Inspiration Passengers Missed the Ship!

[bucket_O_beer4john]

This is a spectator sport that I look forward to. It was even better before the pier was destroyed; one ship tied on each side of the pier, the drunks stumbling and staggering along, trying to run and all the people on both ships, out on the balcony, clapping, yelling and cat-calling.....Better'n TV, Homer!:rolleyes:

 

Our first cruise was on the Tropicale to Cozumel. We had already untied, and were pulling away, when a drunk comes running down the pier. They put him on a small boat and took him to the ship. They threw a rope ladder over the railing, and had to climb up and over. Bet he sobered up pretty quick!

 

On a cruise to Jamiaca, a woman in our group missed the ship because she was getting her hair braided. She got a boat out (just a couple hundred yards) but it cost her about $750!

[MikeG]

They are not "adults" on Carnival... And, at their age they are too young to be off in a foreign port alone, period! Irresponsible barely describes their actions.:rolleyes:

 

And they were not on the ship .. so your point in invalid, next?

[wwakla]

you can ask that their cards have an alert put on them that tells the crew doing the check out that they cannot leave the ship with out you present....I know...I had to do that to DH when he wandered back ONTO the ship without letting our little group know...I didn't want him to get off again until we found each other. The crew member (at the check in machine) 1st checked to see if he was in fact back ON the ship then told me he could put this alert on the card....you should have seen DH's face the next day when we went to get off the ship for the day..."Sir, it says here that you are not allowed to leave without our wife." HA!:D

 

LOL....Love it! That is a good one. I hope he thinks twice about leaving you without telling you.

Before people flame it is a communication thing. I tell my family just tell me so I don't think the worst. Then I don't worry.

[LadySpoilt]

 

Well the two young men flatly instruction the mom to please allow them to have some fun and not be under her thumb all the time and for her to cut the strings loose.

 

Oh, but I can only imagine the fallout if/when either of my 2 sons (24 and 21) "flatly instructed" ME to do anything:eek: :eek: :eek: .

Spoilt

[corporanr]

First of all anyone saying that it was this poor woman's fault does not know what they are talking about.

 

at 18 you a person is not a child any more they are a young adult. these two young men are probably on their way to college. what are their moms going to do then? supervise their home work? cook for them? clean their room?

The summer after graduation is a person's first experience as an adult.

 

Too bad these two guys aren't mature enough to take care of themselves. But in no way it is this woman's fault.

 

I am glad that they are safe, and now their parents know they can't be trusted.

[coolestwife]

Your HUSBAND??? OMG. I have now heard everything. God bless that man. Does he use the toilet without you?:eek:

 

Sometimes he's capable of using the toilet on his own...:rolleyes:

What had happend was that we were in San Francisco (we were rerouted due to a hurricane in Cabo) and DH decided he was going to walk to the grocrey store & pick up a bottle of vodka for the cabin. We were waiting by some shops for about an hour and he never showed up...it was 8pm when we finally decided to return to the ship & by that time I was very worried (was he mugged? arressted? lost???) The pursers desk would not page him and he was not in the cabin. I asked the check in crew if they could tell me if he had gotten back on the ship & he had, so I did not want him to get off again to go look for us. Lo & behold, there he was...in the dining room...ordering dinner...I was very relieved...then very mad. He had walked right by us and never thought to look around because he thought we were somewhere else!

 

As wwkla said....it's about communication....not control...;)

[MGoBlue2]

the contract would not hold up in court, same as the "sign this liability waiver" contracts do not hold up in court. The contract is only the cruise line trying to cover their asses.

Cruise line contracts have held up very well in court against all kinds of assaults, one of the things they have is good lawyers.

[gr81]

18 or even 58, it doesnt matter. Anyone can screwed up.

 

Just another ALMOST left behind.

 

We were in Nasau with my in laws on the Fantasy a few years ago. I am very anal when it comes to being on time (to the point of being early just to be safe). My in laws were on their first ever cruise and were attached to us at the hip. But in port, my MIL wandered off and we spent over an hour looking for her. She had no concept of why we were so upset when we found her, about an hour before the last boarding. Oh how funny it would have been (not) had we missed the ship trying to find someone oblivious.

