Cruising with adopted children

[ChrisnSteph]

I just wanted to provide this info just in case anyone needs to know. We are in the process of adopting a three year old boy. We've been in the process for almost a year now, and hopefully (fingers crossed) the adoption will be final in March. We wanted to take him on the cruise with us, naturally, and it was much harder than we anticipated. First of all we needed an original birth certificate. Well that was difficult because as adoptive parents, we are legally NOT to supposed to even see his original birth certificate until the adoption is final. Fortunately our social worker is very nice and was able to get it for us, but it was literally a day before we sailed out that she able to do so. We also had to get a court order allowing us to take him out of state, but all we had was a copy of the order because, again, we don't get originals of anything. As we are checking him in at the terminal, the clerk read through the court order word for word (it was very detailed) but told me that she didn't think she'd be able to accept it because it wasn't an original. I was in tears, thinking that we wouldn't be able to board the ship. Lucky for us, her manager made an exception and allowed us to board. When we first called DCL they never told us it had to be the original court order, so we didn't know. We were so lucky that we were even able to obtain a birth certificate let alone an original court document. The clerk at the terminal told us that they've had to deny many people traveling with foster children and those who are in the adoption process due to the lack of proper paperwork. Anyhow, point of the story is, if you are bringing your foster or adopted children, make sure that every document you have is an original, or you won't be allowed to board.

 

[DIZZNY]

ChrisnSteph,

Thanks for sharing your experience and I hope you had a great trip. We travelled to Germany and were down to the wire on getting our adopted daughter's passport in time. The adoption was only finalized a few weeks before. We then had to get a rush on the birth certificate and then the passport. Very stressful.

I just want to clarify that the court order is only necessary for pre-adoptive children, not adopted children. However, once the adoption is finalized, a new birth certificate is issued and the children can travel with their parents just like anyone else without anyone's permission.

 

[Q's My Princess]

Chris & Stephanie,

Thank you so much for sharing your story!

We are trying to fost/adopt and are taking the repostioning cruise in May and would love to have a child by then, but what a scary story! Now I'm going to have to really get organized!

Thank you again,
Laurie

 

[sunil]

We adopted 2 kids internationally (95, 98) - and sailed DCL in 2001. One comment on international adoptions : if your adopted child has a foreign passport, make sure you check the visa requirements well before the cruise. My adopted kids had foreign passports initially (now US citizens), and I had to get visas before we went on the cruise.

Oh - and congratulations on your adoption decision. Two of the three best things that have happened in my life so far...


Sunil

 

[ChrisnSteph]

I just want to clarify that the court order is only necessary for pre-adoptive children, not adopted children. However, once the adoption is finalized, a new birth certificate is issued and the children can travel with their parents just like anyone else without anyone's permission.

Sorry, you are right, I should have been more specific. I'm thrilled that we are almost final, not only because it makes him more "ours", but so that we don't have to "mother may I" everything. He has leukemia (in remission and doing great!) and we can't consent or sign for anything. We've had to put off simple surgeries (like putting tubes in his ears due to infections) just because it's takes a court order to get it done. It's been a nightmare for us. I understand the rules about travel though, with the blackmarket for children and all. It just takes lots of legwork!

 

[ChrisnSteph]

Chris & Stephanie,

Thank you so much for sharing your story!

We are trying to fost/adopt and are taking the repostioning cruise in May and would love to have a child by then, but what a scary story! Now I'm going to have to really get organized!

Thank you again,
Laurie

Congratulations! I wish you all the best in finding that special child! The process seems like it takes forever, then all of a sudden you get that phone call....a friend of mine got the call for her now adopted daughter just 2 weeks after being approved. She was also an infant, which was surprising. Good luck with everything and let us know how it turns out!

 

[tink11]

If you have a child placed in your home pre-adopt, and want to take them with you on a cruise(or anywhere) I would call the airlines, DLC, and talk with your social worker on what paperwork is required to be able to take the child. Start early as possible as some paperwork may take a while. If your want to take a foster child you have to get the parents permission, or if they refuse, the social worker can get a court order for you to take them. After the adoption is final, you will get a new birth certificate with you listed as the parents, so extra paperwork is not needed. I don't know about out of country adoptions though. We have adopted seven children and they are our special blessings!

 

[DavidOH]

Insteresting how different states work. My DD(7) adoption was finalized 7 years ago. In NY while you are waiting to have the adoption finalized the court granted us guardianship which allowed us to make decision(sp) for her (medical etc). We did not have a copy of her birth certificate though. I don't know if we would have be able to get that too easily either.

 

[swede63]

I took my adopted DS14 to DW during the pre-adoption time, and remember needing to get alot of documetation. Permission to take him and medical permission in case of emergency. I asked alot of questions and made sure I had all the documents with us. It is so much easier now that we have finalized the adoption. Good luck and may God bless those of you who have, and are looking to adopt. It has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life.

