Does a Child Need a Consent Letter for a Cruise?

Your child is going on a cruise with grandparents, an aunt and uncle, a friend's family, or just one parent. Before you get to the pier, you need to know whether the cruise line expects a signed letter from you, and whether it has to be notarized.

There is no single rule that covers every sailing. Each cruise line sets its own policy, and the ports on the itinerary can add their own requirements. This guide covers what Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Carnival publish, what a good consent letter includes, and what to pack for embarkation day.

When Does a Child Need a Consent Letter for a Cruise?

Most often when your child will sail without a parent or legal guardian, or without one of them. A child cruising with both parents generally does not need one. The situations that usually call for a letter are:

• Grandparents. A grandparent is not a legal guardian unless a court has appointed them, so cruise lines treat them like any other non-parent adult.
• Other relatives. Aunts, uncles, adult siblings, and adult cousins should carry the parents' written consent too.
• Family friends. If your child is joining another family's vacation, the adult responsible for your child should carry your signed consent.
• One parent. Royal Caribbean and Norwegian's non-parent consent forms do not apply when a parent or legal guardian is on board, but Carnival still recommends a letter from the parent who is not sailing, and some ports may ask for one.
• Other non-parent adults. A stepparent who has not adopted the child, a coach, or a group chaperone is not a legal guardian.

Cruise lines also set a minimum age for the adult responsible for a minor. Royal Caribbean and Norwegian generally require that adult to be at least 21 on U.S. sailings. A consent letter does not get around that rule, so check the age requirement before you book.

What Do Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Carnival Require?

Requirements vary by cruise line. Here is what each of the three largest lines publishes for U.S. sailings. Policies change, so check your line's current requirements before you sail.

Royal Caribbean

When a minor travels without their parent or legal guardian, Royal Caribbean requires the accompanying adult to present a notarized form signed by the child's parent or legal guardian. Royal Caribbean publishes its own form, "Consent for Minor (0-17) Child to Travel Without Parent/Legal Guardian." It names the ship, sail date, reservation ID, and accompanying adult. It authorizes that adult to supervise the child, sign activity waivers, and consent to medical treatment during the cruise. The accompanying adult must be at least 21, or at least 18 for cruises departing from Europe, Asia, South America, New Zealand, or Australia.

Norwegian Cruise Line

When a minor under 18 sails with an adult who is not their parent or legal guardian, Norwegian requires its Parent/Guardian Consent & Release Form. The form authorizes the minor's travel and medical treatment on board, and it must be presented to a Norwegian representative at the pier during check-in. It must be signed by both living parents or legal guardians, with a copy of each signer's driver's license or other government-issued ID attached. Norwegian warns that failing to produce it may result in boarding being denied. Separately, for certain Canada itineraries, Norwegian says a child traveling without both parents should also carry a parental authorization letter, preferably notarized.

Carnival

When one or both parents or legal guardians are not cruising, Carnival strongly recommends bringing an original, signed letter from the absent parent or parents authorizing the minor to travel with you. If there is no second parent with legal claims to the child, Carnival suggests bringing other paperwork instead, such as a court decision, a death certificate, or a birth certificate naming only one parent. Carnival says this helps expedite processing by the Department of Homeland Security.

Sailing with a different line? Look for its minor or travel documents policy before you go. If you cannot find a clear answer, call the cruise line and ask what it needs to see at check-in.

What Should a Cruise Consent Letter Include?

If your cruise line has its own form, use it. Otherwise, or in addition, a travel consent letter should clearly identify everyone involved and the specific trip:

• Parents or legal guardians: full names, phone numbers, and email, ideally a number that can be reached around the clock
• Child: full legal name as it appears on their travel documents, date of birth, place of birth, and passport number if they have one
• Accompanying adult: full name, relationship to the child, phone number, and passport number if they have one
• The trip: cruise line, ship, ports of call, and the dates your child will be away, including any flights or hotel nights before and after the cruise
• Medical authorization: permission for the accompanying adult to consent to emergency medical treatment
• Signatures: from both parents or legal guardians when possible, with a notary acknowledgment if required or desired

The free minor travel consent form on this site covers each of these. It asks whether another parent shares legal custody so they can sign too, collects your child's and the accompanying adult's details, and sets an authorization period. In the destination field, enter the cruise and its main ports, for example "Cruise to Nassau and Cozumel." The finished PDF authorizes emergency medical treatment during travel and includes a notary acknowledgment section.

