I am not planning anything nefarious. But I was thinking: If someone underage asked a flight attendant for alcohol, how would they know the person is underage? This information is provided to the airline before you fly, yes, but does every flight attendant on the flight memorize the information of every passenger?

How does a barman or club doorman?

If they suspect, they can ask you for ID. If you look old enough, you might get away with it.

Just because it's in the air doesn't mean it's any different.

Well underage means different things in different countries. In the US the government can send a young person out in the military to (potentially) kill or be killed in battle. But they can't have a beer until they turn 21. Quite a few countries have the alcohol age limit at 18. Lower age limits exist.

moo wrote:

How does a barman or club doorman? If they suspect, they can ask you for ID. If you look old enough, you might get away with it.

And they probably don't hear "I left it at home" anywhere near as often

I've actually always been curious if there's a set rule, or if it's determined on an airline by airline basis. I've heard of two different systems. One is that the age limit is determined by the country where the airline is registered, and the other is that it's determined by the destination of the aircraft. I've never actually asked anyone who might know if there's any official international air travel agreement, or if it is determined by the rules of each airline's country of registration. So… does anyone know?

One a related note, when I was 18 (the good old days!), I was on a Horizon Air flight from YYC to BLI. As an apology to the passengers for some delays, they offered everyone a mimosa. Curiously, the flight attendant simply asked "Are you old enough?", to which I obviously replied "Yes!" So, I got my mimosa, and had no idea whether the drinking age on the plane was 18 (Alberta), or 21 (USA).

I have been carded before by FA's.

My guess would be the legal drinking age of the country in which the plane is registered or the airline is based would be the legal drinking age onboard that particular flight.

For instance, on a US registered aircraft the legal drinking age would be 21 even if your country of citizenship/residence allows or 18 or younger.

77H

I was served when 17 on Qantas. Have also been asked for ID several times when I was 18-20 - over legal drinking age. Passenger manifest means nothing here as you aren’t ID checked before getting on the plane so can easily just put in a fake birthdate when booking. I’ve also been served on Emirates when under the Emirati drinking age of 21, but was flying to/from Australia.

It's the minimum drinking age in the country where the plane is registered, those laws apply on board. This does mean for example that anyone is allowed to drink on a Chinese registered flight since China doesn't have a minimum drinking age. In China, even young children are allowed to drink alcohol and so is the case on a Chinese registered flight.

Besides that, not all countries enforce this law as strong as another. Some countries are very easy-going with it. For example, the minimum drinking age in France is 16 but during the wine festivities everyone drinks wine and age doesn't matter. I guess if a 14 or 15 year old would ask for a glass of wine on a French airline they'd just get it with no questions asked.

77H wrote:

I have been carded before by FA's.

My guess would be the legal drinking age of the country in which the plane is registered or the airline is based would be the legal drinking age onboard that particular flight.

For instance, on a US registered aircraft the legal drinking age would be 21 even if your country of citizenship/residence allows or 18 or younger.

77H

I have one observation to throw into this. I was on a cruise ship when I was 19. (Yes, not an airplane, but much of international airplane legalities have their roots in maritime law.) We set sail from Orlando, and I spent much of the cruise drinking. (I'd simply hand over my room key, which also served as my ID onboard.) The last night, when presumably we were in US waters, I attempted to purchase a drink, and I was denied because I was under 21. This was kinda weird since I had purchased multiple drinks from multiple different places on the cruise.

So my guess, the drinking age is the more restrictive of airplane operator/registration location and the destination/origination restrictions. (I'm guessing that overflying doesn't really come into play, that'd just be tooo messy.)

Seeing Orlando is over fifty miles from the coast I presume that you sailed from Port Canaveral.

