High school graduation trip - is it possible?

[Califonria cruiser]

If I wanted to take my 18 year old daughter plus another 18 year old friend, can they get their own cabin if we are on the ship with them? What documentation would I need since we wouldn't be her parents?

 

Do families do this or is this crazy?

 

I know the girls are trying to find a senior trip and was thinking this would make us all happy : )

 

Jenn

[Ourusualbeach]

47 minutes ago, Califonria cruiser said:

If I wanted to take my 18 year old daughter plus another 18 year old friend, can they get their own cabin if we are on the ship with them? What documentation would I need since we wouldn't be her parents?

 

Do families do this or is this crazy?

 

I know the girls are trying to find a senior trip and was thinking this would make us all happy : )

 

Jenn

They can be in a cabin directly beside yours or directly across the hall.  You must call Royal to book this way as the website won’t allow you to book this way. 

 

Adults who are not the parent or legal guardian of a minor traveling with them must present an original, notarized letter signed by the child's parent(s) authorizing the adult to take the child on the specific cruise, supervise the child, and allow emergency medical treatment to be administered, if needed. This is necessary even when the adult traveling is part of the child’s extended family (i.e. aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc). To make it easy for you, we have a sample letter you can use. The letter can be downloaded here.

[SG65CB]

34 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Adults who are not the parent or legal guardian of a minor traveling with them must present an original, notarized letter signed by the child's parent(s) authorizing the adult to take the child on the specific cruise, supervise the child, and allow emergency medical treatment to be administered, if needed.

 

We almost had a similar situation but the trip wasn't finalized so I didn't need to get my questions answered. But since the friend is 18 does that complicate matters? She is too young to sail without a parent or guardian, but is not a minor child.

 

Royal Caribbean's rule regarding minimum age to sail:

No Guest younger than the age twenty-one (21) will be assigned to a stateroom unless accompanied in the same stateroom by an adult twenty-one (21) years old or older. A guest's age is established upon the first date of sailing.

 

This age limit will be waived for children sailing with their parents or guardians in connecting staterooms.

 

What would they need to do to bring along an 18-year-old non-family member? Bring the notarized letter?

 

(For anyone wondering, RC extends the "connecting stateroom" rule to any stateroom next door or across the hall.)

[ARandomTraveler]

Book yourself in a room with the friend, and book your daughter in her own stateroom, then swap when you’re on the ship. 

[mjkacmom]

She is a legal adult, you won’t need anything from her parents.

[Ourusualbeach]

10 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

She is a legal adult, you won’t need anything from her parents.

Correct, thanks I missed the fact that the friend was over 18 when I posted the information about minor children.

[momofmab]

We sailed in December on Brilliance with a large extended family group.  My father-in-law made the arrangements through a big box travel agent.  For us, Royal DID require that there be someone 21 years of age or older be in each stateroom.  We had to book an adult in staterooms with anyone under the age of 21 (my daughter was the youngest at age 16.  We also had several 20 year olds and a 19 year old who had to be booked with an adult).  We easily switched everything around after we left port.  My daughter ended up in a cabin with her 19 year old cousin.  They were a floor down from us and on the opposite side of the ship, but the ship's staff didn't blink an eye over it (FWIW, other adults from our group were on the same floor, but I have no idea if the staff would have known that).

[SuiteLady]

We did this for my son’s HS graduation... my son was 18 and his friend was 17.... my hubby and I had JS and kids were next door in standard balcony.  It was no issue, as they were next door.  I had notarized letter from friend’s parent( just the mom, as parents were divorced and dad lived out of state- no questions were even asked).  The signed letter included ship name, dates, itinerary, permission to seek and sign for medical emergencies ( I also had copy of insurance card), permission to sign for any waivers for onboard activities and/or excursions.... there was never any issues what so ever and they have great memories that they still talk about today!!  Do it!!

[Califonria cruiser]

Thank you!

 

[kte55]

We are sailing in May on Oasis and are taking my son (we booked 2 rooms) who will be 18 and a friend who will will be 17. My husband is booked in one room and I in another. The friend's mom is getting a letter notarized giving us authorization to sign for and make decisions for her child while he is with us. This is the 3rd time we are taking a friend of ours son's. In the past once we boarded no one ever asked for that letter again. No one questioned us at any of the ports we visited.  When we booked, the cruise line operator said they need an adult listed in each room but they did not care what we did once we started sailing.