Can You Get A Document Notarized At Sea? (Crew Edition)

It needed often but when it is – can you get a document notarized at sea?

My husband and I a few years ago found ourselves in the predicament of needing something notarized while my husband was on a cruise ship contract. This happened when he was onboard mid-pandemic with no shore leave no less. Without his signature on this document we would have to wait to sell our house for months, probably lose the buyers and cost us a whole bunch of money. All of a sudden the need for a notary became paramount and we had no idea how to get one or deal with this. Can you get a document notarized at sea or while on a cruise ship contract? Who should you talk to while on a cruise ship contract to get a document notarized?

Is a Cruise Ship Captain a Notary?

No, no they’re not. And, furthermore notaries are only able to notarize something in their particular jurisdiction while they are in that jurisdiction. So if you had a Captain from England he wouldn’t be able to notarize something (in the notary kind of way) while on a cruise ship in Florida. Notary services aren’t transferrable between country and in the case of the United States, aren’t transferrable between states even.

Is there a Notary Onboard a Cruise Ship?

There is no requirement for there to be a notary onboard a cruise ship. Through the licenses of the upper management onboard the ship (Captain, Chief Engineer, etc) they can sign off on all documents required for the purposes of cruising and shipping. That does not mean they are a notary for legal documents not pertaining to the ship. As such the ship does not have a notary onboard. That doesn’t mean that someone working on the ship isn’t a notary but instead means the ship is not required to have one.

If there happens to be a notary onboard be careful as to not violate any jurisdiction rules. For instance if you happened to be on a cruise out of Florida the document could only be notarized by a notary licensed in Florida while the ship was within Floridian waters.

With No Notary Onboard, How Can You Get Something Notarized?

The answer is the most magical, wonderful, and incredible port agent. The port agent is deserving of their own post, but basically our notary solutions were solved when – based on the recommendation of the Captain – we contact the port agent. The port agent immediately knew of a notary that they could get to the ship while the ship was in port that could notarize the document and organize the proper mailing/shipping of the document. Is it too much to say that Port Agents are the unsung hero’s of the cruise industry – at least from a crew standpoint? Or maybe I am too near the situation currently where I am so grateful that they managed to organize a notary that they currently hold superhero status.

The other option would be to find out the notary requirements of your document and then find one in port and go ashore.

Power Of Attorney and Things to Think About

So much of the time in life we don’t think about the potential things that could go wrong until they’re already going wrong. This was the case for us in this situation.

Initially while trying to figure out how my husband could get a document notarized while at sea my attorney asked us whether or not I had Power of Attorney on behalf of my husband. It wasn’t something that had ever crossed my mind that we would need but since this situation happened this has made me think that we are just lucky to have not needed something like this signed while either of us were at sea.

We could have avoided the need for this search for a notary by having a Power of Attorney for my husband. A Power of Attorney doesn’t have to be a spouse, it could be his dad or mum, or an attorney. But, having such a document organized before going to sea could be incredibly helpful should certain situations arise. It could be selling a house, dealing with a family estate, or really any other important document that needs to be signed and stamped by a notary and then physically mailed in. I have personally mailed things from the other side of the world and it’s never as simple as you think! Having someone trusted be able to sign on your behalf should certain situations arise could be beneficial for you.

As with anything legal and anything that is giving power to someone else on your behalf you want to make sure that the person you select would have your best interests at heart and would only sign something with your consent. Consult your attorney to discuss more of who would be an appropriate appointee to such a task (and it might be the lawyer themselves). You can also limit what kind of power this person would have and before making such a decision it should be thoroughly thought through and discussed. However, having something in place could make your life at sea go a bit smoother when important and/or serious matters are happening at home.

Ever wondered if cruise ship crew can get mail? Take a look at what options there are for receiving mail while working on a cruise ship.

In Conclusion – Can You Get A Document Notarized At Sea or While on a Cruise Ship Contract?

Hesitantly – yes. I cannot say for certain that every port you go to a port agent will be able to organize it, but likely if your ship has a regular home port you can get a document notarized while on a cruise ship contract.

I would first ask either Human Resources onboard and the management in your department. But, if you hit any road blocks I would ask for the contact information for the port agent as they are more familiar with the local landscape of where the ship is docked as well as what services are available locally.

Terminology lesson: What is a Homeport?

A homeport is where the ship has their “turnaround” day. It is the day where passengers disembark and embark the ship. Many cruises to the Caribbean will use places like Fort Lauderdale, Miami, or Port Canaveral as homeports for example. As ships go back to these homeports, often on a weekly basis, there is typically more opportunity to do regular “land life” kind of things in homeports. For instance, one time I needed to see a dentist while on a contract. The medical team onboard organized me to see a dentist in the homeport for the ship I was on, San Diego. Additionally, the homeport of Fort Lauderdale is where my husband was able to get a document notarized.