If your sailing on an American based vessel such as those of Carnival or Royal Caribbean the legal age for drinking alcohol is 21, the same applies if vessels from those companies sail in Europe but as the legal age for drinking alcohol in Europe and in particular the United Kingdom it is 18 but the company demand that the parent or guardian of that passenger sign a disclaimer that allows them legally consume alcohol onboard but I can assure you that not everyone signs that disclaimer so you might get some under 21 drinking alcohol onboard and some that are not allowed due to the disclaimer not being signed at check in. On British based cruise ships the legal age for alcohol consumption onboard ship is 18 which is the age of consent as far as alcohol sales are concerned in the United Kingdom.

A planes manifest along with a ships manifest will contain everyone's date of birth that matches the passengers passport details as well as their cabin number or seat number if it's on a plane but of course this is also for any incidents so it's known how many adults and minors are onboard.

It all depends on where the airlines or ships are registered.

I was served many beers back when I was 16 and 17 on BA flights to the USA. No one ever asked for ID.

Same in English pubs back then, providing you didn't cause any trouble they turned a blind eye.

I was served alcohol on TG when I was 17, the guy just asked if I'm old enough. Yes, yes.

GBNWB wrote:

I was served many beers back when I was 16 and 17 on BA flights to the USA. No one ever asked for ID.

Same in English pubs back then, providing you didn't cause any trouble they turned a blind eye.

It was and still is the case in the UK that 16 and 17 year-olds can legally drink alcohol in pubs and restaurants provided it is supplied with a meal, they are accompanied by an adult, and don't pay for the alcohol themselves. Since BA haven't yet downgraded transatlantic service to Buy on Board, so there are complimentary meals and alcohol in all classes, only the accompanied by an adult bit might be an issue.
I've never seen anyone asked for ID while onboard a plane, for any purpose. However since the airline takes full passport details at or before check-in on behalf of the UK government, and also supplies the same to the US government, it would be naive to assume the crew don't know how old the passengers are. Much more likely that as long as people are well behaved they just don't care. Most UK citizens will have broken the drinking age rules in their youth.

From my experience as crew I never had to ID anyone when out on the drink service, that said it was a judgment call and if we thought someone looked young then we would ask to see their passport (as they would have it on them in order to get on the aircraft - international flights). This was years ago so things may have changed now though.

When travelling with AA earlier this month I recall some passengers getting ID'd as they did look like they were 18-ish and since it was AA the minimum age is 21, they provided their passports and got their drinks.

One thing I did notice though is that in the USA people are a lot more accepting of being asked to provide ID for drinks than in the UK, I guess when the drinking age is generally 21 across the country then everyone gets used to it. Over here when I'd ask someone for ID when working in a shop you'd get all kinds of stick "I'm 31 mate I don't need ID" etc...

Phil
FlyingColours

Cunard wrote:

Seeing Orlando is over fifty miles from the coast I presume that you sailed from Port Canaveral.

If your sailing on an American based vessel such as those of Carnival or Royal Caribbean the legal age for drinking alcohol is 21, the same applies if vessels from those companies sail in Europe but as the legal age for drinking alcohol in Europe and in particular the United Kingdom it is 18 but the company demand that the parent or guardian of that passenger sign a disclaimer that allows them legally consume alcohol onboard but I can assure you that not everyone signs that disclaimer so you might get some under 21 drinking alcohol onboard and some that are not allowed due to the disclaimer not being signed at check in. On British based cruise ships the legal age for alcohol consumption onboard ship is 18 which is the age of consent as far as alcohol sales are concerned in the United Kingdom.

A planes manifest along with a ships manifest will contain everyone's date of birth that matches the passengers passport details as well as their cabin number or seat number if it's on a plane but of course this is also for any incidents so it's known how many adults and minors are onboard.

It all depends on where the airlines or ships are registered.

Carnival ships mostly fly the flag of Panama, with some Bahamas and Malta in the mix. Royal Caribbean has Bahamas, Liberia, Malta I believe.
It would be an economic disaster to operate a cruise ship with US flag as labor costs would go through the roof. Look at the pricing of Mississippi cruises to get a rough idea of how it works...

