What age is considered a minor?

We will be taking a 19 year old friend of my son's with us on the Oasis. I see where the minimum age is 21 to sail unaccompanied but will I need a notarized letter from parents for a 19 year old? Not considered a minor normally.

No. He is considered an adult as far as not requiring parental consent to sail. He can also use the casino and the disco. Cannot book his own cabin or drink until 21 though.

No. He is considered an adult as far as not requiring parental consent to sail. He can also use the casino and the disco. Cannot book his own cabin or drink until 21 though.

Sorry but that depends and can vary...The minimum age for drinking on ships sailing from South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand is 18 yrs. old.

And you can book/occupy a cabin under the age of 21 if legally married.

Even though this may not apply to the OP..they are facts that might apply to some. ;):)

No. He is considered an adult as far as not requiring parental consent to sail. He can also use the casino and the disco. Cannot book his own cabin or drink until 21 though.

Thanks, he is not booking his own cabin and not worried by drinking so all good with that.

We will be taking a 19 year old friend of my son's with us on the Oasis. I see where the minimum age is 21 to sail unaccompanied but will I need a notarized letter from parents for a 19 year old? Not considered a minor normally.

I would bring a notarized letter, and medical release. We just took 3 minors not related to us (ages 16, 19 & 20) just a few weeks ago 12/2014 Freedom sailing. I had notarized letters for all 3. At check in we were asked for those letters for all 3. CS rep took them from me and scanned them.

At booking, each minor (non relative) had to be booked in a cabin with either me or my husband. We had 4 cabins - me, and 16 & 20 year old, and my husband with 19 year old. Our own children were book in cabins on either side of my husband. Once on board, we switched rooms - we just told our cabin stewards and they were fine with it. We also picked up a few "extra keys" at guest services and we were fine all week.

I also kept everyone's passports with me, in my room , in our safe. When in port, I took the bag of passports with me, and left copies of our passports in our room.

Anyone under 21 was not allowed to drink on the ship. In port they could drink. Even the 16 year olds were being offered Coco Locos on Coco Cay. They said no, but I know the 2 20 year olds and the 2 19 year olds did have a few - and charged them right to their own cards! In Cozumel, Jamaica and Grand Cayman the 20's and 19's were legal drinking age, so we did let them have drinks in port, and also let them have a few beers with us in our room on the balcony at sail away time. On NYE there were servers walking around with trays of champagne and I saw MANY under age drinkers that night, but none in our group risked drinking in public on the ship.

We are on NCL Getaway in August. Our own kids can drink on the ship if we sign a waiver (beer and wine I think) but anyone not related to us cannot - even if we have a parent letter - not allowed.

TMI - I know - sorry - but I would bring those letters!

I would bring a notarized letter, and medical release. We just took 3 minors not related to us (ages 16, 19 & 20) just a few weeks ago 12/2014 Freedom sailing. I had notarized letters for all 3. At check in we were asked for those letters for all 3. CS rep took them from me and scanned them.

 

At booking, each minor (non relative) had to be booked in a cabin with either me or my husband. We had 4 cabins - me, and 16 & 20 year old, and my husband with 19 year old. Our own children were book in cabins on either side of my husband. Once on board, we switched rooms - we just told our cabin stewards and they were fine with it. We also picked up a few "extra keys" at guest services and we were fine all week.

 

I also kept everyone's passports with me, in my room , in our safe. When in port, I took the bag of passports with me, and left copies of our passports in our room.

 

Anyone under 21 was not allowed to drink on the ship. In port they could drink. Even the 16 year olds were being offered Coco Locos on Coco Cay. They said no, but I know the 2 20 year olds and the 2 19 year olds did have a few - and charged them right to their own cards! In Cozumel, Jamaica and Grand Cayman the 20's and 19's were legal drinking age, so we did let them have drinks in port, and also let them have a few beers with us in our room on the balcony at sail away time. On NYE there were servers walking around with trays of champagne and I saw MANY under age drinkers that night, but none in our group risked drinking in public on the ship.

