What should I do?

I booked an upcoming cruise for 9 days on the Pearl. Part of our package was the Ultimate drink package. My son, whom I am travelling with is 19. They instead gave him the soda package. I planned on signing the waiver for him, but they only allow beer and wine for those under 21. That is fine. They have a package for that. They wont let him have that package instead. It is over $600 more if he wants that package.

 

I have called customer no-service and gotten the standard line....."that package isnt part of the promotion".

 

Where to go from here. I like to do things right, but I may just order 2 drinks and give one to him if he wants one. I figure I tried to do things right and Norwegian doesn't want to.

 

My last cruise with NCL missed a port for mechanical issues. No compensation. Will not book with them again.....that I do know.:mad::mad:

Just don’t order the drinks at the same time. Hand him your drink as you are making your way from one bar or restaurant to the next. If some busybody questions you about it just show them the hand and walk away.

Happy cruising!

this is not a USA law, this is the law on almost all cruise lines. There is a big difference. so let's not blame our country for what is a company policy.

I think that US law has something to do with it, as over 18s are allowed to drink alcohol on NCL ships sailing in Europe without parental permission.

NCL have different rules for different places, which is guided by the local laws where the ship is sailing from.

If the US allowed over 18s to drink alcohol then I’d say it’s pretty well certain that NCL ships sailing from the US would allow it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My cruise consultant told me that my 20 year old son's soda package WILL be upgraded to corks & caps free of charge at the port once I have signed the waiver. Since we booked in UK the Free at Sea drinks packages already include the tips so no extra fee payable. Having said that since we are only on a 4 night cruise which is port intensive I am thinking of changing his Free at Sea perk to the $100 OBC per person (along with his 21 year old girlfriend in their cabin), after all $25 per night each will more than cover what they will drink.

When you get onboard and start speaking to the staff there I suspect you will find that whatever you were told by an NCL rep won’t be all that relevant.

You may well get the package upgraded, and maybe not, but I doubt that your conversation with the phone rep will have any part in it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

while you can sign the waiver, that allows anyone under 21 to have BEER or WINE with parental permission. If you buy him hard alcohol drinks, that is a problem.

I don’t think the OP is suggesting that they would get anything stronger than wine or beer are they?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I booked an upcoming cruise for 9 days on the Pearl. Part of our package was the Ultimate drink package. My son, whom I am travelling with is 19. They instead gave him the soda package. I planned on signing the waiver for him, but they only allow beer and wine for those under 21. That is fine. They have a package for that. They wont let him have that package instead. It is over $600 more if he wants that package.

 

I have called customer no-service and gotten the standard line....."that package isnt part of the promotion".

 

Where to go from here. I like to do things right, but I may just order 2 drinks and give one to him if he wants one. I figure I tried to do things right and Norwegian doesn't want to.

 

My last cruise with NCL missed a port for mechanical issues. No compensation. Will not book with them again.....that I do know.:mad::mad:

I don’t think the other lines are going to compensate for a missed stop, and I know RCCL doesn’t grant a waiver for 18 - 20 year olds.

In St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, the drinking age is 18, as it is in most of the world except the repressed USA. A hangover from prohibition (excuse the pun)? Cruise ships in Europe adopt that age limit.

The ships operate under their own jurisdiction once at sea, as only a handful are US flagged, so they could allow a 19 year old man something more than Mountain Dew.......

In France and Spain children of 16 can buy beer and wine in bars, but then in Europe we don’t allow kids to drive cars at 13!

I would have him buy his first beer each day and tip $10 on it using his card. Drink free beers off your card the rest of each day. This way you are paying about what you should be in tip on the Caps & Corks. I wouldn't raise any issue or get too down on NCL for having a corporate policy that is tough to avoid, but not enforced, especially if you are taking care of the service staff and reaching an equitable answer from a "karma" perspective.

Obviously the US Drinking age of 21 does not apply, and with signed waiver this kid is allowed to drink on the ship.

In St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, the drinking age is 18, as it is in most of the world except the repressed USA. A hangover from prohibition (excuse the pun)? Cruise ships in Europe adopt that age limit.

 

The ships operate under their own jurisdiction once at sea, as only a handful are US flagged, so they could allow a 19 year old man something more than Mountain Dew.......

 

In France and Spain children of 16 can buy beer and wine in bars, but then in Europe we don’t allow kids to drive cars at 13!

13? In my state kids get provisional licenses at 17, need to be off of the road by 11 pm, no more than one unrelated passenger, for a whole year.

The US drink laws are just so archaic compared with the rest of the world, what's the problem if he is over 18 and having a drink! Most European countries let teens drink at 16 or below with parents and never check ages and they have less problems with alcohol than countries which have restrictive alcohol laws

First of all, in many states a parent/guardian is allowed to buy alcohol for their children, even if they are under 21. Where the alcohol is consumed is where the law changes.

this is not a USA law, this is the law on almost all cruise lines. There is a big difference. so let's not blame our country for what is a company policy.

The policy is that 18+ yo's are allowed to drink beer and wine if a parent signs the waiver. And companies don't have/make laws, they have rules/policies.

I would have him buy his first beer each day and tip $10 on it using his card. Drink free beers off your card the rest of each day. This way you are paying about what you should be in tip on the Caps & Corks. I wouldn't raise any issue or get too down on NCL for having a corporate policy that is tough to avoid, but not enforced, especially if you are taking care of the service staff and reaching an equitable answer from a "karma" perspective.

 

Obviously the US Drinking age of 21 does not apply, and with signed waiver this kid is allowed to drink on the ship.

That’s stealing. The worst part if you get caught the only one on the hook is the server.

