Underage or under behaved?

[Karysa]

I went on my first cruise last year on the Mariner. I was supposed to go with my girlfriend but things didnt work out between us and last minute I had to take my younger brother. It being my first cruise, I was concerned about being limited to certain parts of the ship unless I went on my own. However I was surprised to find that he was allowed everywhere. He's 18. We went into the casino's (and he was actually allowed to gamble! unlike vegas were it's 21 and over), was allowed into the bars also but not allowed to drink. Although I had very little control over that as well because so many friends were made and many times I'd turn around to find that someone had bought a round of drinks for the group (including him). He looks much older, so no one questioned it. He was very responsible and never accepted more than one drink out of fear that he may act up and get in trouble. Not sure how it works on other ships but I was surprised to learn that on RC being under age only meant you cant BUY the drink...I mean technically, legally and morally you shouldn't drink either but enforcing it seems to be a whole other issue.

 

 

Most 18 year olds will consume alcohol when given the chance whether away at college or on a cruiseship, that's a given. What you described is the type of scenerio that I for one do not have issues with. It sounds like he was responsible and respectful. I don't know the RC rule that you mentioned and it sounds questionable to me, but your brother would be welcome to sit beside me and enjoy his alcoholic beverage any day of the cruise because I would not be bothered in the least that he was 18.

 

BTW we did not sign the NCL waiver for DD to be able to have wine and beer on our cruise last March when she was 18. We will sign it for our next cruise since she is 19 and legally allowed to drink where we live. We felt that it was in the best interest of our DD that she did not consume alcohol while on board. She did however have a drink or two on the islands where she was legally allowed to and since she was always with us at those times, we felt that she was safe to do so.

[johneeo]

They serve alcohol?? I wish someone would point this out to the Lutheran folks :rolleyes:

 

Don't know much about Lutherans, but I have been to a few Irish Catholic Beef and Beer fund raisers and carnivals.

[Jana60]

If you had a say would you be happier to have a well behaved 17 year old in an 18 plus venue or a rudely behaved adult?

 

Seems to me that they escort the well behaved 17 year olds out way faster than the drunk/rude/misbehaving adults.

 

Its not about what makes me or any other adult happy. It is about the wellbeing of that 17 year old. The age limits are for the youths protection not for the adults.

[Karysa]

Its not about what makes me or any other adult happy. It is about the wellbeing of that 17 year old. The age limits are for the youths protection not for the adults.

 

In some situations that may be true but not always. If a Family of 3 are on a cruise and DD 17 is sitting with her folks in the adult comedy show I think that she is safer than if she were walking the ship on her own waiting for the show to be over before joining her parents to go to the chocolate buffet. Bad things can happen anywhere on the ship. I can't tell you how many times I have told my girls that. I am a safty in numbers person.

[Cruisin' Chick]

That could have been me. I make it a point to finding teenagers "minding their own business" and yelling at them.:rolleyes:

 

"Why aren't you playing in the elevators, sneaking drinks at the pool bar, or abusing the crew, ya little whippersnappers?"

 

Ah, you're the one. But then why should they be doing all that when they could be sneaking into adult only locales on the ship?

 

This just baffles me. Why on earth would one care that there were two seventeen year olds in the comedy club? The loud heckler - yes. Misbehaving 17 year olds - yes. But well behaved 17 year olds? How would you even know they were seventeen? My son has been going to comedy clubs since he was 14.

 

Kids that age aren't fazed by risque language. Last month, our 15-yr-old went with us to see "Book of Mormon." I'm the one in the family who doesn't use that language. If the cabin cards are checked at the door to make sure of one's age, that's one thing. But if the CD puts "adult language" in the ship's newsletter for that show and a teen enters the theater anyway, they may actually enjoy the humor more than some of the older folks. And maybe they're order a soda while they're there (and selling beverages is the point of having entertainment, as far as the stockholders are concerned).

[notentirelynormal]

It seems to me you started this thread for some kind of validation. You really don't want anyone's opinion because every single person that has disagreed with the 17 YO being in an adult forum you have argued with. Let's call a spade a spade. You think the kid is entitled to be there and others have said they don't agree and you don't want to let it go. The fact that an adult is out of line isn't really your issue, is it? I don't care how mature the kid is, legally they aren't supposed to be there. Legally the drunk adult is allowed to be there. You got petty with the speeding thing.

