Drinking Ages & Rules

[islanderbob654]

My fiance and I are to be married aboard Mariner of the Seas on May 7 of this year. We're both twenty and have made special arrangements with RCI to circumvent their usual age requirements. My question deals with alcohol consumption. Neither of us drink here in the states because we feel that it is wrong to break that law, but on the few occasions that we've traveled to countries where drinking is legal at our age, we were happy to have a few drinks. The Royal Caribbean website says that guests 18-20 are allowed beer and wine. Cruisecritic.com, as well as a few posts I've seen here, add a stipulation that those guests must have written permission from a "parent or legal guardian." Of course this cannot be true as parents are not responsible for individuals over 18. I imagine that the "written permission" stipulation has been unintentionally fabricated over time. For those of you who sail on Royal Caribbean, what's your take on this? Are Seapasses marked or encoded so as to indicate which beverages and activites guests are allowed to enjoy, or does RCI take more of a passive approach to this policy? It seems that the only way they could really enforce this policy would be to make a note on the Seapass account or the pass itself. I cannot foresee staff asking for photo ID from everyone that seems to be in their 20s--that would be quite a nuisance! Thank you for your response. This isn't a terribly big deal, but I don't want any surprises on our honeymoon cruise!

 

P.S.--I've booked a couple of excursions through private tour companies and was wondering if Mariner of the Seas will stay on Eastern Daylight time for the duration of our May cruise, or if it will change time with the time zones. Thanks!

[wrp96]

Yes, the permission requirement is enforced. The requirement isn't fabricated. They do it by coding your seapass so you are unable to purchase drinks. In addition to the coding, they punch your seapass once if you are allowed to buy beer or wine only, and twice if you can't buy any alcohol at all. So if you want to drink beer and wine on board, you need to contact RCI about what you need to do to prove you have parental permission to drink.

 

And, on RCI anybody over 21 in a stateroom IS responsible for those under the age of 21 in the stateroom.

 

Oh, one note, I have seen them ask for photo IDs to get into the disco at night.

[islanderbob654]

We won't be traveling with anyone else in our stateroom (it is our honeymoon), so there's no way anyone else could give us permission. Maybe this is a quesiton better left to RCI.

[wrp96]

That's what I'm saying. You need to contact RCI about how you go about providing the parental permission. They don't waive the age requirements for drinking just because they have a waiver allowing you on the ship under the age of 21.

[islanderbob654]

I find it hard to believe that you have any idea what you're talking about. You are suggesting that both of us, who will be married, might need to have permission from our parents to do something aboard the ship? That is simply ludicrous. We certainly didn't need our parents permission to get married, nor did we need our parents' permission to book the cruise itself! Our parent's haven't given the yes or no on our activities for the past two years--only the legal system has. I appreciate the insight that you gave but it isn't the answer I'm looking for.

[wrp96]

But it's the right one, even if it isn't what you want to hear. Just because you are legally an adult, RCI doesn't even have to let you on board. Under their rules, even though you are married, you are still a minor. They waive the rule to let you on board because you are married. They don't waive the drinking rule.

[islanderbob654]

So let me get this straight. If I want to drink beer or wine I'll have to have a signature from my parents who won't even be on the cruise except for the ceremony at the beginning? What purpose would a document like that have?

[bobbie0253]

No one can really answer this for you. If your parents will be there before you sail, you should be able to take care of the issue of "permission" if needed.

 

FYI: I don't suggest wasting your time calling RCCL to find out. If you call RCCL the info you will be given may be wrong. The reps at the call center are known to give five different answers to the same question if you call five times :(

 

A great link for ship photos is..... http://www.voyager-class.com if you haven't seen it yet.

 

Congrats and best of luck!

 

Bobbie

[suzeyQ]

I would contact RCI and see what they say. Explain the situation and see what they can do for you. They've already helped you out with the age requirements for cruising so maybe they'll be equally accomodating here as well. It really doesn't make any sense for you to need parental permission, in your circumstances.

[grvdggr71]

I am not quite sure why this seems to be such a dumb rule to the OP. The cruiseline is headquartered in the US and caters primarily to its citizens. The drinking age in the US is 21. In order to prevent younger cruisers (say, graduating high school seniors and college underclassmen) from using cruises as a way to binge drink before they are of proper age, the cruiseline installed two policies: 1) Cruisers must be 21 or over and 2) Cruisers 18-20 need permission from their parents to drink wine and beer (note that they cannot even get hard liquor - again, to prevent binge drinking and alcohol poisoning).

