Teenager leaves family on island after missing cruise departure

A teenager wonders if he made the right decision to abandon his family on vacation.

In a recent Reddit post shared on the popular “Am I The A**hole?” » subreddit, the teen explained that for a combination of an 18th birthday present and a high school graduation present, their parents treated them to a cruise, which became a family vacation.

Normally, the family only goes to “all-inclusive” resorts and has been warned in advance that the cruises operate on a strict schedule that must be followed.

“It was a week-long cruise and they didn’t want to go back to the boat when I told them it was time to leave. They were busy shopping and bargaining with the locals. I finally said I was going back to the boat. My mom waved me off,” the teen wrote in his Reddit post.

Their parents ultimately missed the boat's departure by 45 minutes and contacted the author of the Reddit post to ask why they didn't stop the boat from leaving without them.

“I wanted to scream that they weren't going to bother 3,998 people because two of them didn't understand what a schedule was,” the teen continued. “They ended up having to fly to the next port and it was expensive. They're mad at me for leaving them behind. »

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

After the post, many people were quick to take to the comments section to express their agreement with the teen's opinion and their general frustration with their parents, pointing out that both adults should have been able to return to the ship on time.

“They seriously think the boat is going to be 45 minutes late, yeah no,” one comment began. “The docks and the boat have a schedule to respect. They are adults and they must be responsible for coming back on time. It's something you've figured out in less than six months of adult life. At least you won't need to go on vacation with them after that. »

“Your parents are wrong,” agreed another user. “I don't do cruises, but I have some experience with this type of cruise because I'm traveling to a place where cruise ships are common. I also thought that passengers were notified that the boat was leaving, regardless of who was on board. »

“You could never have stopped the cruise ship from leaving. They have a schedule and they stick to it. The ship doesn’t wait for anyone. It’s all up to your parents. They didn’t stick to the ship’s schedule.”

A third commenter even pointed out that he wasn't sure what the teen could have done to stop the ship from departing, given that the schedule is usually announced before the cruise itself.

“What exactly do they think you could have done? Kidnap the captain? Arrange for your own drowning? You didn't abandon them, they abandoned you, don't let them make it like it's your fault in any way!” the comment read.

“I'm so sorry your parents ruined this for you. It's pretty pathetic of them to blame you for their deliberately bad and extremely easy-to-avoid decision. They owe you at least two apologies, one for ignoring your sage advice in the first place, and the other for behaving like spoiled four-year-olds.”