18 for sure.

thanks!

18 but it's not enforced, honestly.

I wasn't going to bring that uop, but it's true. My son told me that one of the bartenders told him that they only "card" kids wearing school uniforms (where it is OBVIOUS that they aren't 18).

Of course, parents should warn their kids that just because you get served doesn't make it okay to drink if they are not 18.

THANKS Bluwater for your post. Young adults can get so caught up in the moment that their "good time" can turn into a real "bad time". It's at it's worst when they leave with someone intent on hurting them, but it still affects them when they simply over-indulge. I really like your reminder that parents need to talk to their kids about "right and wrong". We cannot control their every move, but we must remain their "voice of reason" in areas where poor decisions can lead to trouble.

VI Lover-

Agreed 100%!

Also, I believe the potential for a bad outcome is compounded by the fact that most of these kids come from a place where the legal drinking age is 21. So, while they may be beginning to get served at home, and may be drinking at high school parties, the "newness" of drinking legally in a nightclub on a caribbean vacation may excite them into drinking more than they normally would. The unfamiliar surroundings only add to the bad possibilities. Plus, the rum is cheap and the drinks are strong in the VI. My son told stories of kids sharing his cab home from Duffy's at 2am. A couple of them couldn't tell the driver which hotel they were staying in and they spend the entire ride apologizing to the others for their drunkeness. Sound fun? 🙁

when i went to the usvi i could drink there and im under 21 i dont think they enforce a specific drinking age and if they do its not well known

if you have to ask - you are too young to drink
my bet is you are looking for effect - not taste

Our girls were 17 & 20 when we were there & had NO problem getting their own drinks anywhere we went.

But who is gonna pass us 2 pretty blondes with a nice smile!!*-)

It was OK.....both their parents were there & they are ~smart blondes~.....that wanted to have some fun.....with supervision!

Ohoh....am I gonna get slamed now for being an aweful Parent:$)

Hey Sitter,

I'm with you on allowing the older but maybe not quite legal children to drink. My husband is German and believes that their is some obsession with the kids and a legal drinking age of 21 stateside. We are in the contracting business, and when our teenage sons reach the age of 16 and up, and put in a hard days work, and they want to have a cold beer with dad and the crew they can. In our state it is not illegal for them to have a drink while supervised by a parent. Having 5 adult children betwen the ages of 19 and 22, we have not had any problems with them being irresponsible with alcohol. I have heard a few stories of the dorm parties, but for the most part, it has worked out well.

I think that if adolescent children think of alcohol as some sort of "hidden fruit" and are not educated, their can be real trouble. Our boys, for the most part just like to have a cold beer with their buddies. I think the biggest problem lies with some of these flavored drinks loaded with alcohol, or the flavored shots that taste like candy. Every year you hear about young kids dying from alcohol poisoning. I feel that it is the responsible thing to do as a parent is to let your children understand the effects of alcohol, the disease of alcoholism, and to teach them that if they do drink, drink responsibly.

Having a 20 year old son who is called up to serve in Iraq starting this September, it seems a liitle strange to me that our government feels that it is illegal for him to enjoy a cold beer on a hot day if he wishes.

Molly

Sitter and Molly I concur

The attitude of forbidden fruit that prevails around alcohol in the US is part of the problem
Yes there are health, maturity, and social issues that surround the use of alcohol
and who better to educate, control or, limit than the parents

that was my harsh comments to the original poster
should drinking age play into the decision of where you go on vacation
I think not

I agree, but only with parental/adult supervision.Especially on vacation where people tend to let their guard down. Everyone's avoiding the Aruba incident...it's just too dangerous. Sorry to be the bummer in this discussion, but somebody had to bring it up. What would've happened if Blu Waters sons' cab driver got fed-up, and kicked them out of his cab in, say, a less than safe part of the island? Not that he would've wanted to lose the fare, but the trust issue could easily be taken advantage of with unseasoned underaged drinkers. I'm all about a good time, but safety first. Communication between the parents and their kids is key.

Tom--

Did you notice that the original poster posted the original post two years ago?

Now that my glasses are on the 6 does not look anything like an 8

😎 :$) 😎

Hey maybe they are old enough to drink now

It is hell to get old

all though my comment is still valid

I make certain that the servers know my daughters do not want rum in their drinks after an incident with my 12 year old's drink four years ago. Maybe now that she's 16 it would not be as big a deal. She was surprised that her virgin strawberry daiquiri had been de-flowered and was rum-soaked.

Cheers, RickG

Rick,

It's funny that you mentioned the spiked drink story. We were at Trunk Bay on Sunday and a young boy, maybe 10, asked for a strawberry daquiri. The lady serving the drinks asked if he wanted rum, he looked puzzled and asked what rum was. She told him it was alcohol. He quickly shook his head no. I'm still quite amazed at how freely they do serve the drinks to the youngsters. I'm not talking about 17 or 18 year old kids. This little boy was maybe 4' 10" tall, no doubt that he was a child. I thought that maybe they thought that the drink was for a parent, but even so, they should have asked for the parent to return to get the drink. The Caribbean dialect is sometimes hard to follow, what if that boy shook his head yes because he didn't understand what she was saying.

Molly

You know.....I was in Cozumel on a cruise stop in Jan, went to Carlo's & Charlies with a friend & our 18YO girls & I could SOOO see how tha Aruba thing happened now!!
Had I not been the wise one & saw what those 3 were up too....I'm not sure we would have made it back to the ship!! They really POURED down the booze on customers....especially young ladies!! And MANY eager men standing on the sidelines watching.......I saw it right when we walked in & made the decision that ONE of us have to be a responsable person to watch out for the others.

I've come to the conclusion that was a problem in the Aruba case......there was NO ONE that was ~The Responsible Person~ that night.....but I wasn't there.....so I can only speculate!

You know.....I was in Cozumel on a cruise stop in Jan, went to Carlo's & Charlies with a friend & our 18YO girls & I could SOOO see how tha Aruba thing happened now!!
Had I not been the wise one & saw what those 3 were up too....I'm not sure we would have made it back to the ship!! They really POURED down the booze on customers....especially young ladies!! And MANY eager men standing on the sidelines watching.......I saw it right when we walked in & made the decision that ONE of us have to be a responsable person to watch out for the others.

I've come to the conclusion that was a problem in the Aruba case......there was NO ONE that was ~The Responsible Person~ that night.....but I wasn't there.....so I can only speculate!

I agree with you sitter. Especially on your last statement. WHO was the responsible person. Wasn't this a senior trip? When my daughter was in Cancun on a senior trip it was a nightmare for me. I won't even get into it, but the chaperones on this trip totally misrepresented themselves and actually were partying with 18 year olds. It's crazy down there and it totally turned me off to that area of Mexico.

OK, sorry I almost hijacked this thread, but that kind of behavior really gets to me.

Connie,

I agree with you also. Who is ultimately responsible. I feel deeply for the loss that Natalie's parents must feel, but who had the grand idea of taking a group of high school students into a country that has limited or no rules on drinking. When I have mentioned in my earlier posts that we allow our underage children to drink, It's not to show them sloppy drunkeness. Just an appreciation of a great beer on a hot day or a glass of wine that matches their dinner. We are not saints and neither are our children, we have had a few episodes here and there, but for the most part all is well. I still feel that if we take a little wind out of the sail and educate our children, that is best. Doesn't it make sense to reverse a few of our laws. Legal drinking at age 16 and obtaining a drivers license at a latter age. Aren't teenage drivers the number one cause of fatalities that are alcohol induced. Maybe our lawmakers should revisit this idea.

Molly