Underage drinking/smuggling on HAL

[Cruiser20183]

Mainly how risky is it on this line and what are the consequences since it doesn’t mention anything about being booted off the boat? Thanks

[VMax1700]

Why would you be smuggling underage drinkers onboard?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Hope you aren't thinking about buying drinks for an underage person in your family.

[POA1]

Congratulations on your first Cruise Critic post! Go to the Holland America website and read the "Know Before You Go" PDF. Round trips from certain countries have a drinking age of 18. It's 21 for trips from of the US or Canada. You'll want to make sure you are traveling on a passport just in case you are given the opportunity to travel home from a foreign country at your own expense. You may even be able to experience some exciting and exotic interactions with local law enforcement! If you are under 21, you have to travel with a parent or guardian. Getting caught smuggling alcohol or underage drinking will provide you with the kind of vacation experience that will enrich both your and your parents /guardians vacation in ways you can only begin to imagine. 

[POA1]

In rereading your post, (Congratulations on your first one again!) it's possible that you are an adult asking about giving drinks to minors and that I misinterpreted your question. If that's the case, you may want to do a little research on the laws for your port of departure and arrival. Trip insurance with a bail bond option in addition to travel interruption protection might be something to consider. Be careful on the trip protection though. Some carriers try to deny coverage in the event of actions they deem to be "crimes." Completely unfair! 

Edited November 27, 2018 by POA1

[Randyk47]

1 hour ago, Cruiser20183 said:

Mainly how risky is it on this line and what are the consequences since it doesn’t mention anything about being booted off the boat? Thanks

 

I can’t speak to the risk of smuggling other than your baggage will be xrayed and offending items such as liquor will be removed.   Not sure if security looks differently at obvious attempts like deliberately trying to hide liquor  versus easily identifiable  retail bottles.  I guess with the retail bottle a passenger could plead ignorance of the rules and simply surrender the liquor and board whereas a “rum runner” or other attempt to conceal might draw more attention.   

 

As for underage drinkinrg I can’t it doesn’t happen  but I personally have only seen one occurrence and security was called in to stop it.   It was up in the Crow’s Nest when it was still one of the main bars.  Don’t remember if parents or older siblings/friends were involved.   It esscalated pretty quickly and there was quite a bit of shouting and arguing.   The group was eventually escorted out of the Crow’s Nest.  Not suggesting they were put off the ship or if they were somehow excluded from drinking, we simply never saw them again in the Crow’s Nest.  As an aside I’d have to say HAL is probably a very poor choice if one wants to break the drinking age rules.   HAL isn’t one of the mass market lines that attracts a lot of late teens/early twenties passengers.   Not easy to get lost in the crowd.

Edited November 27, 2018 by Randyk47

[CruiserBruce]

If you violate the drinking policies, you can be booted off. Simple as that.

 

And it is a ship.

[wales4ever]

HAL is probably no different to other lines on the chances of getting caught.  You will simply have to weigh up whether you want to take the risk.

[Paulinda]

It's not worth smuggling liquor or providing drinks to the underage.  

[taxmantoo]

5 hours ago, Cruiser20183 said:

Mainly how risky is it on this line and what are the consequences since it doesn’t mention anything about being booted off the boat? Thanks

Is is April 1 already?

[OlsSalt]

5 hours ago, Cruiser20183 said:

Mainly how risky is it on this line and what are the consequences since it doesn’t mention anything about being booted off the boat? Thanks

 

HAL ships are known to be sedate and for good reason.  Many passengers themselves would not like to see rowdy or unpermitied conduct. More likely than not a passenger would report this unpermited behavior, as much as getting caught by HAL security personnel.  Pick another cruise line. HAL should not  even be on your radar if you are looking for ways to break rules upfront.. 

[Copper10-8]

6 hours ago, Cruiser20183 said:

Mainly how risky is it on this line and what are the consequences since it doesn’t mention anything about being booted off the boat? Thanks

 

When caught supplying alcohol to minors, there will be a warning first in the form of a meeting with the hotel director. If it continues after that, yes, there will be a can of "booted off the boat" being opened

[wesport]

Currently on the Noordam. On embarkation day, I noticed a not so discreet notice on someone’s door.  Out of curiosity I did read the note. Upon inspection, items were detected in you checked luggage that are not allowed. Please report to guest services. Thought it was a bit bold, to post it on the outside of the door visible for all to see.  Assuming it was alcohol, but no one knows.  Better off to just go to Happy Hour🍷🥃

[Copper10-8]

1 hour ago, wesport said:

Currently on the Noordam. On embarkation day, I noticed a not so discreet notice on someone’s door.  Out of curiosity I did read the note. Upon inspection, items were detected in you checked luggage that are not allowed. Please report to guest services. Thought it was a bit bold, to post it on the outside of the door visible for all to see.  Assuming it was alcohol, but no one knows.  Better off to just go to Happy Hour🍷🥃

 

That particular notification is usually given to the owner(s) of the checked luggage via a phone message from guest services staff on embarkation day. The owner is thereby requested to come to the "naughty room" where the "items that were detected" via x-ray screening by shore-side security, and are on the prohibited items list, are removed in his/her presence by ship security, and either temp. confiscated or returned to the owner, along with the piece of luggage.

 

If, per your observation, a note is affixed to the stateroom door (inside the stateroom's mailbox would have been a better location, imho), one could surmise that the initial phone message has been ignored and that a naughty room visit is still required.

