A Top Cruise Club Member wrote me, asking how strict cruise lines are when it comes to underage drinking. Now I do not know how strict cruise lines are, but I do know they have rules and ways to identify individuals who might be underage. Most of the major cruise lines, such as Carnival Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, and Princess Cruises only allow 21+ to consume alcohol. Some cruise lines, such as Norwegian Cruise Lines, allow individuals aged 18 to 20 to consume beer and wine with consent from their guardian.

If a cruise line’s drinking policy is 21+ for consumption, you better believe they have ways to indicate if a person is of age before purchasing a drink. From my experience on Royal Caribbean, every sea pass card has an indication on it - they punch holes in the cards to show that an individual is underage. But also when they scan your card for a charge, it shows your birth date on the server’s screen. That way if the person accidentally did not punch your card, it is a back up check.

That is not all. The waiters for dinner are given a list of names of those individuals they will be serving, along with their ages. This helps them to know how many individuals at their table will be able to order a drink.

Also, last time I sailed on Royal Caribbean, the bar tenders usually would ask for an ID card in order to check age. Even though my card was not punched, they still asked (I guess they do this in case a son or daughter takes their parents sea pass card or older sibling’s card).