Actually, yes- he can drink on the ship. Wine and beer, and he has to pay for it, unless they let him get corks and caps on the ship in which case it’s wine and beer that he doesn’t have to pay for.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes, I am aware he can drink wine and beer; have traveled on NCL and other ships with grandkids that age.

My niece turns 21 on Dec 27. Last March we cruised Epic. They gave her the soda package. She never drank one.

She did have champagne and wine out of the embarkation gifts, the free sailaway champagne in POSH, my Plat dinner wine and wine gifted from the Maitre D.

Never did my sister or me offer or slip her a drink from our package. We would not send her the message that "conditional stealing" is acceptable.

But that is just us. YMMV.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Stealing? Really? We paid the same for him as I paid and they want only give him sodas for the same price I paid for liquor.

 

 

 

That's stealing.

 

 

 

I will try once onboard.

I have definetly heard of people getting their UBP cancelled for doing that. I'd advise you to not try it. Why would you want to serve a 19'year old alcohol anyways?

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Why would you want to serve a 19'year old alcohol anyways?

Probably because they would like to have it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I would suggest that you try to upgrade the soda package once you're onboard. However go in realizing that it may or may not happen.

If it doesn't, then my suggestion would be to have your son order his beer or wine on a "pay as you go" basis. This could also limit him in the quantity of his consumption. Even if he's a good kid and you feel he wouldn't abuse the package it would remove the temptation to overindulge.

Again, please do not buy him drinks from your package.

Good luck and enjoy your cruise.

So many voices here on how things transpire with "Young Adult" Waiver.

We just got off the Sky (yes it is all in-inclusive). We went directly to Guest Services upon boarding for 19 year old. Signed waiver and he was issued a new key card. He was able to obtain beer/wine from that point on. One bartender during cruise wanted to see his card for proof he was validated. No worries and glad he checked.

Just go to Guest Services when you board. Fill out / sign the "waiver" form for your son. Take it from there. I am sure Guest Services will answer all your questions at that point.

I am sure people here will shoot me down with advice I gave you, but it worked for me. It was my experience and how it rolled for me.

Good luck and have fun :)

So many voices here on how things transpire with "Young Adult" Waiver.

 

We just got off the Sky (yes it is all in-inclusive). We went directly to Guest Services upon boarding for 19 year old. Signed waiver and he was issued a new key card. He was able to obtain beer/wine from that point on. One bartender during cruise wanted to see his card for proof he was validated. No worries and glad he checked.

 

Just go to Guest Services when you board. Fill out / sign the "waiver" form for your son. Take it from there. I am sure Guest Services will answer all your questions at that point.

 

I am sure people here will shoot me down with advice I gave you, but it worked for me. It was my experience and how it rolled for me.

 

Good luck and have fun :)

Why would people shoot you down? Many in the thread have already said the same thing.

Because someone will object to why 19 year old needs access to alcohol. LOL! I am just giving the facts of our experience with "Waiver" and our consent. I hope my experience helps.

Because someone will object to why 19 year old needs access to alcohol. LOL! I am just giving the facts of our experience with "Waiver" and our consent. I hope my experience helps.

LOL...okay, understand.

Kind of funny story about drinking ages. Way back when I was young in Rochester, NY the drinking age was 18. I joined they Navy when I was 17 so I was too young to drink. I turned 18 in boot camp in Florida where the drinking age was 18. Of course, you can't drink in boot camp. Left boot camp and went to tech school in Mississippi, drinking age: 19. Graduated tech school and got stationed on my first ship in California. Drinking age: 21.

I got a fake I.D. lol

I work for the Military. Kind of crazy how we send off our children at tender age to fight for Country, yet having a beer on board is logistical nightmare. LOL! Thank you for your service :)

Seems to us a very strange attitude to alcohol in the US. A few years ago at a restaurant in Italy we got talking to an Irish lady living in the US. She was meeting her daughter after the meal, and when we enquired about her son who was 18 we were told he had to stay behind and work to pay off for having been caught crossing the State line and buying beer with a fake ID. She and we thought it very harsh when you can legally buy beer and spirits in a bar from 18 in the UK, can drink beer, cider or wine with a meal in a restaurant from 16 if bought by an adult, and can drink alcohol on private premises from the age of five (presumably to cover sacramental wine).

Our three children (now in their late 20s and early 30s) drank wine in moderation with us from their early teens, don't know what they drank when not in our sight, but have all turned out to have a healthy attitude to alcohol, a taste for good whisky, and make a mean cocktail.

Yes, I am aware he can drink wine and beer; have traveled on NCL and other ships with grandkids that age.

Then it’s Interesting that you so hostilely jumped down her throat saying that as an 18 year old he can’t drink on the ship, period.

Especially since she didn’t say one word about what the kid would be drinking.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Seems to us a very strange attitude to alcohol in the US. A few years ago at a restaurant in Italy we got talking to an Irish lady living in the US. She was meeting her daughter after the meal, and when we enquired about her son who was 18 we were told he had to stay behind and work to pay off for having been caught crossing the State line and buying beer with a fake ID. She and we thought it very harsh when you can legally buy beer and spirits in a bar from 18 in the UK, can drink beer, cider or wine with a meal in a restaurant from 16 if bought by an adult, and can drink alcohol on private premises from the age of five (presumably to cover sacramental wine).

 

Our three children (now in their late 20s and early 30s) drank wine in moderation with us from their early teens, don't know what they drank when not in our sight, but have all turned out to have a healthy attitude to alcohol, a taste for good whisky, and make a mean cocktail.

Not everyone's children are as responsible as yours.

I personally am not an advocate for young people drinking alcohol.

Not everyone's children are as responsible as yours.

That is the truth! And the high incidence of drinking, driving, and car accidents is one reason that the drinking age was changed from 18 to 21 when I was a young bride. When I graduated high school it was still 18.