 

Alcohol detected in luggage on embarkation day is either removed under recorded CCTV coverage (in the case of unlocked luggage) by Beverage Dept. supervision. or with the owner present in the naughty room (when the luggage is locked) 

[kevingastreich]

Once, after a shore excursion in Mexico, I put a bottle of tequila in my carry bag and it went through the re-boarding screening process with no problems. It was a gift for my Brother back home so I wasn't smuggling it to drink on board, I just didn't want to go through the hassle of turning it in and then reclaiming it later.

[*Miss G*]

 

27 minutes ago, kevingastreich said:

Once, after a shore excursion in Mexico, I put a bottle of tequila in my carry bag and it went through the re-boarding screening process with no problems. It was a gift for my Brother back home so I wasn't smuggling it to drink on board, I just didn't want to go through the hassle of turning it in and then reclaiming it later.

 

No worries about reclaiming alcohol at the end of your cruise.  They bring them up and leave them in your room the day before disembarkation.  It’s also pretty easy to check them when brining them onboard from visiting a port.  You just hand them to the person checking them in and they give you a ticket stub.  Or have you experienced something different?

[kevingastreich]

On 11/27/2018 at 6:21 PM, *Miss G* said:

 

 

No worries about reclaiming alcohol at the end of your cruise.  They bring them up and leave them in your room the day before disembarkation.  It’s also pretty easy to check them when brining them onboard from visiting a port.  You just hand them to the person checking them in and they give you a ticket stub.  Or have you experienced something different?

I figured that's what I would end up doing if they took it from me.

[Lakesregion]

On 11/27/2018 at 6:28 AM, POA1 said:

Congratulations on your first Cruise Critic post! Go to the Holland America website and read the "Know Before You Go" PDF. Round trips from certain countries have a drinking age of 18. It's 21 for trips from of the US or Canada. You'll want to make sure you are traveling on a passport just in case you are given the opportunity to travel home from a foreign country at your own expense. You may even be able to experience some exciting and exotic interactions with local law enforcement! If you are under 21, you have to travel with a parent or guardian. Getting caught smuggling alcohol or underage drinking will provide you with the kind of vacation experience that will enrich both your and your parents /guardians vacation in ways you can only begin to imagine. 

Well stated. And it is not just the underage that can find themselves deboarded on Easter island waiting for the weekly flight off the island because you were drunk and obnoxious.

[1964IceCreamLady]

I remembered this post because my daughter- 18- was with us on our Holiday cruise on the Koningsdam.  In Texas, as with some other states, minors are allowed to drink with their parents.  I understand that HAL can make their own rules.  We followed them. 

 

BUT: there is a self service beer station on the Koningsdam.  Must be 18.  My daughter was able to buy beer.  It's tricky and expensive and not included on the SBP (not that she had one).  

 

Oh- There was a young man (19) who looked 29 (full beard).  He assumed that the drinking age was 18 ("international waters") and got served the whole cruise.  My daughter was irritated! 🤣

[1964IceCreamLady]

I remembered this post because my daughter- 18- was with us on our Holiday cruise on the Koningsdam.  In Texas, as with some other states, minors are allowed to drink with their parents.  I understand that HAL can make their own rules.  We followed them. 

 

BUT: there is a self service beer station on the Koningsdam.  Must be 18.  My daughter was able to buy beer.  It's tricky and expensive and not included on the SBP (not that she had one).  

 

Oh- There was a young man (19) who looked 29 (full beard).  He assumed that the drinking age was 18 ("international waters") and got served the whole cruise.  My daughter was irritated! 🤣

[Roz]

How could the 19 yr. old be served the entire cruise, when his card would be coded to indicate his age?

 

Roz

[Jammu2]

I think you should try Royal Caribbean instead. 

[1964IceCreamLady]

55 minutes ago, Roz said:

How could the 19 yr. old be served the entire cruise, when his card would be coded to indicate his age?

 

Roz

I asked that same question!  He (Sam) said there were no issues.  Maybe the bartender has to make the effort to look up their age???   Sam seemed genuinely shocked when I told him he wasn't really allowed to be drinking.

 

I was posting(and I don't know why it double posted 🙄 ) more about the serve-your-own-beer-as-long-as-you-are-18

Edited March 7, 2019 by 1964IceCreamLady

[POA1]

2 hours ago, 1964IceCreamLady said:

I remembered this post because my daughter- 18- was with us on our Holiday cruise on the Koningsdam.  In Texas, as with some other states, minors are allowed to drink with their parents.  I understand that HAL can make their own rules.  We followed them. 

 

Texas alcoholic beverage law and minors:

 

In the state of Texas, parents accept responsibility for the safety of minors under 18 when the minor is on their property or on property leased by them and under their care, custody, and control; an adult may provide alcohol to a minor if he/she is the minor's adult parent, guardian, or spouse, and is visibly present.

 

If you are going to buy or lease the ship and tow it to Texas, you can let the kiddoes drink. This assumes that TX considers a leased vessel your property. Seriously though, if you have that kind of cash, why not fly the family to somewhere without a drinking age of 21. Or, if you are on a budget, drive to Mexico.

[drowelf]

3 hours ago, 1964IceCreamLady said:

BUT: there is a self service beer station on the Koningsdam.  Must be 18.  My daughter was able to buy beer.  It's tricky and expensive and not included on the SBP (not that she had one).  

 

Total thread hijack!.

 

First I've heard of a self-serve beer station on any HAL ship. How does it work?