Latest on Teenager lost at sea

[rburns44]

Took my 23 yr old son on a cruise for college graduation. He looked young so even tho his card was flagged over 21 the bartender made him go back to the room and get his drivers license to show him. This was on Carnival in 2002!

 

Becky

[KK_Cruisin]

I have seen this go both ways, When i was on the Monarch when i was 20 my husband and I were talking with a fellow cruiser and his little sister (she was 16 and here card had the holes punched in it) She went to the bar and orfered 2 cocktails and the bartender served her. I thought this was very stupid on the bartenders part. I am sure the computer system knows who card is registered to who and the computer shoulda picked up on alchool being charged to a 16 y/o card.

 

On the other hand when i was on Navigator, they were very strict about checking ppls ages. I was 22 and questioned a couple of times because i had 1 hole punched in the top corner to attach it to my lanyard. They punch the "age proof" holes in the bottom center of cards. 2 holes mean thay are under 18 and cannot have any alchool, 1 hole means they are 19-20 and can have beer and wine.

[Merion_Mom]

Krystal, I can go you one better on your story.

 

I was FORTY SEVEN, punched a hole in my card myself so I could put it on my lanyard, AND I WAS QUESTIONED ABOUT BEING OLD ENOUGH TO DRINK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D

[Weez]

Please don't blame me if people don't read my post carefully - it clearly names the ship - 'Costa Magica' - no correction needed!

 

I think the question was more of why are you posting this on the RCI board when it happened on a Costa cruise. Some of us knew it wasn't RCI but I'm sure quite a few didn't. RCI takes enough of a beating on this board, no need to exacerbate it. That's why each cruise line has it's own board.

[CruzinMom05]

I give cudos (don't know if it's spelled right) to RCI. Springbreak 3 years ago my 18 yr old & I took a trip with her school mates and some of their parents. I (while laying by the pool) wanted another pina colada and couldn't seem to find a waiter. Being a bit lazy I asked my daughter to take my card and go to the little bar right by us and get me one while pointing to me to show it was for me. She even looks 21. They would not serve her. I commend them, while I was a bit annoyed I had to get up, they were only obeying the law. Again another reason to sail with them! Too many drunk 18 yr olds drinking beer as it was. Luckily she didn't like beer!

[denred04]

The reason the OP posted this on the RCI board is to give us all information. that's it. I never would have gone to the Costa threads, so I would have missed it. I appreciated it, as we are going inJuly with 20 and19 y/o--I am very glad to have this info, so I can be more careful, and make sure my girls are as well. I think we all get a bit relaxed on a cruise, not realizing that going overboard is a REAL possiblity. Thanks for posting it here!

PS--why are people so mean here sometimes?

[English Jane]

Thanks Denise - that's exactly it. The only positive thing that we can take from tragedies like this is to learn from the mistakes of others - whatever cruiseline they might be on.

 

Jane

x

[maurick]

If Ihad a teen with a drinking problem at home, I would never take him or her on a cruise unless I was with them all the time. When my children were young and cruised with us, our rule was no going to anyone else's cabin and no one in our cabin unless we knew before hand. There is no reason kids have to go to other cabins, there is so many areas on the ship to hang out.

[*erika*]

I just wonder how easy was it for her to fall overboard? I never really noticed any places on the cruises I've been on where someone could "accidently" fall over, unless they were trying to....or someone "helped" them.

 

 

Either way, it's horrible that this tragedy had to happen.

[Weez]

I just wonder how easy was it for her to fall overboard? I never really noticed any places on the cruises I've been on where someone could "accidently" fall over, unless they were trying to....or someone "helped" them.

 

I agree, I am almost 6' and I don't think i could accidentally fall over without doing something very stupid or being helped.

[pjbrock]

They will find ways to drink if they want to and a lot of "stupid parents " will even provide it for their children -however the cruise line selling in the bar openly cannot be excused. Parents should talk to their children and teach them about making good choices..this however starts at birth and cannot be started at the age of 15. Teaching by example makes the biggest impact!!!!

 

Hard to believe that they sold it to her in the bar. RCCL does punch the

cards of all underage youth and they try to control this problem on board.

 

My kids never drank on board ( I am confident) however they all said that some of the kids -even underage had access in their cabins should anyone want some alcohol - as I said -some parents are well meaning but mis-guided.

[phbr]

The Irish Government has ordered an 'enquiry' into the tragic loss of 15 year old Lynsey O'Brien from Dublin, who fell overboard from the Costa Magica off the Mexican coast on January 5th.

