Inside Edition - Story on Cruise Ship Drinking

[VA CDC]

We just got off of the Grandeur a week ago. I did not see anything like this. I have a 13 and 16 year old that cruised with us. They spent most of the sea days with groups of other kids and checked in with us every 2-3 hours and I met a number of thier friends.

I did see a number of bartenders denying people drinks. One even checked with a senior bartender when someone's Sea pass had one hole in it and wanted to purchase a mixed drink and a beer. They said no on the mixed drink.

There are bad apples in any group. I would be curious to know how RCI handles problems of bar tenders not following the rules. Like most companies they probably would not release this information. I don't think the Ruby Tuesday's or other chains with bars would tell you how many people it had fired or disciplined either for similar issues.

[MrsPete]

but I will debate anyone suggesting that "you have to learn to drink responsibly". Unfortunately statistics don't support your hypothesis that "teaching" folks at a younger age "how" to drink responsibly results in better behavior.

ALL parents teach their children how to drink. But those lessons begin before the kid's old enough to ever consider having an alcoholic drink himself. Teaching a kid how to drink has NOTHING to do with allowing the kid to have a drink in the home -- that's simply teaching the kid what it feels like to be drunk.

 

We all know that kids will immitate their parents' behavior (in fact, they'll immitate it more than they'd like to admit). A parent who has one drink with dinner, then quits, is teaching his child that drinking's okay in moderation. A parent who gets sloppy drunk every weekend (or at parties, or on holidays, or at the races, or whatever) is teaching his child that drinking's how to have a good time. A parent who hands over the keys after having a couple drinks at a restaurant is teaching his child that it's wrong to drink /drive. THESE are the lessons that our children will take with them into adulthood.

[MrsPete]

As I said, it is illegal for a bartender to serve a minor on land. It should be no different on sea.

While I agree that no bartender should be serving a child alcohol, your argument doesn't hold up. It's illegal in America for a bartender to serve a minor on land. The ships are not American soil.

[renata102]

While I agree that no bartender should be serving a child alcohol, your argument doesn't hold up. It's illegal in America for a bartender to serve a minor on land. The ships are not American soil.

 

I agree, the ship is not on american soil. In England the legal age to drink is 16 in other countries is 18. Mexico is 18.

 

BTW, i have seen FAR worse behavior when I went to Cancun on spring break years ago..... its a shame! i saw things I would never repeat again and don't talk about it :eek: AND I am the loud and crazy partier :p

[cruisnfool]

Do you think part of the problem is this alcohol revenue is a double edged sword. As passengers get younger and younger more money is spent on alcohol. Yes they want the revenue and don't want to turn away customers.

I imagine the cruise lines are currently scrambling to think zbout these types of issues because of the accidents and media exposure.

 

I think the bartenders serving alcohol to minors should be sacked immediately!

Hard to control parents and older siblings that alow it.

 

I too wonder where the parents were when the Irish girl was drinking alone in the bar at 2:00 am.

 

When our children were minors they had to go to bed when we did.

[cruisingrl]

[quote name='VA CDC'][COLOR=black]We just got off of the Grandeur a week ago. I did not see anything like this. I have a 13 and 16 year old that cruised with us. They spent most of the sea days with groups of other kids and checked in with us every 2-3 hours and I met a number of thier friends.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=black]I did see a number of bartenders denying people drinks. One even checked with a senior bartender when someone's Sea pass had one hole in it and wanted to purchase a mixed drink and a beer. They said no on the mixed drink.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=black]There are bad apples in any group. I would be curious to know how RCI handles problems of bar tenders not following the rules. Like most companies they probably would not release this information. I don't think the Ruby Tuesday's or other chains with bars would tell you how many people it had fired or disciplined either for similar issues.[/COLOR][/quote]


I also was on that sailing and I have to say that I did notice kids drinking on the ship. I have two kids also, 14 and 16. This was our first RCCL cruise after four Carnival and I never noticed kids drinking on any of our Carnival cruises like I did on the Grandeur. Does not mean there were not kids drinking on the Carnival ships, I just did not notice it like I did on this ship.