 

My in laws went on a second cruise just recently (same itenerary) but never got off the ship in port. Ask them seperatly why they stayed on board, and you will get 2 different answers. You can guess what his answer is, and why I believe him.

[blackwing]

I'm wondering where the 18 year old son's father is. Seems like the mother took her son and his friend on this cruise.... is the father in the picture, did he go as well?

 

If the father is not around and she is a single mother, I wonder if her son talks this way to her back home. Probably not, because then why reward such surly behavior with a cruise? It's likely that the son was emboldened to talk back to his mother because of the presence of this other kid.

 

I find the whole thing kind of sad. The poor woman, so frantic about someone that doesn't seem to want to have anything to do with her.

[K.T.B.]

One thing everyone seems to being missing is that Carnival really stepped up and helped. All the complaints people have about them should read what was said here. They definitely were not liable in terms of helping this woman's son out.

 

Also, at 18, you're an adult. Period. If you don't think so, just trying having sex with someone 2 years your junior...... then see what the law says. ;)

[MGoBlue2]

Also, at 18, you're an adult. Period. If you don't think so, just trying having sex with someone 2 years your junior...... then see what the law says. ;)

Try going into your neighborhood bar and ordering a drink.....then see what the law says.

[Hogladyrider]

I will try and provide an update and fill in some missing information on these two young men.

 

One post asked about "where are the father's?" Good question. The young man that is the stepson to my coworker has just completed his freshman year living away at college. His mom and dad are divorced and his mom was more concerned for her son's safety than his irresponsibility in this matter. He has a relationship with his father but I believe neither parent is a disciplinarian.

 

The 2nd young man just graduated from high school and it was his mom and sister that accompanied these two young men on this cruise. I do not know if his father is in the picture.

 

Both boys left their cell phones in their cabin on the ship and neither tried to find a pay phone to call anyone! The older of the two boys NEVER even phoned his mother or stepdad until last night when he finally arrived in Miami. When asked WHY he hadn't phoned home earlier, his response was that "he was too busy trying to survive".:rolleyes:

 

The boys caught a flight from Cozumel to Dallas to Miami on Wed. and then they are taking a bus to Orlando area on Thursday.

 

Carnival picked up the tab for all the ship to shore phone calls that the mom made to my coworker to keep the adults back home informed. If it wasn't for the mom phoning my coworker information would have been a black hole from these two boys.

 

The boys were partying and drinking that's why they missed the ship and they were extremely hung over and their attitude is "oh well".

 

Their plane flights were in excess of $500 each and I hope the parents make them pay the bill, but my coworker says mom probably won't.

 

I see this irresponsibility, carefree attitude in young people everyday and it is frightening.

 

I am sure I will post again on Friday after the young man arrives home and shares more of his story with his stepdad.

[blackwing]

Thanks for filling in more details, it confirms their irresponsibility and their general lack of sensitivity for the feelings of those that were concerned for them.

 

The boys were partying and drinking that's why they missed the ship and they were extremely hung over and their attitude is "oh well".

If I were these boys' parents, my attitude in response would be, "oh well? Last vacation we ever take you on, bud."

 

And if they're not going to pay back the money? If I were giving them some kind of allowance for college, I'd reduce it by the exact amount of money I had to spend on their plane tickets, food, hotels, etc because of their irresponsibility. Less money for beer for them while away in school. They drank their fill in Cozumel. Don't like it? Get a job if you want to earn some extra cash.

 

The entitlement of young people nowadays really irritates me. If I had tried the "oh well" attitude with my parents on something like this, I'd have been thrown out of the house. If I had been younger, I'd probably be looking for skin grafts for my rear end.

[Keys2Heaven]

Questions:

 

1. Is there a father? No mention of him, so am I to assume that mother is single-parent?

Sorry, just saw post above. See answer now.