When Does a Cruise Consent Letter Need to Be Notarized?

When the cruise line or a destination requires it. Based on current cruise line policies:

• Royal Caribbean: notarization is required when the child sails without a parent or legal guardian.
• Norwegian: its Parent/Guardian Consent & Release Form must be signed by both living parents or legal guardians, with copies of their government IDs. For certain Canada itineraries, Norwegian says a child traveling without both parents should also carry a parental authorization letter, preferably notarized.
• Carnival: its published guidance asks for an original, signed letter and does not mention notarization.
• Foreign ports: the U.S. Department of State notes that a notarized letter of permission from the other parent may be needed for international travel, even when one parent is traveling with the child. Canadian port calls are one example.

Even when it is not required, many parents notarize the letter so it holds up if anyone questions it at the pier or in port. If you need a notary before your sail date, NotaryLive offers online notarization by live video with no appointment. Keep in mind that some cruise lines ask for the original document at check-in, so leave time to print it or have it delivered. For more on how notarization works by form type, see does a minor consent form need to be notarized?

Taking a Grandchild on a Cruise

Grandparents should carry the parents' written consent. Royal Caribbean requires it to be notarized, and Norwegian requires its own form signed by both parents. Being family does not make a grandparent a legal guardian. For check-in, the grandparent should carry:

• The cruise line's consent form, signed by the parents and notarized if the line requires it
• Copies of the parents' government IDs, if the line asks for them
• The child's passport, or birth certificate if the sailing allows it
• Documents that explain a different last name, if the child's name does not match the parents' names

Royal Caribbean's and Norwegian's forms cover medical treatment during the cruise. If the grandparent will also have your child for a hotel night near the port, a few days before or after the cruise, or a long drive home, a separate minor medical consent form lets them authorize care on land too. For more on that, see can a grandparent give medical consent for a grandchild?

Cruising With Only One Parent

The non-parent consent forms from Royal Caribbean and Norwegian generally do not apply when a parent or legal guardian is on board. Norwegian's form, for example, is for minors who are not traveling with at least one parent or legal guardian.

That does not mean you should leave the other parent's consent at home. Carnival strongly recommends a signed letter from the absent parent. Countries on your itinerary may also ask for one. Having the other parent's letter notarized can be an extra precaution and may be required by some destinations.

If you have sole custody, or the other parent is deceased, bring the court order or death certificate instead. For details on custody situations, see do both parents need to sign a minor travel consent form? For international destinations, see can my child travel internationally with only one parent?

A Consent Letter Does Not Replace Travel Documents

A consent letter shows permission. It is not proof of identity or citizenship. Your child still needs whatever travel documents the cruise line and the itinerary require.

On closed-loop cruises, which begin and end at the same U.S. port, U.S. Customs and Border Protection allows U.S. citizen children under 16 to re-enter with proof of citizenship such as a birth certificate. A passport is still the more flexible document. If your child needs to leave the ship early and fly home from a foreign port, a birth certificate will not be enough. Cruises that start and end in different ports, or that visit certain countries, may require a passport outright. For more, see can a child travel internationally without a passport?

Embarkation Day Document Checklist

Pack these in a carry-on, not checked luggage, and bring originals where the cruise line asks for them:

• Child's ID: passport, or birth certificate if the sailing allows it
• Cruise line consent form: signed, and notarized if required
• Travel consent letter: for ports of call, flights, and any border official who asks
• Parents' ID copies: if the cruise line requires them attached to its form
• Accompanying adult's ID: passport or other accepted government ID
• Custody or name documents: a custody order, death certificate, adoption papers, or name change records, if they apply
• Medical information: a medical consent form, the child's insurance card, and a list of allergies and medications
• Booking documents: the cruise line's boarding pass or check-in confirmation

Frequently Asked Questions