Any Cruise line let 18 year olds cruise alone?

[Immisspriss]

I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this (which is none) but on behalf of one of my Daughters friends who wants to go on a graduation cruise... does any line allow 18 year olds.

[paul929207]

None of the lines that cater to US passengers allow an 18 yo to travel without an adult. Maybe one of the European lines does. You could contact a TA they may have an idea.

[cb at sea]

Married young couples may cruise if they are below the "age" to cruise....I wouldn't want my 18 year old on a ship alone, tho!

[kitty9]

Disney, Cunard and Crystal allow those 18 and older to cruise, but they are expensive and neither Crystal nor Cunard would appeal to teens, and I'm not sure Disney and all the families would appeal to teen girls. Why can't at least one parent go along? That would solve the problem. Oh, and I don't know if this would matter to the girls, but there's no underage drinking allowed on ships. And I would agree with others who say it's not a good idea to let 18 year old girls go on a cruise alone. Too much of a chance for trouble.

[xxHadleyxx]

In addition to those listed above, I am nearly positive that Fred Olson and P&O also allow 18 and up to sail without someone older. I think Aida does as well--but the ships is heavily German--including most of the online info, etc so it may not work well for them (we have never sailed them--seems to be a party ship; like some Carnival only more so which is not our thing).

[silentbob007]

Out of the US, Disney is about the only viable option.

[PennyAgain]

We had this issue when a young person in our family wanted to go on a cruise with a person being considered for marriage. A pre-engagement cruise! The young folks lost all interest when they found out they couldn't drink alcohol on the cruise ship (but could at some port stops).

 

The mother of the young woman was all for them making the trip but the parents of the young man didn't like the idea at all. They all argued about the possible cruise so much that the couple stopped dating.

 

Yes, the young people were old enough to join the military, but not old enough to cruise alone without benefit of being married.

[jocap]

In addition to those listed above, I am nearly positive that Fred Olson and P&O also allow 18 and up to sail without someone older. I think Aida does as well--but the ships is heavily German--including most of the online info, etc so it may not work well for them (we have never sailed them--seems to be a party ship; like some Carnival only more so which is not our thing).

I'm not aware of whether these ships have such rules or not, but in Europe, you become an adult at 18....so no-one can stop you doing anything (so long as it's legal!;)). Which law would someone use to stop you travelling/marrying/drinking etc? Adult is adult....but ship rules can be different to your home country.

Jo.

[gerif]

I'm not aware of whether these ships have such rules or not, but in Europe, you become an adult at 18....so no-one can stop you doing anything (so long as it's legal!;)). Which law would someone use to stop you travelling/marrying/drinking etc? Adult is adult....but ship rules can be different to your home country.

Jo.

 

Ships can have whatever rules they want - take it or leave it. Rules are very different than laws.

[Aunty Pat]

Contiki Tours specializes in travel for 18 to 35 year olds in group tours & cruises. They have cruises of the Greek Islands.

 

Aunty Pat

 

 

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[kazbar]

In Australia the legal age for being considered an adult is 18. I went on a cruise at 18 without adult supervison.

 

I would suggest P&O out of Australia but the cost could be outragous

[Traveller20074]

18 is adult. I would sure think they could cruise. My daugher at 18 would have been mature enough to cruise with a couple of friends.

 

well...I was wrong...this is from the NCL website

 

 

Company policy dictates that a passenger under 21 years of age must be accompanied in the same or connecting stateroom by a passenger 21 years or older who expressly agrees to be responsible for the under 21 passenger throughout the cruise. This includes, but is not limited to, preventing under-age purchase or consumption of alcohol**, preventing under-age gaming activities and preventing violations of any ship's rules. Passengers must be age 21 to purchase or consume alcohol and age 18 to gamble on the ship. If the accompanying adult is not the minor's parent or legal guardian a Parent/Guardian Consent & Release Form (pdf) that authorizes the minor's travel and further authorizes medical treatment in case of an emergency must be delivered to an NCL representative at the pier. Failure to produce this letter at embarkation may result in boarding being denied, with no refund of cruise fare provided.

 

Please note that infants under six months of age are not eligible to travel on NCL ships.

[vowsatsea]

I think Disney is your only option. I took my first cruise at 18, with another 18 year old (friend). At that time (in 2003), we were told that Disney and Princess were our only options, so we went with Princess. Neither one of us drink, so the drinking age didn't matter to us. Since then, Princess has changed the age limit, so I believe you're only left with Disney.

[kitty9]

Out of the US, Disney is about the only viable option.

 

Cunard and Crystal DO cruise out of the US, but not as regularly as the mass markets.