I think the drinking at the ports was pretty bad. After seeing what appeared to be underage kids drinking in Costa Maya we asked one of the locals what the drinking age was and they replied there was no drinking age. Spoke to a couple of girls in the pool at the port who were drinking from the yard cups and they told us they were 17 (after hemming and hawing quite a bit). Saw one boy practically being carried on board by his father. At Carlos 'n Charlies in Cozumel I thought we were at a taping for "Girls Gone Wild". Those girls looked to be 19 or 20. We saw that group on the ship and they were not traveling with their parents.

[hobbit81]

This post is a real eye opener. Not to say I'm nieve about the drinking. I remember what I was like at that age, along with the fact I have three boys and I am a children's counselor. My boys going on the cruise next year with me and my DH and they will be 20 & 14. I will put some rules in place. They both will have a friend with them. Help me out a little here. My kids know that when I say something big, I mean it. Ever seen a 19 year old grounded??? He thought I was crazy. I know I can't keep him from drinking but if I catch him driving UI I will ground him. He tested me once. He got grounded. He was miserable. My house, my rules, I'm the one who has to sit up and worry. And yes, my name is on his truck too. I can sell it.

How to be sure he's not "buying" for his brother? What about checking the account every day to look for unusual amounts of booze bought? Of course there is the "check in every 2 hour" rule. That's in place with the younger one regardless of where we vacation. They will also have their own room away from ours. Wonder now if I should change that? Any other ideas? Remember, I want them to have fun, but safe too. :rolleyes:

[crusinmama06]

Why is it always RCCL?

The WORST underage drinking I have ever seen was on an NCL ship. I was so angry. We were at a dance club where earlier in the night had been a teen club. The area was full of kids drinking. I, in particular, noticed a young girl who looked to me to be about 15. She had beer after beer in her hand.

The next day, I happened to be standing in line at the pursers desk when a man started yelling about the charges on his account. He didn't order all of those drinks. The charges were wrong. Why are they on his account. Blah, blah, blah. Meanwhile, the girl stood there totally silent. So they explained to the father that someone had charged all of that alcohol the night before to his account. His said it was impossible. They said the signature on the reciepts is his daughter's name. He said "she is only 14 years old. She didn't charge those drinks." So when they explained to him that yes, she certainly did. He then went off on a long screaming fit at the staff, NOT his daughter, for allowing her to buy the alcohol. He NEVER even looked at his daughter, he kept screaming at the staff.

There has to be some sort of parental responsibility somewhere. I saw the girl drinking it up well into the early morning. The parents didn't think to check on her at all? And when they found out their little princess had been drinking, who do they blame, the cruiseline. :rolleyes:

[cruznsugs]

I also saw inside edition's take on how wild RCCL cruises are. My DH and I just laughed. They took probably the worse possible time , spring break to do this report. I'm guessing if they picked May or September or anyother time they would be just sitting there with no footage. I've been on a few cruises and have never seen behavior like this ever. Spring break is just an excuse for college students to get waisted and do really stupid things. It doesn't matter if it's resorts in Florida or Cruise ships they will be doing this no matter where they are. I understand the concern for 14 year olds drinking , that is something the cruise line can control (even thought the parents should know what their kids are doing). But the college students and any adults are just that ADULTS , they should not need a baby sitter called RCCL. They should be responsible for themselves!!! end of story!

Oh and the one thing about that report that freaked me out is the fact that the bartender was pouring liquor into everyones mouth. Yuck!! That's so unsanitary!!

[Cruising89143]

Well maybe this negative publicity will make RCI change some policies. Do away with the 18 year old age limit for beer and wine and change the age back to 21 for all alcohol as it should be. Also make the bartenders ask for ID for anyone that looks younger than 30 as most places do on land. No ID then no booze.

The next step is to hold parents responsible for their kids actions. Put families off of the ship at the next port of call if an underage kid is caught drinking. Regardless of who served the alcohol, the kids and parents know the age limits. Break the rules and suffer the consequences.

[pibbman316]

In summer 2002 I cruised Explorer of the Seas about 3 weeks before my 18th birthday and about 1 week before I started college. My card was two-hole punched before boarding the ship. That night I went to the front desk to say that I had lost my card and needed a replacement. The woman behind the desk simply asked my age, I said 18, and the woman believed me and gave me a new card with one hole punch. I used this throughout the ship to buy beer. Only at the end of the cruise did I ever get questioned about my age when a bartender swiped my card and noticed the discrepancy between the hole punch and the computer age. I'm sure this occurs or used to occur often as I got the idea from a friend who had cruised RCCL before. I told my parents at the end of the crusie what I had done and paid them in full for about $45 I had spent solely on beer. College was an entirely different story, its called beer pong. Ask your kids about it and you will see where the underage/21-24 drinking epidemic is coming from, its this one game. Its fun, easy and you drink lots and lots of beer.