 

We are on NCL Getaway in August. Our own kids can drink on the ship if we sign a waiver (beer and wine I think) but anyone not related to us cannot - even if we have a parent letter - not allowed.

 

TMI - I know - sorry - but I would bring those letters!

You are confused on what a minor is. Being a minor means under 18. It has nothing to do with the drinking age in the USA of 21. So the 20 and 19 year old in your group were not minors. They are adults. No need to bring letters.

You are confused on what a minor is. Being a minor means under 18. It has nothing to do with the drinking age in the USA of 21. So the 20 and 19 year old in your group were not minors. They are adults. No need to bring letters.

Then why did the agent ask me for the letters at check in? Yes - they are not minors, but I was told by my travel agent to bring the letters, and I needed them.

they took them because you offered them.. 18 and above are considered adults in the united states. they can vote and they can serve their country.

By your logic an 18 year old would be able to drink alcohol in the US but they can't.

By your logic an 18 year old would be able to drink alcohol in the US but they can't.

I would take the notarized letter just in case...Sure you "SHOULDN'T" need it because the 19 yr old is technically NOT a minor...but it's not worth missing your cruise because an over zealous check in agent insists that he is...better to have & not need...than need & not have...

Do you have a link from the RCCL website with this information?

No. He is considered an adult as far as not requiring parental consent to sail. He can also use the casino and the disco. Cannot book his own cabin or drink until 21 though.

they took them because you offered them.. 18 and above are considered adults in the united states. they can vote and they can serve their country.

Exactly. 18 year olds have the same legal travel rights as any other adults (of course a company can restrict based on age but it's not a legal issue but rather just company policy). You aren't magically granted the right to travel at age 21. The moment you hit 18 you can legally leave the country without anyones permission. Married 19 year olds can cruise by themselves. How funny would it be if they had to bring a permission slip from their parents lol.

If it makes you feel better go ahead and bring a letter but there is a 0 percent chance you will need it. Even if a gate agent asks for it a manager would quickly overrule them and allow you to board.

By your logic an 18 year old would be able to drink alcohol in the US but they can't.

Actually that's not really true, that 18-year-olds cannot drink alcohol in the US. In 45 states, they can legally drink it, but they can't purchase it or drink it in public:

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

A parent of a person aged 18 or older, has no legal say in what that person can do, so a notarized letter has no legal binding whatsoever. The under 21 adult can be booked in a cabin with your under 21 adult, as long as it is next to or across from yours and you take responsibility for them. The only thing you can't do is have more related under 21 adults in a cabin than there are related ones.

they took them because you offered them.. 18 and above are considered adults in the united states. they can vote and they can serve their country.

I did not offer them - were you there? She asked me for the 20 year olds FIRST!

A parent of a person aged 18 or older, has no legal say in what that person can do, so a notarized letter has no legal binding whatsoever. The under 21 adult can be booked in a cabin with your under 21 adult, as long as it is next to or across from yours and you take responsibility for them. The only thing you can't do is have more related under 21 adults in a cabin than there are related ones.

This is not true - I originally had it set up this way with 3 cabins.. I had my 2 sons and an unrelated 19 year old in one cabin. And I had my 2 daughters and 1 un related 20 year old in one cabin. One was directly next to us ( me and my husband and 1 related minor), one was immediately across the hall. RCI called ME and told me their booking agent had made a mistake. All minors not related to us had to be in a cabin with either my husband or myself. So we rebooked it and they gave me a FREE cabin because of their mistake. We had 3 interior and 1 balcony - zero extra cost. It really didn't matter because we all switched cabins once aboard anyway with no problems. My mistake at booking is that I relied 100% on what I read here on Cruise Critic and didn't call RCI or look online on the website myself. This error turned out to be in our benefit - we can always use another cabin!

