Am I just not getting the ALCOHOL mini bottles as FE gifts?

[cheer25mom]

Wow, never knew they had a waiver, I thought there were laws about underage alcohol use and can't believe that DCL has a waiver - never heard of it on any other cruiseline but maybe they do.

Most cruise lines don't have the same policy as DCL and follow drinking ages In the ports they visit. I know this is the case with Carnival specifically and have been told most others do the same. as soon as they are in international waters 21 and up no longer applies. On carnival it is 18 in international waters to purchase and 16 if a parent buys. No waiver needed. Personally, I feel bad for the few European young people who have been unpleasantly suprised when refused service on DCL.

 

[MrsScooby]

I know the drinking age is lower in Europe, I didn't grow up in the US so we had a lower drinking and smoking age, I have seen signs on other ships stating that alcohol will not be served to under 21 and never knew that in the med you could sign a waiver. Just surprised

No I was surprised too
I don't recall seeing a problem on our cruise and I know some friends who were also taking advantage of the waiver and letting their teens try some drinks while onboard.

 

[itdjbw]

Most cruise lines don't have the same policy as DCL and follow drinking ages In the ports they visit. I know this is the case with Carnival specifically and have been told most others do the same. as soon as they are in international waters 21 and up no longer applies. On carnival it is 18 in international waters to purchase and 16 if a parent buys. No waiver needed. Personally, I feel bad for the few European young people who have been unpleasantly suprised when refused service on DCL.

I was on carnival in the Med last month and alcohol was not being served to under 21, my daughter is 19 and was not allowed to order a non virgin drink with me.

 

[Ladyshopper]

I am just wow at a lot of replies on this thread! In the nicest possible way, I think some people need to find something else to worry about.

If you are really that worried about possibly being given alcohol as a gift, and then that possible falling into childrens hands, I really think you should re-consider as to whether FE is the thing for you.

I am grateful for every single FE gift I get. Some I don't keep - they get binned, re-gifted or donated to the kids club (a lot of people seem to think teens are into the same things as 5 year olds, which often isn't the case!). Doesn't mean I'm not grateful. I have had alcohol a couple of times and thought it was a fab gift. I've had hershey bars which I absolutely can't stand and think they taste like vomit - I still appreciate the gift.

I really don't have the time or energy to worry about kids possibly stealing from my FE, and the effects on them if they steal alcohol from it. As far as I'm concerned thats their lookout. And as others have said, if they're that desperate there is plenty of other places they can find half drunk cups of the stuff that they can steal.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I don't understand how it is allowed to gift mini bottles of alcohol!

Allowed by whom? Alcohol is not illegal and DCL allows it to be brought aboard. DCL doesn't control the fish extenders, or what gifts cruisers are allowed to give to each other. I suppose any FE group can institute a "no alcohol as gifts" rule for the entire group if they wish to. But then, if the group doesn't want to have such a rule, then the members have the option to either request that they individually not receive alcohol gifts, or decide not to participate. I'm afraid I don't see the problem. If you get a mini bottle and you don't want it, you can throw it out, or you can give it to someone else.

That's the parents' problem as to whether or not the bottle winds up in the hands of their children. Not the person giving the gift. Disabled chldren or no. I've never gotten the argument that everyone should temper their behavior because there might be a disabled child aboard. And as for the "what if a child takes it out of someone else's FE" then I can't say they should be protected from getting bad stuff if they're stealing. If they want it so bad that they are going to steal mini bottles from other people's fish extenders then the parents have some other type of problem - and with the kids, not with the fish extender participants. So that leaves the parents who allow their children to get the items from the FE and are worried they might just grab the bottle and drain it. If you're concerned, have a rule that your kids are to show you the FE items before they eat or drink anything. If you think they can't follow the rules...that's another issue.

A typical housewarming gift is a bottle of wine, should gifts of alcohol not be given to parents? Alcoholic beverages are a pretty typical gift for adults. What about with the precaution of asking the parents first and passing the mini bottles out at the meet rather than putting them in the FE? If you have an alcoholic family member, I am assuming that you are on a FE exchange group. Post to the group that no alcoholic beverages, even little airline bottles, are to be delivered to your stateroom. Be proactive.

Personally, I feel bad for the few European young people who have been unpleasantly suprised when refused service on DCL.

Their parents can sign a waiver on the European cruises if their children are 18 or over. Of course I don't think they do this on the cruises outside Europe.

When DCL are in the med do they still bill in US$ or Euro?

All transactions aboard ship are in US dollars.

Therefore, if someone is making alcohol accessible to minors they are liable for whatever happens if that minor consumes it. It doesn't matter if it is a child in the stateroom for that FE or one who is stealing items out of the FEs.

