Will 18 yr old be allowed in Club O2 if still in High School?

[LivetoVaca]

We are taking my 17 yr old and his friend on our upcoming cruise. My son's friend just turned 18 and my son will not turn 18 until a few weeks after the cruise. Carnival's official position is that the 18 year old will not be allowed in Club O2 and the 17 yr old is not allowed in the adult clubs. While I understand that there are a lot of other places to hang out and meet people, I am disappointed that they would not let someone who just turned 18 and is still in high school into the teen club. Has anyone had experience with this? I was going to have him bring his high school ID and talkw itht he Youth Program Advisors to see if they would make an exception.

 

On the alternative, my 17 yr old son looks more like he is in his 20's. Do they check ID's when going to the adult clubs? Of course, I know he can't drink and I wouldn't allow it anyway.

[aggieastrosfan]

At 18 he is now a legal adult. There are huge legal ramifications with this scenario if something were to happen (not that I'm saying your son's friend would do anything, but Carnival would absolutely want to protect themselves from any possibility of liability). I would not expect the 18 year old to be allowed into Club O2 at all.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[LivetoVaca]

I just found another thread that answered part of this question regarding the 18 yr old being allowed in the teen club. Still curious about how intense the carding is for the adult clubs.

[alimo84]

I just found another thread that answered part of this question regarding the 18 yr old being allowed in the teen club. Still curious about how intense the carding is for the adult clubs.

 

I'm almost 30 and I still get carded every single time I go into the nightclub on board :)

[radgal72]

We just got off the Pride on Sunday. My 18 year old son was not allowed in the teen clubs. He went in every club with us and was not carded. The only time he was carded was in the casino.

[bamboozel]

We were on the Glory for the Jan.27th to Feb.3rd cruise out of Miami. My daughter who was 18 joined the club on thursday of the cruise week. She was unaware that she could of joined when we boarded that sunday because she was 18 and a senior in high school. !!! My daughter went in on Thursday and talked to the director of the teen club and she told her she was more than welcome to join. The director told her there was a couple of 18 year olds already in the club for the week. My daughter enjoyed hanging out with her new friends. I wish only we new she could of done it when we boarded. It may depend on the cruise but try joining the day you board the ship. Good luck!!!

 

My daughter was allowed in the adult club but she did get carded. She also got carded in the casino.

Edited February 12, 2013 by bamboozel

[izzydog]

I am in the same situation with two girls we are taking. One will be 18 when we board and my daughter turns 18 during the cruise.

 

With Everything that I have read, they are supposed to be able to bring their school ID and have access to the appropriate teen club.

[izzydog]

At 18 he is now a legal adult. There are huge legal ramifications with this scenario if something were to happen (not that I'm saying your son's friend would do anything, but Carnival would absolutely want to protect themselves from any possibility of liability). I would not expect the 18 year old to be allowed into Club O2 at all.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

 

In my opinion I'm not sure about legal ramifications. There is no difference than all the kids attending the same high school. Now if they were allowing 19 and up (out of high school) I might see where you are going, but not with high school students.

[reno3]

On our cruise this past April on the Pride my son said there were kids that were 18 and still in high school that were allowed into the O2 club. They had a school ID to prove they were still in school. My son will be 18 on our cruise in April and I hope this is still the policy.

[tmtip]

We were on the Liberty last March and my 18 year old daughter (still in high school) was allowed to go to the kids club. She has always had a great time in the kid's club so we are not sure what she will do next time since she is now in college. The 18-20 year old age group is totally left out - they don't really fit into any certain category.

[kybluecruiser]

Every cruise I've been on there has been security checking id's at the door for adult only venues at the bars.

[pjtulsa]

My daughter was allowed in the club when she was 18, she was/is still in high school and we even took a letter from the school because her school doesnt use id cards and they said they didnt need to see it as long as she didnt cause any trouble... the director said it in a joking way but I bet there was a seriousness behind it. :) We cruise at SpringBreak and she will once again ask for permission to attend and we are keeping our fingers crossed that this director has the same attitude.

 

I have also traveled with young adults 21-24 on more than one cruise and they WERE carded everytime we went to a club.

[LivetoVaca]

Thanks for the info everyone. I am sure it will work out and they will have a great time regardless. How could they not? :)

[pbsteve]

Of course, I know he can't drink and I wouldn't allow it anyway.

 

 

Everytime I see this, I feel like something should be said as to what to expect, so how do I put this tactfully....

 

I hope your son is mature enough, and respects you enough to abide by your wishes, because you're going to be surrounded by alcohol the entire time you are on the boat, and he can easily get a drink if he wants one. Legally, there are no drinking laws at sea, while it is Carnival's policy not to let anyone under 21 drink, I've never been carded ordering a drink.

 

I'm not saying your son will drink, I just wanted to be a voice of reason, in that if you catch him drinking, remember, you brought him into the environment where most of the people around him will be drinking, and he is at the age where, I at least, started going to parties and drinking socially. It doesn't make him a bad kid, he may have just made a poor decision, and treating him like a child if it happens won't help, as you're stuck in close quarters for the entire family vacation, and at his age, he will blame you and make it miserable for you all.