How would this work on international flights? Does it depend on the country where the airline is based, or the country in which the aircraft is registered? What about fifth freedom sectors? The OP is a great post.

I’ve gotten away with it since I was 16. No one really cares. A bit of champagne never hurt anybody.

Depending on the seating class, if you are paying for the drink yourself, the hard part might be if you don't have your credit card.

Tugg

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PatrickZ80 wrote:

For example, the minimum drinking age in France is 16 but during the wine festivities everyone drinks wine and age doesn't matter. I guess if a 14 or 15 year old would ask for a glass of wine on a French airline they'd just get it with no questions asked.

It's not the minimum drinking age it's the minimum age to buy alcohol. Actually it was, now it's 18.

Drinking on the other hand, you can do it at any age. I can't remember the age I tasted wine for the first time, I very well remember my first cocktail, I was 8.

I guess a French F/A would have as an instruction to follow the 18yo limit, even if the drink is for free, but I agree with you that it wouldn't be tightly enforced, at least not for a mini bottle of wine or a glass of Champagne.

I have only ever been carded on LCC airlines like G4 (LAS bound naturally) and F9. I was AA platinum by the time I was 20 and *never* got carded on the mainline side. The regionals did but after I had turned 21.

If (as some have claimed) it depends on where the aircraft is registrated, how do airlines with aircraft registred in different countries handle it? E.g. SAS has aircraft registred in Norway and Sweden (two countries with rather strict alcohol laws) as well as Denmark (a country with far more liberal alcohol laws).

Cabin crew often verify identification to ensure standards are followed. Minimum age for Air Canada is 18, and on international flights those under 18 may be served provided the accompanying parent or guardian approves.

The US has it's morals and customs backwards, and I wouldn't say for the greater good. Under 21 you can take out loans/credit card, drive a vehicle, be tried as an adult, go to war, own enough weapons to start an army, smoke, vote, but you can't have a drink.

That being said, the only experience with flying and ordering alcohol was on WN, BDL-BWI and BWI-MCO on my 21st birthday. First flight I just handed over my coupon and didn't get carded, second flight I got carded. I take it it was because BDL-BWI is only about 50 minutes in the air and the FA's want to expedite service.

Have also ordered alcohol many times in various airports, carded every time but no issues until last week at CLT where some High School dropout didn't know how to do math or know anything about licenses. This was also the only time I had issue with my ID out of state, but most of CLT airport outside of the airline employees I doubt earned a High School diploma so it figures.

AFAIK Lufthansa serves "soft" alcohol (beer, wine, champagne) to persons at least 16 years of age. That is the minimum age to buy and consume this kind of alcohol in Germany.
For "hard" alcohol (Schnaps, Brandy, Whisky etc. = all distilled spirits) the minumum age is 18.

When the minor is accompanied by a parent, the minumum age for beer and wine is 14 (if the parent agrees).

Cheers!

You also have to remember that one reason WHY the US has become so crazy with its alcohol laws is because of fines and liability. In many states bar/restaurants can receive huge fines for serving underage persons and/or get sued if the underage drinker gets in a car and causes an accident. Local and state police enter bars to catch the owners in the act. This is not the case for airlines. In fact I highly doubt that any airline has ever gotten in legal trouble for serving minors. Remember that most passengers who drink on-board will be sober by the time the plane lands and thus it is highly unlikely for a drunk driving incident to be traced back to an airline. Plus the younger the passenger the less likely they are to be driving a car right after landing.

Also, with alcohol FAs' biggest concern is getting drunk, rowdy passengers. FAs need to work quickly and, when it comes to denying alcohol, I assume they're more concerned about repeat orders getting out-of-hand, versus a seemingly underage person ordering a single beer or wine.

I certantly know that Qantas generally turns a blind eye if they look old enough. Serving champagne to 16 year olds in Business on the ground at JFK!