Legally this is not the case. A parent who has a bottle of wine in the home is not legally liable if their kid opens it and drinks it one day without them knowing about it. They're not even liable if the kid next door opens it and drinks it. Now if they open the bottle for the kids and pour them glasses...that would be different. So I can't think of any way a person leaving an airline bottle of Bacardi in a fish extender would be held legally liable if the giftee's child drinks the bottle. And certainly not if someone else's child steals the bottle out of the FE and drinks it.

 

[AdaraRae]

If I could say that about my son, that if he sees it in an FE he's going to take it no matter whose FE it is, there is no chance at all that I would be taking him on a cruise. Just no chance. If he cannot tell the difference between his and theirs, or his family's and someone else's family's stuff, it just doesn't seem appropriate to put the poor guy into that situation. Cruiseship hallways are narrow; there's stuff on the doors, there are FEs hanging. Peoples' drinks on tables, peoples' towels on chairs. etc etc. If he is going to grab whatever he sees and wants, are you SURE you want to go on this cruise with him?

Well, the term "tattletale" should refer to people who tell LIES. Or gross exaggerations or just silly things, like "Johnny breathed on me" or "Mary's dragon ate my lunch".

But telling the truth about someone breaking a rule isn't tattling. It's helping law and order of your environment. I believe they call it "whistleblowing" when you're an adult.

The poster used a word that shouldn't be used in this environment. We all agreed, whether we knew we were doing it or not, when we joined here to behave in a certain way. We all agreed that we might get warnings and/or infractions for doing so. There's no "tattling" when it comes to telling someone in authority that another member of the community had broken a rule that had been agreed upon.

My opinion is the same as the first I saw on this page...if you're a family with allergies or sensitivities or worries about what you might get, just don't participate. It's why we don't participate. I don't like having to throw things away; I kept a bag of Skittles for a month, because it was given to my son at his dance recital...we don't eat Skittles. Corn syrup and colors are not something any of us want to or can eat without reactions. But it was a gift, so I kept it simply because it was a gift. I don't need my life cluttered like that (it's cluttered enough!), and I don't want to have to throw things away, so we don't participate.

Yes I'm sure. He's my son and I love him and want him to have fun like any other child despite being disabled and not understanding right from wrong. Shame on you for saying something like that...

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[minximom]

2015 dates/schedules are up for all the ships.



jk. Can you say distraction.

I got excited there and was about to ask where to find them! Lol

 

[WikiWiki]

You realize that you are criticizing others and asking them not to enjoy PERFECTLY NORMAL things because your son can't participate? It is a simple issue to say to your FE group- "I have a son with special needs. Please don't include these things in my FE." You don't need to belittle others for enjoying something that is legal, normal, and acceptable for the vast majority of people. No one is criticizing you for not wanting these things in YOUR FE, but you want everyone to not get them because? You disapprove? Or am I reading your posts right and you think that your son can get into someone else's fish extender, take their bottle of alcohol, and drink it before you can stop him? Therefore, no one should give alcohol? I'm sorry, but I have taught special ed. I don't know what's wrong with your son, but there is no disability that I'm aware of that makes it impossible to stop him from stealing things from other people and consuming them, outside of comic books anyway. If he takes it, grab it, tell him no, and put it back.

 

[aanderson5]

You don't have to go as far a Europe to find lower drinking ages. In Canada 3 provinces have 18 as the legal drinking age and the rest have 19. I have to say it felt pretty strange going to vacation in Florida couple of weeks before my 21st birthday and not being able to have a drink when I have been able to do so legally for almost 3 years.

 

[jjje]

Yes I'm sure. He's my son and I love him and want him to have fun like any other child despite being disabled and not understanding right from wrong. Shame on you for saying something like that...

If you participate in a FE group and you ask people not to include things with nuts/alcohol/dyes/small parts then that is totally reasonable. If you expect everyone to stop putting stuff in FEs because your kid can't have them then that is totally unreasonable.

We had planned on taking part in the FE on our next cruise but my son has anxiety and for whatever reason he finds the whole FE concept extremely stressful. We won't be taking part but he's still going to have to deal with seeing other people's FEs hanging in the hallway. Welcome to #843 on the big list of weird things I never expected to have to deal with as the parent of a child with special needs.

 

[NickyKnack]

This going to sound like a flame, but it's really not... I just don't get it.
For those who claim they can't contain their children, and stop them from picking up things and taking them at random (such as taking things from other people's FEs) how do you take your children shopping? I mean if this is really this large an issue, and truly beyond your control how do you keep them from just "see want and taking" from a store? I don't get it

 

[FergusBC]

I am grateful for every single FE gift I get. Some I don't keep - they get binned, re-gifted or donated to the kids club (a lot of people seem to think teens are into the same things as 5 year olds, which often isn't the case!). Doesn't mean I'm not grateful. I have had alcohol a couple of times and thought it was a fab gift. I've had hershey bars which I absolutely can't stand and think they taste like vomit - I still appreciate the gift.

