Cruise ships departing from the United States do not technically need to follow US law. That’s because almost every ship that sails out of US ports is flagged as a foreign country.
In theory, once Royal Caribbean Group (RCL) – Get a free report or Carnival Cruise Lines (CCL) – Get a free report ship arrives in international waters, cruise lines could allow passengers to do almost anything. Neither company, however, has gone for gladiator fights or booze-drinking contests for young children.
Both cruise lines have generally followed US law which includes only allowing people over the age of 21 to drink and not allowing marijuana to be smoked on board. Drinking rules, which vary on voyages originating in South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand that do not call at a US port, are something both Royal Caribbean and Carnival make clear in their policy documents:
- royal caribbean: The minimum age to consume alcohol on Royal Caribbean International ships on voyages originating in North America or the Caribbean is twenty-one (21) years of age.
- Carnival: Guests must be 21 years of age or older to have alcohol served on board. Proper identification with date of birth is required.
However, in one area, both Carnival and Royal Caribbean break with US policy when it comes to age restrictions.
Royal Caribbean and Carnival follow US federal law.
In a broad sense, both Royal Caribbean and Carnival follow US federal laws. That is why marijuana cannot be consumed on board even though it is legal in some states. It’s also the reason (but maybe not the only one) that cruise lines use 21, not 18, as your legal drinking age.
In 1984, the US adopted a National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which uniformly set the federally mandated minimum drinking age at 21. Previously, states had the right to set their own drinking age, with some opting for 18, while others used 18 for beer but not hard liquor.
Before the federal law was passed, some cruise lines allowed passengers over 18 but under 21 to drink as long as they had parental permission. That, as you can imagine, could change the tenor of cruises if groups of people who are minors on land but legal on the ship decide it’s party time.
The federal adoption of 21 as the national drinking age allowed cruise lines to make that change (and probably save some heartache).
Royal Caribbean and Carnival open their casinos to 18-year-olds
While cruise lines would probably be happy to trade the extra income for 18, 19 and 20 year olds buying drinks so they don’t have to deal with the hassles that creates, the same is not true at their casinos. A drunk teenager can negatively affect other passengers, while an 18, 19 or 20 year old losing money in the casino will not cause the same problems.
Both Royal Caribbean and Carnival allow anyone over the age of 18 to play table games or slot machines in their casinos. That’s true even though 21 is the legal age to play in casinos in most parts of the US.
This has happened because the US does not have a federal gambling law and exactly what you can bet at 18 vs. 21 varies by state. Most states allow people to buy lottery tickets and gamble at the racetracks at age 18. Some also allow people to play casino-style bingo for cash prizes at age 18.
Most states require you to be 21 to gamble in a casino, but in some states, including Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Oklahoma, and Washington, 18 is the legal age to play in casinos. And, in some other states, most casinos use 21, but there are certain exceptions (Native American land-based casinos and day cruises) where 18 is the age.
That lack of clear federal direction makes it easier for Carnival and Royal Caribbean to reach the legal age to gamble at their onboard casinos.
