People traveling with your child's friend age 18-20, take note...

[Sue C.]

I just called Royal Caribbean and asked about our daughter's 18 yr old friend coming along. My question was about the alcohol policies.

 

But I discovered something NO ONE there had told me!!! And it's not even in regard to alcohol. We need to have her parents write a letter "to whom it may concern. So-and-so are the guardians of so-and-so during the cruise on the Mariner from 4/11 thru 4/18 and we are responsible for her care and actions" and it needs to be notarized.

 

No one had told us this. We would have gotten to the ship and she would not have been allowed on! Good grief. Why didn't anyone at RC tell us this? I gave the ages of my daughter and her friend when I made the reservation right through RC.

 

And then the guy I talked to had to go and scare me by saying that kids between 18-20 have been getting drunk and into trouble and that one boy died! He said he suffocated on his own vomit and died. He warned me to keep an eye on my girls. Well, I don't want to spend my cruise babysitting them. I thought if they do decide to have a wine or two it wouldn't hurt them. (not that I encourage drinking at all, as my husband & I don't even drink) Now I'm afraid...what if they lose their minds and get drunk.

 

Parents of 18-20, do you keep a close watch on your kids?????

 

Sue

 

Costa Cruise Line - 1979 & 1986

 

Leaving 4/11 on Mariner of the Seas

[madforcruising]

As it´s my understanding on RCCL´s policy drinking between 18-21 is only possible if allowed by parents or in your daughters case legal guardians for the cruise. If you want to be on the safe side don´t allow it and their sea passes will be punched, I think, twice and they won´t get alcohol (beer and wine).

 

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[DFritz]

Individuals under 21 are not allowed to book a room on their own so I guess they do need to be looked after. This will be a very tempting opportunity for them. In our area you are not allowed by law to drink until you are 21 so I would be enforcing the same rule if I had young adults traveling with me on the ship. Get their card punched to be safe or realize that you are responsible. If they break ships rules due to alcohol abuse they can be put off the ship and you with them. You are responsible for them until they are 21. Talk to them in advance and discuss all of this and talk to the parent of the attending child.

 

'Til my next cruise

 

[Mike&Lorraine]

I'm not at all well versed in this, but I have a hard time believing that the cruise line can require a letter saying that you are his "guardian" and are responsible for his behavior. At 18, even his parents aren't legal guardians anymore - he's an adult. The parents can't sign over a role they don't have.

 

Are you sure they don't mean a letter signing over the parent's rights to give the 18-20 YO permission to buy beer and wine? I think I remember seeing something that beer and wine can be purchased by 18-20 YO's (once the ship is in international waters) with permission of the parents. This would make more sense to me than a blanket letter taking responsibility for all of his actions while on the ship.

[nrdsb4]

Originally posted by Sue C.:

I just called Royal Caribbean and asked about our daughter's 18 yr old friend coming along. My question was about the alcohol policies.

 

But I discovered something NO ONE there had told me!!! And it's not even in regard to alcohol. We need to have her parents write a letter "to whom it may concern. So-and-so are the guardians of so-and-so during the cruise on the Mariner from 4/11 thru 4/18 and we are responsible for her care and actions" and it needs to be notarized.

 

No one had told us this. We would have gotten to the ship and she would not have been allowed on! Good grief. Why didn't anyone at RC tell us this? I gave the ages of my daughter and her friend when I made the reservation right through RC.

 

And then the guy I talked to had to go and scare me by saying that kids between 18-20 have been getting drunk and into trouble and that one boy died! He said he suffocated on his own vomit and died. He warned me to keep an eye on my girls. Well, I don't want to spend my cruise babysitting them. I thought if they do decide to have a wine or two it wouldn't hurt them. (not that I encourage drinking at all, as my husband & I don't even drink) Now I'm afraid...what if they lose their minds and get drunk.

 

Parents of 18-20, do you keep a close watch on your kids?????

