Do you let you 18-20 year olds drink?

[ORANGEinINDY]

I appologize in advance for not reading all the MANY posts before I add my $0.02.

This can also be an opportunity to monitor and teach our kids about drinking responsibly. And one where they won't have the opportunity to drive.

[Homeschoolmom69]

I am sure to get flamed for this but here goes nothing. So let me get this straight, you will allow your 18 yr. old to break one rule (LAW) if he agrees to follow a few other rules? Hmm...

 

Teach01,

 

Number one, I don't have an 18 year old, he's 19 soon to be 20.

 

Number two, What law would he be breaking?? It IS legal to have beer on the ship at 18.... No lawbreakers here.......

[watervillevalley]

Why not compromise. When you all sit down to dinner, let him have one drink?

[Homeschoolmom69]

Why not compromise. When you all sit down to dinner, let him have one drink?

 

Thats basically what I was referring to in my OP. A glass of wine w/dinner, or maybe a beer on the balcony w/dad. I have no intention of condoning him running amok on the ship, snockered out of his gourd as some of the posters have implied. (Nor would he want to!)

 

Happy cruising....

[bjd3563]

I would not sign a consent. They get enough from others who buy it for them. It was quite easy for them to do that in the clubs on the ship. That was my experience with my 18 year old son. Although he did not get in any trouble and I didn't pay a dime, I was not going to condone it.

[Lou33]

Do some parents really believe that their 18-20 year olds don't drink?

 

If they really don't drink, then there's no harm in allowing them to drink on the ship in your company, where it's legal anyway. They may not even want to drink. Actually, it's a good way to show them that you trust them.

 

If they already drink (they probably do), then they are going to drink anyway. If you don't allow them, then they will try to hide it from you. They will make all kinds of excuses to not be around you.

 

I would rather have an open relationship with my young adult kids, and I see no harm in allowing them to have a few drinks on the ship. A 19 year old isn't going to turn into a raving alcoholic after having a few drinks on a cruise ship.

[beachchick]

I've got the solution to the "but at 18 they are old enough to join the military, be on their own, and are considered adults." How about this: As far as I know, fully adult people typically support themselves; they don't rely on mommy and daddy to pay the bills, pay their rent, or pay for their vacations. So, if an 18 y/o is on his/her own and pays for his/her own cruise, he/she is and "adult" and should be allowed to consume beer and wine. If an 18 y/o is still living in his/her parents' home and being supported by said parents, he/she is not truly an adult and shouldn't be allowed to consume beer or wine.

 

(Yeah, I know...that's not going to fly with most posters, but my point remains the same. Just because someone is 18 and old enough to "die for our country" doesn't make them mature enough or adult enough to drink alcohol responsibly.)

 

beachchick

[Nliedel]

Sorry but if you are on a vacation with me it's not your rules and if you decide to get it from others then you break the rules then there are consequenses. While I would sign a consent it would be for a glass of wine in my company and that would be clearly understood. Not for whole hog drunkeness and all that goes with it.

 

If a kid is going to come along on my dime and get drunk on booze handed to him by others, who may have put something dangerous in it, then I am not about to pay for it. Do 18-20 year olds drink? Sure they do. However I don't have to cough up my money to allow some of the things I have saw when I was that age.

[motherofthebride]

This is a really stupid question, when and where do you have to sign a release or waiver? We will have a couple of young adults over 18 and under 21 traveling with a wedding party. Not all of the parents will be coming on the cruise. If they choose to do so, can they sign this waiver for their daughter/son? And what about the bride and groom, they are to be married on the ship before departure ... they both are 20. Will they also need a waiver?

[cheezwhiz]

I have a 17 year girl and would not sign the waiver. When she is 21 then she can that the law in the US. If she can drink on vacation before 21 then you are saying its OK when you get home.

[Nliedel]

This is a really stupid question, when and where do you have to sign a release or waiver? We will have a couple of young adults over 18 and under 21 traveling with a wedding party. Not all of the parents will be coming on the cruise. If they choose to do so, can they sign this waiver for their daughter/son? And what about the bride and groom, they are to be married on the ship before departure ... they both are 20. Will they also need a waiver?

 

It's not a stupid question at all. You will need parents to sign the waiver. I suspect however, that a group like this will get alcohol even without a waiver signed one way or another.