You said that very well and I totally agree! Well, not about the hershey bars, but the rest of it is spot on!

Now, shall we start a debate about hershey bars? For or against?

 

[NickyKnack]

That depends, with or without almonds?

You said that very well and I totally agree! Well, not about the hershey bars, but the rest of it is spot on!

Now, shall we start a debate about hershey bars? For or against?

 

[TanyaS]

I am one of those who gave mini-bottles as FE gifts. I certainly wasn't trying to offend anyone or cause problems.

I gave the adults on my cruise each a mini-bottle of Firefly Sweet Tea vodka because
* It was a locally made product (Charleston, SC company)
* It was consumable product that wouldn't require transportation home
* Most adults do drink alcohol (or if they do not, they at least have someone they could pass it along to)
* It was something that if you received two of, it didn't matter
* Primarily, I was trying to give a little gift that I thought most of the recipients would enjoy receiving

I also gave each cabin a Christmas tree ornament (Mickey ornament with a ribbon that had the cruise name and date printed on it). I realized at the time that there might be some recipients that might not celebrate Christmas, but I assumed anyone receiving such a gift who didn't want it would simply dispose of it or pass it along to someone who would like it.

I purchased board books for the babies on our FE exchange and candy for the kids. I did my best to purchase, wrap, and bring along gifts that I thought would be enjoyed.

Hopefully, no one on our cruise was offended by my gifts - I had only the best of intentions.

 

[aanderson5]

We recieved a couple of little bottles of rum in our FE. They were appriciated even though I was pregnant and DH is not a rum drinker. I think he did drink one of them and the other came home and was used in a delicious rum cake. We did not use everything we recieved but everything was appriciated.

As for children getting into the FE. DS turned 5 while on board and I think he thought the FE gifts where 'for him'. He was so excited to see what treasures would be there every time we came back to the cabin. Not once did he rip into anything himself. He knew that I opened everything first and I doled out everything. I don't think it is unreasonable to say hands off to children and if they are unable to comply for what ever reason then don't participate. I actually wondered the same things as others have asked. If you can't control your child from grabbing and consuming what ever they want how do you every go out in public? I don't mean to be offensive.

 

[Narnia_girl]

If someone gives us a mini bottle we would happily accept it, and possibly drink it.
That being said, I'm choosing not to gift alcohol to others. It's not about controlling my own children. There are many children on board that I will never meet. Children who may be curious or make a bad choice or flat out disobey their parents. It's just not that important to me to give away alcohol and risk a child consuming it.

 

[AquaDame]

We received a small bottle in our FE the one time we participated - we thought it was brilliant and enjoyed it. Someone earlier said then what about cigarettes and I don't smoke as many have said they don't drink... I would laugh and offer them up to someone else and not give it another thought.

I admit to being a little torn on the security aspect - a child could certainly take the alcohol out of the FE, but then the child already made a HUGE mistake by STEALING which is just as, if not MORE of a problem in my mind. Its more ok to steal chocolate, stickers, CDs, trinkets etc but *gasp* not alcohol? Think about the intent there, since the child doesn't even know what is in the FE to begin with - he or she purposefully is going through someone else's stuff to find it. Such a child is going to get into mischief and all things considered a mini bottle on a fairly safe cruise line isn't the WORST place to have a drink...

 

[DISNEYFAN3260]

I absolutely understand the many points of view I've been reading here (I'm a parent too) and they are all deserving of respect, whether or not we agree with them. All I can say is that I've never done an FE exchange before, but if some participants are generous enough to give mini bottles, maybe I'll participate next time around!

 

[Dancin Mom]

I, too, haven't read the whole thread and I know it's kind of gone in a different direction. It is the thought that counts. A person should not sign up for FE if they take offense to alcohol, homemade baked goodies, worry about allergies and all the other complaints I have read here. FE was fun in the beginning. No rules, no complaints, no feeling cheated because you put more thought and money into your gift over what others gave you. It was a simple way to spread pixie dust. Please, if you are the type that can't accept gifts graciously then perhaps you shouldn't participate. It might sound harsh but so are the petty complaints.

Exactly!

 

[cheer25mom]

I was on carnival in the Med last month and alcohol was not being served to under 21, my daughter is 19 and was not allowed to order a non virgin drink with me.

That's interesting, because last summer they served my 16 year old cousin on a Carribean cruise as long as her mom was with her, and served those 18-20 without an adult present.