 

Sue

 

QUOTE]

 

Not sure what you are wanting as it relates to the 18 year olds and the tragic drinking incident. If your child and friend have a "wine or two" it WON'T hurt them. I can assure you that anyone who dies of inhaling vomit from over drinking has had way more than two drinks. The individuals involved in your situation (your child and friend) must be willing to take responsibility for their own actions. You should probably have a talk with them about alcohol and the dangers thereof, but they are probably going to be on their own soon anyway (college, work whatever). Hopefully you have a good sense about their past tendencies - i.e. do they have a history of displaying common sense and accountability, or have you spent years dealing with the fallout from bad judgement and unwillingness to follow guidelines? Trust and maturity are very individual, and even if you tried to monitor their actions every minute, you would not be able to avert a tragedy of this type if these 18 year olds are that irresponsible or ignorant of the consequences of drinking alcohol. I would say if you can't trust these two 18 year olds to drink responsibly, don't take them on the cruise. If they are intelligent and AWARE of what responsible drinking entails (don't drink on an empty stomach, don't try to keep up with experienced drinkers, don't guzzle wine/shots, don't believe that you can't get very drunk on wine vs. hard liquor, etc.), then they will probably be fine. Incidents such as the one described to you are all too common among young people who are immature and incapable of practicing self control, but in the big picture, it is possible to be 18 and a responsible drinker. With many young people, a bad hangover is enough to teach them what moderate drinking is NOT. Actual fatalities are really not the norm. If you are really concerned about this, call RCI and ask if you can have their ID's marked in some way that denies them permission to drink. Regardless, however, if these kids are determined to drink and don't respect your rules regarding it, they'll find a way to get around it. If they've been responsible kids up until now, they probably aren't going to change overnight just because they are going on a cruise. I hope you have a good cruise experience.

[Sue C.]

It was my understanding from the guy I talked to, that we (and our daughter's friend's parents) did not have to give permission for them to drink. He said that was allowed because of their age and the ship's policy. He just said we needed the notarized letter stating we would be responsible for her actions. Weird.

 

Yes, they are being allowed to be in their own cabin. The two bookings are under my husband's name, and I booked the cabins to be next to each other. I specifically told them at RC that the girls are both 18 and was told that was OK (probably 'cuz they are with us?). Their names are on their tickets for their own cabin together.

 

Yes, both girls are going off to the same college this coming fall. I'm sure they'll do their share of partying. They don't now that I'm aware of. I repeat, that I'm aware of. We allow our daughter to have a drink when we go out to dinner, and she enjoys that. I'm not so sure if it's the taste or it's the "being grown up" part.

 

We will have a good talk with them ahead of time. I agree with whoever said that one hangover would be enough to teach them a lesson. (It happened to me when I was 18, but 18 was the legal age at the time.)

 

I think I'll call RC and see if I can talk to someone else and see what they say about this notarized letter. I'll report back.

 

Thanks for all your replies.

Sue

[luvthec]

You need to have a frank discussion with this friend's parents about what their expectations are of potential alcohol consumption. They may be totally against it.

 

It also makes sense to me that, in the event of an emergency, a physician or hospital might need you to make a treatment decision on her behalf and a notarized statement from her parents might make it easier.

 

Kim

 

NCL Dreamward 05/85 - Bahamas

NCL Sunward 06/86 - W. Carib

Enchantment of the Seas 03/00 - E. Carib

Vision of the Seas 3/02 -Mexican Riviera

Voyager of the Seas 4/04

[jean-lynd]

I just had a thought. If you decide you do not want them to be able to drink couldn't you set up their cards so they could not make purchases? Then they would not be able to buy any drinks and if they wanted to buy souveniers you would have to get them for them. If they are soda drinkers you could get them the soda sticker and then they wouldn't need to have purchasing power. You could also buy them a glass of wine now and then if you felt comfortable with allowing them to drink in moderation. I hope this helps!

 

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[wcyellin]

Many times, I've taken my sons friends in this age group on cruises. While the written policies may require a notarized letter, (and you should probably bring one), no one ever asked for the letter.

 

As a practical matter, how can they know the person is not your child?