 

2. Has son been given liberties on other occasions? How did he uphold his end of bargain then?

 

3. We don't know exactly what mother said to boys regarding check-in, etc.. All we know is what OP stated and may not have full story.

 

4. At 18 you are old enough to die for your country, you ought to be responsible enough to get back to the ship on time.

 

5. Boys made a choice to be late. This is NOT the fault of the mother. Could she have done more to ensure that they were back on the ship at the proper time, YES. Of course, this is assuming that the mother did nothing else to ensure a resonable time aboard.

 

6. What about the boys showing no remorse? My daughters even have this attitude when confronted with the obvious truth of having done something wrong. Perhaps I have forgotten all about my teenage years but I can tell you that there were many times I felt remorse for my wrong actions. Is this just a reflection of today's youth and the impact of modern society on them? Do the boys feel like it is the mother's fault that they weren't back on time ? (wouldn't surprise me if they thought this way) Maybe the boys would feel some remorse after they pay a few thousand dollars back to mom for the pleasure of letting her "cut loose the apron strings" as they pleaded for her to do.

 

Just like the poster above who stated that the kids have this "oh well" attitude, another post stated that neither parent is a disciplinarian. Unfortunately, this is also a growing epidemic amongst divorced parents. Neither parent want to be seen as "the bad guy" and cow-tow to the whims of their kids, after all we don't want to break their spirit now. (I've often heard this)

 

I won't go on some diatribe about the role of parents, because it might seem that I am passing judgement on parents that are divorced. I am a step-father and love my step-kids like my own. Do I discipline? Yes. My belief is that kids (although they won't acknowledge this verbally) really do want structure and boundaries. They want to know that they are protected and safe. Teenagers just can't admit this to their parents. My wife and I place suitable boundaries on our girls. They try to push those from time to time, but we remain firm. Believe it or not, they don't make a huge issue out of it when we stick to our guns.

 

Somewhere along the line many parents seem to have relinquished their role to their children and that is a real shame. No boundaries, no consequences. No wonder many kids don't show remorse.

[K.T.B.]

Try going into your neighborhood bar and ordering a drink.....then see what the law says.

Or a casino to gamble....

 

BUT at 18 you're an adult. Period. Regardless of the "over 21" law for liquor and gambling. You can do everything else an adult can do at 18, save for those 2.

[GayleR]

Truly amazing. Parents must raise their children to be responsible, productive members of society. Doesn't sound like this happened in the case of these two boys. That's exactly what they are.....little boys in 18/19 year old bodies.

 

These boys wanted to be free of parental control. It would be one thing if these boys paid for the trip, but the didn't. Therefore, the mom on board should have been in charge. She made a poor choice (what parent hasn't) and probably aged 10 years.

 

I agree with other posters who said they wouldn't have gotten back on board the ship w/o these kids. I have to agree, especially if you have someone else's kid!

 

Someone mentioned the military. My nephew, who was 19 at the time, joined the Marines last summer without informing his parents until after the fact. Let me tell you, my nephew is not the same person he was a year ago. Yes, he likes to have fun (partying, etc...it is the Marines, after all ;) ) but he is more responsible than I am. Boot Camp is a wonderful thing for people who think they "own the world" and don't have to answer to anyone because they are 18.

 

JMHO.

 

Happy cruising to all.

[MGoBlue2]

Or a casino to gamble....

 

BUT at 18 you're an adult. Period. Regardless of the "over 21" law for liquor and gambling. You can do everything else an adult can do at 18, save for those 2.

Actually, at 18 you're an 18 year old.

 

In some states you're no longer a minor, in some states you still are. Legally, there is no set universal magic age at which you suddenly become an adult. It depends on circumstances and the particular situation and the laws in the jurisdiction.

[MikeG]

And has already been posted in this thread, in all but 4 states in the USA you are an adult at 18, no situational, no circumstantial .. you are an adult.