 

I was allowed to have wine with dinner when I was with my parents long before I was 21. I was, for the most part, pretty responsible about it and I am a careful drinker to this day. My sister, who was allowed the same, does not drink at all. My next door neighbors had the same policy and three of the six kids have had a problem with drugs and alcohol so signing or not signing is more about knowing your own offspring. If you sign the waiver it won't make them drunks and if you don't sign it they probably will find a way if that is important to them. There are no clear cut answers with this one.

[motherofthebride]

If needed, can you print the waiver from the website or does it come with your final papers? I want to give the parents the option to discuss with their kids and then sign or not sign the waiver. This is not a wild and crazy bunch, but I do know that the majority have been known to drink a beer or wine cooler here and there. LOL ... am I seriously going to have to sign a waiver for my daughter on her honeymoon? :confused:

[Karen112999]

This is a really tough serious issue and because I never had children, I will not have to make this decision.

 

Drinking age when I was a teenager was 18. Drinking age for my brother was 21. My brother died of alcholism in his 30's and had battled it since he was a young teenager - drinking illegally of course. I do not have a problem with alchohol. What made the difference - who knows.

 

If I did have children, I would base my decision on the child and their track record with responsibility. And if there is a real issue with your teen and he.she is angry about not getting permission to drink, then you should look deeper as to why this issue is so important to them.

 

If someone told me my next cruise was alcohol free, it would not effect me one way or another.

 

I applaud both those parents who sign the consent for responsible teens along with those who do not sign for their own personal convictions. My problem is with those who, as adults, set poor examples and depend on cruiseline regulations to supervisor their children/teens.

 

Thanks for letting me vent.

 

Karen

[hmg]

I would call the cruise line and/or the travel agent to confirm how to handle this. A few months back the question of signing a waiver for a honeymoon was addressed. The bride called the cruise line and learned that no one would need to sign for her.

[Weez]

I have a 17 year girl and would not sign the waiver. When she is 21 then she can that the law in the US. If she can drink on vacation before 21 then you are saying its OK when you get home.

 

You are saying no such thing. If you have a kid that doesn't see the difference, I wouldn't sign the waiver for them either.

[Weez]

This is a really tough serious issue and because I never had children, I will not have to make this decision.

 

Drinking age when I was a teenager was 18. Drinking age for my brother was 21. My brother died of alcholism in his 30's and had battled it since he was a young teenager - drinking illegally of course. I do not have a problem with alchohol. What made the difference - who knows.

 

If I did have children, I would base my decision on the child and their track record with responsibility. And if there is a real issue with your teen and he.she is angry about not getting permission to drink, then you should look deeper as to why this issue is so important to them.

 

If someone told me my next cruise was alcohol free, it would not effect me one way or another.

 

I applaud both those parents who sign the consent for responsible teens along with those who do not sign for their own personal convictions. My problem is with those who, as adults, set poor examples and depend on cruiseline regulations to supervisor their children/teens.

 

Thanks for letting me vent.

 

Karen

 

That's an excellent post. ;)

[JulieMcCoy]

Yes, you would have to sign a waiver for your daughter to drink alcohol, even if she is on her honeymoon. I'm not sure that 18- to -20-year-olds can drink alcohol on board if they do not have a parent or guardian actually on the ship. The waiver says it must be signed by an adult "who will be responsible" for them.

 

This is a very interesting thread, and one that demonstrates how important it is to decide what you think will work for you individually. Personally, I have signed the waiver for my 18-year-old daughter for our upcoming cruise. Knowing her and how she has behaved on our previous three cruises, I believe she will spend most of her time with me and other family members; she will not be hanging out with other teens, simply because she chooses not to. So I will be able to supervise her consumption of alcohol. She knows that I'll yank the waiver if she behaves inappropriately. I'll be surprised if she has more than a drink or two a day. If she were going to be spending most of her time with other teens out of my sight, I would rethink what I might do.

 

When I was in high school, I went on a school trip to Germany, where the legal drinking age is something like 16. Our teacher had told all the parents that we would be permitted to drink alcohol, since it was legal for us to do so there. However, if anyone got drunk, they would be sent home on the next flight at their parents' expense. There were no problems, and when we came home, I didn't start drinking alcohol.

[Nliedel]

If needed, can you print the waiver from the website or does it come with your final papers? I want to give the parents the option to discuss with their kids and then sign or not sign the waiver. This is not a wild and crazy bunch, but I do know that the majority have been known to drink a beer or wine cooler here and there. LOL ... am I seriously going to have to sign a waiver for my daughter on her honeymoon? :confused:

 

the point of the waiver is that there will be an adult to assist should there be an issue. I don't think they are going to let anyone sign it from home. I am sorry.

