Is a parent allowed to buy drinks for underage 19 son on any of the carnival ships?

[chengkp75]

Gee. NCL seems to manage that well. I'm sure Carnival could too if so inclined.

 

Actually, they don't. For cruises out of the US, the drinking age on NCL is 21, and there is no possibility of a change in status during the cruise, even if the person turns 21 during the cruise. What NCL does allow is for the parent to change the status of the young adult to allow beer and wine consumption during the cruise, but again, once made, the status won't change.

[chengkp75]

The US doesn't have a federal drinking age though. It's up to the states to set it, although Congress blackmailed the states into raising it to 21 by threatening to withhold federal highway funding. If there were a federal age, it would be 21 in PR and the USVI.

 

In many states parents are legally allowed to serve alcohol to their children, the children just can't purchase it themselves.

 

Carnival's POS systems are already set up to collect varying local sales taxes on drink purchases as the ship sales in and out of various territorial waters.

 

I won't debate the politics of the drinking age.

 

While the POS system can make universal changes, like charging or not charging taxes for everyone, it would need to be changed to search out particular passengers to change their drinking status. While it could of course be done, the cruise lines don't see any potential benefit to it to offset the cost. Having changes in age status would also make it difficult for bar staff to know who can be drinking or not, when someone buys drinks for others.

[GUT2407]

The strange part of that is that most of those cruise lines are registered in foreign ports so that they don't have to abide by US rules. Yet they don't allow drinking under 21 on the ships and you can drink in those ports where the ships are registered.

 

Pretty sure the drinking law is based on where the cruise originates not where. The ship is registered, maritime law is highly complicated, contrary to what some here try to make out.

[DirtyDawg]

Gee. NCL seems to manage that well. I'm sure Carnival could too if so inclined.

 

This is how we found Norwegian in the first place. We were planing a family cruise on either Carnival or Royal and asked the kids which cruise they would prefer. Surprisingly they all came back with a Norwegian cruise. It looked good, we were out-voted 3 to 2, so we booked two aft balconey cabins. It wasn't untill after the cruise was booked and paid for that the two older ones, 18 and 20 at the time, informed us of the 18 year old wine and beer policy on NCL. I guess it wasn't the ports or the ship that sold them on the NCL cruise.;) Apparently the youngest, 14 at the time, sold his vote to his older brothers for a video game. :)

[Coach Pedro]

Its not the law in international waters. Some other lines allow US underage individuals to drink on the ship. I know on NCL, individuals 18 and over can purchase beer or wine on board if the parent signs a release.

 

agreed, not a law. I'm surprised they don't let 18yo drink on Carnival......

[easyboy]

Actually, they don't. For cruises out of the US, the drinking age on NCL is 21, and there is no possibility of a change in status during the cruise, even if the person turns 21 during the cruise. What NCL does allow is for the parent to change the status of the young adult to allow beer and wine consumption during the cruise, but again, once made, the status won't change.

I guess it is fair as the responsibility is shifted to consenting parents.

[Hendricks Clan]

Actually, they don't. For cruises out of the US, the drinking age on NCL is 21, and there is no possibility of a change in status during the cruise, even if the person turns 21 during the cruise. What NCL does allow is for the parent to change the status of the young adult to allow beer and wine consumption during the cruise, but again, once made, the status won't change.

 

NCL actually allows 18yrs with parent consent to purchase and consume so not just consume:

What is the minimum age for purchase and/or consumption of alcoholic beverages?

Passengers must be 21 years of age or older to purchase or consume alcohol. With the exception of Alaska and Hawaii itineraries, Norwegian permits young adults to purchase and personally consume wine and beer only while onboard and with the consent of an accompanying parent. Authorization will be given only when the accompanying parent completes the Young Adult Alcoholic Beverage Waiver form. This form can be obtained and completed at the Guest Services Desk upon embarkation of the vessel. However, passengers 18 years of age or older are permitted to consume beer and wine when sailing on round-trip European and Australian voyages without having to complete the Young Adult Alcoholic Beverage Waiver form.

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