Drinking Ages & Rules

[cpc002]

I am 19 years old. Me and my friends are cruising for Spring Break in March. In order for 18-20 y/o to drink on the ship, there has to be a person at least 25 years or older responsible for the 18-20 y/o. When you print out your SetSail Pass, instead of just one page, you will have two pages. One for the onboard ship acct and cruise contract and then a waiver for the drinking. I mean you dont have to drink on your cruise in order to have a good time. I mean if you feel like you need to be buzzin the whole cruise or something, then instead of spending all of your money on a cruise, why not just stay home and drink cuz when your drunk, you wont remember anything anyways. If this is such a big problem just let your parents sail with you and then they can be responsible for you guys. Geez....

[Elizanessie]

To the OP....can I just clarify something here please......are you saying that you were told by RCCI that as you are married then you do not need a waiver for drinking alcohol although you are both only 20 years old.

 

 

Thanks

Liz

[FitzLA]

I just spoke to RCCL as well. OP is correct. Married 20 year olds do not need permission, but can only drink beer and wine. So that makes the rest of us look like meanies!! Sorry! I was just always told the under 21 needed parental permission. Have a great cruise.

[firstcruise05]

islanderbob654, good for you! You received the correct answer. Actually, it is the reverse of what has been posted here in response to your question. Parents may request that Royal Caribbean deny beer and wine consumption to their 18 to 20 year olds while on board. Under those circumstances, the individual's card so designates.

 

Royal Caribbean's age restrictions require that if a cabin passenger is under 21, they must travel with a traveling companion of 25 or older. However, this is waived for married passengers. I would take a copy of your marriage license and you should be fine.

 

No, actually it isn't the reverse of what has been posted on here. Taken from RCCL's website regarding alcohol for people 18-20:

 

*Applicable regulatory age restrictions apply while the ship is in port, and until the ship enters international

waters. Please note that any parent/guardian wishing to have an 18-20 year old in their care consume alcohol as

described must complete a beverage waiver at the time of boarding.

 

The OP simply is excluded from the rule because they will be married.

As far as the post goes...they asked what the rule was regarding this. Many of us posted the actual rule but stated that they should contact RCCL to see if they waive this rule for married couples since they obviously waived the rule regarding having a 21 year old accompany them. The posts weren't wrong, the OP just simply had a extrenuating circumstance which allowed them to be excluded from the "norm".

 

 

[beachchick]

 

Without guardian approval, your card will be punched at check in denying you the right to purchase alcohol on the ship. This does not mean it is against the rules for you to consume it on board. You will read endless post on this forum, written by us forty somethings, on how to smuggle alcohol in your bags at check in. You will be able to purchase alcohol at all ports but only allowed to bring whatever is in your cup when you re-board so pack a couple of those monster size sealable bottles with the straw. ;)

 

You only need to be 18 to get in the disco after hours so this will not be a problem.

 

Good luck, drink responsible and enjoy many future cruises with your future bride.

 

Actually, it is against the rules for someone underaged (or 18-20 without waiver) to consume any alcohol onboard. It's not just that they are not allowed to purchase, no consuming it either. In fact, RCI's website and documents specifically states that anyone who purchases alcohol and supplies it to underage guests to consume is breaking RCI's rules and can be removed from the ship. (Obviously, based on the OP's response from RCI this is not an issue in their situation.)

 

Just wanted to clarify that, according to RCI's own rules, it's no purchase and no consumption for underage. This is not to say that underage pax don't get around the rules, but that's the subject for another thread.

 

beachchick

[Elizanessie]

So does this mean that in the eyes of RCCI....a married 18-20 yr old is more mature than a single 18-20 yr old!!!....oh wow...now I find that kinda scary actually.

I am not flaming etc...I am just trying to understand RCCI's thinking on this.

What happens if a married 18yr old...is cruising with their friends...DW/DH not with them.....does this rule still apply.....do they have to take along their marriage certificate to prove they are married.......heck this all rather confusing....or am I missing something here.:confused:

 

Liz

[firstcruise05]

So does this mean that in the eyes of RCCI....a married 18-20 yr old is more mature than a single 18-20 yr old!!!....oh wow...now I find that kinda scary actually.

I am not flaming etc...I am just trying to understand RCCI's thinking on this.

