Kids Sail Free

[SellaVee]

I've just read this on Facebook:

"This summer, embark on a family adventure across Europe in unparalleled luxury with our NEWLY ADDED Kids Sail Free voyages."

 

I wish I'd known they were going to do this before I booked.  I don’t know what made me think I was going on a adult orientated voyage.  I adore children and we spend a fair bit of time looking after our grands, but I was looking forward to some grown up time.

 

Looks like my first Regent cruise will be my last.

[cAPS lOCK oN]

11 minutes ago, SellaVee said:

Looks like my first Regent cruise will be my last.

Well, at least you gave them a chance.🙄

[poolechick]

26 minutes ago, SellaVee said:

I've just read this on Facebook:

"This summer, embark on a family adventure across Europe in unparalleled luxury with our NEWLY ADDED Kids Sail Free voyages."

 

I wish I'd known they were going to do this before I booked.  I don’t know what made me think I was going on a adult orientated voyage.  I adore children and we spend a fair bit of time looking after our grands, but I was looking forward to some grown up time.

 

Looks like my first Regent cruise will be my last.

This would make me livid. LIVID!

I'm so sorry they did this.

[Pcardad]

Kids are welcome on all Regent cruises and the standard additional charge to put them in the parent's cabin is pretty negligible. This is more marketing than a big savings.

[SellaVee]

15 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

Kids are welcome on all Regent cruises and the standard additional charge to put them in the parent's cabin is pretty negligible. This is more marketing than a big savings.

I think you're probably right, and that's what worries me.  On both Windstar and Oceania, we've encountered a few very well behaved children, but this new marketing suggests Regent is trying to attract more families with children, which will change the experience.  I'm concerned that they've just announced it after a lot of people have booked.

[Pcardad]

54 minutes ago, SellaVee said:

I think you're probably right, and that's what worries me.  On both Windstar and Oceania, we've encountered a few very well behaved children, but this new marketing suggests Regent is trying to attract more families with children, which will change the experience.  I'm concerned that they've just announced it after a lot of people have booked.

You will find any children...if there are any...to be extremely well behsved....possibly better behaved than the adults. 😉

[SWFLAOK]

1 minute ago, Pcardad said:

You will find any children...if there are any...to be extremely well behsved....possibly better behaved than the adults. 😉

That's not what we found on Regent cruises in the summer when there have been plenty of kids. Both a Mariner Alaska cruise in August, and a Voyager July cruise of the Med had enough kids that they traveled in groups, taking over areas that they enjoyed (the pool in July for example). They were mostly from big family groups (which Regent started marketing to a few years ago, apparently with discounts offered). There were no adults from their family groups keeping them in check. They also disrupted excursions, chasing each other and pushing their way through the tour groups.

After the second cruise, we stopped taking cruises during the summer since that limits kids to those less than 5, and those that are home schooled.

[poolechick]

1 hour ago, SellaVee said:

I think you're probably right, and that's what worries me.  On both Windstar and Oceania, we've encountered a few very well behaved children, but this new marketing suggests Regent is trying to attract more families with children, which will change the experience.  I'm concerned that they've just announced it after a lot of people have booked.

After people have booked, and possibly already paid is what I find so outrageous. People signed up for one cruise and poof suddenly the vibe changes dramatically. 

[poolechick]

17 minutes ago, SWFLAOK said:

That's not what we found on Regent cruises in the summer when there have been plenty of kids. Both a Mariner Alaska cruise in August, and a Voyager July cruise of the Med had enough kids that they traveled in groups, taking over areas that they enjoyed (the pool in July for example). They were mostly from big family groups (which Regent started marketing to a few years ago, apparently with discounts offered). There were no adults from their family groups keeping them in check. They also disrupted excursions, chasing each other and pushing their way through the tour groups.

After the second cruise, we stopped taking cruises during the summer since that limits kids to those less than 5, and those that are home schooled.

My biggest nightmare and exactly why we'll never cruise during summer or holidays. 

[rcandkc]

5 minutes ago, poolechick said:

My biggest nightmare and exactly why we'll never cruise during summer or holidays. 

Exactly, we usually only book  May or late August in summer months or LONGER  more expensive cruises during summer.  This has worked so far. 