[Karysa]

It seems to me you started this thread for some kind of validation. You really don't want anyone's opinion because every single person that has disagreed with the 17 YO being in an adult forum you have argued with. Let's call a spade a spade. You think the kid is entitled to be there and others have said they don't agree and you don't want to let it go. The fact that an adult is out of line isn't really your issue, is it? I don't care how mature the kid is, legally they aren't supposed to be there. Legally the drunk adult is allowed to be there. You got petty with the speeding thing.

 

I assure you that I did not start the thread looking for validation.

 

I asked a simple who would you rather question. That means one or the other. I said that I thought that the well behaved 17 year olds were escorted out faster than the misbehaved adults. I don't think that I hid what I thought right from the start. I was interested to see how many people would choose the misbehaved adult over the well behaved 17 year old. None did BTW.

 

The Speed Limit is not a suggestion! We use our moral compass everyday. This also pertains to the 17 year old in the adult only show and the person driving 10 MPH over the limit on the highway. Both are technically breaking the rules. If the 17 year old is well behaved and not bothering me I am happy to sit beside them. If the driver is in control of the vehicle I am happy to drive beside them as well. My point is that neither of these people is posing a risk or threat to me so why should I worry about it.

 

 

( I didn't say a drunk adult BTW. I said under behaving or misbehaving, rude etc.

There is a difference between drunk and misbehaving. Drunk and behaved and 17 and behaved are both welcome beside me to be clear.)

[lady_cruiser]

I will take a well-behaved ANY AGE person over a rude one anyday!

 

Thank you, well-said!

[Jana60]

In some situations that may be true but not always. If a Family of 3 are on a cruise and DD 17 is sitting with her folks in the adult comedy show I think that she is safer than if she were walking the ship on her own waiting for the show to be over before joining her parents to go to the chocolate buffet. Bad things can happen anywhere on the ship. I can't tell you how many times I have told my girls that. I am a safty in numbers person.

 

I've been on 19 cruises (9 of them on Carnival) and never on any cruise line have I seen a 17 year old excluded from an adult only venue when accompanied by their parents. If the 17 year old is in a group of other teens no matter how well behaved it was appropriate for the cruise line to have them leave. The exception to this is an area where there is limited space and the adults only label is to allow adults a place to go that is not crowded with kids (such as serenity area). I've never seen them check IDs in the Comedy club so the only way they would know the teens were 17 is if they were a large group and possibly had some even younger folks with them. I don't believe a family of 3 with their 17 year old daughter have ever had their daughter expelled from the comedy club. I might believe it if they had a 5 year old with them but the parents would probably be sent out with the child. I have seen children of 13 and 14 with their parents in the adult comedy club shows. I personally disagree with their judgement as parents in allowing this but the cruise line did not send them out.

[Karysa]

I've been on 19 cruises (9 of them on Carnival) and never on any cruise line have I seen a 17 year old excluded from an adult only venue when accompanied by their parents. If the 17 year old is in a group of other teens no matter how well behaved it was appropriate for the cruise line to have them leave. The exception to this is an area where there is limited space and the adults only label is to allow adults a place to go that is not crowded with kids (such as serenity area). I've never seen them check IDs in the Comedy club so the only way they would know the teens were 17 is if they were a large group and possibly had some even younger folks with them. I don't believe a family of 3 with their 17 year old daughter have ever had their daughter expelled from the comedy club. I might believe it if they had a 5 year old with them but the parents would probably be sent out with the child. I have seen children of 13 and 14 with their parents in the adult comedy club shows. I personally disagree with their judgement as parents in allowing this but the cruise line did not send them out.

 

I agree, I have never seen a minor with a parent being asked to leave an adult only venue. 17 is 17 though whether they are with their parent or guardian or not unless the rule was 18 and older unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

[DizzyDallasDi]

Well, continue to be baffled. If a venue is designated for 18+, that's what I expect to be enforced. Some specialty restaurants are now enforcing no one over 13yo in after 8pm.