 

The cruiseline does this to protect themselves and their image. Carnival was notorious for a "spring break" type image until they implemented policies similar to RCL. I understand that you are a special case, which is why they circumvented rule #1 for you. Should they/Could they/Would they circumvent rule #2 for you? Nobody knows, as you are a special case. This is why so many people are urging you to call RCL and ask - it is their policy, only they can tell you. Others are simply telling you that yes, the rule is enforced.

 

Also, remember, although you are 20 and soon to be married, you are not an adult in some cases. Here are a few examples:

 

-You cannot drink in the US until you are 21.

-Depending on your circumstances, you may still be claimed as a dependent by your parents.

-For college, you must submit your parents income as well as your own for financial aid, even though you are over 18.

-Child support must be paid for children under the age of 21.

-Many companies will not allow you to rent a car under the age of 25, or if they do, you must pay extra insurance premiums.

 

So, no, it is not completely out of the question that Royal Caribbean may require a parental waiver for you to drink. What purpose would a document like that have? Possibly to keep your parents from suing the cruise company should one of you die from alcohol poisoning. I know in most normal cases it's so parents that are cruising with their children don't get upset with the cruiseline for providing alcohol to their children during the cruise.

 

Finally, on a personal note: I notice that you are new to these boards, so I will give you a piece of advice. The people on these boards will try their best to answer your question quickly and honestly to the best of their knowledge. If you don't like their answer, it doesn't change the fact that it is 1) their opinion of the right answer and 2) may be completely accurate. Characterizing their suggestions as "ludicrous" won't help you make friends very fast here, especially when that "ludicrous" answer might be 100% correct. And please, when you do find out from RCL whether or not someone in your circumstances has to provide parental permission, PLEASE PLEASE update this board with their answer, as I, as well as many others, are interested in the outcome. Thanks, and welcome to CruiseCritic!

[CruisinDawn]

Why should being married allow you to break the rules for the purchase of alcoholic drinks onboard ? Married in the US at 17 does not give you the right to drink or even get a tattoo :D You have yet to state how old you are? Not saying your 17 but being married does not give you special rights except higher taxes. Wrp96 has the right info even though you think she has no idea what she is talking about, rude comment BTW, shows your immaturity (flame away). One punch beer and wine 2 punches nothing, period, end of story! Gotta love new posters looking for a fight.

 

Enjoy your honeymoon!

Dawna

[FitzLA]

Why should being married allow you to break the rules for the purchase of alcoholic drinks onboard ? Married in the US at 17 does not give you the right to drink or even get a tattoo :D You have yet to state how old you are? Not saying your 17 but being married does not give you special rights except higher taxes. Wrp96 has the right info even though you think she has no idea what she is talking about, rude comment BTW, shows your immaturity (flame away). One punch beer and wine 2 punches nothing, period, end of story! Gotta love new posters looking for a fight.

 

Enjoy your honeymoon!

Dawna

 

He/she actually did state that they are both 20 years old in the original post. None the less, he/she was quite rude to wrp96.

 

Just because you are married at 20 doesn't give you the right to drink in the U.S. It is the same for cruises. In international waters, they will allow you to drink beer and wine with parental permission. Except cruises to Alaska where you will not be able to drink at all if under 21. End of story. No need to get all nasty about it. wrp96 was just trying to help you and answer your question to the best of their knowledge. If thats not what you want to hear, then I don't know what to tell you. Sometimes we don't like the rules, but we must follow them.

 

p.s. Ships generally stay on one time zone. Doesn't mean it will be eastern time, but they will tell you on the first day what time zone to set your watches to.

[beachchick]

I hope this doesn't throw more flame on the fire here, but I believe the written permission is typically a waiver signed by the responsible party onboard, which is almost always a parent. I'm not sure that it must be a parent, but it must be the responsible adult. That is to say that unless an underage couple is married (with proof), they wouldn't be traveling without an over-21 adult anyway. Some posters have reported that they have been able to sign the waiver for an 18-20 y/o traveling with them who was not their own child (i.e., their child's friend); others have said that they've actually had to bring a waiver signed by the friend's parents as well as one signed by the responsible adult traveling with them.

 

Phew--that sounded complicated. I hope it made sense. Bottom line is that usually the parents are the ones with the kids, and thus the ones who sign the waiver. But some posters have reported that the waiver doesn't necessarily have to be signed by the 18-20 y/o's parents. In any case, an underage married couple certainly couldn't sign the waivers for themselves.

