AITA for abandoning my parents at an island in the Caribbean so I could get back to our cruise in time?

An 18-year-old on a family cruise cautioned their parents multiple times to adhere to the rigid tour itinerary. When the parents persisted in shopping and disregarded the designated time of return, the teenager went back to the vessel unaccompanied, abandoning them.

The parents arrived 45 minutes late and, facing a hefty bill for a flight to catch up with the ship, are now faulting their teen for the boat’s failure to delay its departure. See the original article below…

‘ AITA for abandoning my parents at an island in the Caribbean so I could get back to our cruise in time? ‘

I finished secondary school the previous December. My parents gave me a boat trip as a present to celebrate both my entry into adulthood and as a family getaway. We generally spend our holidays at fully catered holiday complexes, but sailing on a ship has always appealed to me.

I explained to my folks that this trip would be unlike others, emphasizing the need to adhere to the itinerary during outings. Despite this, on our week-long cruise, they disregarded my instructions to return to the vessel at the designated time, opting instead to continue browsing and negotiating prices with local vendors.

I eventually announced my intention to return to the vessel. My mother bid me farewell. They were significantly late for the sailing, approximately 45 minutes. They contacted me via WhatsApp, questioning my decision not to delay the ship’s departure for their benefit.

I had the urge to yell that they weren’t about to make life difficult for 3,998 individuals simply because two people couldn’t grasp the concept of a timetable. Ultimately, they were forced to take a costly flight to the subsequent port from that location. Now, they’re angry with me for abandoning them.

I don’t know what I was supposed to do. They literally told me that they knew what they were doing. I wish I had never asked for this. They are making me miserable because I left without them.

Check out how the community responded:

OwlPal9182 −  NTA they seriously think the ship will delay for 45 minutes, yea no. The docks and ship have a schedule to keep. They are adults and need to be responsible for getting back on time. Which is something you have figured out in less than 6 months of being an adult. At least you don’t have to go on any more vacations with them after this.

ParsimoniousSalad −  NTA. Your parents are acting entitled. Tell them you saved them the expense of a third ticket to the next port.

Aggravating-Pain9249 −  Your parents are in the wrong. I don’t do cruises but I have some experience with them because I travel to a place were cruise ships are common. I also thought passengers were warned that the ship leaves no matter who is on board.

You could not have stopped the cruise ship from its departure. The schedule is fixed, and they adhere to it strictly. The ship won’t delay its departure for anyone. Your parents are solely responsible, as they failed to respect the ship’s schedule. NTA.

WesternBlueRanger −  NTA. Cruise ships have a schedule to keep, and there was no way they would wait for just two passengers without knowing where they were. They MIGHT wait if there’s a whole bunch of passengers being delayed on an excursion that was organized by the cruise ship company, but that’s iffy.

The_Coaltrain −  What precisely do they think you could have done? Kidnapped the captain? Staged your own drowning? You didn’t abandon them, they abandoned you, don’t let them weasel word this around to being your fault in any way, shape or form!

I truly regret that your parents have spoiled this for you. It is quite sad that they are holding you accountable for their easily preventable and conscious poor choice. At a minimum, they should apologize twice: first, for disregarding your sound counsel, and second, for acting like petulant children. You are not the wrongdoer, and I sincerely wish you would have your parents read this discussion.

Silmariel −  I would 100% ask for help from an official looking employee, and make my parents stand there with their straight faces and have to listen to that employee explain it to them.. NTA

chocolaux −  NTA. In addition to you explaining that the ship will not wait for them, I am sure they were made aware of this by the cruise workers many times. They chose to ignore the guidelines and as a result had to face the consequences of their actions.

That’s the essence of adulthood, and they come across as childish and self-centered for attempting to hold you accountable for their flawed judgment.

I_wanna_be_anemone −  Look at it this way, you saved them having to pay out for a third airline ticket. They were warned, thought they knew better, now are facing the consequences. Ask them sincerely what else you were supposed to do in reality when they’ve signed contracts as part of being on the cruise?

NTA

Rest assured, the cruise company explicitly states that passengers are accountable for returning to the vessel punctually.

Toasterinthetub22 −  Do they think a plane would wait 45 mins for them? Clearly they were able to navigate that. You are NTA.

DinaFelice −  I’ve been on a half-dozen cruises in my life. On every single one, the information about returning to the ship on time was: listed on the tickets, announced in welcome/safety announcements, on a placard in the room, and prominently posted when you disembarked the ship.

They’re grown-ups, so they can’t reasonably say they didn’t know such a fundamental cruise regulation. More than that, you gave them a heads-up when you weren’t on the boat, but they ignored what you said. And now they’re trying to put the blame on *you* because you didn’t have the power to change all of the ship’s rules? You’re not the bad guy.

Was the adolescent obligated to intervene further, or were the parents accountable for what they did? Post your opinions down below!