 

The girls father personally contacted the Irish Prime Minister who has now rather belatedly set up the above enquiry. Mr O'Brien described cruise ships as'floating countries without any laws to guide them' and wants the 'antiquated' marine laws updated.

 

Fair points, but what good is the enquiry going to do apart from ease the conscience of the Irish government , who took weeks to even acknowledge receipt of Mr O'Briens dossier on the case. There were no witnesses to the event and all they can hope to find is how a 15 year old got so much alcohol without being challenged.

 

The O'Briens do not deny that their daugher had been drinking in the bar of the Costa Magica, but are very upset at the 'wild and hurtful speculation' about the circumstances of Lynsey's death, which range from people on board claiming to have heard Lynsey's sister say she jumped overboard, to impersonations of the 'Titanic's' King of the World scene on the stateromm balcony.

 

Its a very sad case, which our Government will now turn into a political football for a while before letting the end report gather dust.

[pcur]

If Ihad a teen with a drinking problem at home, I would never take him or her on a cruise unless I was with them all the time. When my children were young and cruised with us, our rule was no going to anyone else's cabin and no one in our cabin unless we knew before hand. There is no reason kids have to go to other cabins, there is so many areas on the ship to hang out.

 

When we took my son on this cruise, we didn't know he was starting to drink. He was 14 at the time, and this is when we became aware of it. He met up with a family with 18 - 21's, and they provided him with the alcohol. Once we realized it, we had to change our tactics. It was a miserable cruise, to say the least, and the beginning of about 11 years of misery for our family.

 

To answer Denise's question about why people are mean on some of these threads, I think it's a combination of reasons.

 

This is a topic that makes all of us upset and angry that it happened. It's kind of a "kill the messenger" type of behavior.

 

I've been on these boards for over 3 years, and some people are just more blunt than others, so their intent doesn't always come through clearly. We have to remember that the written word doesn't always carry the same inflection as the spoken word.

 

And, (my personal observation ONLY), I think the later in the evening people post, the glass(es) of wine or beer tend to add to making some people more irritable and it shows in their posts.

 

It doesn't matter what cruise line this horrible incident happened on, it needs to be passed around. 15 years ago I would have greatly appreciated someone educating me. It was the first cruise with our sons (and the last with the older one; never again), and we weren't aware of this possibility.

[cruisintwinsmom]

To answer Denise's question about why people are mean on some of these threads, I think it's a combination of reasons.

 

This is a topic that makes all of us upset and angry that it happened. It's kind of a "kill the messenger" type of behavior.

 

I've been on these boards for over 3 years, and some people are just more blunt than others, so their intent doesn't always come through clearly. We have to remember that the written word doesn't always carry the same inflection as the spoken word.

 

I don't get why people get so hostile (lack of a better word) and judgemental when people are sharing their personal experience either. It takes a lot of courage to discuss difficult times in our lives and the information is shared so that others may learn from our experiences.

To be fair, it is difficult to judge someone's tone on the written page, so I guess sometimes and "attack" is not actually being made.

 

Anyhow, thanks for sharing you trials with us. It is always good to know that sometimes our teens will "grow" out of that stage.

[ILov2cruise]

This incident occurred on Costa Magica...and Costa cruises is owned by Carnival. Doesn't RCI catch enough grief without making people assume this event happened on an RCI vessel?

 

A previous post even said "RCCL is responsible for their bartenders serving minors and they should stop it at once. But, we, as parents are responsible for our kids 24 hours a day - if they are in our sight or not."

 

Geez.

 

 

LL

 

If you read back it does say it happened on Costa. I read the posts also and I think the person who said RCCL was saying RCCL also has been seen serving underage drinkers.

 

I seen it on many crusiers, I have also read on these boards posts from parents who think it's ok fot their underage children to drink beer and wine.

 

It happens on ALL cruise lines EVEN RCCL. Costa being owned by Carnival has nothing to do with the underage drinking problem.

[SPiper1]

I am a diamond member; Parent of 4, and have recently taken 32 members of my family. Half under 21.

Even when I wanted to order a fruitie drink for my teens, the staff would not even entertain the idea of serving minors.

 

I have found drunk and passed out teens throughout the ship, while early rising. But a routine cruiser quickly realizes that teens can get the drinks on shore for pennies.

I wish all would quit blaming Royal Caribbean. Every Island gives young kids drinks all day long for cheap or even free some places.

My girls have been approached by men, and security is on those men like a SWAT team.

Security is excellent on every ship, and I am a retired Federal Officer. Like any bar, after 10pm people get drunk and stupid. Teens grab half drank beers and mixed drinks, from anywhere...

