Drinking age on DCL vs. maritime "law"

[101DalmFan]

With all the discussion on these boards about 18-year-olds recently, it's brought to mind something I've often wondered about. So, are there any folks here who have a good knowledge of Maritime Law? I think what I'm asking is pertinent to that......

This is what I'm curious about......the ships are registered to the Bahamas, right? And the legal drinking age in the Bahamas in 18. So, for example, when the ship is docked in Nassau, the ship is docked in its "home/registered" country.....so how can DCL enforce an onboard drinking age of 21 and up? If a 20-year-old went to the bar and wanted a drink, while the ship is docked in Nassau, how can DCL legally refuse them? I understand the legal drinking age in all 50 states is 21, but I'm sure the ships aren't registered to the US.

(Or, perhaps they don't refuse the 18+ when in Nassau....anyone know?)

Since the vast majority of the countries in the world have a legal drinking age lower than 21 ( here's a chart if anyone's interested: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drinking_age ), I'm thinking this likely has come up onboard before.

It doesn't affect me personally (I'm waaaaaay past the legal drinking age , it's just that I'm curious if this has anything to do with "maritime law" (which I admittedly know nothing about).

 

[OKW Lover]

Short answer, Disney ship = Disney rules

 

[Yokelridesagain]

I believe the US could--in theory--require cruise lines docking at US ports to enforce a drinking age of 21 as a condition of entry. I cannot find any evidence that such as law actually exists, however.

Most cruise lines follow such a policy; however, Norweigan does allow 18-20 year olds to drink in international waters with the permission of a parent or guardian (actually some US states do the same, even on land).

The cruise line is absolutely free to set a more restrictive policy.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

If a 20-year-old went to the bar and wanted a drink, while the ship is docked in Nassau, how can DCL legally refuse them?

Most other cruise lines originating cruises out of U.S. ports have the same "age 21, no exceptions" policy, even when on the high seas or in ports with a lower drinking age.

However, when originating cruises out of non-U.S. ports, some of these other cruise lines allow 18- to 20-year-olds to consume alcoholic beverages (or at least beer and wine) with signed parental permission. But not Disney.

Disney Cruise Line can set its own rules. If they wanted to make the minimum age 30, they could do so.

 

[braysmommy]

We were on the EBTA this past May and I know at some point during the trip parents were able to sign permission for the children over 18 to drink.

 

[maria-fan-22]

Let me tell a story…While we were visiting my brother in Texas, my parents and I took my brother to dinner. In Texas kids can drink with their parents permission. So he asked for a Margarita, the waitress asked for his ID and said that even though it is a law, The Establishment can set their own rules just as long as they don't become looser than the law.

So moral is, As long as Disney doesn't allow anyone under 18 to drink, they can set any rule they want about alcohol. It's the same reason they CAN become a no alcohol ship.

 

[princesskenziesmom]

Let me tell a story…While we were visiting my brother in Texas, my parents and I took my brother to dinner. In Texas kids can drink with their parents permission. So he asked for a Margarita, the waitress asked for his ID and said that even though it is a law, The Establishment can set their own rules just as long as they don't become looser than the law.

So I am in no way saying that this didn't happen or that you are not telling the truth but I have lived in Texas for 6 years and I have never heard of this. What part of Texas was this? Obviously my kids are so young that it isn't an issue but I have never heard of Texas serving underage kids with parents permission????

 

[txwdwmom]

So I am in no way saying that this didn't happen or that you are not telling the truth but I have lived in Texas for 6 years and I have never heard of this. What part of Texas was this? Obviously my kids are so young that it isn't an issue but I have never heard of Texas serving underage kids with parents permission????

Never heard of this happening either-lived here all my life.

 

[mammacaryn]

So I am in no way saying that this didn't happen or that you are not telling the truth but I have lived in Texas for 6 years and I have never heard of this. What part of Texas was this? Obviously my kids are so young that it isn't an issue but I have never heard of Texas serving underage kids with parents permission????

I was a waitress in Wichita Falls Texas in 1997-98, and I served people under 21. They had to be with a parent or guardian, have their OWN I.D. and the parent/guardian had to have proof that they were that. (we allowed it as long as last names/addresses matched on everyone's I.D.-never had an issue with different last names-I'm sure they would have had to bring a birth certificate had that been the case.)

