[DeAnnaBelle]

Oh, wow! I'm glad you have time to get it straightened out before your next cruise! That would have been such a bummer.

We were planning a cruise with my father in 2007, but sadly he died a few months before the cruise. Then, just weeks before we'd planning the cruise (we'd cancelled), I got a notice from the passport office that his passport had been denied because his birth certificate wasn't sufficient. Even though we obviously weren't cruising, I was horrified! I don't know if we would have been able to have gotten it all worked out before the cruise.

I notified the passport office that my father had died in the meantime, and they actually sent me a letter back letting me know that he could re-apply in the future. Crazy!

 

[grahamgallagher]

Sorry to hear your issue and it is good to share. The first DCL we went on was in Dec 99 and as we are from the UK, we had to hand our passports over to customs on board (making us feel as though we where second rate cruisers...)

Anyway, I am led to believe that this previous procedure has stopped, however as non US citizens we are told we need our passports plus an ESTA (previously visa waiver form) which we have.

This was one reason that has taken us nearly 12 years to book again - hope we have a better experience this time.

 

[DVCNuts]

Imagine what election day is going to be like.

 

[PA Princess]

After reading many threads about the Passport requirements, etc, and denials of genuine birth certificates-- it happened to us.

Mrs U's Birth certificate was deemed "unacceptable"--even tho it was signed by the attending doctor and the hospital administrator, was dated, had both her parents names, and had the raised official seal. The reason for denial?

Because it came from the Hospital.

Which most Birth certificates issued in Md. in 1955 (and given to the parents) came from.

So now we have to go to vital records--where they will look up the exact same information and send it to us.

Fortunately we're not cruising anytime soon so time isn't a factor. But I see now how so many people can become annoyed at the whole process.

Now I am too

I completely feel your annoyance - BTDT. I have multiple birth certifcates....hospital one exactly like you described, a vital statistics one issued the year I was born (no raised seal), a newer one from the state of PA I obtained 4 years ago when I was told that I needed a raised seal (no parents names). Guess what happened when I applied for my passport a month ago? Yep, non of these were acceptable and I had to apply for a new birth certificate again!

 

[WendyLovesPeter]

which type of birth certificate is the "right" kind to get on the ship

 

[PrincessShmoo]

which type of birth certificate is the "right" kind to get on the ship

A certified copy. Not the hospital one.

From the US passport website:

When applying for a U.S. passport in person, evidence of U.S. citizenship must be submitted with Form DS-11. All documentation submitted as citizenship evidence will be returned to you. These documents will be delivered with your newly issued U.S. passport or in a separate mailing.

Primary Evidence of U.S. Citizenship (One of the following):
Previously issued, undamaged U.S. Passport
Certified birth certificate issued by the city, county or state*
Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certification of Birth
Naturalization Certificate
Certificate of Citizenship


*A certified birth certificate has a registrar's raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal, registrar's signature, and the date the certificate was filed with the registrar's office, which must be within 1 year of your birth. Please note, some short (abstract) versions of birth certificates may not be acceptable for passport purposes.


Beginning April 1, 2011, all birth certificates must also include the full names of the applicant's parent(s). For more information, please see New Requirement for all U.S. Birth Certificates.

http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_830.html

 

[bumbershoot]

Sorry to hear your issue and it is good to share. The first DCL we went on was in Dec 99 and as we are from the UK, we had to hand our passports over to customs on board (making us feel as though we where second rate cruisers...)

Anyway, I am led to believe that this previous procedure has stopped, however as non US citizens we are told we need our passports plus an ESTA (previously visa waiver form) which we have.

This was one reason that has taken us nearly 12 years to book again - hope we have a better experience this time.

I don't understand what the problem was. They held your passports during the cruise? FWIW, many Americans traveling to different European countries have to give their passports to the hotels they are staying at, to be kept for them...

which type of birth certificate is the "right" kind to get on the ship

Check the passport website, see what type of BC is needed. Check the registrar's office website of the county you were born in, see if what you have in your hand is the most updated one there is. If it isn't, order the most currently legal one.

 

[WendyLovesPeter]

A certified copy. Not the hospital one.

From the US passport website:

When applying for a U.S. passport in person, evidence of U.S. citizenship must be submitted with Form DS-11. All documentation submitted as citizenship evidence will be returned to you. These documents will be delivered with your newly issued U.S. passport or in a separate mailing.

Primary Evidence of U.S. Citizenship (One of the following):
Previously issued, undamaged U.S. Passport
Certified birth certificate issued by the city, county or state*
Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certification of Birth
Naturalization Certificate
Certificate of Citizenship


*A certified birth certificate has a registrar's raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal, registrar's signature, and the date the certificate was filed with the registrar's office, which must be within 1 year of your birth. Please note, some short (abstract) versions of birth certificates may not be acceptable for passport purposes.


