"Adult"

[Dug720]

We were thinking this would be a good Senior year spring break trip but I think this could make it complicated.

They can still do a lot of stuff together. They just could not do adult area things or the Vibe together. There are plenty of other things to do. Due to liability, I think you would be hard-pressed to find ANY cruise line that would let an under 18 in the adult area or an 18+ in their teen area.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

DCL used to allow people who were 18 or older into the teen club on a case by case basis. They no longer do this. It's now very strict - once you turn 18, you don't have access.

 

[dawsonva1]

Creep!
Am I the only one bothered by this comment? She's 17.

Maybe he's 18. Then it's not as creepy. IMHO.

 

[Dug720]

Maybe he's 18. Then it's not as creepy. IMHO.

Not as creepy, but still illegal.

 

[cschaaf]

If we assume that it was a 17 y/o that asked (and I know that's far fetched)

It's illegal for one 17 y/o to ask if, or think that, another 17 y/o is cute? Maybe you read more into it than that - and if so, who does that make the creepy one?

 

[Cool Breeze]

If we assume that it was a 17 y/o that asked (and I know that's far fetched)

It's illegal for one 17 y/o to ask if, or think that, another 17 y/o is cute? Maybe you read more into it than that - and if so, who does that make the creepy one?

Well, I did a little research on his/her previous posts before posting my "creep" post just to make sure, and confirmed that he/she is most certainly an adult. Therefore, my original "creep" assessment is valid.

 

[mytripsandraces]

My bf (23) and I (20) get carded all the time... It's only annoying when the crew member demands to see our actual photo IDs (which we do not carry around with us on the ship... we shouldn't have to). There's a letter on the ship cards denoting the individuals' age range - if I know this, crew members should know it as well. If it's because there's not a photo on the ship card, well, that's just silly, and I'm pretty sure they can scan your card at a register and a photo of you pops up, anyway.

And not that it necessarily has to do with mistaking our age, but we've also been asked if we were brother and sister by a crew member... LOL!

It's possible that they're trying to make sure you didn't borrow someone else's card. I was carded until I was in my 30s, so I can understand how frustrating it can be, but they could get into real trouble if you were, in fact, a minor and they allowed you to drink. I guess it would be too expensive to give card scanners with photo capability to every cast member.

 

[Savikins]

It's possible that they're trying to make sure you didn't borrow someone else's card. I was carded until I was in my 30s, so I can understand how frustrating it can be, but they could get into real trouble if you were, in fact, a minor and they allowed you to drink. I guess it would be too expensive to give card scanners with photo capability to every cast member.

The places I've been carded have been in the bar areas, i.e. areas with card scanners that show a photo of the individual when scanned. So that's why it's frustrating. I could sort of understand if it was by the pool (we never go to the pool), but even then they could go to the bar and scan the card. I don't think I should be inconvenienced and made to go back to my stateroom to get my ID when the ship card is meant to act as your ID while onboard.

I can understand the drinking thing sort of, but like I said, a photo of you pops up with your age whenever your card is scanned, and all the bars have those scanners.

 

[lbgraves]

DCL has carded in adult areas on each of our cruises. The CM is usually discrete about it, so you may not notice if others are carded.

 

[Savikins]

Not as creepy, but still illegal.

Actually, it may not be illegal, depending on the state. In Florida, there's a Romeo a Juliet law that says as long as the younger party is between 14-17 and was a willing participant, as long as the older party is no more than 4 years older than the younger party, it's not illegal.

http://definitions.uslegal.com/r/romeo-and-juliet-law/

Edit: Had my legal definition messed up a bit!

 

[Dizzyworld]

We were going to do a cruise on the Dream in 2013 with our DD whose birthday was in the middle of the cruise. We were told by DCL onboard that she wouldn't be able to participate in the Vibe before she turned 18 and would only be allowed to go to the adult areas with an adult when she turned 18. Our travel agent was told the same thing. He was traveling on the same cruise and thought my information was incorrect. We changed the cruise date.

 

[lanejudy]

We were going to do a cruise on the Dream in 2013 ...

There were a couple of years that DCL was kind of flip-flopping back-and-forth regarding rules for any of the kids' spaces. I think you may have hit it at one of those times. Current rules allow for a 17-yr-old to attend Vibe up until the birthday. On the birthday, access to Vibe disappears, but the new 18-yr-old is then eligible for any "adult only" spaces/activities.

 

[lanejudy]

The places I've been carded have been in the bar areas, i.e. areas with card scanners that show a photo of the individual when scanned. So that's why it's frustrating. I could sort of understand if it was by the pool (we never go to the pool), but even then they could go to the bar and scan the card. I don't think I should be inconvenienced and made to go back to my stateroom to get my ID when the ship card is meant to act as your ID while onboard.

I can understand the drinking thing sort of, but like I said, a photo of you pops up with your age whenever your card is scanned, and all the bars have those scanners.

I suspect is has more to do with "official identification" than anything else. Your KTTW card, while it may contain a picture and all the right information, is legally only identification that you are on the cruise. It is not a government issued identification to prove age. I understand it can seem frustrating and annoying, but it's a fact of life. I just had to show ID at the grocery store tonight in order to buy medicine for my daughter, and the kicker is the clerk wasn't even old enough to sell it to me but had to card me and then get a supervisor to ring it up. Rules is rules, and proof of age as an adult requires legal identification. Try to think of it differently -- consider it a compliment and happily show your ID. Then you won't feel as inconvenienced.