 

Lawyers write rules to protect the cruise line. You MUST have a notarized letter; persons under 21 will not be served alcohol; you MUST attend lifeboat drill; if you are sick you MUST not leave the cabin; no alcoholic beverages can be carried on board, etc.

 

The staff -even if they are aware of these "rules"- (1) deal in the world of reality;(e.g. they have to keep the lines moving) and (2) in many cases are looking for tips.

 

You probably can't stop your kid from drinking. We have cut down the drinking by refusing to pay for it; thereby forcing the kids to use their own credit cards and pay their own bill.

[Pchefdaws]

Just returned from Splendour of the Seas. My 20 year old son took his 18 year old girlfriend - here is our experience.

 

No one asked for any kind of letter from us for the 18 year old.

 

They asked me if I wanted them to be allowed to drink beer and wine. I said OK for my 20 year old (will be 21 in May) and said that I was not the parent of the 18 year old. They said it didn't matter and if I was her guardian for the trip I could sign the waiver for her. Neither one of them drank on the ship much anyway. When we were at a show they ordered pina coladas and I noticed on the bill that they were virgin - without our asking, kinda cute. They must not look old enough, even though this was spring break and there was plenty of underage drinking going on.

[megalyce]

Sue C.,

 

In my experience, if you just sit down and talk with them, tell them that a couple of drinks is okay, they will be less likely to overindulge. On the same note, if you forbid them from having a glass of wine or two, you'll only be forcing them to sneak around and lie about it (a situation where no one benefits.)

 

I think that if you let them know you trust their judgement, they are more likely to be responsible about it.

 

Meg

 

Carnival Imagination 4/00

Holland America Veendam 3/03

[ccletzgo]

I have chaparoned twice for highschool grad. sr trips. When we checked on, it was up to me if they had a hole punched in there card or not. I was asked at check in.

You dont need a note to get on the ship. My concern was in protecting myself. They can drink beer and wine from 18 to 21. I wrote a letter letting the parents know that this was allowed on the ship. (I found in doing so, that a few parents didnt realize there son or daughter would be allowed to purchase alcahol) I was there to keep them safe. I was someone they could go to with all there questions. customs etc. "what do we do now?" and just cruise stuff. I was there in case of an accident, but that didnt hold me responsible for that accident. I had parents sign that they where aware of all of this.

 

I had to get the boys out of the bar in Ensanada, so they wouldnt miss the ship. I had to pull two girls out of a boys cabin and kick there butts back to there own cabin! (there was trouble there) I told them there was a bus in Ensanada and they could take it back to L.A. After that they followed me around like baby chicks!!

 

If they dont drink, period, they wont drink. If they do drink, even a little, yes they will take advantage of the fact thats its available and catch a buzz............ Its just the baby sitting the buzzed 18 year olds that sucks!!

Still, It was better then having them take off to Cancun and ending up on a "girls gone wild" tape!!! Or boys getting lost in mexico

 

In 2000 the boys where actually great! And easy. In 2003 the girls where more difficult. I went into it,know this. After all, my boy has been easier to raise then my daughter.

 

Lets Go!

 

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[Folgy]

Tell them you love them, give them ten *hugs* and pray they will be responsible.

 

Celebrity Infinity May 28/04

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[Dzamma]

I took my 18 tear old son on a cruise in March. At check in, I had to sign a release as to weather I would allow him to drink or not. I've never had to do this before. It allowed me to decide if could drink or not.

 

 

 

Splendour 3-6-04

Jubilee 6-5-03

Celebration 7-10-01

[littlelulu]

we are leaving for Rhapsody of the Ses tomorrow. My 16 year old daughter is bringing a friend and in the question and answer section on the RCI site it tells you about the letter and what it needs to contain.

[brn2crz]

Please do not state that the letter is not needed.It is, as someone states,in their policies.It is also required for 1 parent.While it may or may not be asked for at check-in,it will also be necassary if while in port this person is lost,arrested or in need of medical attention.It is more closely examined when crossing borders by land,as child abductions are frequent.But I would hate to be denied boarding,or not be able to get help while at port.