Bostrom wrote:

If (as some have claimed) it depends on where the aircraft is registrated, how do airlines with aircraft registred in different countries handle it? E.g. SAS has aircraft registred in Norway and Sweden (two countries with rather strict alcohol laws) as well as Denmark (a country with far more liberal alcohol laws).

It is not quite so straight-forward as "rules of registered country apply". Air Canada for instance, on domestic routes follows the alcohol service rules of the Canadian Aviation Regulations AND Provincial Rules with respect to the age of majority (i.e. NO service to anyone under the age of majority, which is either 18 or 19). On international flights they can serve to under 18 with the consent of an accompanying parent or legal guardian. There may be other restrictions while on the ground or airspace of foreign jurisdictions.

There is an ongoing assumption frequently proferrred in these forums that there is a blanket treaty that makes the law of the registered country the law onboard aircraft or some similar variation. That is not true. There are several inter-related treaties regulating aviation and that cover in somewhat different ways everything from safety to citizenship of child born onboard - and they are not by any means uniform.

In the 50's, didn't TWA have to stop liquor service when flying over Kansas because Kansas was a "dry" state at the time?

BostonBeau wrote:

In the 50's, didn't TWA have to stop liquor service when flying over Kansas because Kansas was a "dry" state at the time?

I vaguely remember hearing something about that at one time. There was also the case of USAirways fighting the state of New Mexico over taxes from alcohol sales while the plane was flying over the state.

I've always been under the impression that an aircraft is in it's country of origin, no matter the registration, until the wheels are down at the destination of the flight, where those local laws apply.

The bigger question would be, what if any crime really has taken place. I've drank on planes since I was about 16 or so, granted I was bigger than the average teenager & had a full beard, but had the baby face until I was a Senior in college.

It seems pretty unlikely that anyone would prosecute a kid from getting buzzed on a plane, unless she/he did something super stupid, If his guardians are with them, they'll likely get buzzed, fall asleep & wake up across the ocean safely.

SQ says in its inflight magazine that on sectors to the US, only those 21+ will be served alcohol. But I was served underage when I flew them when I was under 21.

I'm 24 and look rather young, yet the only two places in the US that continuously card me are Publix, the local liquor stores, and Trader Joe’s. Everywhere else is a wash.

I was carded in F class two years ago on AA and it got the attention of everyone else in the cabin. It was rather embarrassing. Even more so when the FA couldn’t find my date of birth on my ID and initially refused to serve me.

Setting us back a few years... My underage-and-totally-looking-the-part sister was not only not carded, but even offered champagne on multiple flights before departure in SFO on United on the way to HKG...

Cunard wrote:

Seeing Orlando is over fifty miles from the coast I presume that you sailed from Port Canaveral.

If your sailing on an American based vessel such as those of Carnival or Royal Caribbean the legal age for drinking alcohol is 21, the same applies if vessels from those companies sail in Europe but as the legal age for drinking alcohol in Europe and in particular the United Kingdom it is 18 but the company demand that the parent or guardian of that passenger sign a disclaimer that allows them legally consume alcohol onboard but I can assure you that not everyone signs that disclaimer so you might get some under 21 drinking alcohol onboard and some that are not allowed due to the disclaimer not being signed at check in. On British based cruise ships the legal age for alcohol consumption onboard ship is 18 which is the age of consent as far as alcohol sales are concerned in the United Kingdom.

A planes manifest along with a ships manifest will contain everyone's date of birth that matches the passengers passport details as well as their cabin number or seat number if it's on a plane but of course this is also for any incidents so it's known how many adults and minors are onboard.

It all depends on where the airlines or ships are registered.

Hehe good point. It was Port Canaveral. It was Disney Cruise Lines, which is US owned, but the ships are registered in another flag of convenience. This was also back in 2000 or so.