[motherofthebride]

I agree, excellent post by Weez.

 

And as a parent and definitely as one of the adults of this party, I would much rather have the young adults act responsibly in my presence. Not only are we celebrating the wedding, but my son and his girlfriend (both 18) will be graduating 2 weeks after our return. They are responsible and mature young adults, but I can also see them wanting to share in one celebration and celebrate their own success with the upcoming graduation. I'd be naive to assume they will be content with sitting by drinking soda the whole trip.

[Weez]

I agree, excellent post by Weez.

 

And as a parent and definitely as one of the adults of this party, I would much rather have the young adults act responsibly in my presence. Not only are we celebrating the wedding, but my son and his girlfriend (both 18) will be graduating 2 weeks after our return. They are responsible and mature young adults, but I can also see them wanting to share in one celebration and celebrate their own success with the upcoming graduation. I'd be naive to assume they will be content with sitting by drinking soda the whole trip.

 

It wasn't my post. It was Karen's;)

[ssca]

Wow !This thread still going. It is funny that there are a lot of posts from people who do not have to make this decision yet. My advice NEVER say Never!! I can make this decision for my 19 yr old because he has earned our trust and I know HE can handle it. Now my 15yr old we will just have to wait and see when he is 18. I can not make that decision now I do not know how resonsible he will have become when he is 18. Lets not judge people, they should know there own children. .

[WaterCrazzy]

first off let me just say that this is all my own honest opinion and that i don't push my views on anyone else.

 

i just got back from Enchantment of the Seas to the western caribbean (2/23/06). The first day of the cruise it was my 21st :D birthday and not once did i drink. I believe that while on vacation, especially on a cruise ship there is just no reason to drink...the drinks are expensive, there's so much to do without getting drunk, if you do overdue it the next day it's alittle rough doing the ports. Not to mention with all the crazy people out there, now a days i want to be completely aware of my surroundings I'm super responsible and i definitly did some major partying :cool: and I also completely trust myself, but I still don't see the reason for it...

if you get a chance, check out this thread (u may have to copy and paste the link in your own browser)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=5950836#post5950836

 

like i said, just my honest opinion..

have a great cruise! wish i was going again :p

[Kissara22]

Logic ensues here.

 

If the legal drinking age in the United States was still 18, obviously this question would be moot.

 

First I must say that regardless of the waiver being signed, ..at 18 your kid is considered an adult by US laws. No they can't drink legally until they're 21, they can't even rent a car until they're 25( most agencies). They can vote, enter the military, get married, have children, buy a house, move out without your permission, move to China if they so choose and there's nothing any parent can do about it.

 

You can sign the waiver or not but I think the idea of the waiver is for the parents peace of mind. International waters and the ship could say ..."all adults may drink now." They can drink in Mexico without parental permission. I can't imagine being on my own at 19, working fulltime, and paying my own bills that supplied my own house and still having to get mommy and daddy to sign a permission slip.

 

Just because you allow your kids to drink for instance in Mexico ( I'm liking this example) at the age of 18-20 doesn't mean you're saying they can drink at home also or that you now condone drinking. You're still abiding by the laws of the land that you're standing on. Any person with common sense would see this.

[motherofthebride]

I had my daughter call Royal Caribbean to see what rules applied to the cruise we are going on. Ironically, I will have to sign a waiver for her to be able to drink anything alcoholic on her honeymoon. She can enter marriage and the responsibilities that come with that, yet still needs a parent signature for a glass of champaign. The same for my 18 year old son. And as someone just pointed out, he can go off to war, vote, move out on his own, etc., etc., and I would have to allow that regardless of whether I felt he was mature and capable enough to handle the decisions/choices. For anyone interested, she was told that someone over the age of 25 has to sign the waiver for anyone between the ages of 18-20. The person signing does not have to be a parent, just an adult going on the cruise. There have been some excellent posts on this topic. My personal opinion goes along with those that feel it should be a case by case determination based upon the maturity and responsibility of each young adult.

[Shanafan]

Wow !This thread still going. It is funny that there are a lot of posts from people who do not have to make this decision yet. My advice NEVER say Never!! I can make this decision for my 19 yr old because he has earned our trust and I know HE can handle it. Now my 15yr old we will just have to wait and see when he is 18. I can not make that decision now I do not know how resonsible he will have become when he is 18. Lets not judge people, they should know there own children. .

My thoughts exactly!