Drinking onboard not yet 21!

[A fat english gent]

Were about to go on a 4 day cruise in 2 weeks. My step-daughter will be 21 On May 17. We leave for our cruise on May 6th. My question is she was hoping they would let her drink being that she'll turn 21 about 10 days later. How strick are they about 21 and drinking?

We too had this problem back in 2004 with our DD who was 20 at the time,she was REFUSED and they apologized,Jess knew beforehand this maybe a problem and was fine with it because she knew already,but am not sure how she'd have reacted had she been unaware before coming onboard as in England she can drink from the age of 18....

ps...The twins still take the "mickey" out of her now and ask her would you like a "Shirley temple"....i can't post her reply to the question here....

 

[Disney_Bound2007]

I totally agree. How can we send 18 year olds off to fight in a war and possibly die and deny them having a drink? We let them have a cigarette at 18 and it is far more dangerous to their health than an occasional drink.

Not looking for a response -- the law is the law -- it didn't make any sense when my friends died in Vietnam and it doesn't make sense now.

I could not agree more! Here in Canada the drinking age is 19 but they send them off to war at 18??? Makes no scence at all!

 

[deb123453]

I could not agree more! Here in Canada the drinking age is 19 but they send them off to war at 18??? Makes no scence at all!

that was going to my reply as well the drinking age is different for different places. some people just like to judge other people without thinking first

 

[goofy4tink]

Everything I have read has said that you have to be 21 in order to drink on board. Even the official Disney stuff states that.
While I tend to agree that it doesn't make much sense to send kids off to war at 18 but they can't drink for another three years, that's not the issue here, is it? The OP asked what the ruling was...it's 21, unless you hop off the boat.

 

[Ski-and-Sea]

The OPs question is a legitimate one......I asked something similar not too long ago when I asked what would happen if an adult tried to buy a drink but accidentally took their kids' KTTW card with them instead of their own. I was told it wouldn't work because the bartender can find out the age of the cardholder when the KTTW is swiped through the machine. Hence a mature looking 18 y/o could not buy a drink.

So to answer the OPs question - you do have to be 21 to be served alcohol.

 

[Gixer]

Well done Dissers!

I am glad some of you with a little bit of common sense have come along and posted positively on this thread and reserved making un-founded insulting judgements on the OP.

I'm quite infuriated that some have dared to insinuate that the OP is a bad mother - how dare they? who on earth do they think they are? Anubis?

As others have pointed out the OP's daughter probably lives in England where she has been drinking legally for the last 3 years. It might also be worth while people getting their facts straight before posting - the 21 age limit is NOT LAW its DCL policy. It will be interesting to see if that policy remains in place when the Magic cruises the Med this year.

Please dont be put off the forum because of a few bigoted posters who love nothing more than jumping all over people instead of offering constructive advice. The vast majority of people on this site are friendly and helpful and it would be a shame for you to miss out on their expertise and knowledge because of a 'certain few'

Your daughter wont be able to purchase alcohol herself onboard but there is nothing stopping you buying drinks for her. Have a brilliant trip

 

[tvguy]

I could not agree more! Here in Canada the drinking age is 19 but they send them off to war at 18??? Makes no scence at all!

Well, in about half the states the drinking age USED to be 18 until the Congress, trying to reduce the unbelieveable number of fatal alcohol related auto accidents involving those age 18 to 20, decided that if a state has a drinking age lower than 21, their federal highway funds would be cut off.

So yes, you could be forced to go off to war when there was a draft at age 18, or can volunteer now at 18, but you can't drink until 21, and you can't run for President until age 35.
There are a lot of age double standards in the U.S. We have had a sad series of incidents in California recently involving high school teachers and their 17 year old students. If convicted, these teachers will lose their jobs, and may have to register on the Megans Law database. The age of "consent" here in 18. In 25 states the age of consent is 16, so this wouldn't even be a crime in those states, just poor judgement.
And by the way, the age of consent in Canada is 14 in most cases, and 12 in cases where the other participant is 2 years of less older than the other.

 

[DAD AT DISNEY]

21 is the legal drinking age.


"just-under 21" is NOT legal.

period.

shouldn't even be a question really.

If the purpose of the cruise was to get your "almost 21 year old" drinking, then save the cash and stay home...

Interesting that a PARENT is interested in "breaking the law" in front of the kid (for the kid?)....

I just hope that you never go 36 mph in a 35 mph zone because it's NOT LEGAL.

 

[mom_rules]

If you get off the ship in Nassau, your step-daughter will be able to have a drink. The drinking age there is only 18, same as in Canada. That's where my DD had her first drink -- legally.

Same with my DS-drinking age in our part of Canada is 19 but he had a beer at Senor Frogs in Nassau (at port) when he was 18. They did ask for ID.