 

[jweiss]

The key here is to check with YOUR local court/social workers, as all states and counties obviously work a bit differently. I am a single adoptive parent. My now 13 year old (who has special needs) was 3 when placed with me, and 4 when the adoption was finalized. When traveling, I have never been questioned about "the father" even though I am the only one on the birth certificate. Last August I traveled (7 day cruise followed by 7 days at WDW followed by 4 day delay due to Frances), with my dd-13, my 12 year old niece and my then 6 month old fost/adopt baby. I had notarized letters for my niece, as well as her passport. For the baby, I had her original birth certificate, the placement agreement, and a court order. NO ONE EVER asked to see ANY of the documents. There I was, traveling alone with three children, non of whom were biologically relted to me (my brother is also adopted) and no one asked to even see any of the documents.
This year I am a bit more worried. The baby's adoption will be finalized next month and we are going on the Panama Canal 14-day in August. It is taking Sacramento 1 to 2 years to issue amended birth certifivcates. So, I will have her original birth certificate, but not her new one. I will have a court order issued prior to the adoption being finalized. Do I just have her travel by her original name??? I have asked DCL about this several times and no one is able to give me an answer.
BTW.....Emilie will be one year old on 2/14/05 and her adoption will be "for real" on 3/25/05. We are SOOO excited!!! ~Jennifer

 

[dreamin]

We adopted international (she is 5 now) and has a US passport. That is all we need to take right? We leave Sat. 2/13

 

[Q's My Princess]

The key here is to check with YOUR local court/social workers, as all states and counties obviously work a bit differently. I am a single adoptive parent. My now 13 year old (who has special needs) was 3 when placed with me, and 4 when the adoption was finalized. When traveling, I have never been questioned about "the father" even though I am the only one on the birth certificate. Last August I traveled (7 day cruise followed by 7 days at WDW followed by 4 day delay due to Frances), with my dd-13, my 12 year old niece and my then 6 month old fost/adopt baby. I had notarized letters for my niece, as well as her passport. For the baby, I had her original birth certificate, the placement agreement, and a court order. NO ONE EVER asked to see ANY of the documents. There I was, traveling alone with three children, non of whom were biologically relted to me (my brother is also adopted) and no one asked to even see any of the documents.
This year I am a bit more worried. The baby's adoption will be finalized next month and we are going on the Panama Canal 14-day in August. It is taking Sacramento 1 to 2 years to issue amended birth certifivcates. So, I will have her original birth certificate, but not her new one. I will have a court order issued prior to the adoption being finalized. Do I just have her travel by her original name??? I have asked DCL about this several times and no one is able to give me an answer.
BTW.....Emilie will be one year old on 2/14/05 and her adoption will be "for real" on 3/25/05. We are SOOO excited!!! ~Jennifer

Jennifer,

Congratulations!! Wonderful news!

Laurie

 

[jweiss]

Thanks, Laurie....we're in Northern California too.....Contra Costa County.....are you near us?? ~Jennifer

 

[Q's My Princess]

Jennifer,

We are in Alameda county. So, very close. DD4 goes to preschool in Lafayette!

Laurie

 

[crisi]

On rare occations (and I haven't heard about it in a number of years - except Hispanic kids with white parents crossing the Mexican boarder), it seems to have been a bigger deal five or ten years ago) adopted children who are a different race than their parents would get pulled aside by customs. For this reason, we bring a copy of our adoption decree as well....the passport doesn't prove we are our son's parents.

As an international adoptee, pre-2000, we always travel with his passport as his birth certificate has "NOT PROOF OF U.S. CITIZENSHIP" stamped across it.

 

[kcashner]

I'll share the "other side." I've cruised with my daughter on the Magic 12 times--all after the adoption was finalized. I was a little concerned the first time as her certified birth certificate looks a little weird. There are many blank spaces, etc. However, it was never a problem. We also were granted a guardianship while the adoption was pending--this enabled me to sign for medical care, etc.

Since each state has different laws re adoptions, guardianship, etc. it is best to check with the agency handling your adoption as well as with DCL (in writing!)

My sis, who adopted internationally ALWAYS travels with her daughter's US passport. It's just easier than the foreign birth certificate, naturalization papers, etc.

Life is SO much easier once everything is finalized!

Good luck on your process and the timing.

 

[DVCajun]

I was a bit freaked about this as well, because even though our adoption was final on January 3, we won't have the revised birth certificate until months from now (we cruised 2.5). The OP is right-- typically due to privacy issues, the adoptive parents don't have access to the original birth certificate. This is not the case in a private, open adoption, but is usually the case with an agency closed or semi-open adoption. Fortunately, we had a really cool adoption agency director who understood our situation and was willing to talk to DS's birth mother and get her permission to allow us to have a certified copy of the birth certificate.

DS is not the same race as us and we didn't get a single sideways look from the immigration people. In fact, both when I checked in and when we cleared immigration on St. Thomas I had to explain why I gave them the Final Decree. Go figure. But I KNOW that had I forgotten to bring the Decree it would have been required!!

It's best to be prepared... if there's anything we adoptive parents know it's how to shuffle paperwork!!