Revised Princess Passage Contract

[cherylandtk]

I noticed that the Princess website has a new version of the Passage Contract posted, now dated 7/07. Most of the material seems pretty much the same as before, but section 5 now shows a minimum age limit of 21, rather than the former 18, in order to travel without accompanying adults.

 

Does anyone notice any other significant changes in the new policy? (Notwithstanding the expanded, clarified and revised 'not responsible for' sections and the incorrect title on section 14)

 

http://www.princess.com/legal/passage.html

[Coral]

I think that is too bad. I know some responsible 18-20 year olds who have cruised with out any problems on Princess.

[Toto2Kansas]

With all the problems lately onboard ships, I feel the opposite. 21 is a good age for booking an unacommpanied cruise on Princess. I do feel there should be exceptions though, such as those under 21 that might be married. I know a lot of 18 year olds that just are too immature to be traveling without someone older with them onboard. Agreed, there are some that would do just fine under the age of 21, but I feel there are more that would not. I guess they have to draw the line somewhere and since the legal drinking age onboard is 21, well.........................! Didn't Princess used to always have that age of 21 for many years before they switched it to 18?

[cherylandtk]

Toto-yes, I do think the old policy had a higher minimum age. Not sure when they changed it.

 

Coral--I know both well-behaved and not-so-well-behaved 18-21 YO. I do suspect (just MO) that this change is a result of the Spring Break experiences of not only Princess, but also other cruise lines, of having excessive underage drinking occuring with unaccompanied 18-20 YO's. By requiring either an accompanying 'responsible' adult or that the passenger be of legal drinking age it takes the cruise line out of the responsibility loop.

[Coral]

Coral--I know both well-behaved and not-so-well-behaved 18-21 YO. I do suspect (just MO) that this change is a result of the Spring Break experiences of not only Princess, but also other cruise lines, of having excessive underage drinking occuring with unaccompanied 18-20 YO's. By requiring either an accompanying 'responsible' adult or that the passenger be of legal drinking age it takes the cruise line out of the responsibility loop.

 

I know. It just seems like the problem people I have seen are those in high school (with parents) and those over 21. Those problems will still exist.

[jbrambach]

Maybe they were having a problem with younger passengers drinking onboard. It is a shame that a few spoil it for the rest.

[Crown Prince]

My DGS is 18. His Mum puts him and his 16-year-old Sis in her Mini-suite (likes to keep those Babies close to her) + less expensive for 3rd & 4th pax. :D

Just off the Emerald in Venice and those Teens were so tired from following Mum & Dad around on the ShorEx, they just wanted to hit the hay at night. They are all champion tennis players & dancers so Mum plans very intensive routes (lots of walking, swimming, & activity). ;)

They had a wonderful, homemade Tuscan lunch in Port of Livorno and the kids got to try the wonderful Italian Vino. Mum got to feeling Really Good and bought lots while shopping.

It is so much better for those Teens to learn to drink with their meals with Mum & Dad than in the dark back seat of a car in California. :eek:

[sjbdtz]

I do feel there should be exceptions though, such as those under 21 that might be married.

 

 

So if someone is too immature to wait until a reasonable age before getting married, then that's justification for them to be able to travel under 21?

 

What about those equally responsible 18 - 21 y.o. gay couples who aren't allowed to get married?

[sonomaphil]

I'd rather it say no one under 18 allowed AT ALL! :D

[jbrambach]

So if someone is too immature to wait until a reasonable age before getting married, then that's justification for them to be able to travel under 21?

 

What about those equally responsible 18 - 21 y.o. gay couples who aren't allowed to get married?

 

Not trying to be daft, but I don't understand what you mean. Could you explain? Are you saying they should be allowed to travel w/o a person of 21 or over or not?

[sackman]

Not trying to be daft, but I don't understand what you mean. Could you explain? Are you saying they should be allowed to travel w/o a person of 21 or over or not?

 

It sounded like a political statement to me.

 

just sayin'

[jakzak]

Enough with the effort to stop 18 to 20 year olds from traveling on thier own. If it is okay for a 18-20 year old to go off to college on thier own, they are old enough to travel on thier own. If an 18 year old is old enough to go into the army, fight for this country and vote, why aren't they old enough to travel without a parent with them. It is a double standard.

[Fuzzzy]

I wonder there are drinking exceptions to this where the ship happens to be sailing to/from. Many, many, many, many, many (did I say many?) places around this world have drinking ages of 18 or even lower. In France and Germany you can have beer and wine at 16. In Italy and Austria it is 14.

 

The only countries that I am aware on the ENTIRE planet that the age is 21 are: Bahrain, Egypt, Oman, Qatar, Tunisia and the USA.

[vickie_bernie]

Sure there some responsible 18-20 year olds but there are many inmature 21 year olds, not to mention the drunk 38 year old who is falling down drunk, the loud mouth 50 year old who has the only opinion (that happens to be your table mate too many times), or the 60 year old complainer about every health problem, or the couple in their 30's who just loves their kid to death as the child devilishly screams at the top of lungs.

 

Obviously age means nothing, it is all attitude. But I guess they needed to put an age on cabin assignments.

[happyscot]

I wonder there are drinking exceptions to this where the ship happens to be sailing to/from. Many, many, many, many, many (did I say many?) places around this world have drinking ages of 18 or even lower. In France and Germany you can have beer and wine at 16. In Italy and Austria it is 14.

 

The only countries that I am aware on the ENTIRE planet that the age is 21 are: Bahrain, Egypt, Oman, Qatar, Tunisia and the USA.