 

It all boils down to personal responsibility as a teen, cruiser, and as a adult.

The ships are small cities, and every city has its odd balls, and odd ball city employees.

 

I did note as a warning to you women;

That the employee preditor males come to the discos after 10pm; looking for drunk women.

So have fun but don't get stupid drunk..

[Gingee]

My almost 21 and then 21 year old daughter was checked on both Carnival and Royal when we let her order a drink. We were with her. I had to order it as mine.

[pcur]

I don't get why people get so hostile (lack of a better word) and judgemental when people are sharing their personal experience either. It takes a lot of courage to discuss difficult times in our lives and the information is shared so that others may learn from our experiences.

To be fair, it is difficult to judge someone's tone on the written page, so I guess sometimes and "attack" is not actually being made.

 

Anyhow, thanks for sharing you trials with us. It is always good to know that sometimes our teens will "grow" out of that stage.

 

You're welcome. If I can say ANYTHING that can help someone else with a problem like this, I don't care if I'm strung up by my heels and roasted for dinner....:D

 

DS is doing great now, and believe me, it wasn't easy for us until he graduated from college and decided he needed to grow up!

[SissasMomE]

It's always someone elses fault. My daughter would never dream of drinking when she was underage. Alcohol is not oderless, nor are cigarettes!

 

 

Now you're being extremely naive.

[glendon3281]

Just wanted to mention that on our Aug. 05 cruise that my DH, identical twin 17-year old sons and I sailed on, RC "forgot" to punch one of my son's SeaPasses. We did not realize it until after we had boarded. So, one son's card had two holes, the other had none. Go figure.....

 

I'm sure our experience was not the first or last time that the check-in person forgot to punch cards.

[Merion_Mom]

Interesting post, glendon.

 

On our Enchantment cruise (August 2005), they neglected to punch one hole in my daughter's card. (she was 19 at the time) She was THRILLED out of this world. She walked up to a bar, ordered a drink........they scanned her card and....................SHOT DOWN. The computer knew her age, even without the one punch.

 

Now *I* was thrilled!

[stbmom]

Now you're being extremely naive.

 

Actually, there are some teens that don't drink or smoke. My mom is a smoker and I have never smoked. My two sisters don't smoke either. I never had a drink before the age of 21 and rarely drink now. My dh was the same way - never took a drink before 21 - even though his family does drink.

I guess it boils down to what you expect from your children. We knew the consequences of disobeying the rules - and it wasn't a lecture about "kids being kids". Never felt like we were missing out on something fun either.

[BarbaraM]

I recall a heated thread a couple years ago, when a parent was irate at RCL because her son got drunk the last night of the cruise - he was 19, but his parents refused to let him drink on board, and didn't release his for purchase of beer or wine. They refused to pay his bar tab from the cruise. The kid I guess went to guest services, told them he "lost" his card, and then apparently guest services saw his age, and didn't punch him for no alchohol service.

 

Rather than paying the bill -- and blaming the son -- she gave the cruiseline hell -- and demanded they be responsible for the charges. Her son did not "lose" his card, but did this so he could buy drinks. RCL shows the room bills daily -- at some point the parents could have checked this but didn't -- and the debate was on whether RCL was responsible or not.

 

I have 5 kids -- the youngest still teens, and I have taken them on cruises. My daughter drank at 17 because she looked older and guys bought her drinks. My sons on two different cruises got drunk on a shore excursion that served rum punch -- both occasions they were under 18. My kids at 18 + when they were legal drank moderately ( I have the bar tabs to show for it ) and I never saw them drunk. Go firgure.

 

Some parents think their kids are perfect and some kids are -- but most aren't, and the idea of doing something forbidden has a lure. The problem with alchohol, as I've told my kids -- is that once you start drinking all common sense goes out the window. I'm not sure there is an answer to the problem of underage drinking on ships anymore than there is at home. I'm sure kids have very convincing stories, have friends willing to buy for them, just as they do at home. I guess we tell kids to not get in cars when they drink, maybe we should not give them balcony staterooms either.

[ILoveScotland]

I wonder if makes a difference if the parents are not with the teens. If they're with the teens I would expect the bartenders to ask. But if a 17 year old goes in alone will he/she more likely be served?

 

My DD is now in her 30s, but when she was a teenager she went on a church youth group trip which included an overnight ferry ride from Maine to Nova Scotia. She talked about the relaxed drinking laws once the ferry was in international waters. Is that still part of the issue, that the laws about underage drinking are not in force?