For my son’s birthday, I agreed to pay for four of his friends (ages 16–17) to come on a Carnival cruise with us. About three months ago, I spoke with all their parents and they agreed enthusiastically.
I told them I would cover the cruise, but they would need to handle their kids’ spending money and optional internet. I also set up a group chat with all parents (with their permission), mainly for coordination.
Recently, one of the parents assumed the trip wasn’t happening and told her child, which led to confusion. I contacted her directly and found out she still hadn’t submitted required travel documents like passports or IDs to go with birth certificates. She said she would take care of it, but I haven’t heard any updates since then.
To avoid issues, I sent a message to the group chat last week reminding everyone we are getting close to the sail date. I also asked for a document check about a month before departure, including notarized permission letters to travel with their children, since I know cruise lines can be strict. I also suggested meeting up to set up onboard accounts and optional internet for the kids. Only one parent responded, one reacted with a heart, and the other two haven’t replied.
I’m now wondering two things:
Was it unreasonable or offensive to ask for a document check before the trip?
And what can I do if any of the parents back out last minute after I’ve already paid for their kids’ cruises?
I’m just trying to do something nice for my son’s birthday after some difficult years, so I want to make sure everything is handled properly.
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