Taking other's kids off the ship

[fsjosh]

We have a group of a few families going on Freedom in a few weeks. While in St. Thomas, one of the couples is going to go scuba diving and their kids are going to hang out with us that day. Should there be any issue getting their kids off the boat to visit St. Thomas? I know we could all get off the same time with their parents, but our plans are up in the air right now and we aren't sure if or when we will get off the boat. I just want to have my ducks in a row in case we need something specific to get them off the boat with us. 

[MaiseyM]

My kids has to wait for us when we were  getting off the ship. They were a few passengers ahead of us and they made them stop and wait for us. That said no, I don’t know if the staff was confirming if we were there legal guardian or if they were just waiting for an adult in charge of them. I’m not sure how it works if you are not the legal guardian. 

[cruiseguy1016]

We have cruised with other families in the past and have taken others' kids off the ship with us with no problem. The kids were more interested in the excursion we were doing than the one their parents were doing. I remember they would not let any of the kids (ages 14 - 17) off the ship without an adult. This was about 10 years ago so things may have changed.

[Grandma Dazzles]

I would suggest contacting RC for a definitive answer (and we all know that’s not always consistent!). 

 

I was was stopped at the gangway with my grandson. He had his own Seapass card on a lanyard.  His parents and other kids were about 10-12 people behind in the exit line. This was on the Oasis with two lines in operation.  Crew waited for his parents.

 

The system must be tagged in some way - I wouldn’t just assume that you can do this.

[fsjosh]

Ok, sounds like we need to get something set up prior to that day on the ship. Its our last port of call, so we should have time to work it out.

 

Thanks!

[Loonbeam]

You will need to arrange something or get off together.  Cards for minors are linked to adult accounts in cabins, which are assumed to be their guardians.   Just to avoid having kids decide to get off the boat alone, the system will normally alert if they try to leave without one of the linked adults being within 1-2 scans of them.   Now, its just an alert, so do the staff always notice and can the kid talk his or her way past?  It's happened.

 

 

[lcat02143]

You may also have trouble getting back on the ship.  My niece got off the ship with her other aunt and cousins (different last name) she could not get back on without either a letter from her parents or an adult with the same last name.

[andrew2346]

A few years ago on the Anthem of the Seas I had to be present with the kids and sign something (it was also age dependent) so they could come and go as they pleased.  Only one time and that document covered the entire cruise.  Maybe you could do that in advance if need be?  I would plan for worst case scenario.  

[brillohead]

I've sailed with my son as a minor and also with someone else's minor. 

The kids' accounts aren't necessarily "linked" with a particular adult's account -- the kids are just prohibited from leaving the ship without "an adult" with them. 

My son has left the ship with a family friend who was nowhere near old enough to be his father, but was an adult.  The family friend is from a different region and has a different accent, different coloring, and different name, and nobody looked twice other than making sure my son was with "an adult".  

My son has gotten back on the ship as a minor all by himself at a variety of Caribbean ports with never a single problem.  He has photo ID and his SeaPass card, so it's obvious that he belongs on the ship -- there's no reason for them to deny boarding.

My son's minor girlfriend went on our last cruise, and we had paperwork that authorized both me and my son (who was 18yo by that point) to take her off the ship.  When the kids got off in San Juan, the security guards gave them a really hard time about it, wanting to know where I was, etc.  My son kept showing them the signed and notarized letter from the GF's mother giving him permission to take the GF off the ship and he was a legal adult, and they did finally let them off the ship together without having an "adultier adult" with them.  

Oddly enough, even though my son's GF's last name is different than mine, nobody questioned a single thing when we boarded or at any time during the cruise.  I had the paperwork with me, but nobody ever needed to see it when she was with me.  

So no, I don't think you'll have any problem taking kids that aren't yours off the ship with you.  As long as they aren't screaming things like, "You're not my mother, don't kidnap me!" the security staff will just assume they are yours no matter what their name is.  

[LeeW]

On 1/4/2019 at 8:07 AM, Grandma Dazzles said:

I would suggest contacting RC for a definitive answer (and we all know that’s not always consistent!). 

 

I was was stopped at the gangway with my grandson. He had his own Seapass card on a lanyard.  His parents and other kids were about 10-12 people behind in the exit line. This was on the Oasis with two lines in operation.  Crew waited for his parents.

 

The system must be tagged in some way - I wouldn’t just assume that you can do this.

 

Yup - we saw this on Anthem.  Held up the entire line until the parents managed to worm their way through the lines to where the kids were.  