 

[TheTXTaylors5]

There are signs at the bar on deck 9 and at the interior bars about the drinking age being 21. So, "technically" the drinking age onboard is 21. Since you use your room key (KTTW) to pay for the drink, your daughter would not be "allowed" to purchase a drink due to her age from the information in the ship's system. As others stated, your step-DD20 may drink in the Bahamas, except NOT on Castaway Cay. CC has the 21 drinking age limit like the ships. At least, she can have fun and partake in an alcoholic beverage at one of the ports of call. Bon Voyage! - Jennifer

 

[DrCavin]

We have had a sad series of incidents in California recently involving high school teachers and their 17 year old students. If convicted, these teachers will lose their jobs, and may have to register on the Megans Law database. The age of "consent" here in 18. In 25 states the age of consent is 16, so this wouldn't even be a crime in those states, just poor judgement.

I think they should lose their job & have to register no matter what the age of consent is, they are still teacher/student.

 

[sohocanda]

Some people are really uptight and need to relax. I suspect there will be no issue with two adults (and a few days shy of 21 should be considered as such) enjoying a leisurely drink in the bar. BTW, legal drinking age in most ports of call is 18.

 

[cmash95]

OT but the drinking age in the states is 21 because an organisation called MADD(Mothers against driving drunk.) lobbied state and federal officials in order to keep alcohol out of the hands of teenagers. because teens are the largest age group that get into car accidents and die. When the legal age was 18, too many seniors were getting beer and alcohol legally and giving it to younger students.

 

[tvguy]

I just hope that you never go 36 mph in a 35 mph zone because it's NOT LEGAL.

You missed the point, since there is no drinking age at sea, the 21 age limit on Disney is a POLICY, not a law. Disney also has POLICIES that you can only book one meal at Palo per trip, that you can not bring alcohol or personal coolers on board, but they either don't enforce THOSE policies or make exceptions. So it is a reasonable question to ask if they make exceptions to their drinking POLICY.

 

[DMMarla07860]

does anyone know if a divers licence would work as a id? On my next cruise on the magic I will be 20, and I might wanna try and get a drink, so I'm just wondering if that would work or not. I rarely drink at home usually only one mike hard's lemonade when my friends drink, i'm usually the driver who drives everyone and usually just drink red bulls.

 

[BethA]

One thing I have always loved about the cruise board here is that you rarely see people jumping on other people like this. Someone was looking for information, not a lecture or judgement. Many people who post here are not from the US and many people in the US allow their kids over 18 to drink on vacation at places where it is allowed. Everyone might not agree, but unless you have been in that exact same situation please do not judge.

I doubt she would be served on the ship--that is a rule that involves a lot of liability, so I would expect the bar tenders to stick to it.

I would hate to find these boards turn into a place you are afraid to post--just my opinion on the matter.

 

[mmouse37]

does anyone know if a divers licence would work as a id? On my next cruise on the magic I will be 20, and I might wanna try and get a drink, so I'm just wondering if that would work or not. I rarely drink at home usually only one mike hard's lemonade when my friends drink, i'm usually the driver who drives everyone and usually just drink red bulls.

Marla, are you talking about bringing a "fake" driver's license that says you are older than 20? If so don't try it.....all they have to do is check your KTTW card and your age is imbedded on that. I doubt they would just take your driver's license without checking your KTTW card as well. At the ports of call where the legal drinking age is 18 your driver's license would work as I.D. but to be honest I have never seen a bar on any of the island proof anyone unless they looked like a child.

 

[DMMarla07860]

Marla, are you talking about bringing a "fake" driver's license that says you are older than 20? If so don't try it.....all they have to do is check your KTTW card and your age is imbedded on that. I doubt they would just take your driver's license without checking your KTTW card as well. At the ports of call where the legal drinking age is 18 your driver's license would work as I.D. but to be honest I have never seen a bar on any of the island proof anyone unless they looked like a child.

no i don't mean bring a fake driver's license. I wouldn't be drinking on the ship anyway, well maybe red bulls but i can buy them so that doesn't matter, i just might want a drink in port.

 

[Junebuggy]

While the moralizing tone of this discussion might drive anyone to drink I was wondering just as a technical point, what drinking rules apply once a ship enters international waters. Please keep in mind I'm just asking a legal question, I'm not really interested in hearing about data on drunk driving statistics

 

[crisi]

Disney strictly enforces a drinking age of 21 on the ship and at CC. You use your KTTW card, which is encoded for your age.

International waters do not have a drinking age, this is a Disney rule, not a law.

We've always been able to get two or three drinks at once, so any rule about just one drink seems to be inconsistantly enforced (its never occurred to me to not get a drink for my husband when I get mine). My guess is that someone almost twenty one, being handed a drink by Mom by the pool, and not getting drunk would not get stopped and carded while drinking. Now, if she gets drunk, you won't have a leg to stand on with security and she may find herself confined to her room or escorted off the ship.