Offer someone on the cruse $100 to say they are your chaperone.

Holland America is right. 20 and 23 is too young to get married. You need to live more of your life first.

This happened to one of my best friends, however they did alert him before he payed. I'm not sure of the cruise line, but they stated the same rules. As long as someone is 25 he and his girlfriend may go, but they can't go by themselves.

Later,
Chrome...

"You must be this tall to ride"

What a stupid policy.

...and people wonder why cruises are often viewed as fun for "old people." Good job, Holland America!

No matter what you think about the rule, there is NO legitimate reason for them not to give you a full refund - and in a reasonable world, they would give you your money back no questions asked. In reality though, they may try and shaft you, you pay by credit card? Chargeback?

Wow. Personally, you couldn't get me on one of those big floating cesspools, but that really sucks for the newlyweds. I'm guessing you didn't use a credit card to pay for everything (chargeback) & I don't guess that Holland not allowing you to board would be considered "Breech of Contract" where you live?

A similar situation happened to me on my honeymoon to San Francisco. I was 24 and I booked the Hotel, Flight, and Car through American Airlines *using FF miles. When we flew into SF the Rent-a-car place wouldn't rent me a car... After haggling, the best I could get was an economy class ride and a $75/per day surcharge.

If you can pay then you can play! G'luck!

YOU didn't cancel. THEY did. THEY should pay the cancellation fee, not you.

Talk to your travel agent.

I like Sonicman's chaperone angle. I'd go for something like that to get in.

I'll go with you, otherwise I hope you paid with a credit card so you can hit them up with a charge back.

@B: I really hope that this is a sarcastic comment and it just went over my head. Otherwise, that's just ignorant.

OP: Sorry about your luck, mate. I'd go with the plan to pay another passenger to be your "guardian". Hell, I'd do it for free.

Chargeback. If that doesn't work (or if you can't because you paid with a debit card or another method), small claims court. Sue for the hotel, etc. -- EVERYTHING. I'll guess that you may have paid more than $5K (the small claims limit in most areas), so you may have to go to regular court.

On second thought, don't bother with a chargeback at all since it won't get your hotel or other expenses refunded.

I'm sure some of the policy is just CYA from under-21 American kids using it as a party cruise.

Then again, if I was dropping what I think you'd be dropping for a 20 day cruise, I would sure as heck get it on good authority from several people at Holland what the age restrictions were before booking.

Looks like they're going after all!

[www.lonelyplanet.com]

I'm over 25 and would be happy to escort your wife on this trip

1) Chargeback
2) Civil rights lawsuit (discrimination based on marital status - any half-awake lawyer could survive the motion to dismiss at least).
3) Talk to another cruise line and offer to write really nice things about them in exchange for them giving you a vacation and getting a chance to bad-mouth their competition.
4) AG's office - they'd love to know about all that discrimination stuff.

I would agree with those who suggested the "find a chaperone" route. I'm sure if you go on Cruise Critic's message boards, you would find any number of cruisers who would offer to "chaperone" you for free. That said, I would try to escalate this with HAL - in order to book a room, you must provide all data for all passengers - therefore their system should not have accepted the reservation in the first place.

Nice to see the followup news that they got HAL to get their heads out of their ass and are going.

Phenomenally stupid policy.

@B:
You need to shut your mouth and keep it relevant.

*** Wait - you BECOME her guardian I believe when you marry her... That's why she can Drink in a bar with you.

like 80% sure on this one.

Well, since they get to go, it's a mute point. However, being that I recently ended up on a horrible Carival booze-cruise, I'm glad to know that Holland America has an age minimum. Keep them in mind for next time.

To everyone shouting 'chargeback' and 'sue', I don't think he has a case. As HRHKing alluded to, if the restrictions were in place before booking, neither of those options will stand.

His best bet is to use the honey and forgo the vinegar. Try to work something out with the cruise line. Perhaps they'll allow him to reschedule his trip for when either he turns 25 or his wife turns 21. I know other items are already paid for, but they should have cancellation policies as well.

If the cruise line won't work with them, perhaps they can somehow, with the power of the interwebs, find another couple on the cruise who would be willing to act as chaperone. There may be legal implications to this, however, and may also not be a good idea. Should his wife get drunk underage, the 'chaperone' might be held responsible.