Beginning April 1, 2011, all birth certificates must also include the full names of the applicant's parent(s). For more information, please see New Requirement for all U.S. Birth Certificates.

http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_830.html

To get on the ship NOT to get a passport. I was told I need original with raised or colored seal.

 

[Shartman79]

Great information. Thanks!!

 

[TXDCLfan]

To get on the ship NOT to get a passport. I was told I need original with raised or colored seal.[/QUOTE]

This is not correct....you need a "certified" birth certificate. Not all states/counties etc use a raised seal these days, some use water marks,holograms and other methods.

 

[Scrapnana]

Unless you think you'll never cruise again before your passport expires or traveling outside the country by other means, I would always recommend a passport. I have never heard of someone being denied access to boarding when a passport has been presented.

If this has happened; (not counting expired or near expiration date) I would like to hear about it.

I have heard of a problem when the passport was in a maiden name and the reservation was in the married name. They had to present a copy of their marriage certificate.

 

[sissy_ib]

I have heard of a problem when the passport was in a maiden name and the reservation was in the married name. They had to present a copy of their marriage certificate.

There is pretty much no excuse for that. You need to make any travel reservations in your legal name and all your documents need to match your legal name. If it is just after the wedding and a woman has not had time to change her name then her name is legally still her maiden name and that is what the trip should be booked as.

 

[rosermama]

I have heard of a problem when the passport was in a maiden name and the reservation was in the married name. They had to present a copy of their marriage certificate.

This is for the most part true if there is an issue between your photo id and your legal name or the one you booked the cruise under they can chose to accept your marriage license or the documents you get at the county when changing your name. This is most common right when people get married. They dont have to accept it.

I would suggest for a honeymooner book the cruise in your current name, unless you are going to have time to file all the paperwork to change your name before you go.

The pp is correct just cause you got married doesnt mean your name has legally changed you have to file paperwork unless your area offers to do it inconjuction with filing the License.

Sent from my SAMSUNG Galaxy Note using DISBoards

 

[tvguy]

I ran into this when I was involved in Little League after the Danny Almonte fiasco in 2001. A hospital birth record is useless. It has to be a Government issued certified birth certificate. Older ones tend to have a seal on them, newer ones are on engraved paper like paper money is printed on.

 

[ksbellerma]

I have been also dealing with a lot of issues with getting everything that is needed to get passports. We are taking a family cruise with my whole imediate family and their kids. Here is what I have been running into.

- Just got married in June.
- Parents start to push for passports in the second week in July. (we cruise in Oct 2012)
- Had to get Certified copies of husbands birth cert with name change done from may.
- Had to get my ss card with married name
- Had to get new (fresh) Certified birth cert for me.
- Had to get new DL with married name on it.
- Called Disney and they changed name on res for cruise to married name.

Well, I was having issues time wise as my parents wanted me to file on the 31st of July. My fear was that I would have everything else but not my DL back in time. Called passport agency's number off application. If you do not have that new DL (not paper one issued that day by DMV) you are out of luck.

If you are divorced with kids, it gets worse.

This is why I was just going to have state ids for kids done and make sure I had everyone's (New) certified birth certs and ss cards and any other documentation I could and just get on ship that way. I think if you are sailing to just US Teritories and don't have passports and don't plan on cruising again soon, that is what I was going to do.

Also, don't call the passport agency number off the application. Call your local acceptance agent. They are more helpful and don't make you feel like you are an idiot.

 

[grahamgallagher]

I'LL TELL THE PROBLEM...

Getting up at 5am to attend in inquiry with 4 customs officials is something YOU will never experience and that is a HUGE shame, as you will never understand the problems with kids being interviewed on the damn cruise! IF THIS HAD NOT CHANGED WE WOULD CERTAINLY NOT HAVE BOOKED IT AGAIN! Don't mind handing PP over at hotels you get them back the day later but you are not "interviewed" by 4 customs officials", making you feel sub standard to other passengers - hope the PP control at London is doing the same through the summer for the Olympics, for all NON UK citizens

I don't understand what the problem was. They held your passports during the cruise? FWIW, many Americans traveling to different European countries have to give their passports to the hotels they are staying at, to be kept for them...




Check the passport website, see what type of BC is needed. Check the registrar's office website of the county you were born in, see if what you have in your hand is the most updated one there is. If it isn't, order the most currently legal one.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Well--the whole Birth certificate business is as ridiculous as it is sublime.

When the Passport agent dismissed the birth certificate with a wave of his hand and said "This is from a Hospital", I blurted out '"Of course it's from a hospital--where else WOULD it be from??"

He had no answer of course except to blurt out the standard requirements, blah blah--

It all reminds me so much of an old M*A*S*H episode. Where BJ and Hawkeye are trying to help a Korean Girl (to either leave the country or get a job, I can't recall which) but she needs to present her paperwork to Frank Burns. She goes into his office, sits down and says 'Here are all my papers".

Burns looks it all over with a look of contempt and says: "Well,Yes. But do you have any papers that SAY these are your papers?"

More or less what we have with the passport process--