[Nitra]

I was on Rhapsody during spring break ONE time and they had security posted at the bar entrances, no one under 18 allowed.. even with their parents. During the day the kids were in the Viking Crown and I heard them talking over those walkie talkies, which I hate, out right lying to their parents about where they were! They told them they were on the upper deck in the back getting sun. The mom even asked her, You are not in the bar are you?? The girl said Mom we know we are not allowed to go into the bar! Yet there they stood talking to mom over the walkie talkie from the bar! They tried to get a drink but the bar tender flat out told them no, only virgin drinks or sodas.

One child about 8 walked in and started smacking the bar and yelling bar keep, wonder where he learned that, the bar tender walked out and smacked the bar and told him to act with some respect or get out. The kid said he was sorry and ordered his soft drink, then sat there quietly drinking it.

I was seated at a table with a family, and the mom gave her 16 yr old daughter her card so she would not have to carry that one with the punched hole identifying her as a minor, then she could get a drink if she wanted! The mom thought it was cute how they were duping the cruise line. Even thought it was cute her daughter had a 25 yr old guy fooled into thinking she was 19! They would laugh about it at dinner every night.

We are quick to blame the bar tenders and cruiseline but parents are the end here, they must know where their kids are and what they are doing. I know they cant watch them all the time but you can smell booze on people so the kids cant be sneaking too much without the parents knowing full well what they are doing. Walkie talkies are not a substitute, kids are kids and are going to push the limits, they are going to lie, we all did it, we all tested the waters to see what we could get away with. When we were on vacation, mom was within sight at all times or else we got it good. If we went to get a soda or something, we better be back in a reasonable time or else. Strict, sure, but now I understand why.

[MszKitty]

[quote name='Nitra']I was on Rhapsody during spring break ONE time and they had security posted at the bar entrances, no one under 18 allowed.. even with their parents. During the day the kids were in the Viking Crown and I heard them talking over those walkie talkies, which I hate, out right lying to their parents about where they were! They told them they were on the upper deck in the back getting sun. The mom even asked her, You are not in the bar are you?? The girl said Mom we know we are not allowed to go into the bar! Yet there they stood talking to mom over the walkie talkie from the bar! [/quote]

I know this has nothing to do with drinking, but reminds me of something that just happened last night:
Around 9 pm, I was eating at Taco Bell. There were two teenage girls (one of them had to be at least 16 as they had driven there) sitting at the table next to me and one was complaining about how her parents are always checking up on her....how they never believe her when she says she is at a certain place. Next thing, the her cell phone rings. "Yes, Dad..we just left the movies....We are at Taco Bell....Ok...just [I]one[/I] taco?...ok...bye" She gets off the phone and tells her friend. "He wants me to bring him home a taco. But, he never eats just ONE taco. Thats just his way of making sure I really am at Taco Bell."
I thought that was great! Good thing for her, she was where she said she was!

[Maineac]

With a glass of wine my DH and I watched Inside Edition last night (which we had TiVoed) Having previewed the show we asked our 11 yo son to watch it with us...... :rolleyes:
After seeing that "young man" urinate all over himself, the look on our sons
face was priceless.:eek: .......The show was a wonderful opportunity for our family to discuss how over consumption can make people act embarrASSingly disgusting. (to put it kindly)
I can only hope that what he saw will stay with him.:o

[Lightsluvr]

Great job parenting...I imagine the images will stick with your son for a long, long time. If there were only more parents like you who really wanted to raise responsible children.

LL

[Nliedel]

I think most parents work hard to raise responsible children. It seems to be a vocal minority that do not.

[cruisinMike]

[quote name='MrsPete']While I agree that no bartender should be serving a child alcohol, your argument doesn't hold up. It's illegal [I]in America[/I] for a bartender to serve a minor on land. The ships are not American soil.[/QUOTE]

Wellllll......the problem with your statement is that RCI has it's own rules about who they will serve to. We are talking about adhering to those rules. On the other note about not being on American soil. Very true. But the US has never hesitated to enact laws or restrictions on companies doing business in the United States. As an example any ship doing business in the US, regardless of what flag it sails under, must adhere to the proper safety regulations. For the most part though, drinking laws have been relegated to the states.

