Kids Sail for Free Promotions?

[Lady_Gamecock]

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?

 

 

Heehee....cute!

 

I do know that MSC allows children to cruise for free all of the time, but I haven't ever cruised with them, so I don't know anything about them.

 

I do know that Princess also has reduced fare for PAX 3 and 4.

[atlantahopper]

Yes, I've been on the MSC Orchestra about 2.5 years ago - didn't like it. My kids are cruise kids - they've been on 5 cruises and they will tell you they NEVER want to go back on that cruise line again. We went during spring break so you'd expect a lot of kids, and a terrific experience. The kids club experience was only so-so for them. They are used to being entertained, engaged and active - these are the kids that wake up every morning on a cruise, consult the kids daily and figure out how to split their time with the kids club and the pool and maybe squeeze in time for their family. And they were bored - the ship was not designed with kids in mind and the space allocated for them was an after-thought, different ages located in totally different areas of the ship- small, dark, not well planned and definitely not technologically advanced.

 

The women working in the clubs, I will say, were wonderful and I wouldn't say otherwise. The staff in the kids' areas were stuck in spaces that they had to make the most of, and were not given a lot of "tools" to do it with. We've been cruising with our kids since they were 3 and 5, and have taken them on Princess, Royal Carib, MSC, and NCL x2, and they can tell you the MSC was by far the worst. If you are just looking to be away, and have limited funds, MSC is definitely the way to go - the Orchestra was by far the most beautiful I have seen, the food and entertainment were okay. I've been on 15 cruises - but the experience for us as a family was only so-so.

 

And now I know I've opened a can of worms and there will be 30 people saying how much fun their kids had -just giving you our take on things. Just sharing my opinion.

[Lady_Gamecock]

Yes, I've been on the MSC Orchestra about 2.5 years ago - didn't like it. My kids are cruise kids - they've been on 5 cruises and they will tell you they NEVER want to go back on that cruise line again. We went during spring break so you'd expect a lot of kids, and a terrific experience. The kids club experience was only so-so for them. They are used to being entertained, engaged and active - these are the kids that wake up every morning on a cruise, consult the kids daily and figure out how to split their time with the kids club and the pool and maybe squeeze in time for their family. And they were bored - the ship was not designed with kids in mind and the space allocated for them was an after-thought, different ages located in totally different areas of the ship- small, dark, not well planned and definitely not technologically advanced.

 

The women working in the clubs, I will say, were wonderful and I wouldn't say otherwise. The staff in the kids' areas were stuck in spaces that they had to make the most of, and were not given a lot of "tools" to do it with. We've been cruising with our kids since they were 3 and 5, and have taken them on Princess, Royal Carib, MSC, and NCL x2, and they can tell you the MSC was by far the worst. If you are just looking to be away, and have limited funds, MSC is definitely the way to go - the Orchestra was by far the most beautiful I have seen, the food and entertainment were okay. I've been on 15 cruises - but the experience for us as a family was only so-so.

 

And now I know I've opened a can of worms and there will be 30 people saying how much fun their kids had -just giving you our take on things. Just sharing my opinion.

 

Thank you for your honest opinion. I had briefly looked into them last year after our DS was born, but we held out until he turned 6 months so we could cruise Princess.

 

DD is 5 and much like your children, consults the Kid's Daily to find out the haps aboard ship. When we were in the Med, she was sooooooooooooo upset she had to leave the ship. (Although, while in Egypt, she was super excited to ride a camel.) HA HA HA.

 

DS is 18-months and will still have a few more cruises sitting with Mom and Family, but that's fine. We will take him on excursions and let him go up to the Kid's Club for some monitored time with Mommy and toys.

 

RCCL had a great thing when DD was very young. They had the Playskool Toy Time aboard ship. It was great and it gave us ideas what to get DD for Christmas! Labadee (I think?) has a battery operated car area on the beach (it might be Coco Kay?) and I remember her loving that, too. I know DD feels very imporant when she gets her "band" just before we board the ships - I think that DS won't get one until he's 3?

[Friend100]

HAL Maasdam 5/12/2012 sailing from Montreal to Boston 3rd and 4th passengers sail free.

[jnjrod0613]

we did the kids sail free last year on NCL.. it was awesome we had a family of 8 4 of us in a balcony and 4 in an inside and for a grand total of 3600 and that included prepaid gratuities for a 7 day cruise on the pearl last dec.. I hope they do it again!!!!!

[CeleBrat]

HAL is offering a "Kids Free" deal this week. Google and you'll find it. We've sailed MSC with their KIDS FREE offer, and would agree it is a unique experience. It's just not the same as a mainstream/US cruise. Very European, with small kids clubs. Great gelato though.

 

We've also sailed Costa many times with their KIDS FREE offer, and are currently booked with them for an upcoming 10-day March cruise. We've always had a good time with them, as they are aligned with Carnival so many of their kids activities are similar. Their ships are often carbon-copies of Carnival ships as well. Despite the recent bad press about Costa, we are not worried at all about sailing again with them.

 

CeleBrat