Edited February 12, 2013 by pbsteve

[gnocchi_mommy]

When we took my son on RC, they had the same policy- but he turned 18 halfway through the cruise, we were able to get permission once on board from the program manager for him to hang in the teen club, we had to agree not to sign an alcohol waiver for him (it was an European cruise so they allow you to drink at 18 with parental waiver) Its worth asking about once on board!

Edited February 12, 2013 by gnocchi_mommy

[okgirl]

It will be up to the director of the kids club as to if 18yo's will be allowed in. In most cases the answer is going to be no. Even my friend who's son has autism (very high functioning though) and has literally grown up on Carnival ships was not allowed in after turning 18.

[bguppies]

In my opinion I'm not sure about legal ramifications. There is no difference than all the kids attending the same high school. Now if they were allowing 19 and up (out of high school) I might see where you are going, but not with high school students.

 

I graduated at 17.

 

Two guys I graduated with were already 19 and 20 on graduation day, due to being held back. (the 19 year old wasn't his fault, he got sick back in 2nd or 3rd grade, missed most of the year and got held back. The 20 year old was the school bully and dumb as a box of rocks.)

 

Now by your logic, they should allow anyone still in high school into the teen club.

 

18 sounds like a reasonable cut off.

 

It is amazing how everyone feels every rule should be bent to fit their personal situation, even though I'm sure many of the same people would sue Carnival if anything happened between a 19 year old and their teen.

(just count the "sue Carnival" threads on the first page today.)

 

Litigious people force companies to make these stiff rules, to cover themselves.

 

Bill

[Ksea1961]

We received NO for an answer when we asked if our son could attend since he was still in HS but over 17. This was last May on the Pride.

[jma624]

Based on the responses so far, it seems that they are more likely to bend the rules for an 18 yo girl than an 18 year old boy.

[arpie05]

I hate stuff like this. What really is the point? Are parents really worried about an 18 year old hanging out with a 15 year old? Welcome to high school. When my son is a senior next year, he will have classmates turning 19 in April. Not trouble makers - just had older brothers so their parents "redshirted" them for kindergarten. In parts of the country where the cut off is July or August - it is not uncommon for parents to wait to start children with June, May birthdays if they are smaller when they are screened. It makes sense. Instead of being the youngest in their class they would be the oldest.

 

So maybe a girl started school early and the boy a year late. They would be in the same grade but would you have an issue with them dating? Probably not? Even though she is only 15 and he's 17?

 

And if a 15 year old girl wants to hang out with a 18 year old - she will - I did on my first cruise. :rolleyes:

[LivetoVaca]

I hate stuff like this. What really is the point? Are parents really worried about an 18 year old hanging out with a 15 year old? Welcome to high school. When my son is a senior next year, he will have classmates turning 19 in April. Not trouble makers - just had older brothers so their parents "redshirted" them for kindergarten. In parts of the country where the cut off is July or August - it is not uncommon for parents to wait to start children with June, May birthdays if they are smaller when they are screened. It makes sense. Instead of being the youngest in their class they would be the oldest.

 

So maybe a girl started school early and the boy a year late. They would be in the same grade but would you have an issue with them dating? Probably not? Even though she is only 15 and he's 17?

 

And if a 15 year old girl wants to hang out with a 18 year old - she will - I did on my first cruise. :rolleyes:

 

Arpie05 - I totally agree. I originally posted the question and was so put off by some of the responses that I have decided to never post another question on these boards. I just wanted to know what everyone's expereince was on allowing a 18 yr old boy still in high school into the teen club, not their personal opinion on the matter or parenting advice. I feel like everyone thinks the 18 yr old boys, who are still in high school and go to school with kids as young as 13 everyday, are some sort of child molesters. I am more concerned about putting a high school aged boy in the bars and clubs with all adults who are often drunk. Anyway, I appreciate the helpful responses and will ignore the rest. I am sure we will have a great time on our cruise and the boys will find plenty to do.

[arpie05]

I feel like everyone thinks the 18 yr old boys, who are still in high school and go to school with kids as young as 13 everyday, are some sort of child molesters.

 

I agree - somehow it does come across that at 18 these boys - the same ones the week before their birthday were fine in O2 - are horrible and scary.

 

When we in Atlantis over Thanksgiving my 16 year old had no trouble gambling which I'm thankful on Carnival he can't purchase alcohol. I am sure he would have been served.

 

He's a good kid and I didn't mind him betting on basketball. But he's not one to throw his money away (he thinks the arcade is a waste of $) gambling.

 

I also agree that 18 year olds in HS or just out don't need to be hanging out with 21 year olds. :D But it all comes down to parenting.

[omalley16]

On my first cruise, I went on NCL, and I was 13. They did not even allow 18 year olds in the club if they were waiting for someone. They did, however, allow parents the first day to make the teens feel comfortable. I met a friend who was 16 or 17 at the time, and she may a boy who was 18. We also found 2 16 year olds and asked them to join us, along with a 15 year old. So as a 13 year old, I was hanging out with a 18 year old boy when the group had "split up". It is up to the head of the teen thing, so for Carnival it would be fine (they let me in at 14, 2 months from 15), but for NCL with 13 year olds it wouldn't be a smart idea.

[DISNEY1975]

They have a list of all passengers in the age groups. The 18 yo will not be on the list and will not be able to participate.

 

18 - 20 is a tough age to take cruising.

[gelo7]

Rules are rules.