Names on passport vs names on reservation

[FigmentSpark]

I vaguely remembering reading here that the name you have on your passport must match the name on your reservation. Ours don't and didn't the last two cruises. However, if that's changed, I'll call DCL (or my TA?) and get it corrected.

What are people finding?

Also, if you've put your formal name on your reservation, but go by a nickname, is there a place to mark that? ie: Can an Elizabeth who goes by Beth or Betty put down the "name to be called" somewhere?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I vaguely remembering reading here that the name you have on your passport must match the name on your reservation. Ours don't and didn't the last two cruises. However, if that's changed, I'll call DCL (or my TA?) and get it corrected.

What are people finding?

Also, if you've put your formal name on your reservation, but go by a nickname, is there a place to mark that? ie: Can an Elizabeth who goes by Beth or Betty put down the "name to be called" somewhere?

In most cases, the name on the reservation must match the name on the ID used for the trip. In some cases, if the difference is a known variant (Ed for Edward, or Chris for Christine, for example), the person checking you in may let it slide.

I don't think there's a "name to be called" option. The room hosts tend to call me "Mrs (my first name)" if you want to be called by something other than that a simple "call me Betty" works.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Oh that's a good point about what they call you. I go by my full name, so I don't think of it, but my son is starting to shorten his name.

Anyway, I have never had middle names on the res, but they are on the passport. Do I need to add them?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Oh that's a good point about what they call you. I go by my full name, so I don't think of it, but my son is starting to shorten his name.

Anyway, I have never had middle names on the res, but they are on the passport. Do I need to add them?

You can give DCL a call and see if they want to add them. I'm not sure middle names are quite as much an issue.

The problems come in when someone makes a reservation for "Skip Henderson" and his actual name is "Jules Henderson"

 

[Booth44]

I vaguely remembering reading here that the name you have on your passport must match the name on your reservation. Ours don't and didn't the last two cruises. However, if that's changed, I'll call DCL (or my TA?) and get it corrected.

What are people finding?

If there is a discrepancy between the two sets of names it may have to be resolved during the check-in process, which will delay boarding. We had to wait an extra 10-15 minutes while our issue was resolved. In our case we had sufficient documentation to reconcile the two different names to the satisfaction of (I assume) CBP. Not sure how strict their criteria are to flag cases they wish to review.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

My husband goes by his middle name. His passport has his formal name. I always book our trips under his formal name, both air segments and the cruise, so it matches the passport. We let servers etc. that he prefers his middle name when being addressed on the ship.

 

[StarSeven7]

Middle names aren't necessary for flights or cruises but I would book the cruise to match your ID!

 

[kiford]

My father has gone by his middle name all of his life (actually a short form of his middle name). He books all of his (non-DCL) cruises by his first and middle name which is what's on his passport. I have a middle name on my passport and DH has his middle initial on his passport but we usually just book under our first names and have never had any issues on DCL. But if you have a situation like my father, you'd be best to use the full name and make it match the passport.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Oddly, DH has his shortened first name (which he uses commonly) on his passport, not the name as listed on his birth certificate. I can't figure out how that happened.

 

[starvenger]

Since we fly from Canada to not Canada quite a bit, we stick to the passport name (wife uses her middle name since no one can properly pronounce her first name). No one wants their vacation ruined because somebody decides that the name on the tickets doesn't sufficiently match the name on the documents.

 

[MillauFr]

This thread is a good example on why you shouldn’t give your children formal names that they won’t use

 

[starvenger]

This thread is a good example on why you shouldn’t give your children formal names that they won’t use

In fairness my wife's name is Vietnamese.

 

[MillauFr]

In fairness my wife's name is Vietnamese.

Not sure I follow? Just use her Viet name then

 

[starvenger]

Not sure I follow? Just use her Viet name then

She does. I should clarify.

What we'd call her "given" name is actually the common name that they give to the siblings.
What we'd call her "middle" name is actually her given name, the one that her family would generally address her as.

By her family's conventions, my wife should probably be using both names in public. However, the first name gets mangled enough that she doesn't bother using it except for legal documents.

 

[hnthomps]

This thread is a good example on why you shouldn’t give your children formal names that they won’t use

You have no idea what your kids will want when they are older! People in my life have been Nicky/Nick/Nicholas or Davey/Dave/David or Tommy/Tom/Thomas or Isaac/Ike or 800 variations of Elizabeth, in all forms throughout their lives. You can have a nickname that your friends and family and teachers use that's different than what goes on your resume (I know a Marguerite who's called Daisy). I can tell when someone met my husband based on what they call him.

I have two middle names and two last names. The forms never fit. You make it work. It's not a big deal. Make the forms match the documents as best as possible, and correct people who mis-address you or just let it slide (I do not care if I'm called Mrs. Husband's Name, for example, even though that is not my name).

All of my parental figures (mother, father, stepfather) go/went by their middle names as adults, irrespective of what they were called as children. Names are funny and irrational and can't be regulated. Cultural and ethnic practices vary in ways that don't conform to forms.

 

[MillauFr]

You have no idea what your kids will want when they are older! People in my life have been Nicky/Nick/Nicholas or Davey/Dave/David or Tommy/Tom/Thomas or Isaac/Ike or 800 variations of Elizabeth, in all forms throughout their lives. You can have a nickname that your friends and family and teachers use that's different than what goes on your resume (I know a Marguerite who's called Daisy). I can tell when someone met my husband based on what they call him.

I have two middle names and two last names. The forms never fit. You make it work. It's not a big deal. Make the forms match the documents as best as possible, and correct people who mis-address you or just let it slide (I do not care if I'm called Mrs. Husband's Name, for example, even though that is not my name).

All of my parental figures (mother, father, stepfather) go/went by their middle names as adults, irrespective of what they were called as children. Names are funny and irrational and can't be regulated. Cultural and ethnic practices vary in ways that don't conform to forms.

My son’s name is Paul. Everyone calls him Paul

 

[hnthomps]

My son’s name is Paul. Everyone calls him Paul

hah! my son's name is Paul. He's called Paul, Pauley, Poliwog, Paulito, Pablo, Buddy, and Kiddo depending on who's talking.

I take your point that there are names without nicknames available. I've certainly always gone by, and been introduced as, my first name. But I was responding to your idea that parents shouldn't give formal names to children. I think that's profoundly unfair and unrealistic. Names and conventions evolve with people's lives, and honoring relatives can be culturally important. Filling out forms can be an inconvenience (never once has a form truly accommodated my names) but is not actually a big deal or any kind of real problem.

(in fact, there's a minor difference -- a missing hyphen -- between my name on my SS card and on my passport. Even this has literally never caused a problem)

 

[MillauFr]

In 2019 all it takes is a clueless TSA employee to cause you problems at the security checkpoint. Some don’t realize there is a half a dozen names that a William may use

 

[jeepnjudy]

For cruises your name should technically match the ID you are using as the cruise line is required to submit its passenger ship's manifest to every port it is visiting indicating who may be coming into their country. This is typically where it could become an issue. "The manifest may be used by people having an interest in the transport to ensure that passengers and cargo listed as having been placed on board the transport at the beginning of its passage continue to be on board when it arrives at its destination." Hope that helps!

 

[spiders]

Just use whatever name is on your ID. I don’t really understand why anyone would use a nickname on a reservation where identification will be required.