[beachchick]

18 is adult. I would sure think they could cruise. My daugher at 18 would have been mature enough to cruise with a couple of friends.

well...I was wrong...this is from the NCL website

 

 

Company policy dictates that a passenger under 21 years of age must be accompanied in the same or connecting stateroom by a passenger 21 years or older who expressly agrees to be responsible for the under 21 passenger throughout the cruise. This includes, but is not limited to, preventing under-age purchase or consumption of alcohol**, preventing under-age gaming activities and preventing violations of any ship's rules. Passengers must be age 21 to purchase or consume alcohol and age 18 to gamble on the ship. If the accompanying adult is not the minor's parent or legal guardian a Parent/Guardian Consent & Release Form (pdf) that authorizes the minor's travel and further authorizes medical treatment in case of an emergency must be delivered to an NCL representative at the pier. Failure to produce this letter at embarkation may result in boarding being denied, with no refund of cruise fare provided.

 

Please note that infants under six months of age are not eligible to travel on NCL ships.

 

Unfortunately, it's young women like your daughter who have to pay the price (so to speak) for the many 18 year olds who are not even close to mature enough to cruise (and many other activities) without older adults around. I too would have been mature enough to cruise alone at 18. Our daughter might have been.

 

Keep in mind that the cruise lines did not come to their age restrictions lightly or without experience. Some used to allow 18 year olds to cruise alone. Then the "freshman in college spring break" mentality landed onboard with numerous and frequent instances of out of control behavior, damage to the ship, problems with other passengers, and so forth. Since most 18 year olds have never been on their own before, many develop the attitude of "I'm an adult; I can do whatever I want; you can't tell me how to behave; I'm going to drink until I puke, party loud and hard, disrupt everyone else, and I don't give a damn about the rest of you."

 

Parents such as you and I spend the time raising our children to become adults who have a sense of civility, propriety, and responsibility. Our daughter made a few small errors in judgment as a young adult, but then nearly all of us do and hers were nothing more than learning how to be independent. And sometimes even the best parenting doesn't guarantee that an 18 year old won't make serious errors in judgment along the way. Most of the cruise lines decided that they had participated in that learning experience enough.

 

beachchick

[jpthomas27]

I'm not aware of whether these ships have such rules or not, but in Europe, you become an adult at 18....so no-one can stop you doing anything (so long as it's legal!;)). Which law would someone use to stop you travelling/marrying/drinking etc? Adult is adult....but ship rules can be different to your home country.

Jo.

 

For the most part any business has the right to refuse service so long as it's not descriminatory. Age discrimination according to the law does not protect the youth, but only the elderly. An example of this same type of policy is car rental agencies; you can leagally drive at 16, your a legal adult at 18, yet most agencies won't rent to anyone younger that 24 I believe.

[spny84]

For the most part any business has the right to refuse service so long as it's not descriminatory. Age discrimination according to the law does not protect the youth, but only the elderly. An example of this same type of policy is car rental agencies; you can leagally drive at 16, your a legal adult at 18, yet most agencies won't rent to anyone younger that 24 I believe.

 

Several agencies will rent vehicles to under 24, they just charge a premium. Our son needed to rent a car and we had to pay extra for him to rent a vehicle when he was 22.

 

I know this isn't the situation for the OP but some 18 year olds do not have parents (think accident after you are legal so no guardian).

[jocap]

Hi...I was answering a post that suggested Fred O, P&O and Aida allowed travellers at 18.....I do not know these lines' rules, but would be surprised if they did not allow a legal adult to travel. :)

Jo.

[silentbob007]

Cunard and Crystal DO cruise out of the US, but not as regularly as the mass markets.

 

True ... but those did not line up in my head with 18 year olds. :p

[silentbob007]

Yes, the young people were old enough to join the military, but not old enough to cruise alone without benefit of being married.

 

I never understand this argument ... and BTW ... if they DO join the military, some of these lines WILL let them cruise under 21. ;)

[RoofingPrincess]

Hi...I was answering a post that suggested Fred O, P&O and Aida allowed travellers at 18.....I do not know these lines' rules, but would be surprised if they did not allow a legal adult to travel. :)

Jo.

Jo, it doesn't matter if they're legal adults. People become legal adults at 18 in the US as well (yet still cannot legally purchase alcoholic beverages). Businesses can make their own rules, and often have good reasons to do so, as noted above. Under-24s have a poorer driving history than folks over that age, so car rental companies either decline to do business with them or charge them a premium rate. Cruise lines got tired of the destruction of property and alienation of other customers caused by wild college kids, and made their policies accordingly - here it's a case of the minority spoiling it for the rest.

[Goldryder]

Costa Crociere in UK (and probably across Europe)....

 

2.6 A Passenger making a booking on behalf of othermembers of his/her party guarantees that he/she is at least 18years old and has the legal capacity and authority to make thebooking on behalf of all of the Passengers listed at the time ofbooking and that they are bound by and they shall complywith the Booking Conditions. Each and every person namedin the booking is a Passenger and all references in thesebooking conditions to Passengers will include everyone onthat booking.

 

2.7 The Company does not accept bookings from minors.Subject to clause 2.6 above, bookings for minors must bemade by their legal guardians and shall be accepted only if theminor travels with at least one of his/her parents or anotheradult person who undertakes all responsibility for the minor.

 

Since the US have differing rules about minimum age, I would imagine that the cruises running out of Miami would comply with US rules rather than European ones.