[fsjosh]

To summarize our experience with this, don't waste your time going to guest services. We tried to do it the right way and the guy at guest service was adamant that only the parents could take them off. He also said his supervisor agreed. When asked why we could have brought the kids on the cruise without their parent at all with just a notarized letter, but can't even get them off the ship with the parents physically here in front of him saying its ok, he talked in circles and just said you'd have to have a notarized letter. Asked if the ship had a notary. No. Offered to sign a letter in front of an officer of the ship. Can't do it. In other words, he wasn't going to help at all. 

 

Went to the concierge, and she placed one call and said it's not a problem. As long as the kids are with an adult, its fine. When we did go to get off the ship, if a kid went to the card scanner alone, all they'd do is ask the group behind them if the kid was with one of them. A raised hand and the kid was let leave the ship. No checking of anything. Honestly, that part is a little disturbing, but thats how they were handling it. They also let kids back on the ship unaccompanied. That part I do agree with. 

 

I guess if you are paranoid and really want to do it the right way, you'd need to get a letter notarized by the parents prior to getting on the ship. Unless how they are handling it changes though, its completely unnecessary. 

[Trainer]

 As noted above, it is getting OFF the ship without an adult that is the problem.  Once they are off, getting back on with Sea Pass is not an issue.  The ship is trying to prevent minors running away or getting in a place they don't belong.   We did this even in Europe when my granddaughter was meeting a local from their US school.  We had to get her off ship but no problem when she returned alone.

[Ourusualbeach]

So based on a couple of different experiences the answer is about as clear as Royal always is.  It varies based on who happens to be working security.

 

Based on that I would make sure to have the proper documentation.

[SRF]

4 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Based on that I would make sure to have the proper documentation.

 

Always the best course of action.

 

Better than standing there without being able to take them off, and trying to figure out what to do then.

[Ashland]

We easily got off and on the ship with our toddler grandson in St Maarten last March ..... The rest of our extended family was doing an excursion that left early and returned later. No problems at all or did any one ask...but we do of course have the same last name.

[hapster85]

On our 2015 cruise aboard Radiance, they asked our then 15 year old son, where his parents were, every time we disembarked. It didn't seem to matter if he was ahead or behind us. We chalked it up to his being darker complected, but maybe they were just verifying that he was being accompanied.

[Loonbeam]

The official rule (and the one guest services supported) is that absent documentation, you are not allowed to do this.  The reasons for this policy should be fairly obvious, same as them leaving on their own.

 

Now, as concierges so often do, they may have persuaded someone to be more flexible or log the account as if documentation had been furnished.    Not supposed to happen, but it does.

 

Finally of course, while Security is supposed to check every time, not every officer does.   That's also not supposed to happen, but it does.

 

In short, better to have docs and not need then need docs and not have.

 

[fsjosh]

On 1/23/2019 at 6:00 PM, Loonbeam said:

The official rule (and the one guest services supported) is that absent documentation, you are not allowed to do this.  The reasons for this policy should be fairly obvious, same as them leaving on their own.

 

Now, as concierges so often do, they may have persuaded someone to be more flexible or log the account as if documentation had been furnished.    Not supposed to happen, but it does.

 

Finally of course, while Security is supposed to check every time, not every officer does.   That's also not supposed to happen, but it does.

 

In short, better to have docs and not need then need docs and not have.

 

 

I was there when the concierge had the conversation. There was no talk of marking the account or persuasion. It was all just asking questions. I never told her what the other families room number, name or anything either. 

 

And there were 3 families with kids in our group. The kids could pretty much go with anyone. As long as some adult claimed them, they could get off the ship. 

 

I'd rather they be more strict. I don't like the thought of some stranger being able to get my kid off the ship. While I'd like to think my kid knows better, that doesn't mean other factors couldn't affect that. Or that other kids out there don't know better. That's not exactly PR that Royal would want. 

[Loonbeam]

On 1/25/2019 at 9:27 PM, fsjosh said:

 

I was there when the concierge had the conversation. There was no talk of marking the account or persuasion. It was all just asking questions. I never told her what the other families room number, name or anything either. 

 

And there were 3 families with kids in our group. The kids could pretty much go with anyone. As long as some adult claimed them, they could get off the ship. 

 

I'd rather they be more strict. I don't like the thought of some stranger being able to get my kid off the ship. While I'd like to think my kid knows better, that doesn't mean other factors couldn't affect that. Or that other kids out there don't know better. That's not exactly PR that Royal would want. 

I have no doubt that happened.  It completely should not have without any documentation trail, but it does.

 

Officially they are supposed to check.