[starketcher]

Up until last year, I was a single parent/mother. I remarried, after being single for 16 years, and my son is now 18....so for all practical purposes, I reared my son as a single parent. He is pretty much responsible, though, at many times he is not happy about it!!!!!!! He was joining the Coast Guard right up until the physical and backed out. I was hoping he would go thru with it (and still am), but the boy is in love....so who knows. Right now, he likes the "grown man routine" until something comes up then he wants to revert to being taken care of! (For example, he got his own cell phone -- because he was 18 and could-- I didnt approve of his choise of carriers/plans, but he told me he was 18. Nothing I could do about it. I just sat back and waited, it didnt take long. He ran up a $250 bill--$120 of text messages, was playing baseball and could not afford his payment....he comes to me and wants to "borrow" money. I told him he was 18, not my problem. He couldnt figure out what to do and asked what he could do I told him to get an advance on his part-time salary which was not possible or go to the bank (because he was 18---nothing I could do and not my problem because that works both ways!!!!!!) Lesson learned the hard way, but bailing his butt out would not have helped!

 

Back OT, we were taking my son on a graduation cruise, but he screwed up and had it taken away. Had we taken the cruise, I never would've turned my son loose in port. He has cruised many times before and I do believe he would have gotten back to the port HAD HE BEEN SOBER! Drinking is legal at 18 in Mexico & (because he is 18!!) he would have been legally of age to drink--and I expected him to drink. Impaired, I am not quite sure he would have been cognizant of the time or other factors requiring him to return to the ship on time.

 

Parenting is ongoing, whether the kids are 18 or 28. Bailing out an irresponsible kid who is 18 or 28 is irresponsble parenting. If you keep bailing them out at 18, you can pretty much bet you will still be bailing them out at 28, 38, etc!!

[nrdsb4]

Well said, Starketcher, and well done also. Doing the right thing isn't always easy, but then again, no one has ever said responsible parenting was supposed to be easy.

[JLC@SD]

Try going into your neighborhood bar and ordering a drink.....then see what the law says.

In Mexico......at 18.......you can go into a bar and order lots of drinks.......which is the reason the two didn't want mom along.....wanted to be on their own......:rolleyes:

[Cinderose]

Ok, Im a little confused. Since Carnival paid for the return flights and hotel, etc. Do they bill the 18 yr olds or their parents? And if its the parents, by what rule are they responsible to pay this bill? Should it not be the sole responsibility of the parties (the 18 yr olds) directly involved? Just try and make me cough up the cash for my child if they rung up a bill for their irresponsibility and they were of legal age!!!! I didnt sign anything. Or were the parents made to put up a credit card to get them home?

My daughter keeps reminding me that when she is 18 she is moving out and I cant do anything about it. No maybe not, but not allowing her to come back when she finds out the world doesnt do for her like I do, that I can do! - Im forcing her to finally be that adult she so longs to be.

No flaming until you walk in the parents shoes.

[wrp96]

I believe how it works is that if you have somebody under the age of 21 in your stateroom, somebody over the age of 25 has to sign to be "responsible" for them - as part of the cruise contract. It doesn't matter if they are an adult, if they are under the age of 21 in Carnival's eyes somebody else has to be responsible for them.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

My apologies, there are a few states left at 19 and 21 it seems.

 

Alabama - 19, No modifications.

D.C. - 21 years of age, or at the point the minor is self supporting through marriage, employment,

Mississippi - 21

Nebraska - 19

New York - 21; NY has no statute with respect to emancipation*; issue is decided on case-by-case basis; emancipation can take place before 21, if appropriate court so decides

Puerto Rico - 21 years of age, or whenever minor is self-supporting through marriage.

 

here in PA you only pay support until they reach age 18 as long they graduated or dropped out.

 

Bill

[seguincruiser]

I was so mad with my DD for something stupid she had done (shes 10), then I read this thread and realized how much worse it can get! Talked to my BF about this thread and was surprised she would let her kids go free in port while I'm not until their at least 22 or older. She feels her kids are responsible enough and my issue is why tempt them. I think anyone can make bad choices and that I would rather my kids make theirs closer to home.