Kids sail for a price below 1 cent

[neverbeenhere]

We have a niece and husband with two children that we’d like to treat to a cruise. While we love to blow money on cruises, it’s never been on children. (always other adults)

 

I believe there isn’t a set time for this promotion to come up, but perhaps those with kids could clue me in as to when it might be available. 

[pyrateslife4me84]

It’s pretty much always available for booking (has been for many months) but excludes any time kids are out of school. So it doesn’t work during Spring Break, around Easter, during summer, around Thanksgiving, or the weeks of Christmas and New Years. In effect, you only get it if you pull the kids out of school. 
 

Kids Sail Free excludes all sailings departing on or during any of the following dates November 22, 2024 – November 29, 2024; November 20, 2025 – November 28, 2025, December 16, 2023 – January 5, 2024; December 20, 2024 – January 3, 2025; December 18, 2025 – January 6, 2026, March 8, 2024 – March 22, 2024; March 7, 2025 – March 28, 2025; March 6, 2026 – April 9, 2026, March 22, 2024 – April 4, 2024; April 12, 2025 – April 24, 2025, May 22, 2024 – August 30, 2024; May 22, 2025 – August 29, 2025 and Radiance Alaska Cruise Tour sailings departing May 17, 2024 – September 13, 2024; May 16, 2025 – September 12, 2025. 

Edited February 13 by pyrateslife4me84

[SNemeth]

It never really works out to be free regardless.  Usually rooms that sleep 2 are a lower category and cheaper per person than rooms that sleep 4.  Move to the cabin that sleeps 4 and each of the adults usually pay more than if they sailed without kids in a room built for 2.  You also have to pay the fees for the "free" kids.  

[Tree_skier]

24 minutes ago, neverbeenhere said:

We have a niece and husband with two children that we’d like to treat to a cruise. While we love to blow money on cruises, it’s never been on children. (always other adults)

 

I believe there isn’t a set time for this promotion to come up, but perhaps those with kids could clue me in as to when it might be available. 

Going on now

 

Edited February 13 by Tree_skier

[Mum2Mercury]

That "Kids Sail Free" promotion pops up constantly, but it isn't genuinely free.  If you're paying for everything, you'll still pay taxes /fees, transportation, insurance, excursions, and probably a soda package for the kids.  Not that the sail free thing isn't a good deal, but don't expect a genuinely free trip.  

[pyrateslife4me84]

25 minutes ago, SNemeth said:

It never really works out to be free regardless.  Usually rooms that sleep 2 are a lower category and cheaper per person than rooms that sleep 4.  Move to the cabin that sleeps 4 and each of the adults usually pay more than if they sailed without kids in a room built for 2.  You also have to pay the fees for the "free" kids.  

We got VERY lucky for our upcoming April cruise—our kids were legitimately free (just pay taxes, of course). We were very pleased with the price. Easter is early this year but our kids are still off in mid April, so the dates weren’t excluded. They’re 11, so this won’t happen again for us. Flights were cheap, too!

Edited February 14 by pyrateslife4me84

[death_star]

14 hours ago, SNemeth said:

It never really works out to be free regardless.  Usually rooms that sleep 2 are a lower category and cheaper per person than rooms that sleep 4.  Move to the cabin that sleeps 4 and each of the adults usually pay more than if they sailed without kids in a room built for 2.  You also have to pay the fees for the "free" kids.  

^this. I have priced out several cruises for us and our kids where it's either the same price or less for us to have 2 cabins of 2 persons than 1 of 4 of us in our with KSF.

[fpcruiser]

14 hours ago, pyrateslife4me84 said:

We got VERY lucky for our upcoming April cruise—our kids were legitimately free (just pay taxes, of course). We were very pleased with the price. Easter is early this year but our kids are still off in mid April, so the dates weren’t excluded. They’re 11, so this won’t happen again for us. Flights were cheap, too!

Us too! We are taking our granddaughter without having to take her out of school!

 

[DoraDee622]

If the kids aren't school age yet, there are definitely a lot of options available, as other people have mentioned.

 

However, if they are school age, one break that my kids have that qualifies for Kids Sale Free is Fall Break (mid October for us). I'd look into that if the kids in question have a fall break. 

 

Yes, we had to get a room that accommodates 4, but it was still substantially less expensive than having them pay normal 3/4 passenger rates. 

[ONECRUISER]

14 hours ago, pyrateslife4me84 said:

We got VERY lucky for our upcoming April cruise—our kids were legitimately free (just pay taxes, of course). We were very pleased with the price. Easter is early this year but our kids are still off in mid April, so the dates weren’t excluded. They’re 11, so this won’t happen again for us. Flights were cheap, too!

Agree, if watching each sale there are times its Free paying only taxes. Even Cat to Cat at times when pricing is similar 

Edited February 14 by ONECRUISER

[pyrateslife4me84]

14 minutes ago, ONECRUISER said:

Agree, if watching each sale there are times it’s Free paying only taxes. Even Cat to Cat at times when pricing is similar 

Agreed. They do make it obnoxious, since KSF has been active for many months now but is only free some of the time on some sailings in some categories. 

Edited February 14 by pyrateslife4me84

[jacobtsf]

Kids Sail Free has been awesome for us, with just one child who started cruising at age 2 and has cruises booked through next year when she will be 5.

 

Because booking 2 rooms isn’t an option in our case Kids Sail Free really does save a good amount of money. 
 

The biggest example I can think of, we took a 12 night British Isles cruise out of Amsterdam in 2022. When we first booked it there was no Kids Sail Free promotion, and the total for our room was around $4300. A few months after we booked Kids Sail Free went live and I called. I said “ I know this is supposed to be for new bookings but can you apply it?” And they said sure. The new total was under 3000. When I opened the invoice the itemized totals for my wife and I were exactly the same as they originally were, and the only costs left for my daughter were gratuities and taxes/port fees.