What is the Drinking Age on a Cruise Ship?

Answer:
The answer depends on the individual cruise

line, but in general the minimum drinking age on most ships is 21. The situation may change, however, whenever a cruise ship enters international waters or docks in other countries with different drinking ages. It could be as low as 18, or as high as 25.

The minimal drinking age on a cruise ship generally matches that of its country of origin, although it's not unusual for a foreign cruise line to adopt the policy of the port country while docked for excursions. It is possible for a cruise ship to enforce a higher drinking age within three miles of a country's coastline and then switch to a lower drinking age whenever international laws no longer apply. This is a common practice on "Spring Break" cruises filled with college students headed for the Bahamas or other popular beach destinations.

Some cruise ships have raised their minimal drinking ages to 21 as a means to reduce the number of onboard incidents involving underage drinkers. They still have the right to maintain a separate age limit for gambling, however, so an 18 year old may be able to gamble in a ship's casino but not order an alcoholic beverage. As a compromise, some cruise ships do allow parents who are traveling with an 18 to 20 year old child to sign a waiver of liability for alcohol consumption. Underage passengers with a waiver may be served legally onboard.

Enforcerment of a minimal drinking age can be a mixed bag. Passengers, especially those who appear to be 25 or younger, should be prepared to present official documentation to verify their age. Because waiters and bartenders work for tips, however, enforcement of a minimal age may be very casual on some cruise ships while in international waters.