 

I have no idea how RCI handles under 21, married couples. Obviously they have rules in place allowing them to cruise, but they don't waive the drinking age requirement (and why should they?). The only way to know how RCI handles the beer and wine issue for 18-20 y/o married couples is to call RCI directly and ask.

 

And islanderbob654, you might not like this information, but you are asking people who actually have cruised with RCI and have first-hand knowledge of the rules and how they are enforced. None of us know exactly how RCI would handle the beer and wine issue for you. It's entirely possible that they will require a signed waiver from your parents because that is their usual rule. And they do check your ages and will punch your Sea Pass and often do ask for photo ID. This isn't conjecture; it's fact based on experience.

 

Also, congratulations on your upcoming wedding.

 

beachchick

[Leejnd4]

You are suggesting that both of us, who will be married, might need to have permission from our parents to do something aboard the ship? That is simply ludicrous. We certainly didn't need our parents permission to get married, nor did we need our parents' permission to book the cruise itself! Our parent's haven't given the yes or no on our activities for the past two years--only the legal system has. I appreciate the insight that you gave but it isn't the answer I'm looking for.

I'm a little confused why the OP feels that being married would allow them to do things that other people their age aren't allowed to do (such as drink alchohol on a ship without parental permission). Does getting married somehow mean they are more mature? Are they expecting the cruise line to just assume that because they are going through the process of marriage, they are entitled to extra priviledges?

 

Sorry, I've seen too many youthful weddings end up in divorce to believe that the bare fact of getting married means you are more mature than other people your age. Just the fact that you don't want to play by the rules, and expect RCI to bend them for you, is evidence enough.

 

You might want to consider waiting until you are 21 to drink alcohol anyway, because studies show that alcohol consumption prior to that age can be detrimental to your development. As much as you'd like to believe it (and I certainly did at age 20!), you still have some physical development yet ahead of you. Enjoy your youth! :)

[MrsPete]

I am not quite sure why this seems to be such a dumb rule to the OP.

Because she's 20, and she thinks any rule that prevent her from doing what she wants to do is dumb. It's part of being that age and failing to see the big picture -- I was just the same way at that age, and I suspect most people were.

 

Also, remember, although you are 20 and soon to be married, you are not an adult in some cases. Here are a few examples:

 

-You cannot drink in the US until you are 21.

-Depending on your circumstances, you may still be claimed as a dependent by your parents.

-For college, you must submit your parents income as well as your own for financial aid, even though you are over 18.

-Child support must be paid for children under the age of 21.

-Many companies will not allow you to rent a car under the age of 25, or if they do, you must pay extra insurance premiums.

Two comments:

1. The truth is that Americans have sort of a "two tiered" minor-adult system. An 18-year old has MOST adult rights, but a few things are still off-limits or restricted until 21. The above list provides good examples.

2. RCI is a private company. They can make rules that are MORE STRINGENT than the US laws, if it suits their needs. Each of us, of course, has the right to choose not to deal with them, if we find those rules too strict for our liking. Here's an example: My husband is licensed to carry a concealed weapon. By law, he may carry it any place he goes; however, some businesses have rules (and signs at the doors) forbidding people with concealed weapons to enter. If he wishes to avail himself of the services in those businesses, he must give up his right to the gun while he's in that store or restaurant. The private company can choose to disallow the gun; he can choose whether to patronize them.

 

The real question is, how much does a drink on your honeymoon matter to you? If not having alcohol would seriously lessen the quality of your trip, consider another type of honeymoon. No one would question you drinking on a land-based Mexican vacation. On the other hand, if you really have your heart set on cruising and lack of a drink would just be a bump in the road, and suck it up and move on with your plans.

 

You might want to consider waiting until you are 21 to drink alcohol anyway, because studies show that alcohol consumption prior to that age can be detrimental to your development. As much as you'd like to believe it (and I certainly did at age 20!), you still have some physical development yet ahead of you. Enjoy your youth!

This is true, and it's more true for the groom than the bride.

[alibail]

My fiance and I are to be married aboard Mariner of the Seas on May 7 of this year. We're both twenty and have made special arrangements with RCI to circumvent their usual age requirements. My question deals with alcohol consumption. Neither of us drink here in the states because we feel that it is wrong to break that law, but on the few occasions that we've traveled to countries where drinking is legal at our age, we were happy to have a few drinks. The Royal Caribbean website says that guests 18-20 are allowed beer and wine. Cruisecritic.com, as well as a few posts I've seen here, add a stipulation that those guests must have written permission from a "parent or legal guardian." Of course this cannot be true as parents are not responsible for individuals over 18. I imagine that the "written permission" stipulation has been unintentionally fabricated over time. For those of you who sail on Royal Caribbean, what's your take on this? Are Seapasses marked or encoded so as to indicate which beverages and activites guests are allowed to enjoy, or does RCI take more of a passive approach to this policy? It seems that the only way they could really enforce this policy would be to make a note on the Seapass account or the pass itself. I cannot foresee staff asking for photo ID from everyone that seems to be in their 20s--that would be quite a nuisance! Thank you for your response. This isn't a terribly big deal, but I don't want any surprises on our honeymoon cruise!