 

 

 

Nah, those are the only countries that play American Football, arn't they?

 

Hee hee.

 

Sorry.

 

May be just a UK thing, but the idea of 20 year olds not being allowed to travel alone/drink is completely bizarre to us. We have a huge holiday company called "18 - 30". I sent my son off to Paris with his g/f this summer, all he talked about was the museums and art galleries (astonishingly) - why keep them from him until he was too busy to go? Had his life taken a different course, he could be leading men into battle and watching them die. I keep telling him he has to vote cos of all his family who were killed defending his right to do so against various shades of **** - he now does. He could be a senior medical student, or a qualified nurse, saving lives in a hospital. He can get married. He can go to an adult jail. He can give blood, buy condoms, watch porn, sit on a jury, witness a document. And so on and so on. But he can't buy me a pint and go on holiday by himself? Naaaaaah.

 

I was giving him drink in appropriate amounts and on appropriate occasions from 14 on. As a result, it's no big deal to him, and he drinks sensibly, to enjoy rather than show off, compared to some friends who behave like idiots because their parents kept it from them. No balcony jumper him.

 

Really, you can order a bayonet charge but not go on a cruise? It's a funny old world.

 

xxxxx

[sailorJo]

I wonder there are drinking exceptions to this where the ship happens to be sailing to/from. Many, many, many, many, many (did I say many?) places around this world have drinking ages of 18 or even lower. In France and Germany you can have beer and wine at 16. In Italy and Austria it is 14.

 

The only countries that I am aware on the ENTIRE planet that the age is 21 are: Bahrain, Egypt, Oman, Qatar, Tunisia and the USA.

Actually, for wine it's age 16 in Austria and Italy. In the fall in Italy a new law will bring the age limit to 18.

[Fuzzzy]

Actually, for wine it's age 16 in Austria and Italy. In the fall in Italy a new law will bring the age limit to 18.

I agree. I should have clarified with legal to drink vs. able to purchase. My source is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drinking_age

[donna5]

I'd rather it say no one under 18 allowed AT ALL! :D

 

I'll drink to that.:D

[BigGuy25]

All you need to do is be on a ship anytime around Spring Break or graduation and you'll quickly understand the 21 year old age limit. It's one thing to debate about what 18 yr. olds should be allowed to do ... it's quite another thing to have your vacation spoiled by a ship full of under-age folks on a 24/7 party. I know ... they shouldn't be allowed to purchase alcohol ... but they always find someone who will purchase it for them. I thought the rule has always been "if you're under 21 you must be traveling with someone over 21." I also always thought they had the "married" exception. Could be wrong!!!

[Hondu]

Enough with the effort to stop 18 to 20 year olds from traveling on thier own. If it is okay for a 18-20 year old to go off to college on thier own, they are old enough to travel on thier own. If an 18 year old is old enough to go into the army, fight for this country and vote, why aren't they old enough to travel without a parent with them. It is a double standard.

 

It definitely a double standard. Too many daft rules.

[chasetf]

I think that is too bad. I know some responsible 18-20 year olds who have cruised with out any problems on Princess.

Unfortunately it seems the irresponsible 18-20 year olds have created the problems that the responsible ones have to pay for.

[chasetf]

Enough with the effort to stop 18 to 20 year olds from traveling on thier own. If it is okay for a 18-20 year old to go off to college on thier own, they are old enough to travel on thier own. If an 18 year old is old enough to go into the army, fight for this country and vote, why aren't they old enough to travel without a parent with them. It is a double standard.

It is not a matter of whether they are old enough to travel on their own. They are.......

 

It is a matter that Princess does not want to sell them a cabin, just like a rental car company may choose not to rent a car to someone under 25. It is a Princess business decision.... not a matter of personal rights. And if someone does not like it, then they can vote with their feet.

[Coral]

Unfortunately it seems the irresponsible 18-20 year olds have created the problems that the responsible ones have to pay for.

 

One of my former job positions had me working constantly with liability attorneys. Some of the strangest policies (and most of the regular policies) we implemented had nothing to do with what had happened previously at our company with out products but were made purely due to the liability attorney's recommendations.

 

I would like to think that this change was made due to all of those people jumping from the ship on the other lines and not from what necessairly happened on Princess previously. I may be totally wrong but my guess is Princess's attorney's made a change due to this recent trend.

[nycglitter]

I guess Princess just has to put an age on their policy.

 

I think we can all agree that in life, age has nothing to do with anything, but rather common sense. Perhaps there should be some sort of common sense test that one should be able to pass before doing anything in life.

 

Parenting, marriage, travel, drinking, driving, etc.

 

I know plenty of smart responsible teenagers and some really out of control, no common sense adults. Of course I know some the other way around too.

 

In the end, no matter what age we put on things there are always those who are are hurt by the rules and suffer due to others.

 

(MHO of course)

[cherylandtk]

I would like to think that this change was made due to all of those people jumping from the ship on the other lines and not from what necessairly happened on Princess previously. I may be totally wrong but my guess is Princess's attorney's made a change due to this recent trend.

I would have to think that the drunk couple who went overboard in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico off the Grand Princess last March influenced the Princess's attorneys thinking. The girl was 20, the man was 22. One legal, one not. Lots of inquiries and forms to fill out about how, where and from whom she got her liquor. Not too many questions about the guy and his liquor. (Not saying this new policy will change the level of drunk people doing stupid things--just that it makes it less responsibility for Princess to assume if they do)