Of the hundreds of flights I have taken on AA I will have had a beer on almost every one of them and have never been asked for ID. The only place I get asked for ID in the USA without fail is at the grocery store. What is the point in that? How many 20 year olds are there that look 40? I guess it is because they have to type the DOB into the register?

I have only ever been asked for ID once in the UK and that was at Tesco a few years ago. I had sent my licence to the DVLA and had about £130 worth of food on the belt. The woman working there asked me for my ID, I explained it was at the DVLA, I was actually 32 and that I was a police officer. She looked at my police ID and commented it didnt have my date of birth on there. I resisted the temptation to be sarcastic and told her politely that there are no 17 year old police officers in the UK. She just looked at me with a gormless expression. So I walked off and left her to sort the belt full of shopping I had loaded.

By all means ask people who look youg for ID, but I have grey hair for gods sake! Common sense approach.

GBNWB wrote:

Of the hundreds of flights I have taken on AA I will have had a beer on almost every one of them and have never been asked for ID. The only place I get asked for ID in the USA without fail is at the grocery store. What is the point in that? How many 20 year olds are there that look 40? I guess it is because they have to type the DOB into the register?

I have only ever been asked for ID once in the UK and that was at Tesco a few years ago. I had sent my licence to the DVLA and had about £130 worth of food on the belt. The woman working there asked me for my ID, I explained it was at the DVLA, I was actually 32 and that I was a police officer. She looked at my police ID and commented it didnt have my date of birth on there. I resisted the temptation to be sarcastic and told her politely that there are no 17 year old police officers in the UK. She just looked at me with a gormless expression. So I walked off and left her to sort the belt full of shopping I had loaded.

By all means ask people who look youg for ID, but I have grey hair for gods sake! Common sense approach.

Get back in your pram, LOL

About 10 years ago,my then-wife and I were returning to the UK from Orlando. We were asked for ID at the airport bar. I was 55 at the time and my wife 45. Heck, her eldest child was old enough to join us !

Andy33 wrote:

GBNWB wrote:

I was served many beers back when I was 16 and 17 on BA flights to the USA. No one ever asked for ID.

Same in English pubs back then, providing you didn't cause any trouble they turned a blind eye.

It was and still is the case in the UK that 16 and 17 year-olds can legally drink alcohol in pubs and restaurants provided it is supplied with a meal, they are accompanied by an adult, and don't pay for the alcohol themselves. Since BA haven't yet downgraded transatlantic service to Buy on Board, so there are complimentary meals and alcohol in all classes, only the accompanied by an adult bit might be an issue.
I've never seen anyone asked for ID while onboard a plane, for any purpose. However since the airline takes full passport details at or before check-in on behalf of the UK government, and also supplies the same to the US government, it would be naive to assume the crew don't know how old the passengers are. Much more likely that as long as people are well behaved they just don't care. Most UK citizens will have broken the drinking age rules in their youth.

I am pretty sure I was served wine with my dinner as a 16 year old on BA many years ago... my parents didn't care. Sure, they didn't want me to become an alcoholic or drive while intoxicated, but is one glass of wine with my economy dinner really going to lead to a life of debauchery? No. All these years later, I'm certainly no alcoholic and I have always been very responsible about my drinking, (except for maybe one year or so in college.)

However rules are rules. I was surprised to be served, and I would be surprised if one of my kids was served underage today. My guess is that enforcing the drinking age rules has become a lot more stringent on both sides of the Atlantic since I took that trip many years ago.

I've seen it happen to another passenger on a United Airlines international flight, the passenger did look young but produced some ID and all was sorted without much bother.

GBNWB wrote:

Of the hundreds of flights I have taken on AA I will have had a beer on almost every one of them and have never been asked for ID. The only place I get asked for ID in the USA without fail is at the grocery store. What is the point in that? How many 20 year olds are there that look 40? I guess it is because they have to type the DOB into the register?