 

P.S.--I've booked a couple of excursions through private tour companies and was wondering if Mariner of the Seas will stay on Eastern Daylight time for the duration of our May cruise, or if it will change time with the time zones. Thanks!

 

I'm guessing by the time you are from the states, and probably sailing the Caribbean.

You will require a legal guardian’s signature if you intend to purchase alcohol onboard - doesn't stop you purchasing on the islands though :)

Unless you’re sailing from the UK, or Europe, in which case they will happily serve you alcohol from age 18.

[firstcruise05]

Cruisecritic didn't add the stipulation, Royal Caribbean did. Taken from their site:

 

Gambling & Beverage Age Policies

Beverage Age Policy

Beer and Wine* Ages 18 – 20**

All alcoholic beverages Ages 21 and over (18 and over on South American

and European Itineraries).

Facility Age Policy

Casino Ages 18 and over**

*Applicable regulatory age restrictions apply while the ship is in port, and until the ship enters international

waters. Please note that any parent/guardian wishing to have an 18-20 year old in their care consume alcohol as

described must complete a beverage waiver at the time of boarding.

**For all ships cruising in Alaska, guests must be 21 years of age or older to consume any alcohol (that includes

beer and wine) or gamble in the casino.



So, like everyone said...perhaps you should call RCCL and ask if they make exceptions for married couples since it doesn't specifically say. And yes, they punch a hole or two in your seapass depending upon how old you are.

[kevestes]

First of all IslanderBob, congratulations on your upcoming marriage.

 

Second, you need to realize that most of us here have kids your age (I have one getting married in May also) so alcohol consumption is going to be a touchy subject at your age.

 

I have taken my family on, soon to be, seven Spring Break cruises and alcohol can be a problem when it involves experiencing it for the first time in unlimited amounts by kids that could use more parental supervision than they are getting. I won't go into all the stories but seeing 16 year girls throwing up in the halls at 5:00 in the morning is not unusual. These drinks were purchased by 18 year old boys with one thing in mind. You don't fit this category and will be of legal age as soon as the ship leaves US port so it is a bit hypocritical of us to criticize you for a privilege that you are as entitled to as the rest of us.

 

So here's the scoop:

 

Without guardian approval, your card will be punched at check in denying you the right to purchase alcohol on the ship. This does not mean it is against the rules for you to consume it on board. You will read endless post on this forum, written by us forty somethings, on how to smuggle alcohol in your bags at check in. You will be able to purchase alcohol at all ports but only allowed to bring whatever is in your cup when you re-board so pack a couple of those monster size sealable bottles with the straw. ;)

 

You only need to be 18 to get in the disco after hours so this will not be a problem.

 

Good luck, drink responsible and enjoy many future cruises with your future bride.

[islanderbob654]

I spoke with Royal Caribbean and got an answer from them. They said that beer and wine will be allowed and no waiver is necessary. I want to appologize if I offended anyone. It was not my intent. Just to clear things up, I am not a drinker and neither is my fiance. We feel strongly that U.S. laws are in place for a good reason. However, we also feel that outside of the U.S., the standards, rules, and laws of the applicable governing body prevail. Since we're allowed a drink, we'll consider having one.

 

As for the comment that I was rude, I feel that my level of aggression was equal to that of the respondent's. I felt that the respondant was trying to show me who's boss and it turned out that their post wasn't even correct! It seems that several people on these message boards respond to questions with speculation rather than fact. That would be fine and even helpful if those posters didn't represent their insight as fact.

 

As for Leejnd4's quote: "Sorry, I've seen too many youthful weddings end up in divorce"--thanks a lot.

 

Finally, I didn't ask for anyone's parental advice. We both have loving parents who we can go to for this. I simply wanted factual answers realted to my question.

[alibail]

You might want to consider waiting until you are 21 to drink alcohol anyway, because studies show that alcohol consumption prior to that age can be detrimental to your development. As much as you'd like to believe it (and I certainly did at age 20!), you still have some physical development yet ahead of you. Enjoy your youth! :)

 

Firstly: I'm not arguing with the laws or reasons for the US drinking age being 21. But I do have to disagree with your statement that it can be detrimental to development.