There is only one thing I can see that can help the guy...did he have to give his age and his wife's age when booking? If so, the agent should have made him aware of the policy.

@graphikartistry: Depends on the state. :)

@Norcross: Moot point.

The party did not cancel, the cruise was not cancelled - the company refused service. They have ample grounds to contest any cancellation fee.

@graphikartistry: I thought the under-21 ban on drinking was universal, and the only way to be able to legally drink is to be 21 or over.

Perhaps you and your bride could wear fake beards and modify your passports with pictures of your new look? Maybe change your birthdates and add a "beard color" line as well to your passports?

Discriminitory practice. Find a disbarred lawyer and sue. Although they may wave the random third-world country flag the ship is chartered under and escape.

@B: What, you can't live your life with other people in it?

@Buran: Only in the good old US of A.

@Buran: Or to live in a nation with a lower drinking age. What sort of crazy country wants people to marry sober?

@Buran: No, most states allow minors to drink in restricted conditions. Wikipedia has a good map: [en.wikipedia.org]

APIS (whose map it is, and what the key refers to) says:

"APIS codes two types of family member exceptions. First is an exception for consumption with parental/guardian consent and/or parental/guardian presence. Second is an exception for married minors. Like the parent/guardian exception, the spouse exception allows consumption when the minor's spouse is present and/or consents. Some States specify that the spouse must be of legal age, while others do not.

[...] Some jurisdictions limit family member exceptions to specific locations. For example, a minor might be allowed to consume alcohol with parental consent in their parents' residence, but not elsewhere.

Some States allow an exception for consumption on private property. States vary in the extent of the private property exception which may extend to all private locations, private residences only, or in the home of a parent or guardian only. In some jurisdictions, the location exception is conditional on the presence and/or consent of the parent, legal guardian, or spouse.

Some States also allow exceptions for educational purposes (e.g., students in culinary schools), religious purposes (e.g., sacramental use of alcoholic beverages), or medical purposes.

Finally, some States prohibit underage consumption only on licensed premises. Because the prohibitions are narrow, APIS codes such States as having no law prohibiting consumption."
[alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov]

Wow - that's terrible!

Thanks for the tip - I'm 23 and getting married this September. Rest assured that, at the very least, Holland America lost a potential customer.

As a side note, car rental places screw their young customers in a similar way - either you can't rent a car altogether if you're under 25, or you have to pay a bogus fee per day.

Sigh. At least we don't have wrinkles yet.

You can always tell the commenters who never bother to read the other comments first before posting away anyway.

Problem solved people, nothing to see here! Move along...

Can't understand why people continue to cruise! In this terrorist environment (or Pirate depending where you go) I'm happy to stay in the USA! When you cruise, I believe you are no longer under United States law and in doing so you take your hard earned money from the USA and are supporting these companies that do not abide by the rules we enjoy in making the money spent on these trips. They practically make their own rules. I will never take a cruise. Wonder why our economy is in the condition it is in!

I'm not a big fan of travel-agents, but I will admit, if you have a good one, and he/she saves the day, spread the recommendation.

Holland America: you have a putz policy; clean it up a bit.

WE ARE GOING ON OUR CRUISE!!!!!

My travel agent drove over to tell me the news, because she was so excited and couldn't do it over the phone. She had got a call from her HAL rep at 8AM, 6AM Seattle time, who had been pushing this case with Holland America.

The HAL rep's name was Alicia and I want to give a big thanks to her for really sticking it out for us. I know she had to reopen our case and go above and beyond to find someone who would listen. She said she got a call at 1AM from her director who was told that we would be allowed to board. I am so excited!!!

I can't thank all of you enough, who kept posting all day yesterday and last night. There was so little hope because HAL had faxed over our cancellation notice yesterday afternoon and were only going to refund $400. But you guys kept talking and spurring debate on this arbitrary age requirement rule of being 25. I know they were listening to all of us, even if they didn't say so.

