rates for babies?

[cookiefrog]

Anyone know if cruiselines offer a discounted rate for babies?

[rolloman]

Anyone know if cruiselines offer a discounted rate for babies?

 

They get counted as a regular passenger.

[bobbie0253]

I am not sure but when I was pricing through travelocity it was $1883 for our upcoming cruise and when I called Disney directly it was $1533. I am not sure if they were running a special for kids, or if they always discount infants.

 

From now on I will call the cruise line directly before booking. (Unless it RCCL. I know they never give you a lower rate for a child)

[cruisincarly]

My son will be 18 months old when we sail on Cunard, and he is sailing for just taxes&fees (about $35 for a cruise with basically no ports -- it's a transatlantic). I thought it was an everyday thing, not a special, but apparently others on here have paid full fare, so now I'm not sure.

[beachchick]

I am not sure but when I was pricing through travelocity it was $1883 for our upcoming cruise and when I called Disney directly it was $1533. I am not sure if they were running a special for kids, or if they always discount infants.

 

From now on I will call the cruise line directly before booking. (Unless it RCCL. I know they never give you a lower rate for a child)

 

That's actually not quite correct. Many times, cruise lines will have specials of "children cruise for $99" or "3rd/4th passengers, $99" (which applies to all ages). Some cruise lines, such as NCL, charge only port fees and taxes for children younger than 2. I'm pretty sure that Costa is mentioned often as charging only port fees and taxes for children (I don't know what ages that includes). I had thought that Disney often, usually, or maybe even always discounts fares for children, but I'm not positive. Besides, their 1st/2nd passenger full fares are usually substantialy higher than many other cruise lines.

 

(Edit: Okay, just got it, I think; sorry I misunderstood before.) You're saying you don't call RCI directly before booking because they always charge full 3rd/4th passenger fare for infants and children, except if they are running a special. Of course, if there are one adult and two children in a cabin that means that the adult and one child will pay the full 1st/2nd passenger fares and the other child will be charged the 3rd passenger rate, which is almost always less than the full fare.

 

(The following is not an admonishment to anyone, but is intended to partly explain why cruise fare pricing is typically quite different from other "kid friendly" places.)

 

I know that pricing can seem strange or perhaps "unfair" to parents, but there is no such thing as a "lap baby" on cruise ships like they can do on airlines. Every person onboard from infant to great-grandma counts as a whole person toward the passenger maximums, which are non-negotiable. Even though babies in particular won't be using most of the ship's facilities, won't be eating a lot of ship food (although most will puree fruits, veggies, etc. for babies who have started on solid foods), and won't be requiring a ton of service (although, cabin stewards have no less work with infants than they do with adults), those same babies won't be contributing to the cruise line's bottom line by buying alcohol, sodas, excursions, casino/bingo, onboard shopping, and other sources that are a significant part of the cruise line's revenue.

 

Parents often get upset that not all cruise lines offer free or deeply discounted fares for infants and children. We never expected children's prices for things when our DD was growing up. We never turned down a discount either--We're not crazy! But we didn't complain if we had to pay full price for her because it was our choice to become parents and it was our choice to take her to various activities. It's especially true on cruise ships because they have a defined number of passengers and the revenue departments are going to have expected numbers based on that. It's not like an amusement park where you have perhaps 60,000 there each day and where there are numerous extra cost items geared toward children.

 

In any case, there are various options for parents/grandparents and others to find discounted fares or even "kids cruise free" opportunities. NCL, Costa, and others always have lower fares for children younger than 2; other cruise lines have specials throughout the year. Keep your eyes open for those times and you can sometimes snag a great deal.

 

beachchick

[karen_cpa]

If the child is under 2, they don't pay a fare on NCL, just port charges and fees. I believe they have to be the 3rd/4th person in the room.

 

Our daughter turns 2 the day before we set sail, so we are paying just $199 for her, plus port charges and fees.

[crusinmama06]

This is my biggest pet peeve for RCCL and Celebrity. The 3rd/4th rates are getting to be ridiculous. :( The 3rd/4th rate for our next cruise - $899 per child. :rolleyes:

 

If I took the same itinerary and actually 2 days longer on Carnival or NCL, then I would be paying $99-$199 for the kids.

 

So I understand the whole - "they are a berth" argument. But looking at other cruise lines, other sucessful cruise lines - if they can do it, then RCCL and Celebrity should as well.

 

That $99 sale rate on RCCL hasn't been around since 2007 - it's time to bring it back.

 

Stepping off of my soapbox -- here is the run down of the cruise lines....

 

Costa, NCL, MSC - infants sail free (paying only taxes/port fees)

 

Disney - currently having a kids sail HALF off promotion

 

Carnival - kids are charged as adults, but comparing the same itinerary with other cruise lines, the 3/4 rate may be lower.

 

Cunard - infants sail free (this may not be true for all of their sailings, not 100% sure)

 

HAL - recently had a kids sail for $99 promo

[drivinontheleft]

Thanks for this info. I just asked some of these questions on my roll call board. I agree with the argument that a person is a person and babies don't contribute to the ship's revenue, however I also agree that it sure would be nice if ALL cruise lines gave the littlest ones a price reduction. We've cruised before w/ our 7 and 4 yo, and I completely understood the cost for them. They eat, sleep, enjoy the Ocean Adventure program, etc. However my new 3 mo, isn't exactly going to be utilizing all the ship's amenities- esp. since I'm nursing. My cruising days may be over for a while... (sigh)