While the attitude of binge drinking is common, most persons enjoy drinking socially and responsibly.

Being introduced to alcohol at an early age (such as in the majority of European countries, not the uk) where children regularly drink wine, beer, etc. with their parents, gets rid of the idea that drinking is an 'adult' thing. To the extent that these countries don't have a large binge drinking problem.

Take the UK, where I live, the legal age to purchase alcohol is 18. Yes binge drinking is a problem, but mainly due to the supply of the stuff to persons between 14 - 18! You've just got to drive around the streets on a Friday night to see the problem. I believe it is a problem because drinking is seen by many as an 'adult' thing, and they go out and get 'wasted' every weekend. Thankfully this is only the minority and most people learn by the time they are 18.

Anyway, sorry for being off topic.

And as I said above, if you really want to drink on your cruise, theirs plenty of bars in the ports you visit that will happily serve you. (And its cheaper)

[Retired not Expired]

I spoke with Royal Caribbean and got an answer from them. They said that beer and wine will be allowed and no waiver is necessary. I want to appologize if I offended anyone. It was not my intent. Just to clear things up, I am not a drinker and neither is my fiance. We feel strongly that U.S. laws are in place for a good reason. However, we also feel that outside of the U.S., the standards, rules, and laws of the applicable governing body prevail. Since we're allowed a drink, we'll consider having one.

 

As for the comment that I was rude, I feel that my level of aggression was equal to that of the respondent's. I felt that the respondant was trying to show me who's boss and it turned out that their post wasn't even correct! It seems that several people on these message boards respond to questions with speculation rather than fact. That would be fine and even helpful if those posters didn't represent their insight as fact.

 

As for Leejnd4's quote: "Sorry, I've seen too many youthful weddings end up in divorce"--thanks a lot.

 

Finally, I didn't ask for anyone's parental advice. We both have loving parents who we can go to for this. I simply wanted factual answers realted to my question.

 

Please come back after the cruise and let us know if it worked out for you. The reason I ask this is because on many issues, the answer you get from customer service is not what happens when you get to the ship. Customer service is sorely lacking in keeping informed of rules, regulations, and company policy.

 

Hope you two have a great Honeymoon.

[Arwenmark]

So let me get this straight. If I want to drink beer or wine I'll have to have a signature from my parents who won't even be on the cruise except for the ceremony at the beginning? What purpose would a document like that have?

 

As a married person you become emancipated and as such do not need parental permission for anything. That is why you have no problem booking the cabin on the ship without the required older person booked with you.

 

This should be the same for the drinking question. If any people your age are allowed to drink with permission, not as in the law forbids it, then you should have that right as well.

 

Now all that being said, Speak to a supervisor or better yet manager at the cruiseline and see what they say. And if they DO agree with what I just told you get it in writing from them with the managers name.

 

I should have read further, glad to see it is worked out, and as for the youthful marriage comment, I was 16 hubby was 18, part of why I know about emancipation. We have now been married 38 1/2 years and have five grown children. Good luck and congratulations.

[bbuchanan]

islanderbob654, good for you! You received the correct answer. Actually, it is the reverse of what has been posted here in response to your question. Parents may request that Royal Caribbean deny beer and wine consumption to their 18 to 20 year olds while on board. Under those circumstances, the individual's card so designates.

 

Royal Caribbean's age restrictions require that if a cabin passenger is under 21, they must travel with a traveling companion of 25 or older. However, this is waived for married passengers. I would take a copy of your marriage license and you should be fine.

[grvdggr71]

Royal Caribbean's age restrictions require that if a cabin passenger is under 21, they must travel with a traveling companion of 25 or older. However, this is waived for married passengers. I would take a copy of your marriage license and you should be fine.

 

Actually, this policy has recently changed, I believe. I'm pretty sure that now anyone under 21 must sail with someone over 21, not 25.

[CPT Trips]

Please come back after the cruise and let us know if it worked out for you. The reason I ask this is because on many issues, the answer you get from customer service is not what happens when you get to the ship. Customer service is sorely lacking in keeping informed of rules, regulations, and company policy.

 

Hope you two have a great Honeymoon.

 

I second that - please let us know what the reality was for you. I also agree with you that you were flamed unnecessarily.

 

I too married a twenty year old (many years ago) - we are aging well and enjoy cruising together . . . don't let the naysayers get you down!