What happens if a married 18yr old...is cruising with their friends...DW/DH not with them.....does this rule still apply.....do they have to take along their marriage certificate to prove they are married.......heck this all rather confusing....or am I missing something here.:confused:

 

Liz

 

Very good question!

[MrsPete]

islanderbob654, good for you! You received the correct answer . . . I would take a copy of your marriage license and you should be fine.

Maybe, maybe not; we all know that you can call the cruise line three times and get three different answers, then hear something altogether different when boarding -- this is especially true for picky little exceptions to the rules.

 

Also, since this is her honeymoon, I don't think she could bring a copy of her marriage license. I know that when I was married, after the license was signed on the day of the ceremony, the preacher had to take it to the clerk of courts office to be filed (which at the earliest couldn't happen until Monday morning). I was told that I could go pick up an official copy a week or two later. Admittedly, this has been 15 years ago; however, a friend was married just a month ago, and I saw the marriage license signed -- again, the preacher tucked it away in her Bible. I assume the system is still the same: preacher files it during the business week.

[Retired not Expired]

Maybe, maybe not; we all know that you can call the cruise line three times and get three different answers, then hear something altogether different when boarding -- this is especially true for picky little exceptions to the rules.

 

Also, since this is her honeymoon, I don't think she could bring a copy of her marriage license. I know that when I was married, after the license was signed on the day of the ceremony, the preacher had to take it to the clerk of courts office to be filed (which at the earliest couldn't happen until Monday morning). I was told that I could go pick up an official copy a week or two later. Admittedly, this has been 15 years ago; however, a friend was married just a month ago, and I saw the marriage license signed -- again, the preacher tucked it away in her Bible. I assume the system is still the same: preacher files it during the business week.

 

You make some good points but since the OP said they were to be married on the ship, they will have to have the license with them.

 

However, I agree that the answers you get from customer service is not always what happens in reality. Also, cruise lines have the rule about the status of the cruiser at check in is the status throughout the cruise. Turn 21 on day 2, you are still considered 20 for the cruise. Since they are getting married on the ship, they will check in as two single 20 year olds. More than one rule will have to be waived here. I hope it works out for them.

[islanderbob654]

The exception applies to married couples, not married people. If a married person who is under 21 was traveling without his or her spouse he or she would have to be booked in a stateroom with a person over 21 (not 25 as has been posted here earlier--that may be an old rule but it is not correct).

 

As for our individual situation, we're getting married the first day of the cruise in Port Canaveral. Our guests will be allowed to board the ship temporarily for the ceremony and will then be required to disembark before the ship leaves port. Our wedding coordinator has advised us that this is not the first time this has happened and that it is no problem whatsoever.

 

As for the marriage license, our pastor told us that you become legally married at the instant that the license is signed. It does not have to be officially processed for two people to be married. If necessary, the person administering the ceremony can provide a certified copy, but as I said before, Royal Caribbean has already cleared us for sailing.

[carla64]

Islandbob...

 

I just wanted to say congrats! I don't know why some of these people feel the need to be so rude. I just don't get it. If they are so mature then maybe they should take the higher road. I didn't get a chance to respond before I saw that you already had your answer from RCI. My thoughts were that if you could book a room due to the fact that you were married then I figured you could drink at your age on the cruise, also. You are not under your parent's "authority", but are considered an adult. You ARE an adult! I married my husband when I was 20 and get this ,I had to have written permission from my dad even though I had lived on my own since I was 17. So, don't feel badly. I am not a drinker.....but I feel if "kids" can go to war and vote at 18 then they should have the choice to smoke or drink. Back, to me and my husband....we took our very FIRST cruise on our 20th anniversary which was last year. Good luck to you and yours!

[QTBabyNurse]

When we cruised with our son (who was 19 at the time) on the Majesty of the Seas during Spring Break last year, he was allowed to purchase beer/wine and we as his parents were NEVER asked to sign any waiver/permission slip when we checked in. He also gambled in the casino...didn't do too bad actually(!!)........

Hope you are able to enjoy a few drinks on your honeymoon without any difficulty! ;)

[benebire]

We were on the Mariner of the seas this past December and had our 18 year old son and his 20 year old girlfriend with us. We were asked whether we wanted to give them privilidges to drink beer / wine. We had to sign a waiver for each of them. Their seapass card was coded for beer/ wine only. Perhaps the op is right and its an exception for married couples and they will be allowed to drink without parental permission. I would love to hear the actual outcome.