BTW - the flamers on here can go blow. All I did in my original post was state what happened to me and suggest she bring a letter along. Did I say YOU MUST DO THIS?? No. That is what this board is all about.

I was bringing 3 "kids" not related to me on their first cruise - out of the country - and didn't want to chance ANYTHING at all as far as paper work etc. I went with the better safe than sorry attitude, so I didn't ever need to talk to a supervisor/manager about it. I was covered!

RCL booked an 18 & 19 year old in a virtual balcony cabin directly across from my grand suite, just yesterday. They said it is okay, as long as they are within 3 doors from me.

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This is not true - I originally had it set up this way with 3 cabins.. I had my 2 sons and an unrelated 19 year old in one cabin. And I had my 2 daughters and 1 un related 20 year old in one cabin. One was directly next to us ( me and my husband and 1 related minor), one was immediately across the hall. RCI called ME and told me their booking agent had made a mistake. All minors not related to us had to be in a cabin with either my husband or myself. So we rebooked it and they gave me a FREE cabin because of their mistake. We had 3 interior and 1 balcony - zero extra cost. It really didn't matter because we all switched cabins once aboard anyway with no problems. My mistake at booking is that I relied 100% on what I read here on Cruise Critic and didn't call RCI or look online on the website myself. This error turned out to be in our benefit - we can always use another cabin!

Well that's the opposite of what they did to me, I had me and my wife in a balcony, and our daughter and 2 friends in an interior opposite, which we have done many times before, we have even taken our daughter and 3 friends and had them share a quad cabin, no problem. About 3 months after booking, RCI called and said we wouldn't be able to board, because you can only have 1 unrelated minor per each related minor. After a lot of checking and looking at our past history where this had happened, they still wouldn't budge. It took an email to the executive offices to get it straightened out, and we ended up with me and the daughter in one cabin, and my wife and the 2 friends in another, we just switched when onboard, this happened in 2012. Just goes to show that RCI is still consistently being inconsistent.;)

RCL booked an 18 & 19 year old in a virtual balcony cabin directly across from my grand suite, just yesterday. They said it is okay, as long as they are within 3 doors from me.

 

 

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Patty - Are they related to you?

Well that's the opposite of what they did to me, I had me and my wife in a balcony, and our daughter and 2 friends in an interior opposite, which we have done many times before, we have even taken our daughter and 3 friends and had them share a quad cabin, no problem. About 3 months after booking, RCI called and said we wouldn't be able to board, because you can only have 1 unrelated minor per each related minor. After a lot of checking and looking at our past history where this had happened, they still wouldn't budge. It took an email to the executive offices to get it straightened out, and we ended up with me and the daughter in one cabin, and my wife and the 2 friends in another, we just switched when onboard, this happened in 2012. Just goes to show that RCI is still consistently being inconsistent.;)

TRUTH!! Inconsistent for sure - after so much "misinformation" prior to even getting to the ship, I prepared with every email and piece of paper I had from the 1 week ordeal that it took to actually book all 9 of us, then rebook with the additional cabin. I was on the phone for so long, I bruised my ear holding it to my shoulder! I was just glad it all worked out - but here is a great example of things not being consistent across the board!!

One is a young cousin. The other one is her sorority sister. I'm going to get notarized parent letters for both, to be safe.

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Actually, my TA told me it could not be done, so I called RCL. They said we could do it, if they were close to my cabin. So, my TA booked them directly across from me. I'm a better safe than sorry girl and will have the notarized letters from their parents in hand, though.

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Thanks for all the discussion. I will reach out to RCL to confirm just to make sure. I would not think I would need a consent but just want to make sure.

I will say that my travel agent told me that we could not book my 20 yr and 19 year old in separate room. We would have to have my husband booked with one and me booked with the other. Their room is across the hall and down one door. We plan on switching rooms and getting extra keys once aboard.

Go to RCL's website and bring up FAQs, Onboard Policy. It says they will waive the under 21 room policy for kids traveling with parents/guardians if they are in adjoining cabins.

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