[cruisinMike]

[quote name='MrsPete']ALL parents teach their children how to drink. But those lessons begin before the kid's old enough to ever consider having an alcoholic drink himself. Teaching a kid how to drink has NOTHING to do with allowing the kid to have a drink in the home -- that's simply teaching the kid what it feels like to be drunk.

We all know that kids will immitate their parents' behavior (in fact, they'll immitate it more than they'd like to admit). A parent who has one drink with dinner, then quits, is teaching his child that drinking's okay in moderation. A parent who gets sloppy drunk every weekend (or at parties, or on holidays, or at the races, or whatever) is teaching his child that drinking's how to have a good time. A parent who hands over the keys after having a couple drinks at a restaurant is teaching his child that it's wrong to drink /drive. THESE are the lessons that our children will take with them into adulthood.[/QUOTE]

Maybe I didn't make my point clear. I don't need to drink (in front of my kids) to have taught my kids responsible behavior. I don't need to engage in any activity (in front of my kids) to teach my kids reponsible behavior. Your examples are fine. But the fact is, teaching by example is "a" way of doing it. For parents who may not drink, it would not be their way. You don't have to go to a restaurant and have a drink and hand over your keys, to prove you're responsible. You don't have to touch molten metal to know it will burn you. Surely you need the information. But you don't need to experience it.

My point again is that you can "teach" them what is responsible and the consequences of irresponsible behavior. But after that, when they are out of your sight, you don't have the influence for that spur of the moment behavior. My hope is that irresponsible behavior isn't being condoned by a bartender willing to serve a minor. If it is, the bartender should be taken to task.

[PH8]

Did you catch the excursion where they had a drinking game?? Who could drink 5 glasses of beer and 2 shots of tequila the quickest would win. Were they implying it was a RCCL shore excursion???? I know about the booze cruise ones,but find it hard to believe RCCL would condone this........

[cruisinMike]

[quote name='Parrothead8']Did you catch the excursion where they had a drinking game?? Who could drink 5 glasses of beer and 2 shots of tequila the quickest would win. Were they implying it was a RCCL shore excursion???? I know about the booze cruise ones,but find it hard to believe RCCL would condone this........[/QUOTE]

What did they win, heartburn medication for the evening, and aspirin in the morning???? ;)

[dh01498]

[FONT=Century Gothic][COLOR=black]Saw the show too but can't say I was surprised. I know this sort of thing goes on at all places teens & college age kids hang out whether it is spring break or whatever.[/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Century Gothic][COLOR=black]We sailed last August 26th 9 nights out of Bayonne and I have to say I will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER sail during the summer months or spring break again.[/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Century Gothic][COLOR=black]The teens were just horrendous. Not so much college age kids but teens totally out of control. Laying all over the stairways on the floors in the hallways, running everywhere and yelling n the library. 10 deep ( and rude) at the computers from dinnertime until well after midnight. Hanging out in "packs" in the Promenage and being totally rude to people. Holding elevators up for thier friends while we all stood like a bunch of "ninnnies' and put up with it.:eek: [/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Century Gothic][COLOR=black]My elderly dad was with us and had to actually let go of the railing on the steps to get around the kids sittng and laying on the stairways because theyw would not move to let him by. There was absolutely no security. My nephew who was with us 16 years old said he heard someone got stabbed outside the teen club in the early hours of the morning.. [/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Century Gothic][COLOR=black]We are sailing this May to Bermuda out of Bayonne and DH & I have already made up our minds we will NOT put up with this IF there are teens like this on our cruise. WE are paying good money for this cruise, NOT the teens, and they will not run all over us this time. The first encounter we have with bad manners, rudeness, yelling, having to walk around them laying on stairways, or holding up elevators, they WILL be confronted instead of looking the other way and shaking our heads. [/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Century Gothic][COLOR=black]My DH is 6'4 and can handle any ill mannered bratty or drunk teen who decides he wants to take him on for speaking up. No there will not be a brawl, but the issue will be addressed right then and there and we WILL go to CS, the CD or whomever we have to to get this taken care of immediately and we will not tolerate it.[/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Century Gothic][COLOR=black]If they want to drink , be obnoxious,or do whatever they please that's fine but don't ruin OUR cruise while doing it. Urinate all over yourself if you want but don't do it where I am or I will report it. [/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Century Gothic][COLOR=black]As my DH says if they want to control their parents and the parents let them that's fine. If the bartenders want to serve underage teens and have them fall overboard or get alcohol poisoning that's their problem, but they are not going to ruin our cruise. IF they are holding an elevator when we get on the won't be holding it for long.. this is for sure. We are pretty easy going people but after our experience last August and our complaining about it [I]after [/I]we left we decided that would not be the case this time. And if nothing is done we will take names every time we report a situation and write a letter when we get home with names. Maybe it will help, maybe not. [/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Century Gothic][COLOR=black]Anyway I think it's about time we adults took back control of our vacations that we have spent too much money to allow bratty, ill mannered, vile teens whose parents are too busy or too drunk to know what their children are doing ruin it for us. :mad: [/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Century Gothic][COLOR=black]I know this does not apply to [I]all[/I] teens or parents so to those teens and parents who are well behaved and have consideration for other passengers on the cruise besides you, kudos to you..:) we enjoy traveling with you.. hope you enjoy your cruise as we hope to enjoy ours.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[christineann]

