can 18 yr olds cruise on their own??

[shazzz]

We just ended our fabulous cruise on the Explorer. My 18 yr old met a great friend onboard and they wanted to plan a cruise together.. Does RCI allow them to cruise? any other cruise lines? too tired to research..thanks !!:)

[caviargal]

No, they do not. Nor do the other lines. Depending on the line, they are required to have either a 25 YO or a 21 YO in the same cabin. Some require special paperwork if the adult is not a parent or guardian.

 

Looks like they will have to wait a few years.

[Treven]

On my past cruises, there had to be a 25 year old with them.

[Ocean Boy]

I believe that a 21 yo can cruise alone. Anyone under 21 needed to have someone at least 25 with them. The answer to the OP is NO.

[CruiseAwayWithMe]

Not on Royal Caribbean but maybe some other cruise line.

[dianfarmer]

Princess cruise line will allow 18 yr olds to travel alone

[sharpie13]

Carnival - All must be 21 or older or one must be 25 or older

Celebrity - One person must be 21 or older

Costa - One person must be 21 or older

Crystal - One person must be 21 or older

Cunard - One person must be 18 or older

Disney - One person must be 18 or older

HAL - All must be 21 or older or one must be 25 or older

NCL - One person must be 21 or older

Princess - All must be 18-20 or one must be 21 or older

RCL - One person must be 21 or older

Seaborne - One person must be 21 or older

 

 

Looks like you have a choice between Cunard, Disney or Princess.

[Rudi610]

I remember reading somewhere that the only exception to the under 21 year old rule is that two people under 21 can cruise if they are married to each other. Other than that, you need to be 21 in order to cruise alone or with friends around the same age.

[cruzeluvr]

We just ended our fabulous cruise on the Explorer. My 18 yr old met a great friend onboard and they wanted to plan a cruise together.. Does RCI allow them to cruise? any other cruise lines? too tired to research..thanks !!:)

Shari,

Hello again! Sounds like Cori & Katie really hit it off!

Princess & Disney allow 18 yr olds to cruise alone. Howie sailed on Golden Princess for a Spring Break when he was 19 and loved it.

[xpcdoojk]

I must be a bit slow, but a parent is encouraging a couple of 18 year old kids to go on a cruise by themselves? Especially, with a "friend" the one kid just met on a cruise? Seriously????? I imagine the parent will pay for it too? Life is good to be their child!:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

 

jc

[nrdsb4]

Even before the Natalie Holloway incident I would have nixed my 18 year old's idea of cruising alone. I don't know, going off to foreign lands alone at that age? Maybe I'm just overprotective. I went to Europe by myself when I was 23 and out of college and my parents practically freaked.

[KK_Cruisin]

I remember reading somewhere that the only exception to the under 21 year old rule is that two people under 21 can cruise if they are married to each other. Other than that, you need to be 21 in order to cruise alone or with friends around the same age.

 

 

Yes this is true, I was 20 and my husband was 21 when we first cruised together and we have to bring our original marriage license with us. They never did ask to see it when we checked it.

[shazzz]

I must be a bit slow, but a parent is encouraging a couple of 18 year old kids to go on a cruise by themselves? Especially, with a "friend" the one kid just met on a cruise? Seriously????? I imagine the parent will pay for it too? Life is good to be their child!:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

 

jc

1st...no I amnot paying..my daughter has a great job..paid for her trip to Italy this yr and Disney....My daughter will be leaving for college in 30 days....She is responsible...smart...more mature than most 21 year olds..

 

I asked for an answer...not an opinion...I dont mean to be nasty...just surprised at your comment...

 

Once they leave for college....we have to trust them....we have no choice...How can we say no when they want to travel...or anything else...we just have to pray they are smart enough to make the right decisions...

 

and regarding her friend...her Mom and I have been talking for a while on our thread.....once again.. I dont have to explain myself...

 

I just hope that every parent has a daughter like mine...

[nlcentralchmps03]

1st...no I amnot paying..my daughter has a great job..paid for her trip to Italy this yr and Disney....My daughter will be leaving for college in 30 days....She is responsible...smart...more mature than most 21 year olds..

 

I asked for an answer...not an opinion...I dont mean to be nasty...just surprised at your comment...

 

Once they leave for college....we have to trust them....we have no choice...How can we say no when they want to travel...or anything else...we just have to pray they are smart enough to make the right decisions...

 

and regarding her friend...her Mom and I have been talking for a while on our thread.....once again.. I dont have to explain myself...

 

I just hope that every parent has a daughter like mine...

I agree. That was sort of a "snotty" remark.

[gabberqueen]

i was 17 when i first cruised and my husband was 20 at the time that was on P&O tho.

[KK_Cruisin]

I must be a bit slow, but a parent is encouraging a couple of 18 year old kids to go on a cruise by themselves? Especially, with a "friend" the one kid just met on a cruise? Seriously????? I imagine the parent will pay for it too? Life is good to be their child!:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

 

jc

 

 

Worse things go in in collage dorm rooms with people they just meet, then what happens on cruise ships. And most parents pay for collage. So keep it in perspective. An 18 y/o can conrtibute to deciding who runs this counrty, but they cannot take care of themselves???

[cruisinfanatic]

I must be a bit slow, but a parent is encouraging a couple of 18 year old kids to go on a cruise by themselves? Especially, with a "friend" the one kid just met on a cruise? Seriously????? I imagine the parent will pay for it too? Life is good to be their child!:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

 

jc

Yes, you're slow. You weren't asked for your opinion on whether they should or shouldn't go.

