Grandma Travel w/minor child - Father overseas

[Devo]

Question regarding travel w/a minor child....

I would like to travel w/my grand daughter (16 years old) on a cruise....most likely in the carribean. Her father will be deployed to Afghanistan at the time, so cannot easily get a notarized permission to travel letter to me with specific dates/location of travel. Her mother is available to sign a "specific" permission to travel letter. Will it suffice to get a "blanket" permission to travel letter from the father before he goes? The letter would state that the child has permission to travel with me between the dates of X and Y - a fairly large date range since he'll be gone for 1-2 years (along with all the other info, addresses, full names, permission to make medical decisions,etc, etc). The only thing it won't state is a specific date of travel and where we're going.

Thoughts or advice?

[FTF]

Devo,
Ask the child's parents to confer with the father's military liaison about getting the proper documentation. Perhaps other issues will come up, such as applying for a US passport, which now requires the presence of, or a notarized permission letter from, both birth parents when the applicant is a minor. Additionally, as the US cracks down on entry requirements for foreign nationals in its security efforts, many countries are expected to impose new regulations on US tourists. Some countries already require one of these notarized Permission letters from both legal parents to even apply for a visa for a minor.

As far as the specifics of a Permission to Travel letter, as these permission letters are required by the receiving country (destination), not the departing country (US in your case), what is considered as "satisfactory" information would be at the discretion of the immigration officer or border official who might, or might not, request to see such a permisison letter on your arrival. Feel free to print out a sample letter which you can fill in at http://www.familytravelforum.com/soloparent.html

We suggest you make the inquiries now and obtain as much written documenation for the both of you as possible.