Charging Adult prices for 6 years old?

[Starry Eyes]

Not really. The airline sells seats. Under 2 can fly as a "lap child." No seat. Sits in your lap the entire flight. I am an airline pilot. I will tell you that trying to hold an 18 month old child in your lap during an emergency landing, or during turbulence is potentially fatal. However the FAA deems it ok.

Anyway, at 2 the child must be in a seat as he/she is considered by the FAA as "too heavy" to safely hold and secure. So, a seat is sold at whatever price a seat is sold at. If you have a guitar that you want to have a seat for (many musicians do this), you buy a ticket at the same fare for the guitar. As seat is a seat. So, not the sam "universe" in any way.

 

Oh, I think they are indeed in the same universe...the universe of arbitrary rules based upon age. The details of business models are different, of course, but rather arbitrary age cut off exists for both. For safety, would you agree babies of all ages would be safer on a plane if buckled into an appropriate carrier in their own seat? Of course, parents would have to pay for that seat, so instead FAA made an arbitrary age cutoff...visualzing what would happen in accident or severe turbulence, I'd be inclined to call that a baby-crusher exception. If not for the amazing airline safety records, i shudder at the thought. The FAA cutoff is not based on child's weight or activity level or adult's ability to handle child...making such judgements is difficult while age is easier.

 

Cruise lines have more space in dining rooms than airlines have on planes, so the actual seat is less the issue. Instead it is supply vs demand (charging even a little reduces demand and reduces double booking) and no shows vs cancellations (more likely to cancel than to just not show up). Once they decide a charge is a good idea, the cruise line also had to make a choice...where to begin charging for attendance...so they selected a rather arbitrary age. Not identical, but another situation where adult and child are charged the same.

Edited October 22, 2015 by Starry Eyes

[alfaeric]

So, it does matter, apparently. Since my almost 5 year old is getting a free/reduced rate and her 6 year old brother is paying the same as his 40 year old father. So there is a line, I'm just questioning where it's drawn.

 

The line has to be drawn somewhere.

 

If it were between 6 and 7, someone would ask the same question for their pair of kids, or you would be in a year.

 

If it were between 4 and 5, you would have asked a year ago.

 

Some kids eat like adults at 6, some at 13. Some kids will be creative artists on cupcakes at 5, others at 9.

 

between 5 and 6 may be arbitrary, but there does have to be a line.

 

How would you draw the line?

[mil76]

This is a decent point for the OP to consider. I've been present when my wife did this class on Allure and Freedom. The last time on Freedom, there was a 8 year old girl next to her and she didn't enjoy the class, she fussed and fidgeted the whole time. Her father was next to her and did a great job helping her and keeping her engaged, but it was a lot of work for both of them. I doubt he would do it again with her for a couple of years. I know kids vary, but 6 might be too young for this activity.

 

As for the dreamworks breakfast, he is one body and they limit to a a specific number. He may not eat as much as an adult, but he requires the same amount of attention from the characters.

 

I know if my wife made me go to this class on a cruise I wouldn't enjoy it either and would be fussing and fidgeting the whole time...

 

The line has to be drawn somewhere.

 

If it were between 6 and 7, someone would ask the same question for their pair of kids, or you would be in a year.

 

If it were between 4 and 5, you would have asked a year ago.

 

Some kids eat like adults at 6, some at 13. Some kids will be creative artists on cupcakes at 5, others at 9.

 

between 5 and 6 may be arbitrary, but there does have to be a line.

 

How would you draw the line?

 

Well, I think the line is already drawn by RCCL. When you go to book the cruise, the dropdown for number of passengers has Children listed as 0-12, so they define the definition of a child in their eyes at the first interaction during the cruising process.

[BamaGuy44]

The line has to be drawn somewhere.

 

If it were between 6 and 7, someone would ask the same question for their pair of kids, or you would be in a year.

 

If it were between 4 and 5, you would have asked a year ago.

 

Some kids eat like adults at 6, some at 13. Some kids will be creative artists on cupcakes at 5, others at 9.

 

between 5 and 6 may be arbitrary, but there does have to be a line.

 

How would you draw the line?

 

They can draw the line anywhere they want and charge whatever they want, my issue is with the disingenuous wording of saying it's free for kids, when any reasonable person would consider a 6 year old a kid. If they marketed it as "Free for anyone under age 6" that would be fine and very few would have an issue.

 

Not a huge deal either way, but it's shady marketing-speak IMO, which I'm not a fan of.

[Starry Eyes]

They can draw the line anywhere they want and charge whatever they want, my issue is with the disingenuous wording of saying it's free for kids, when any reasonable person would consider a 6 year old a kid. If they marketed it as "Free for anyone under age 6" that would be fine and very few would have an issue.

 

Not a huge deal either way, but it's shady marketing-speak IMO, which I'm not a fan of.

 

Could you or the OP link to the page marketing the character breakfast as free for kids? I did not see that marketing when I googled it. The page I got disclosed fee for ages 6 and up, so you must be on some other page. Did not find that marketing for cupcake cupboard classes either...could you link to it, please? Might they be old webpages rather than current marketing?

[LuvWilliam]

I wasnt upset because I paid third person pricing our 12.5 month old oh Indy... But I was upset when I had to pay 6-8 dollars an hour for the nursery. I paid a grand for a child that didn't eat anything, didn't drink anything and didn't take up any room in the cabin (slept in bed with us) I just think that's crazy.

[John&LaLa]

I wasnt upset because I paid third person pricing our 12.5 month old oh Indy... But I was upset when I had to pay 6-8 dollars an hour for the nursery. I paid a grand for a child that didn't eat anything, didn't drink anything and didn't take up any room in the cabin (slept in bed with us) I just think that's crazy.

 

I believe I answered this issue earlier. Don't bring him. ;)

On the other hand, I would pay third person rates to bring my dog.