 

[emphasis mine]

 

That's just plain ridiculous! ;)

[Jana60]

I agree, I have never seen a minor with a parent being asked to leave an adult only venue. 17 is 17 though whether they are with their parent or guardian or not unless the rule was 18 and older unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

 

So you gave a senario that you knew was untrue. I'm sure that the rule is for the safety of the children and liability protection of the Cruise line. If the parents are present, the Cruise lines feel the childs safety is in the hands of the parents but if unattended the child remains the responsibility of the cruise line. They inforce the rule when they feel it is their responsibility to do so. Remember if a child enters your home and is permitted to have alcohol even if you did not specifically offer it to the child and any harm befalls them you can be charged with child endangerment. On a cruise ship, if the situation is someone elses child sitting in an adult only venue without their parent (no matter how well behaved the child), the cruise line could be blamed if any harm (emotional or otherwise) befell the child so the cruise line would logically follow their policies in that case. I would do exactly the same if I were them.

[Karysa]

So you gave a senario that you knew was untrue. I'm sure that the rule is for the safety of the children and liability protection of the Cruise line. If the parents are present, the Cruise lines feel the childs safety is in the hands of the parents but if unattended the child remains the responsibility of the cruise line. They inforce the rule when they feel it is their responsibility to do so. Remember if a child enters your home and is permitted to have alcohol even if you did not specifically offer it to the child and any harm befalls them you can be charged with child endangerment. On a cruise ship, if the situation is someone elses child sitting in an adult only venue without their parent (no matter how well behaved the child), the cruise line could be blamed if any harm (emotional or otherwise) befell the child so the cruise line would logically follow their policies in that case. I would do exactly the same if I were them.

 

I have never seen it. That doesn't mean it is a rule or that it has never happened. Again I asked a simple who would you rather question. Would you chose the well behaved 17 year old the misbehaving adult to be in the adult venue?

[bplazo]

If there is an age limit then the child or teen should be asked to leave.

[Jana60]

I have never seen it. That doesn't mean it is a rule or that it has never happened. Again I asked a simple who would you rather question. Would you chose the well behaved 17 year old the misbehaving adult to be in the adult venue?

 

I answered your "simple who would you rather question" and you responded with a hypothetical senario to argue further. So I will answer again.....I'd rather have the misbehaving adult rather than the unaccompanied teen present since the adult can't or at least is less likely to sue the cruise line if they are harmed by their own stupidity.

[Karysa]

I answered your "simple who would you rather question" and you responded with a hypothetical senario to argue further. So I will answer again.....I'd rather have the misbehaving adult rather than the unaccompanied teen present since the adult can't or at least is less likely to sue the cruise line if they are harmed by their own stupidity.

 

 

So sorry if I missed that. Fair enough.

[MrsPete]

If you had a say would you be happier to have a well behaved 17 year old in an 18 plus venue or a rudely behaved adult?

 

Seems to me that they escort the well behaved 17 year olds out way faster than the drunk/rude/misbehaving adults.

Both should be escorted out.

[MrsPete]

It seems to me you started this thread for some kind of validation.

Yep. That's crystal clear.

[bdpnatl]

The 17 year old never should have been in a location where his/her age group is prohibited to begin with. It is rationalizing to add factors such as they are with their parents. If the rule is in place, then as a sign of respect to the other passengers, it should be obeyed.

 

So the answer is the 17year old should have not been there anyway and the rude obnoxious adult should be escorted out.

[Karysa]

The 17 year old never should have been in a location where his/her age group is prohibited to begin with. It is rationalizing to add factors such as they are with their parents. If the rule is in place, then as a sign of respect to the other passengers, it should be obeyed.

 

So the answer is the 17year old should have not been there anyway and the rude obnoxious adult should be escorted out.

 

Nope wrong answer. You didn't read the question properly.:)

[Karysa]

Nope wrong answer. You didn't read the question properly.:)

Technically you are right neither should be there but if only one was asked to leave who would you be routing to be the one that was not escorted out. I think that I clarified that somewhere in here.:)

[Karysa]

If everyone followed every suggestion or rule think about all of the chair hog, dining attire, and alcohol smuggling threads that we would be missing out on. :D

I have NEVER been a chair hog, or smuggled alcohol but I have worn sandals into the MDR that some would think belonged more on the beach and yes my then 17 1/2 year old sat at a table with us at a comedy show sipping on her coke. We really enjoyed the time there before and during the show with DD. I am not interested in seeking validation. I follow my moral compass as do all onboard and chair hogging is outside of the lines for me as I do feel that this does impact other cruisers vacations. Since I am being honest the reason I don't smuggle alcohol is because I only drink about 1 alcoholic drink every other day and DH way less than that.