[Jim Avery]

Seems Regent is searching for a new identity.  Has to choose which way it wants to go.  Only sure no kids is Viking and they have some issues as they all do.  I am in the no kids camp but enjoy Regent when it is on its game.

[rcandkc]

I’m not against a few kids…but a cruise with very many no.  If I wanted that I would be on mega ship with my grandkids and the activities for them. 

[NYC-London]

1 hour ago, Pcardad said:

You will find any children...if there are any...to be extremely well behsved....possibly better behaved than the adults. 😉

I have traveled on many cruises with special children fares and Pcardad is correct, the children are better behaved than the adults. What I have found many times, is that the adults will look for ANYTHING to complain about with regard to children, yet outrageous behavior by adults is ignored and accepted. I will never forget one summer we were sitting at the table for ten with our two boys, at the time aged 8 and 10. They were brought up with proper manners, meaning that if a woman either leaves or returns to the table, they are to stand in respect. Two days later I am on the bus listening to people complain about the two young boys who couldn't sit still and were constantly standing up like Mexican jumping beans for no reason. This was not an isolated incident, I could write a book about the same adults complaining about the children should look into the mirror with regard to their own behavior.  Another instance when one of boys was "monopolizing" the chess board - at the time he was a nationally ranked chess player, which he did not make known and these grown men acted like little babies when they constantly lost to him. Some even accused him of cheating. 

 

I remember on one cruise there was a 4 year old who was constantly running around and people started complaining - until they learned he was the child of an officer and all of a sudden everything this kid did was "cute".

 

Regent is not a "family" cruise line - the demographics that Regent is marketing to is "generational cruising", either grandparents taking their grandchildren or multi-generational travel, i.e. grandparents, parents, children.

 

The one time we had a problem with a teenager, as soon as the parents found out they ensured that their children not only apologize to all the neighbors, but also write apology notes. The serious crime - they were playing in the hallway.

 

Go on the cruise with an open mind and maybe get to know some of the children aboard - in my experience, children on Regent cruises are not only well behaved, they are generally well traveled, well educated and well read and quite interesting.

 

 

[SellaVee]

6 hours ago, Pcardad said:

You will find any children...if there are any...to be extremely well behsved....possibly better behaved than the adults. 😉

This has been my experience in the past on the two lines I mentioned, but in each case there has only been a handful of children.  To suddenly market a cruise as a family experience with kids sailing free and heavy discounts on the adult fares, could change the experience.  
 

I may be worrying unnecessarily, but even the best behaved children behave differently "in quantity".  
 

5 hours ago, rcandkc said:

Exactly, we usually only book  May or late August in summer months or LONGER  more expensive cruises during summer.  This has worked so far. 

That's encouraging.  Our cruise is 18 nights.  Still being marketed as a family cruise though.

 

4 hours ago, rcandkc said:

I’m not against a few kids…but a cruise with very many no.  If I wanted that I would be on mega ship with my grandkids and the activities for them. 

 

I like children, but I agree with you.  I wouldn't chose Regent for my grandchildren.  When my own lot were younger we always went on holiday with them, and we always went to hotels with many other children.   That was the stage we were at.  We've even taken our children's friends away with us, and we've also taken groups of children away for the weekend.  In each case the trips were child centred.  I don’t think Regent is.

[SellaVee]

@NYC-London  I think you are spot on in terms of the attitude and behaviour of adults towards children, which is why I think children thrive where they can relax.  I've heard adults complain about children enjoying themselves in the pool on Riviera.  They weren’t misbehaving but there was some splashing.  The complaining adults weren't even in the water.

 

On a trip to Sorrento and in a mini bus with our boys we overheard the comment "Sorrento is no place for children".  No, it's only got Pompeii and Herculaneum up the road and Vesuvius to climb, plus a hotel with multiple swimming pools, tennis courts and an ice cream kiosk.

 

I'm sorry you encountered such a frosty attitude towards your sons.

 

I've been on a cruise with an officer’s toddler on board.  She charmed everyone, partly because she was the only child present.