If we had gotten no response by this afternoon, I had planned to start using all of your great ideas out there. I'm just so happy it didn't have to make it to that stage. I've been on three HAL cruises with my family and always considered there service the best. That is why I selected them for my honeymoon. I'm so glad they didn't let me down.

Alicia said it had made her day being able to come in to work early and make that call. It is her birthday too, so an extra Happy Birthday to you and a big thanks from us Alicia. Enjoy the flowers!

And thanks again everyone for your support, ideas, and help in this matter!!!

WE ARE GOING ON OUR CRUISE!!! WE ARE GOING ON OUR CRUISE!!!!! My travel agent drove over to tell me the news, because she was so excited and couldn’t do it over the phone. She had got a call from her HAL rep at 8AM, 6AM Seattle time, who had been pushing this case with Holland America. The HAL rep’s name was Alicia and I want to give a big thanks to her for really sticking it out for us. I know she had to reopen our case and go above and beyond to find someone who would listen. She said she got a call at 1AM from her director who was told that we would be allowed to board. I am so excited!!! I can’t thank all of you enough, who kept posting all day yesterday and last night. There was so little hope because HAL had faxed over our cancellation notice yesterday afternoon and were only going to refund $400. But you guys kept talking and spurring debate on this arbitrary age requirement rule of being 25. I know they were listening to all of us, even if they didn’t say so. If we had gotten no response by this afternoon, I had planned to start using all of your great ideas out there. I’m just so happy it didn’t have to make it to that stage. I’ve been on three HAL cruises with my family and always considered there service the best. That is why I selected them for my honeymoon. I’m so glad they didn’t let me down. Alicia said it had made her day being able to come in to work early and make that call. It is her birthday too, so an extra Happy Birthday to you and a big thanks from us Alicia. Enjoy the flowers! And thanks again everyone for your support, ideas, and help in this matter!!! Austin M. Owens Chief Financial Officer Owens Financial Network Office: (417) 865-2475 Fax: (417) 865-3133 _________________________________________________________________ Get Free (PRODUCT) RED™ Emoticons, Winks and Display Pics. http://joinred.spaces.live.com?ocid=TXT_HMTG_prodredemoticons_052008

When I first read this story I assumed the guy booked the cruise himself. Maybe just on the internet or something. I pretty much thought he was hooped unless somebody at Holland America decided be reasonable and at least give him full refund.

It turns he actually had a travel agent who I assume booked it for him. She should have known about the age restriction. I don't see how he could be held accountable for her oversight. She's supposed to be the professional. She's being paid to take care of these details.

@thrlsekr: You might want to make sure you're getting plenty of oxygen over there, I think I detect hypoxia.

Kidding aside, I think you should really consider your "I only spend my money in America" stance, given that the profits of 90% of the products in your home go to places where "companies do not abide by the rules we enjoy in making the money".

Yeah.

23? Married? HOW do you afford a 20-day CRUISE?!

There are some larger boats that you can board at 18. However they are owned by the navy and you have to reserve a 4 year tour.

I'm glad they were able to work it out. I took a honeymoon cruise with my husband (almost one year ago to the day) when he was 21 and I was 20. We had no problems booking or boarding, but were required to bring our marriage certificate to prove we were legit since I was underage at the time.

@Eyebrows McGee: That was fascinating - being well over 21 it doesn't apply to me anymore, but I had no idea there were exceptions for marriage.

I'm glad the couple in question was able to get this worked out - kudos to their travel agent. I guess this is one reason to still enlist their help, in this era of online booking sites. I feel sorry that they had to worry about this at all (yes, even though it was in the rules) - people already have enough going on just before a wedding.

@thrlsekr:

Cruising with potential Pirates sounds exciting, THRILLING even. If I were to ever seek a thrill, it would have to be on a lawless ship where the rules could change at any time. That's just me. Or I could just be quiet and go to Six Flags, whatev.

The most amazing part of this story is that they a) used a travel agent who b) booked a young 20s couple on a Holland America cruise!

Good that they get to go, but they will be the youngest passengers on the entire ship, probably by about 40 years!

Maybe they will get lots of "adopted grandparent" wedding gifts?

@B:

Agreed! And what better way to stop these kids from living more of their life than preventing them from experiencing... an enriching... vacation... wait.