Ditto to dh01498.

We had our first cruise in June 2003 and did not see any bad behavior - the kids on board were very well behaved. We are going again this June, and I can only hope that all this bad publicity will prompt RCI to put the skids on the bartenders if the parents are incapable of setting ground rules for their kids. If not, I will complain also.

[Merion_Mom]

[quote name='dh01498[FONT=Century Gothic'][COLOR=black].......We are sailing this May to Bermuda out of Bayonne and DH & I have already made up our minds we will NOT put up with this IF there are teens like this on our cruise. WE are paying good money for this cruise, NOT the teens, and they will not run all over us this time. The first encounter we have with bad manners, rudeness, yelling, having to walk around them laying on stairways, or holding up elevators, they WILL be confronted instead of looking the other way and shaking our heads. [/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Century Gothic][COLOR=black]My DH is 6'4 and can handle any ill mannered bratty or drunk teen who decides he wants to take him on for speaking up. No there will not be a brawl, but the issue will be addressed right then and there and we WILL go to CS, the CD or whomever we have to to get this taken care of immediately and we will not tolerate it.[/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Century Gothic][COLOR=black]If they want to drink , be obnoxious,or do whatever they please that's fine but don't ruin OUR cruise while doing it. Urinate all over yourself if you want but don't do it where I am or I will report it. [/COLOR][/FONT][/QUOTE]Deb, whatever you do, PLEASE do not take matters into your own (or your DH's) hands. There was a very recent report (don't ask me which sailing of which ship, but it was reported here) of a VERY obnoxious girl. She apparently was REPEATEDLY unpleasant, rude and completely out of line. Finally, another passenger was SO fed up with her behavior, she lashed out at her, yelling at her to stop behaving so badly.

They put off the family with the brat at the next port.

But they put off the aggrieved passenger as well!

Call Security, go the the Purser's Desk as often as you have to, but do NOT try to deal with such behavior yourselves head on.

[uksimonusa]

[quote name='renata102']I agree, the ship is not on american soil. In England the legal age to drink is 16 in other countries is 18. Mexico is 18.

BTW, i have seen FAR worse behavior when I went to Cancun on spring break years ago..... its a shame! i saw things I would never repeat again and don't talk about it :eek: AND I am the loud and crazy partier :p[/quote]

The legal drinking age in England is 18, as it is in most countries.

On the Mariner last year, I accidentally pick up my daughters sea pass card from the dresser, she was 9 at the time, the bartender at the pool bar would not sell me a beer, because he said the card would not allow alcohol to be charged on it, as it had the 2 holes punched in it.

[pinkrosesdeb]

Why is it always somebody else's fault? Whatever happened to personal responsibility? We all have the right to say no if we don't want to overdo it. When did it become the cruiseline's responsibility? I thought you had to have an adult cruising with anyone under 21. Where are the parents? I saw family members supplying the booze and yet they are blaming the ship for not stopping it? Get a grip and take control of your own lives. I agree that they should do something if the behavior becomes destructive and I have heard of them putting people off the ship. When we were growing up we were taught that only WE were responsible for bad choices. What happened?