Grand Princess alcohol policy--Europe

[RobC1116]

We're leaving in a few days for a British Isles cruise on the Grand Princess, and I am wondering if anyone knows the alcohol policy for travelers ages 18-20. On Celebrity and Royal Caribbean, we have signed a waiver for our over-18 (but under 21) children that allows them to consume alcohol while on board, but I haven't seen any mention of this for Princess. Does anyone know if there any sort of alcohol "waiver" policy like this on Princess for Europe cruises? Thanks.

[paul929207]

I believe the rule is 21 on the Grand Princess (and other Princess ships) even in Europe.

[cacy6893076]

according to the website the legal age of 21 is always observed onboard.

[ggprincess2004]

The rule is 21, anywhere in the world aboard a Princess ship.

 

But, we noted that while those underage cannot purchase alcoholic beverages even on European itineraries, if accompanied by parents, the crew is somewhat more lax about the extra wine glass on the dinner table and that sort of thing. This is not to be interpretted as indicating teenages are allowed to consume alcohol, rather that wine at dinner can be served all around the table......

 

I am sure that I am going to get flamed for this one, but my parents raised my brother and I with wine at the dinner table from our early teens onward. A half a glass or so, and not if we were going out/driving that evening, never....and stern warnings about drugs such that neither of us ever touched illegal drugs, but they took the mystery away from having a glass of wine with dinner, and perhaps as a result, when we turned 21, we didn't have a need to go overboard with binge drinking and such while in college. So, that is the philosophy we use with the kids, allow a half glass or glass with dinner when they aren't going out or driving (believe me we pounded this restriction in), and the kids know a good chardonnay, bordeaux, etc....and this the kind of shipboard consumption I am referring to as being tolerated by Princess on European itineraries.

[Toto2Kansas]

Direct from the princess web site:

 

No alcohol may be purchased or consumed by any Passengers under the age of 21. No Passenger under the age of 21 shall be permitted to engage in any gaming activities on board the ship. No Passenger under the age of 18 shall be permitted to purchase cigarettes or tobacco products. Passengers hereby agree not to bring alcoholic beverages of any kind (except wine and champagne) on board for consumption. You must surrender alcoholic beverages that are purchased duty free from the ship's gift shop, or at ports of call, to Carrier for safekeeping, which will be delivered to Your stateroom on the last day of the voyage. A corkage fee of $15.00 per bottle (which is subject to change without notice) will be applied to wine and champagne brought aboard by You and consumed in the ship's restaurants.

 

The passage contract can be found here: http://www.princess.com/legal/passage_contract/index.jsp

[strummer]

From the UK cruise answer book (received in Feb 08):

 

Passengers under 21 years of age are not permitted to purchase or consume alcohol onbard a princess ship, except on sea princess cruises departing from southampton, where passengers must be 18 years old.

 

I'm not sure if this is because the sea is departing Southampton (as the Grand will be) or is it registered with Uk laws :confused: . We haven't received an answer book for our cruise on the grand in just over 2 weeks so I'm not sure if the wording has changed.

 

Would they tell you an answer if you rang princess and asked? Maybe e-mail princess uk??

[Latitude 20]

The rule is 21, anywhere in the world aboard a Princess ship.

 

But, we noted that while those underage cannot purchase alcoholic beverages even on European itineraries, if accompanied by parents, the crew is somewhat more lax about the extra wine glass on the dinner table and that sort of thing. This is not to be interpretted as indicating teenages are allowed to consume alcohol, rather that wine at dinner can be served all around the table......

 

I am sure that I am going to get flamed for this one

 

Not flaming at all but understand that the ship's crew can be dismissed for not complying with the official ship policy. We would never put them in that position.

 

Kathi & Leo

[can786]

I sailed on the Sea Princess out of Southampton the past two years and the Grand Princess out of Southampton this year. I remember being surprised that the drinking age was 18 on the Sea Princess (I knew it was 21 on all the other Princess ships) and I assumed that it must be because they heavily market the Sea Princess to the Brits and other Europeans (when I was on the Sea Princess last year there were only about 300 Americans) while most of the passengers on the Grand this summer were from North America. The drinking age on the Grand was most definitely 21 in June. Perhaps next summer, when the Grand will be taking over the cruises currently being done by the Sea Princess they will lower the drinking age on her to 18. I have already seen a reference to the Grand as the "British market ship" of Princess for 2009.

[Colo Cruiser]

Not flaming at all but understand that the ship's crew can be dismissed for not complying with the official ship policy. We would never put them in that position.

 

Kathi & Leo

 

Good point. :)

[h3rjp]

Passengers under 21 years of age are not permitted to purchase or consume alcohol onbard a princess ship, except on sea princess cruises departing from southampton, where passengers must be 18 years old.

 

I'm sure I read the same in the FAQ's in the UK version of the Princess brochure. So yes it would seem that the alcohol policy is over 18's for cruises that depart the UK.

[can786]

I'm sure I read the same in the FAQ's in the UK version of the Princess brochure. So yes it would seem that the alcohol policy is over 18's for cruises that depart the UK.

 

As I said in my previous post, not all cruises departing from the UK have a drinking age of 18. I sailed R/T from Southampton last month on the Grand Princess and the drinking age is 21. The last two years on the Sea Princess the drinking age has been 18 when sailing from Southampton. At this time it seems to be only the Sea Princess that offers a drinking age of 18, probably because that ship is very heavily marketed within the UK and the vast majority of passengers are Brits or other Europeans.