notarized letter for single parents

[Kerpgh]

Hi everyone!!
Getting too excited for our cruise...already checked in online..YAY!!
My travel agent stated that I need a notarized form from my ex husband that I can take the kids with me....
Does anyone have a form letter?? or is there a Disney standard? I already checked in online...
I want to have everything in place as this is our first cruise..and Im soooo nervous/scared about it
Thank you!!

 

[kcashner]

DCL has a form for taking a minor who is NOT your child. They do not require a letter for a child cruising with a parent...regardless of the status of the other parent. That said, in a divorce situation it is always a good idea to have such a letter even when not required.

I took DD on at least 15 cruises as a single parent and no one ever asked either of us about another parent.

 

[nbrmommy2005]

Disney does not normally ask for anything.

But, it depends on where you are traveling to. Last summer when I arrived in Vancouver with my DS the immigration agent asked where the dad was? I told her we were divorced and she wanted the paperwork to show I could take him out of the country. I had the court order, so I did not need to worry.

I will say though that I have traveled with DS to Costa Rica and Spain and have never been asked for any proof.

 

[Princess Yellow]

There is a book on traveling with small children that says you need the letter whenever you leave the counrty without the other parent to prevent parental abductions. We had the letter the first time we all traveled to Europe together, but DH came home early just to be on the safe side. When DH took it to be notarized, the notary had a form that just needed to be filled out and then notarized. We did both, just in case. Turned out we never needed them, but that is better than showing up on the day of the cruise and not being able to get on the ship.

Here is the form letter from the aforementioned book:

To Whom It May Concern:

I, NAME, give consent for my minor children NAME and NAME to travel to and from DESTINATION with their mother NAME from August 15, 2010 to September 15, 2010 aboard:

[LIST ALL FLIGHTS, etc.]

or any such other flights required by delays, missed flights, weather conditions, etc.

In addition, I give permission to NAME, NAME, or NAME to authorize any necessary routine or emergency medical treatment for my children during this trip.

 

[JacksGirlz]

I have also traveled out of the country before and have never been asked for single parent documentation by DCL. I have been asked once when crossing the border from US into Canada if I had a letter showing proof of guardianship/sole custody. I did not, so they asked my daughter questions re: who do you live with? and let us pass with a stern warning to have documentation after this. In my case, I bring a copy of my daughters birth certificate which shows my name only as I was a single mother, proving sole custody when I travel, just in case.

 

[lynj808]

Living relatively close to the Canadian border (3hrs), I always take such a notarized letter with me if my daughter and I are traveling w/o my husband. My thought is to be safe rather than sorry.

 

[Kerpgh]

Thank you all very much!!
Im definitely going to get a letter just in case!

 

[awtigger]

I am also a single mother...and was worried about this when we cruised in May 2010....

By any chance did you get a passport for either of you? The reason I am asking is this would take care of taking your child out of the country...

If not you can find the letter that needs to be notarized in the documents you would have to fill out for a child passport....I am sure that would also work just to have with you. I don't remember what all it said, but it did ask the dates and where we were going....DD's dad had to sign, date and have notarized...

Hope that helps...

 

[Alexander]

My oldest son and I travel all the time without DH or my younger son. We have never needed any special documentation. We both do have passports, and have traveled on DCL many times with the whole family, so they have all of our information.

 

[Tracerr00]

Hi there! We just got back from a 3 night cruise not too long ago and we wer never asked for this form (which is good because I didn't have it!). He did sign for her passport several years ago but I knew that he wouldn't sign anything now so I didn't ask. I used to work for an airline and I have traveled all over the world with my DD and I've never been asked for any forms (other than Canada). And luckily they did not ask.

I do recommend having it though if you possibly can just in case! I knew that if it did come up that it was my own problem so I took a gamble. Also, I found the form on the Disney site when I checked in online. I'm sure any CM would be happy to point you in the right direction if you called as well!

 

[Kerpgh]

I did get the kids passports and my ex actually came with us so we could...Im probably going to get the letter just in case...this was the first i heard of this...but then again this is our first cruise too!!
Thank you sooo much everyone!!

 

[KBT35]

I have wondered about this as well....I am a single mom and by law sole legal custodian. My sons father is on his birth certificate but we have RARE-ZERO contact for 98% of his life. I wouldn't even know how to contact him today. I have searched tirelessly on how to obtain a passport without his consent as legally I don't need it but I don't have a court order specifying that just the law that states "unwed mother has full legal rights"

Does anyone have any guidance as to how I can get a passport without going on a manhunt for the father?

 

[Im_A_Princess]

I have sole physical custody (not joint) and have never needed any documentation.
I do carry a copy of the divorce stating I have sole physical custody just in case. Even on the Panama Canal cruise it was not "needed".
Can't hurt to have the letter if you are worried about it.
My Ex is the one who must get a letter from me if he wants to transport the children out of the US.

 

[dyannac]

I have taken my daughter on 4 cruise (2 of them Disney) and we are about to go again next month and I have never needed anything from my ex-husband. I have even flown to Cancun, Mexico and have never had a problem. But we both have passports. I think the fact that he has to sign or you need a court order for him not to sign to get a passport obviously means that you are authorized to travel with your child. I always have my divorce decree as a back up and even her birth certificate since her last name is different than mine to show that I am listed as her mother. But I have never been asked for anything.

 

[talb714]

Yes, Disney has a standard form letter, I have been on several cruises not only Disney and into Canada on vacation without my husband and no one has ever asked, but I always have it just incase.

 

[kcashner]

I have wondered about this as well....I am a single mom and by law sole legal custodian. My sons father is on his birth certificate but we have RARE-ZERO contact for 98% of his life. I wouldn't even know how to contact him today. I have searched tirelessly on how to obtain a passport without his consent as legally I don't need it but I don't have a court order specifying that just the law that states "unwed mother has full legal rights"

Does anyone have any guidance as to how I can get a passport without going on a manhunt for the father?

I am a single mother by adoption, which means that legally my daughter has no father. There is a part of the passport application you can complete justifying why the biological father is not available to sign. I read all the stuff and just waited till she passed the age where it was no longer required (13, I think). I found this easier than jumping thru the hoops!

 

[Kurukthemal]

I am a soon to be divorced father of three young girls. I am stunned and saddened that the vast majority (if not all) of these posts are by Moms. Are any single fathers involved in their children's lives? While I will always have the appropriate docs with me, I also hope that I am given the same courtesy that has been bestowed on everyone here, e.g. not being asked for the docs.

 

[miss.potatohead]

DCL has a form for taking a minor who is NOT your child. They do not require a letter for a child cruising with a parent...regardless of the status of the other parent. That said, in a divorce situation it is always a good idea to have such a letter even when not required.

I took DD on at least 15 cruises as a single parent and no one ever asked either of us about another parent.

Would this form be necessary if I were to take a sibling without our parents present?

 

[aidtrismommy]

If you have sole legal custody of your children, you do not need the other parents permission to get a passport for your children. Bring the court documents when you apply as they will send the originals with your application and will return them with the passports. Always carry the court documents when you travel as a precaution. I have never been asked to provide any documentation concerning custody on a Disney cruise, but I am always prepared and have passports for both my children. (passports are not required for closed-loop cruises)

 

[scootch]

I have gone on three disney cruises without my husband and never have needed or taken anything.