[xpcdoojk]

OK, I am snotty and slow. Since that has been conclusively proven, can someone answer this question. Then why do most of the cruise lines not allow it? ;)

 

I am so happy for your perfect child. I think my mother thought I was a perfect child, too. I made great grades and had a job from 13 years of age and all thru college and graduate schools, but what my mother didn't know would have scared her to death. JMHO.

 

Good luck.

 

jc

[shazzz]

i never said i have the perfect child.just one who uses her brain....thinks of the consequences before she does things..has a good head on her shoulders...

[caviargal]

OK, I am snotty and slow. Since that has been conclusively proven, can someone answer this question. Then why do most of the cruise lines not allow it? ;)

 

 

Perhaps because there have been and still are so many complaints and issues with this age group getting out of control on cruise ships over the years. Since lines like Carnival used to allow it - and look at the reputation which they have tried to put behind them - and no longer do, it is obviously an issue as they do not give up easy revenue without a good reason.

 

Now they have to hire special security forces on cruise ships to deal with the problem. I think its sad personally.

 

Same thing happened in Fort Lauderdale when the hotels stopped accepting the spring break crowd becuase of propert destruction and other unpleasant incidents.

[sgriff17]

 

I am so happy for your perfect child. I think my mother thought I was a perfect child, too. I made great grades and had a job from 13 years of age and all thru college and graduate schools, but what my mother didn't know would have scared her to death. JMHO.

 

jc

 

The worst that's going to happen: Drink and have sex. (and i'm not even saying that will...who knows) Like the other poster said, that goes on every night in college campuses around the country. Atleast she's (21??...or is the daughter 18? I'm lost) Either way, most kids have done BOTH of the previously mentioned items by that age - whether or not mommy and daddy want to admit it.

 

Atleast if it's on a cruise maybe some sort of relationship will form - or possibly HAS BEEN forming for some time. I'd feel better about that if I were a parent. (we'll see how I feel in about 15 years though :) )

[Ocean Boy]

The worst that's going to happen: Drink and have sex. (and i'm not even saying that will...who knows) Like the other poster said, that goes on every night in college campuses around the country.

Yeah, nothing wrong with drinking and having sex with strangers. Care to have numbers on how many kids I've treated with STDs? And wasn't it just about a month ago that someone on a cruise with his buddies did some drinking and managed to go overboard?? So the drinking and sex can lead to worse things. Just my small $.02.

[xpcdoojk]

Yeah, nothing wrong with drinking and having sex with strangers. Care to have numbers on how many kids I've treated with STDs? And wasn't it just about a month ago that someone on a cruise with his buddies did some drinking and managed to go overboard?? So the drinking and sex can lead to worse things. Just my small $.02.

 

I remember that some of those STDs can't even be treated effectively.... Not to mention AIDS. Always slowed me up for about 10 seconds....:D

 

Hey it isn't so bad, OB I mean at least if there is sex it will be someone they met on a cruise for a whole week. It is not like they met on the internet and went on a cruise together.... I really don't have a problem with the whole concept, honest injun, but I am just kind of amazed that the parent is trying to help facilitate it. When I was 18 I would have loved to have gone unescorted on a cruise with a young lady I had known for a whole week! I mean what could go wrong? I remember college pretty well and while sex could occur between coeds in the dorms it was a bit different than sharing a room on a cruise ship, but hey times they are a changing as Bob Dylan so presciently sang over 40 years ago. It is all good!:)

 

jc

 

OB email me sometime. Good to hear from you!

[nrdsb4]

The worst that's going to happen: Drink and have sex. (and i'm not even saying that will...who knows) Like the other poster said, that goes on every night in college campuses around the country. Atleast she's (21??...or is the daughter 18? I'm lost) Either way, most kids have done BOTH of the previously mentioned items by that age - whether or not mommy and daddy want to admit it.

 

Atleast if it's on a cruise maybe some sort of relationship will form - or possibly HAS BEEN forming for some time. I'd feel better about that if I were a parent. (we'll see how I feel in about 15 years though :) )

 

My comment doesn't refer to the OP's kid, don't know her/him or anything. I think my fear about sending an 18 year old off is less that they are alone on a cruise ship, it's the getting off in foreign ports and possibly being taken advantage of or being the victim of a crime. There have been incidents of kids being given date rape drugs at the bars that cater to newly free 18 year olds and the ensuing awful events are nothing to take lightly. It's not a given, but at least college often provides a somewhat (no, not totally) safe environment with dorm moms, etc. watching out for the freshmen, whereas, say in Mexico, there's not anyone around with that young person's best interests in mind. They don't have the same legal protections as they do here, and let's face it, today's 18 year olds are often not as grown up as many of us were back in the day when a lot of us had to essentially support ourselves from a very young age. When I say "support ourselves" I'm really referring to working from a young age in order to buy our own clothes, cars, insurance, and in my case, paying for my college. Many of today's 18 year olds haven't even held a job. Not a criticism, just a statement.

 

And the worst thing that could happen on a cruise ship being drinking/having sex, not true. There are certainly sexual assaults occurring on all cruise lines, along with various disappearances, etc. NOT THE NORM of course, but it's not true that the WORST that could happen is a hangover and premarital intercourse.

[ncamy]

Do you guys have any idea how many college age kids travel in Europe (or elsewhere) either alone or with a small group every year???? My parents thankfully never allowed me to go to Florida spring break week (where the purpose was to party, drink and get laid) however I was allowed to tour Europe once when I was 17 and then again when I was 20 by myself. The whole independent student travel culture is quite big throughout the world.

 

I'm 45 now and have my very own teenager who is eyeing the world...