[SellaVee]

5 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

Seems Regent is searching for a new identity.  Has to choose which way it wants to go.  Only sure no kids is Viking and they have some issues as they all do.  I am in the no kids camp but enjoy Regent when it is on its game.

There is a British based line called Saga.  You have to be 50 or over to sail with them.

[lincslady]

But you can have a companion over 40, or even a genuine carer if you need one - but definitely no dogs!  So you quite often see elderly mums with under 50  daughters, etc. on board.

[Pcardad]

To clarify...this is not a new "sale" for Regent to offer. They did the same last year. They are not trying to fill the ship with kids. They just want people to know that the kids are welcome. The new marketing is to guests from 40 and up....a decided change from the past.

[Whinenowine]

3 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

To clarify...this is not a new "sale" for Regent to offer. They did the same last year. They are not trying to fill the ship with kids. They just want people to know that the kids are welcome. The new marketing is to guests from 40 and up....a decided change from the past.

Yes, not new.  They ran this at least 5-6years ago as well because I was thinking about taking my teens on an Alaskan cruise. 

[Lonedaddy]

If they would focus a little more on retaining their current customers instead of losing them due to poor customer service, they wouldn't have to do this.   

 

Retaining an existing customer is anywhere from 5-25 times cheaper than acquiring a new one, according to Bain & Company, so it’s a much more cost-effective strategy in the long run. *

 

 

*  What Is Customer Retention? Importance, Metrics & Strategies

 Austin Caldwell | Senior Product Marketing Manager

[Pcardad]

13 minutes ago, Lonedaddy said:

If they would focus a little more on retaining their current customers instead of losing them due to poor customer service, they wouldn't have to do this.   

 

Retaining an existing customer is anywhere from 5-25 times cheaper than acquiring a new one, according to Bain & Company, so it’s a much more cost-effective strategy in the long run. *

 

 

*  What Is Customer Retention? Importance, Metrics & Strategies

 Austin Caldwell | Senior Product Marketing Manager

Bookings are at an all-time high. Their concern, my opinion only, is attrition of existing customer base due to natural causes. 

[mariners]

The "Kids Sail Free" marketing has been used since 2006 (could be even earlier).  While on the Mariner in 2005, we booked a cruise to Alaska for our multi-generational family for June 2006.  When we booked the cruise, children did not sail free.  However, some time in late 2005 or early 2006, Regent (RSSC) offered the "Kids Sail Free", and our grandchildren sailed "free". 

 

This marketing took place after many passengers had already booked the cruise, and some of them were horrified at the thought of having children onboard.  They made their negative feelings about children being onboard very clear during the sailing.  My response then, and since that time, has always been that we are responsible for our own behaviour, and for those people under our care (children, adults who require assistance, etc.), and to follow the rules of each cruise line and/or specific ship.

 

RSSC was a perfect fit for us to sail with our family, and we have photos and memories that will last a lifetime. 

 

Windstar and Sea Dream, both lines we cruised during those years, and after, would not have worked at all.  They still would not be a good fit for anyone but my DH and me.  

 

Other posters have given information about cruise lines that do not allow children.  We sailed Viking Ocean for the first time last fall and loved our sailing.  If having no children onboard is one of the most important criteria to you, take a look at the videos, website, board, etc. as Viking Ocean just might be a better fit for what you are looking for in a cruise.

[wcsdkqh]

This has been a yearly promotion for years. IMHO way too much is being made of it.

[Lonedaddy]

15 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

Bookings are at an all-time high. Their concern, my opinion only, is attrition of existing customer base due to natural causes. 

With added ships, bookings better be at an all-time high or they would be in dire straits.   If that is their main concern, then they may not be addressing the issues in their own workings.  Time will tell.

[Pcardad]

10 minutes ago, Lonedaddy said:

With added ships, bookings better be at an all-time high or they would be in dire straits.   If that is their main concern, then they may not be addressing the issues in their own workings.  Time will tell.

One metric of bookings is measured as a % of capacity. This is a big number that Wall Street looks at. Regent's largest area of weakness is not losing guests to other cruise lines, it is losing guests to time. They have shifted marketing to people who a little younger than usual as Regent is now within the range of a large segment of the younger population due to emerging tech and the fact that young people are the greatest beneficiaries of this new money.