Underage drunking on cruises?

Question

i am 16 and i am going on a cruise for spring break with a whole bunch of my friends there are a couple of them that are 18, i am just ask how hard will it be for me to drink on the cruise. what are some easy ways to get it on te cruise

Answer 1

Doubtful.

Almost every time I asked for a drink on my last cruises they swiped my card through their computer to check how old I was. Granted there are servers who just walk around with drinks and then write your card number down, but your age is very easily accessible, so it's pretty hard to avoid.

Answer 2

UMMMMMMMMM, not a chance. I was on a cruise with my 18 year old son who looks 22 and they wouldnt even let him sit at the bar near the casino, so there was no chance of actually consuming alcohol. Besides, at 16, you really dont need to be drinking and thats how people end up overboard

Answer 3

All cruises that leave from or return to a US port have a drinking age of 21. On our last cruise my husband and I saw a young man put his ID on the bar and said, " It's my birthday I'd like a drink." The only problem is that you have to be 21 on or before the first day of the cruise. His friends standing behind him were equally disappointed as they thought he would be able to buy them all drinks. On shore its another story. Be careful though as many people have missed the ship because they partied too hard.

Answer 4

I agree with Shhhh and Truck.  Children 16 years old shouldn't be drinking.  I'd be interested to know what cruise line you're sailing on that allows a group of underage kids to sail together - so I can avoid that cruise line!

Re drinking in the ports.  Truck is right.  And if you miss the ship, you're on your own to get back home.  Also, if you break the rules of the ship, you can be put off the ship at the next port.  Not to mention all the other hazards of getting drunk [as you say, underage drunking -a Freudian slip??], like accidents, rape, etc.  And aren't you worried at all about violating your parents' trust?  Things like this have a way of finding their way back to parents, trust me.

I hope that you can go and just have fun without drinking.

Answer 5

depends on the bartender.  I was able a few times to get drinks underage, but then again times were a little bit different too.  I'm sure your card has your age or that you are under age on it so they probably won't serve it to you now.

Answer 6

not a chance dear..

Answer 7

Ask the cruise line about it.  It should depend on the cruise line and if you are in american or international waters.

Answer 8

Did you see the title of your own question?  "Underage Drunking"

I'm sorry, I feel that someone age 16 should not be drinking, at least without the supervision of their parents.  If you are caught drinking you could wind up in big trouble.

I would suggest that you stick to the soda card and just have fun on the cruise.

Answer 9

Wow do I have experience with on THIS topic! First of all I've been on 5 cruises, and I was underage on all of them. The last one I was 18, so they allowed me to drink beer or wine (now I think that rule has been changed, 21 and up only.) Basically, there is no way the bartenders will serve you alcohol. None of them want to risk their job, serving minors. My sister and I just brought a couple bottles on the ship and let the bag handlers take our luggage (meaning, we didnt carry the bags with booze as carry-ons).  Most ports of call are in weird places that usually dont care about how old you are and will sell you booze, some places you have to be 18 (drinking age in places like Mexico and Bahamas is 18.) So when we ran out of liquor, we would get out on the ports to buy more and just poured the alcohol into water bottles (dont be TOO obvious with giant bottles) and carried them onboard. We never got caught.

Its YOUR risk, so know that you might get caught. Also, I dont know what cruise line your going on. We went on Royal Caribbean, but I heard Carnival is easier to get past.

Answer 10

Drinking age is 21.  If you get caught sneaking alcohol on the ship, you could be refused boarding with no refund.  If you get caught on board, then you could be detained on the ship, or even debarked at a port of call, and have to find your own way home.  

And for reference, there are only a couple of cruise lines that will allow you to book a cruise if you are under 21, and they ain't cheap.  Even less if you are under 18.

Answer 11

When you board the ship, you will be given a key card.  This card is your on-board credit card.  You give the card to the bartender or waiter when you order a drink.  They swipe the card and that is how the drinks get charged to your account.  The keycards for minors (under 21) are a different color than for over 21's.  You will not get served alcohol if you are under 21.  If you are going to be with your parents, you could get beer or wine if you were 18.

If your buddies buy drinks and give them to you, they can be in jeopardy of being kicked off the ship at the next port along with you - NO REFUND and FIND YOUR OWN WAY HOME.

You will be able to drink in the foreign ports.  Be careful not to overdo it and miss the ship.  The ship takes off on time and if a passenger is not there on time - NO REFUND and FIND YOUR OWN WAY.

Stick to the sodas or ice tea on board.

Answer 12

no way that there is a chance for you to get a drink in your hands...besides fountain drinks