I know nothing about how maritime laws work though

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

This website is an eye opener for parent's!

http://drinkingage.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=002591

No. 8.

Ex Techie

 

[westjones]

If Disney found someone 18 with a drink while they were docked in Nassau, what would they do? I mean, I know they won't sell it to them, but what would they do? Confine them to their room? Or what? I have never heard what happens if someone this age is caught drinking while in Nassau.

 

[princesskenziesmom]

This website is an eye opener for parent's!

http://drinkingage.procon.org/view.r...ourceID=002591

Wow, didn't know that. Definitely an eye opener.

 

[lbgraves]

That site is quite an eye opener.

 

[Gigi22]

I believe the CM who served the underaged passenger alcohol would be fired. As to the passenger, cruise contracts allow the cruise line a good degree of latitude if a passenger fails to abide by cruise line regulations. (Remember, if you fall ill with something communicable on a cruise, you are confined to your cabin).

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

It's obviously not anything to be worried about since there aren't masses of post's about underage kid's getting drunk even though it's 18 in Mexico!

I think it's strange though that according to the Wiki the OP posted, The US Virgin Island's are 18?!

Parental guidance and the threat of discipline still seem to rule!

Ex Techie

 

[TXDCLfan]

This website is an eye opener for parent's!

http://drinkingage.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=002591

No. 8.

Ex Techie

I have lived in Texas all my LONG life and have known about this, not saying that I would take my 17 yo daughter to a bar and let her drink but yes it is true. and this is why one of my neighbors has 2 out of control alcoholic boys, he thought that it was better to be their friend and take them out for drinks at 15 than being the Dad

 

[tvguy]

Disney can run their ships however they want, and everything is disclosed in the cruise documents.
I know of no law that says there is any drinking age in International Waters nor any law prohibiting a cruise line for setting a specific drinking age.

This has also been an issue with smoking restrictions and tipping on cruise ships especially on ships and routes that draw a lot of non-Western passengers.
We had a nice chat with our server on our HAL cruise, and they had just come back from an around the world cruise. They said the smoking rules became an issue in certain regions when the concept of smoking restrictions is not only not the norm, but even telling someone where they can smoke is unthinkable.
Same with tips. They knew there were certain portions of the trip where their passengers would not know to tip, and in some cases, tipping someone would be considered an insult. This was before HAL went to automatic tipping.

 

[Rogillio]

The age 18 drinking laws really bothers me! For one, alcohol consumption is a states-rights issue but the federal government blackmailed the states by threatening to withhold Federal highway money from the states if they did not lower their drinking age to 18.

Second, we have thousands of men and woman in harm’s way fighting and dying on foreign soil who are 18 years old and yet Big Brother has decided that they are not allowed to buy a beer! You can die on the battlefield for us but you can’t drink a beer!? When someone turns 18 they are legally and adult and will be tried as an adult in court. They can get married, sign a contract, vote, join the military . . . but they can’t buy a beer! Unbelievable.

OK, so I don’t agree with the law but the law is the law. DCL won’t allow you to drink in the Bahamas but an 18 yo can go ashore and drink or they can buy a fifth of rum and bring it back on board with them. The bottom line is, as we learned during prohibition, if someone wants to drink, they will. And if they are in one of the adult clubs partying as long as the under-aged 20 yo is not the one ordering drinks . . .

 

[munch704]

Second, we have thousands of men and woman in harm’s way fighting and dying on foreign soil who are 18 years old and yet Big Brother has decided that they are not allowed to buy a beer! You can die on the battlefield for us but you can’t drink a beer!? When someone turns 18 they are legally and adult and will be tried as an adult in court. They can get married, sign a contract, vote, join the military . . . but they can’t buy a beer! Unbelievable.

 

[TDC Nala]

DCL's drinking age on board ship is 21 no matter where the ship is or whether it's docked. This caused some consternation among European families with older teens while the Magic was in Europe. Which may have led to them changing it with parental permission in 2010.

I would guess that because this is Disney's rule on their ships, bringing up maritime law or the law in the various ports wouldn't change their minds.