 

[dawsonva1]

I suspect is has more to do with "official identification" than anything else. Your KTTW card, while it may contain a picture and all the right information, is legally only identification that you are on the cruise. It is not a government issued identification to prove age. I understand it can seem frustrating and annoying, but it's a fact of life. I just had to show ID at the grocery store tonight in order to buy medicine for my daughter, and the kicker is the clerk wasn't even old enough to sell it to me but had to card me and then get a supervisor to ring it up. Rules is rules, and proof of age as an adult requires legal identification. Try to think of it differently -- consider it a compliment and happily show your ID. Then you won't feel as inconvenienc

I wonder if getting carded is due to DCL rules or a legal requirement. If the ships are flagged in the Bahamas and sailing in International waters, was is the legal requirement for drinking age or forms of ID? Also during the European cruises are the drinking ages or ID requirements different? Any thoughts? Just curious.

 

[Dug720]

Actually, it may not be illegal, depending on the state. In Florida, there's a Romeo a Juliet law that says as long as the younger party is between 14-17 and was a willing participant, as long as the older party is no more than 4 years older than the younger party, it's not illegal.

http://definitions.uslegal.com/r/romeo-and-juliet-law/

Edit: Had my legal definition messed up a bit!

BUT the cruise ship is NOT a state, and as others have pointed out, across the industry the cut off age for participation in teen activities is 17 years, 364 days. They are clearly not operating under "Florida law", and there is clearly a liability issue for allowing 18 year olds into the teen section.

Not to mention that "willing participant" is a HUGE gray area. Even with adult sexual assault cases, so much hinges on "willingness" and it almost always turns into a he-said, she-said (or he-said, he-said; or she-said, she-said) thing where the accused party insists that the accusing party "was willing" and the accusing party often says they started out willing but changed their minds. Or maybe they started out willing, but by the time anything happened they were too drunk or drugged to offer any resistance if they decide they are not willing.

WAY too much gray area. But then again, I wouldn't expect clarity in that case because, well, because Florida.

 

[kiford]

I wonder if getting carded is due to DCL rules or a legal requirement. If the ships are flagged in the Bahamas and sailing in International waters, was is the legal requirement for drinking age or forms of ID? Also during the European cruises are the drinking ages or ID requirements different? Any thoughts? Just curious.

My understanding is that, if someone is coming from a European country where the drinking age is less than 21 that they can have a parent sign a document to allow them to drink (I think as long as they are over 18). Seems a bit odd to me given that someone over 18 is no longer a minor so a parent doesn't really have any legal jurisdiction over them. Not sure what happens if, for example, two 20 year olds are on their honeymoon and come from a European country. Seems a little stupid to have to have a parent sign off on allowing them to drink when they are not only no longer minors but are also married and who may not even have living parents. Seems even odder to me that they give that latitude to cruisers from Europe but not to cruisers from Canada where the legal age is 18 or 19 depending on province even when they cruise from or through Vancouver. But them's the rules (assuming my information is still correct).

I think that the selection of drinking age of 21 is DCL's decision, not a legal one. The legal drinking age in the Bahamas where the ship is registered is 18. I suspect that Disney, being an American company targeting families with children and whose main customer base is Amercian decided to go with American rules.

 

[rawdata]

Not as creepy, but still illegal.

If we assume that it was a 17 y/o that asked (and I know that's far fetched)

It's illegal for one 17 y/o to ask if, or think that, another 17 y/o is cute? Maybe you read more into it than that - and if so, who does that make the creepy one?

Depends on how you read the post. I took it two ways - 1. sarcastically, knowing that sometimes cute girls can get away with things that others can't. And 2. Assuming positive intent, they could also have been just joking around and left out the smileys to indicate they were joking around.

If they had a history of posting things like that, then maybe they should be banned. If not, don't just assume they had negative intentions. I think I read recently in the stickies that "assume positive intent" was one of the forum rules. I know we all have to be more careful in this day and age, but not to the point where we can't give a newbie on the site a chance...

 

[Dug720]

Depends on how you read the post. I took it two ways - 1. sarcastically, knowing that sometimes cute girls can get away with things that others can't. And 2. Assuming positive intent, they could also have been just joking around and left out the smileys to indicate they were joking around.

If they had a history of posting things like that, then maybe they should be banned. If not, don't just assume they had negative intentions. I think I read recently in the stickies that "assume positive intent" was one of the forum rules. I know we all have to be more careful in this day and age, but not to the point where we can't give a newbie on the site a chance...

Normally I do, but not when it involves minors and what could be potential abuse or predatory behavior.

Kind of like you don't (or shouldn't) joke about a bomb when in an airport or on an airline.

(FWIW, I believe those dos and don'ts also include no sarcasm, which would mean that poster violated that if they were being sarcastic.)

 

[rawdata]

(FWIW, I believe those dos and don'ts also include no sarcasm, which would mean that poster violated that if they were being sarcastic.)

If that was the case, we'd all get banned!!!

 

[Dug720]

If that was the case, we'd all get banned!!!

Vey true. Haha!