I have only ever been asked for ID once in the UK and that was at Tesco a few years ago. I had sent my licence to the DVLA and had about £130 worth of food on the belt. The woman working there asked me for my ID, I explained it was at the DVLA, I was actually 32 and that I was a police officer. She looked at my police ID and commented it didnt have my date of birth on there. I resisted the temptation to be sarcastic and told her politely that there are no 17 year old police officers in the UK. She just looked at me with a gormless expression. So I walked off and left her to sort the belt full of shopping I had loaded.

By all means ask people who look youg for ID, but I have grey hair for gods sake! Common sense approach.

I'll bet if you did make a sarcastic remark, there would have been an official complaint about your conduct and a talking to from your superiors.

Is it wrong to serve coffee to a minor? I remember flying NW when I was 9 or 10 back in 99-2000 or so and they refused to serve me coffee.

USAirKid wrote:

Hehe good point. It was Port Canaveral. It was Disney Cruise Lines, which is US owned, but the ships are registered in another flag of convenience. This was also back in 2000 or so.

If you want to get technical, Disney Cruise Line is the operating name of Magical Cruise Company Limited. Based in - wait for it - London, but with "operational headquarters" in the USA.

kalvado wrote:

Cunard wrote:

Seeing Orlando is over fifty miles from the coast I presume that you sailed from Port Canaveral.

If your sailing on an American based vessel such as those of Carnival or Royal Caribbean the legal age for drinking alcohol is 21, the same applies if vessels from those companies sail in Europe but as the legal age for drinking alcohol in Europe and in particular the United Kingdom it is 18 but the company demand that the parent or guardian of that passenger sign a disclaimer that allows them legally consume alcohol onboard but I can assure you that not everyone signs that disclaimer so you might get some under 21 drinking alcohol onboard and some that are not allowed due to the disclaimer not being signed at check in. On British based cruise ships the legal age for alcohol consumption onboard ship is 18 which is the age of consent as far as alcohol sales are concerned in the United Kingdom.

A planes manifest along with a ships manifest will contain everyone's date of birth that matches the passengers passport details as well as their cabin number or seat number if it's on a plane but of course this is also for any incidents so it's known how many adults and minors are onboard.

It all depends on where the airlines or ships are registered.

Carnival ships mostly fly the flag of Panama, with some Bahamas and Malta in the mix. Royal Caribbean has Bahamas, Liberia, Malta I believe.
It would be an economic disaster to operate a cruise ship with US flag as labor costs would go through the roof. Look at the pricing of Mississippi cruises to get a rough idea of how it works...

I am absolutely aware of where the ships are registered but giving RRCL as example it depends on where the ship is sailing i.e. Europe or the Caribbean the legal age for drinking is 21 but if your sailing from a port let's say in Europe the legal drinking age is 18, as the company as in my example of RCCL are majority American owned it operates under American law as to the legal age of alcohol consumption. When sailing in Europe with RCCL the same laws apply but for anyone from 18 to 21 being able to legally consume alcohol a waiver of declaration by the parents or said guardian has to be signed to allow them to drink, this is logged on the system and can be verified, for example entering the ships nightclub the security staff will more than likely ask for ID if they feel the reason to do so as in any location where alcohol is available.

For Example the Carnival UK brands such as Cunard and P&O fly the Bermudian flag and drinking age is 18 along with Holland America under the Dutch flag it's 18..

Obviously we digress from the original question from the OP.

arcticcruiser wrote:

Well underage means different things in different countries. In the US the government can send a young person out in the military to (potentially) kill or be killed in battle. But they can't have a beer until they turn 21. Quite a few countries have the alcohol age limit at 18. Lower age limits exist.

That is not 100% correct. Many states, including my home state of Massachussetts allow under-21 alcohol drinking as long as it is not at an alcohol selling establishment and with approval from a parent or guardian. In other words, in MA and other states kids under 21 can drink a beer at home in front of their parents.