 

Cathy

NCL-Starward 1982

NCL-Seaward 1986

NCL-Norway 1992

Carnival-Celebration 1996

Carnival-Jubilee 2001

RCI-Rhapsody 1999

RCI-Rhapsody- 2003

Grand Princess or Rhapsody ?

2004

 

 

[Sue C.]

OK, I looked at RCI's site and this is what I foun:

 

"Family Legal Documents:

Adults who are not the parent or Legal Guardian of any minor child traveling with them are required to present the child's valid passport and visa (if required) or the child's birth certificate (original, a notarized copy or a certified copy) and an original notarized letter signed by at least one of the child's parents. The notarized letter from the child's parent must authorize the traveling adult to take the child on the specific cruise and must authorize the traveling adult to supervise the child and permit any medical treatment that must be administered to the child. If a non-parent adult is a Legal Guardian, the adult must present a certified certificate of Guardianship with respect to the child."

 

An 18-yr-old is not a minor, so I do not understand why I would need the notarized letter. I tried calling RCI this afternoon to ask the question to someone else, but I couldn't get through and then had to leave for work.

 

I need to talk to my daughter's friend's mom, hopefully tomorrow. She's been sick.

 

Sue

[barbgazz]

I must be missing the point here, why not just get the letter and be done with it? You will probably not need it, but if you do, you will have it. The rules clearly state that you must be 25 to book a room. You have said that both rooms are booked under your husband's name and that the girls are staying in one room on their own. Even though the girls are 18, since they are not allowed to book on their own, you will be responsible for them, since you booked their cabins.

[rjg41]

Here is a link to the form from American Express. It does say under 18 but the form is free and you can get it nororized for free and it will cover the medical issues. Oh, by the way make sure the parents have purchased cruise insurance, mainly for the medical coverage.

http://landfalltravel.com/minorsx.html

 

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[serene56]

To keep your girls safe...please warn them NOT to accept drinks from any stangers..even if the talked to them all week. Make sure a bartender hands them their drinks. Not to leave their drinks while they get up to dance-

Im sure the girls will be ok...just let them know a cruise ship is like a little city.

 

Going NOWHERE

 

 

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[momofmeg]

On RCCL it is true young people under 21 cannot book a room on their own but if parents or guardians are with them- they are allowed to have a room next door.

 

My daughter is 19-and there is no way I would have her card punched because I know she is responsible-now for a friend-I would think I would be sure of that friend's rep but I believe it would be okay- IF I KNEW THAT KID WELL-normally kids don't get in trouble unless there are 3 or more.

 

There are a few horror stories you can read right here on these boards. One I read where a middle aged guy bought a fifteen year old girl a drink and then threathened to tell her parents she was drinking alchol if she did not go to his cabin. Your kids are older so they should be more savy-but just in case remind them that people you don't know (and most you do know) don't give you some for nothing. Just like they were to beware the stranger offering candy when they were small-also beware the stranger offering drinks. Another reason to let them have the wine-less chance of some pervert temping them with a drink.

[Ohunion Cruzers]

On a recent cruise, we were sitting in one of the lounges, enjoying our after dinner nightcap, when we overheard the following conversation between a waiter and the bartender. The waiter said to the bartender that there was a group who wanted to order drinks. Their cards were punched, indicating they were under-age. But the group had I.D. indicating they were over 18. Well, of course, the waiter wants to make all the "tips" they can, and the bartender wants to make all the sales they can. So, the drinks were served. So, even if parents think they are preventing their kids from drinking, THINK AGAIN.

[Family of 14]

So, in other words, the kids had fake ID's with them?

 

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[MJL]

Interesting enough, if you decide your 18-21 year-old can not drink, and their sea pass cards are punched accordingly, they can not gamble either. That means bingo, too.

 

Needless to say there are ways to get around this, but the "policy" for gambling is in line with drinking for this age group.

 

In Planning Stages

 

[sbgrace]

Their IDs were not necessarily fake. If their cards were punched, their parents/guardians had not given permission for them to drink, even if they were over 18 but less than 21. They should not have been served...but I'm REALLY not surprised that they were.

Chris

 

Adventure of the Seas