Kids Sail for Free Promotions?

[ToddlerMom]

What lines have done Kids Sail Free promotions? I know from searching that NCL did one last spring for fall cruises. Is that something they do every year? And is it usually done at about the same time every year?

 

Does RCCL ever do a promotion like this?

[luvtravelbug]

Disney had a promotion earlier this year for kids sail free to Alaska. I think it was for the first few sailings of the season (May). If we had not already gone in January we would have been on that! I don't know if this is something they offer every year but it might be worth keeping a look out for.

[dolphinwyo]

Disney has one going right now to Mexico.

[crusinmama06]

Disney has one going on more often than the others - but they are the most expensive...here is the latest

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/special-offers/kids-sail-free-mexican-riviera/

 

Royal Caribbean - NO -- it hasn't been in a LONG time. :mad: Once they did a "Kids sail for $99" and that was wayyy back in, I think, 2007. We all keep begging (and complaining) for RCI to do one. I actually cancelled my RCI cruise when NCL came out with their KIDS SAIL FREE.

 

Which leads me to NCL....they have, right now, in 2011, 3rd, 4th and 5th sail free. But we are waiting for the Kids Sail Free promotion to come back - last year (and the year before) it was released for ONE week in May.

 

Holland America have Kids Sail for reduced rates (and sometimes free)

 

When those promotions are released - you will see them posted here at the family board. :D

[sandytoes03]

MSC also has some Kids sail free deals too.

[CeleBrat]

I JUST booked (2 days ago) the Costa Atlantica 10-day cruise with kids free, resulting in a fare of less than $2000 for the 4 of us. That's insane, especially since it is during Spring Break.

 

We've sailed Costa before, and enjoy them. It's a sister-line to Carnival, with identical ships to Carnival, and FABULOUS authentic Italian food.

 

Can't wait! :D

 

CeleBrat

[Friend100]

HAL has 3rd/4th pax free for some itineraries.

[loveysbydesign]

I JUST booked (2 days ago) the Costa Atlantica 10-day cruise with kids free, resulting in a fare of less than $2000 for the 4 of us. That's insane, especially since it is during Spring Break.

 

We've sailed Costa before, and enjoy them. It's a sister-line to Carnival, with identical ships to Carnival, and FABULOUS authentic Italian food.

 

Can't wait! :D

 

CeleBrat

Hmmm, I;ll have to check them out!:D

[ToddlerMom]

Was the Epic included in last year's Kids Sail Free promotion?

[crusinmama06]

Was the Epic included in last year's Kids Sail Free promotion?

 

Yes it was. :D

[mitsugirly]

I love the kids sail free promotion as well. I'm hoping they decide to do it again next year. I will definitely take advantage of it and book a few cruises. You just never know when they decide to have it.:(

[Keith1010]

I would try to get on some of the e mail lists for these ships so you are up to date on any of these kids sail free or reduced rate for kid promotions.

 

Keith

[Kristi Williamson]

NCL has their "Buy the 1st three...the rest sail free" going on right now through the end of 2011. We just booked the 10dayer to the Southern Carib. out of Miami on the Dawn, in a Deluxe Owner's Suite, for what we normally pay for two connecting balconies on 7 day cruises.

 

We are so excited! I hope some others can take advantage of this!

 

My sister is considering the family balcony on the 7 day out of Tampa and she made out pretty good with it, also. She only got one "free" (taxes still must be paid!), but with the reduced 3rd pax fare, it was still only 2300 and some odd dollars for four people in a family balcony in a lovely Western itinerary. I think that's pretty good, and that itinerary will still have very warm weather!

[williamson_ja]

NCL has their "Buy the 1st three...the rest sail free" going on right now through the end of 2011.

How does this work? Can't you only fit 4 in a cabin anyway? So, how would you get more than 1 free? We have a large family (9 of us all together) and usually have to book several cabins. Only 8 of us going this time, so we were able to fit into 2 cabins. Could you book all 8-9 of us and only pay for the first 3? That would be way awesome for big families! I would love to know the rules of this promo.

[mitsugirly]

How does this work? Can't you only fit 4 in a cabin anyway? So, how would you get more than 1 free? We have a large family (9 of us all together) and usually have to book several cabins. Only 8 of us going this time, so we were able to fit into 2 cabins. Could you book all 8-9 of us and only pay for the first 3? That would be way awesome for big families! I would love to know the rules of this promo.