PatrickZ80 wrote:

It's the minimum drinking age in the country where the plane is registered, those laws apply on board. This does mean for example that anyone is allowed to drink on a Chinese registered flight since China doesn't have a minimum drinking age. In China, even young children are allowed to drink alcohol and so is the case on a Chinese registered flight.

Besides that, not all countries enforce this law as strong as another. Some countries are very easy-going with it. For example, the minimum drinking age in France is 16 but during the wine festivities everyone drinks wine and age doesn't matter. I guess if a 14 or 15 year old would ask for a glass of wine on a French airline they'd just get it with no questions asked.

I seem to remember asking for and getting a cocktail or something when I was quite young (like 12-15). That would have to be UK to France or Netherlands in the 1980s. Didn't fly much back then so I'm not actually sure if that's true or I'm mixing it up with a later flight or some other occasion when free booze was available to a happy teenager...

I believe in the US most if not all States require you to have a Sate issued Alcohol permit for each aircraft, some states have tried to claim that even if the aircraft doesn't land in the state ("Airspace") it is needed. Ihave been on many US carrier flights from Canada and you get no drink in first class pre departure and I think that is due to Canadian drinking laws/permits...I have also been on a flight to Mexico that had a mechanical issue and the aircraft they replaced it with did not have a Mexican Alcohol permit so no drinks were served on the entire flight.

What country are you in if you were flying with a certain airline? So if you are flying Air Canada does it mean you are in Canada (in the plane) and have to follow Canada's laws while onboard the aircraft?

Otherwise, I'm sure a lot of people get away with underage drinking on planes anyways. You may be asked for ID or the flight attendant could just give you a drink without asking you for anything.

BostonBeau wrote:

In the 50's, didn't TWA have to stop liquor service when flying over Kansas because Kansas was a "dry" state at the time?

It was the 1970s. Vern Miller even visited my high school class in 1973, and explained his rationale for enforcing the liquor ban. He raided Amtrak trains, and threatened to raid the airlines. I remember flights leaving Wichita could not serve liquor until they had crossed into another state.

"In the 1970s, Kansas Attorney General Vern Miller renewed the enforcement of Kansas's prohibition, even raiding Amtrak trains traveling through Kansas to stop illegal liquor sales.[6] He also forced airlines to stop serving liquor while traveling through Kansas airspace."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_laws_of_Kansas

Cunard wrote:

Seeing Orlando is over fifty miles from the coast I presume that you sailed from Port Canaveral.

If your sailing on an American based vessel such as those of Carnival or Royal Caribbean the legal age for drinking alcohol is 21, the same applies if vessels from those companies sail in Europe but as the legal age for drinking alcohol in Europe and in particular the United Kingdom it is 18 but the company demand that the parent or guardian of that passenger sign a disclaimer that allows them legally consume alcohol onboard but I can assure you that not everyone signs that disclaimer so you might get some under 21 drinking alcohol onboard and some that are not allowed due to the disclaimer not being signed at check in. On British based cruise ships the legal age for alcohol consumption onboard ship is 18 which is the age of consent as far as alcohol sales are concerned in the United Kingdom..

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/ques ... ard-policy
Royal Caribbean's drinking policy. A few years ago, Royal Caribbean had a waiver that the parents of an adult aged 18-20 could sign to allow him or her to purchase and consume alcohol on board while the ship was in international waters and in ports of call with a lower drinking age (which is fair). The deal was that he/she could only purchase drinks for his/herself.

arcticcruiser wrote:

Well underage means different things in different countries. In the US the government can send a young person out in the military to (potentially) kill or be killed in battle. But they can't have a beer until they turn 21. Quite a few countries have the alcohol age limit at 18. Lower age limits exist.

think of an Australia/Canada flight eg. SYD/YVR connecting to YYC.

Drinking age in all of Australia is 18. In BC 19 & in Alberta 18.

It is not only the registration of the plane that matters. My understanding is that aircraft in Saudi Arabia airspace are not allowed to serve alcohol, regardless of registration of the plane, for example.