Likely your answers will be it all depends. Last February we were in St. Lucia, my son was still 17 (up this way the legal age is 18). We stayed at the Windjammer Landing, and did the all-inclusive. The night we arrived, we went down to the beach bar. The waiter asked my wife and I what we wanted and we ordered. He then turned to my son who hesitated for a moment and then asked for a "Piton" beer. The waiter said "thank you sir" and off he went. My son didn't stop grinning for a while.
Caribbean drinking ages
- Thread starter billinwilliamston
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robbcayman
Contributor
In Cozumel/Cancun they don't care. I seriously saw them serving 10 year olds all day PS: that was at the El Cozumeleno. Cancun was even crazier they wouldn't dare ask to see your ID.
billinwilliamston:
To be honest, that wasn't intended as a flame, but merely a question to bring up the issue of parental approval if it hadn't crossed your mind. I've met plenty of parents that think they can get children get away with X just because their parents are not there. I'm glad you are not one of those. My apologies.
OP
billinwilliamston
Contributor
Mine too.rakkis:To be honest, that wasn't intended as a flame, but merely a question to bring up the issue of parental approval if it hadn't crossed your mind. I've met plenty of parents that think they can get children get away with X just because their parents are not there. I'm glad you are not one of those. My apologies.
Thanks.
BEM
Contributor
There's always Canada! The beer is always cold!
Legal age is 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec, all other provinces are 19.
Legal age is 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec, all other provinces are 19.
H2Andy
Contributor
billinwilliamston:
excellent attitude, Bill
and it all worked out too
hey ... i think most places in the Caribbean don't even have a drinking age, and they don't really card ... especially if there's an "adult" with a group of older teens (obviously not 13 or 14)
OP
billinwilliamston
Contributor
H2Andy:excellent attitude, Bill
and it all worked out too
hey ... i think most places in the Caribbean don't even have a drinking age, and they don't really card ... especially if there's an "adult" with a group of older teens (obviously not 13 or 14)
Well, if they need an "adult" with them, they are sorely out of luck with me.
OP
billinwilliamston
Contributor
BEM:
Thanks, but North in November is the wrong direction at the wrong time of year for this old guy.
That being said, the Journey song with the line "born and raised in South Detroit" must have been referring to someone born and raised in Windsor since there is no "South Detroit" and Windsor is what's directly South of Detroit. Detroit is South (and East) of here.
billinwilliamston - are you my twin from another life??
I also have an 18yo stepdaughter, graduating HS this May, and have also started looking around for places to go with her and few friends where they can cut loose a little bit - yet not be totally unattended as I'll be there too, unlike with some of those "let's-get-highschoolers-puking-drunk" Cozymel "Schooltrip.com" type operations that troll the schools for suckers.
The only difference is my daughter and her friends don't scuba, so I'm looking for somewhere with more topside/beach daytime entertainment for them, rustic enough they hopefully can't get into too much trouble unaccompanied if I do go for a dive or two and they go "into town", but not so laid back they think I've taken them into the outback where there's no alcohol to be had you don't ferment yourself so I'm 'welching' on actually trusting them with a drink or two.
Let us know how your plans work out...I might be trying to leverage what you figure out....I am considering along the Riviera Maya in Mexico as well...just maybe a bit between the high-traffic areas like Playa Del Carmen and the outer more pure 'scuba-destination' areas like Akumal.... at least that's a bit cheaper to get to than the Carrib, considering some of these girls are going to be funding the trip themselves without parental help...
I also have an 18yo stepdaughter, graduating HS this May, and have also started looking around for places to go with her and few friends where they can cut loose a little bit - yet not be totally unattended as I'll be there too, unlike with some of those "let's-get-highschoolers-puking-drunk" Cozymel "Schooltrip.com" type operations that troll the schools for suckers.
The only difference is my daughter and her friends don't scuba, so I'm looking for somewhere with more topside/beach daytime entertainment for them, rustic enough they hopefully can't get into too much trouble unaccompanied if I do go for a dive or two and they go "into town", but not so laid back they think I've taken them into the outback where there's no alcohol to be had you don't ferment yourself so I'm 'welching' on actually trusting them with a drink or two.
Let us know how your plans work out...I might be trying to leverage what you figure out....I am considering along the Riviera Maya in Mexico as well...just maybe a bit between the high-traffic areas like Playa Del Carmen and the outer more pure 'scuba-destination' areas like Akumal.... at least that's a bit cheaper to get to than the Carrib, considering some of these girls are going to be funding the trip themselves without parental help...
mike_s
Contributor
rakkis:
At age 18, they are no longer children (legally) even if they still are in high school and live at home with mom and dad.
But I do agree with Bill that if he took someone elses 18 year old 'child' that might drink, that they should talk with the parents regardless.
However, I don't think there's hardly a spot in the Caribbean that won't sell alcohol to people 18 or even under. Many a times I've seen minors age 15, 16,17 being served/sold alcohol. It appears to be very much "no problem, mon" in the islands.
As for their parents approving of them drinking, teenagers on spring break will be teenagers. They are going to drink on these type of trips if someone will sell them a drink. (or their friends buy it for them) Flat and simple.
This makes me think of the funny incident where some parents we knew were concerned that their high school senior children going on a graduation cruise because they could drink on the ship at age 18. I laughed and said at least on the ship they aren't driving like they would be on a graduation trip in Florida. Do they really think that they wouldn't drink on a Florida trip? The look on their faces showed that they really thought that and had no clue.
As for 18 year old daughters on trips like this, all I can say is to sit them down and counsel them about staying together if they go out and have a night on the town while there. Plan where they are going carefully and set some ground rules, etc. The reason I say this is that at night some of the Caribbean islands aren't that safe. St. Thomas is one of them for example, since it was mentioned in this thread.
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