 

They have to be all in the same cabin. So you'd have to get an expensive suite costing thousands to fit everyone...if everyone could fit in that cabin. But if you have to get 2 cabins, you'd have to pay for the first 3 in each cabin and the 4th in each would be free. :(

[Lady_Gamecock]

I just spoke with an NCL Salesperson and she said that they have a 4th PAX free on bookings/sailings prior to the end of 2011.

 

Short notice, but might be nice for some families! :p

[atlantahopper]

I did this type of promotion on MSC about two years ago and it worked well. I think MSC is the ONLY cruise line that offers kids sail free year round without exclusions or blackout dates. I never knew other cruise lines had these promotions until this past April 2011 - was on the NCL Jewel and the cruise consultant told me that they were about to release the Kids Sail Free Sale on the day we disembarked. Sure enough, logged in and there it was! I jumped in on that sale and booked the NCL Sun for the week of 11/5 - 11/12 (which we just did a few weeks ago) and paid $1650 for the 4 of us in a family oceanview that could sleep up to 5. Only paid the port charges on the kids.

 

Can't wait for next year's sale, and now I am so happy that there is a forum that can keep me posted! Many thanks to those of you that share the sales, it really helps a lot of us out! ;)

[Evangaline]

I'm afraid this is not going to be popular, but too be brutally honest, if I see a ship has kids sail free promotions, I avoid the ship. Too many kids on a ship is really not a good thing for anyone who is not traveling with kids.

[ladeeesquire]

I'm afraid this is not going to be popular, but too be brutally honest, if I see a ship has kids sail free promotions, I avoid the ship. Too many kids on a ship is really not a good thing for anyone who is not traveling with kids.

 

Good. So it works out for everyone!

[mitsugirly]

I'm afraid this is not going to be popular, but too be brutally honest, if I see a ship has kids sail free promotions, I avoid the ship. Too many kids on a ship is really not a good thing for anyone who is not traveling with kids.

 

First of all you have to take into consideration that there are 365 days in the year...all of which to choose from. Every time they've had the kids sail free promotion (from what I've seen) you can pick any time (with the exception of certain ships I believe that were not included in the special). Which is not like the current promotion that have/had with the 4th person sails free only up until the end of the year. So the chances of every family picking the same ship at the same time to cruise with their children the same time you do...is highly unlikely. There won't be any more on the ships as there normally would on any particular cruise during any certain time.

 

Also, it depends WHEN you cruise. We did the kids sail free last year and took our 3 year old in September after most children had went back to school. It was no different or no more crowded than any other off season and certainly didn't have an abundance amount of children running around the ship as any other time without the promotion. :)

[Friend100]

Good. So it works out for everyone!

 

Ditto.:rolleyes:

[beccawes7471]

"I'm afraid this is not going to be popular, but too be brutally honest, if I see a ship has kids sail free promotions, I avoid the ship. Too many kids on a ship is really not a good thing for anyone who is not traveling with kids"

 

I think this depends on when and where. We benefitted from HAL's 3-4th passenger $99 on our Alaskan cruise this June and there were a handful of children on board. Well maybe 100 out of 1800 or so. We had our 2 and 11 year old with us and I dont even remember seeing other children in our dining rotation.

[ToddlerMom]

In case anyone is interested in an Alaskan itinerary, I just did a dummy booking on one of the internet sites for HAL in September 2012 and it showed that the 3rd passenger would be free plus taxes. (starting to get curious about Alaskan and trying to get a feel for what it would cost us)

[Lady_Gamecock]

"I'm afraid this is not going to be popular, but too be brutally honest, if I see a ship has kids sail free promotions, I avoid the ship. Too many kids on a ship is really not a good thing for anyone who is not traveling with kids"

 

 

HA HA. That's funny, because my 5 yr old always asks if the ship is going to be full of "old people from old people areas." She has listened to stories about a cruise we took when I was prego with her and many of those sailing were grumpy, toothless, in diapers, and not polite.

 

No need to flame, just from the mouth of babes. :D

[bliss_fully_happy]

Gosh - why can't cruises be filled with only people in their 30s that are beautiful?

 

I mean why let kids or old people on cruises at all? What line only allows those in there 30s?

 

So to get back on topic, so May for the NCL deal, RCI does not run the kids sail free deal. Any other line I should know about or watch?

 

What are people's experience with MSC?