Kids sail free

[Kinglady]

Can someone tell me if Disney still offers this special? If so, is it at a certain time of the year? Any info appreciated. 😃

[Shmoo here]

Can someone tell me if Disney still offers this special? If so, is it at a certain time of the year? Any info appreciated.

 

For the most part, DCL hasn't offered the Kids Sail Free option since coming up with their last minute restricted fares (*GT rates). I think it's much more fair that way. There are a lot of cruisers that couldn't qualify for those KSF offers, that can do the *GT offers.

 

There were some of the Galveston cruises that had the KSF on them since the inception of *GT rates, but for the Galveston cruises DCL pulled out their entire arsenal of discounts in order to fill the ship.

 

When it was offered, it would be on any cruise that DCL deemed "not selling well". It was used to fill the ship.

Edited December 27, 2014 by Shmoo here

[moki'smommy]

Essentially as above. DCL will do whatever necessary to fill the ship. Specials are typically offered on off season cruises without sufficient bookings.

 

KSF worked reasonably well for those families with 2 adults cruising with kids. It also generated complaints from those guests who had booked well in advance because the ships sometimes felt overrun with kids. The newer *GT restricted fares can benefit any family configuration, allowing DCL a wider audience to market the specials.

 

There are *GT fares on January cruises that can be booked now.

[Kinglady]

I am new to cruising...what is GT fare?

[Shmoo here]

I am new to cruising...what is GT fare?

 

On those cruises that DCL feels are not selling well, they may offer last minute restricted fares. With these you select a type of room (Interior - IGT; Oceanview - OGT; or Verandah - VGT). The prices are lower than the going rate for selecting a specific room or even a GTY (guaranteed) category. With the GTY you can select a specific category room (4A, 9C, whatever) with the *GT you only can pick a type.

 

You will be assigned a room at a later time (typically around 14 days pre-cruise) within the specified type (or better).

 

While these rates are typically lower than the going rate at the time, they generally are higher than the same rooms would have been priced on opening day. On some (a few) cruises this wasn't true. And these rates are usually offered after the Paid in Full date.

[moki'smommy]

Just to give you an example of the savings, you can currently book a January 2015 cruise for 7 nights OGT for 3 people (including all taxes and fees) for $2682. The cheapest cat 9C for the same cruise is $3697. A 9A is $4159. There are no cat 8s available for this date. So by not choosing your stateroom, you will save AT LEAST $1000. Historically, people are not given the lowest priced cabins in their category all the time, and sometimes are given an "upgrade" to a nicer cabin type. For instance, you could book an OGT and be assigned to a cabin with a balcony.

 

Same Jan cruise, you can book a VGT for $3137 ( 3 people again). The least expensive balcony available is a 7 at $4243 and a cat 5 is $4565.

 

WARNING--if you care where on the ship you are located, do not book the *GT rates. You are agreeing to take ANY cabin on the ship in your type or better. You can't turn around and whine that you didn't want to be under the nightclubs or at the far forward or far aft....or by the kid areas, or whatever. Well, I guess you can whine, it just wont result in a cabin change!

Edited December 27, 2014 by moki'smommy

[wake74]

We booked on Decent 5th a VGT on Magic on Jan 4th. We typically just book verandah but figured it was worth the risk of a less desirable room given the cost delta. Ended up with only a 7A but the room seems to be in a decent location with reasonable reviews.

 

Has anyone ever been successful with a polite upgrade request at checkin with a VGT on a ship that appears to have a good number of rooms left?

 

 

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[Loonbeam]

Just for the record I dug back through promo bookings and the last KSF out of FL I could find was 2009.

[moki'smommy]

We booked on Decent 5th a VGT on Magic on Jan 4th. We typically just book verandah but figured it was worth the risk of a less desirable room given the cost delta. Ended up with only a 7A but the room seems to be in a decent location with reasonable reviews.

 

Has anyone ever been successful with a polite upgrade request at checkin with a VGT on a ship that appears to have a good number of rooms left?

 

 

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You can PURCHASE an upgrade at the port if you booked *GT. In this case, your purchase price will be based on the lowest category in the level you booked. For example, if you booked a VGT, your purchase price for the upgrade will be based on a cat 7 purchase. If you booked an OGT, purchase price will be based on a cat 9 purchase.

 

They don't give "free" upgrades at the port. They try to sell them, and if there are any left, they will continue to try to sell the upgrades even the first day or two of the cruise at guest services. In addition there are always a few cabins held in case repairs are needed in the cabin a guest is assigned to.

 

We have booked a VGT and been assigned a cat 5 (which is the most common balcony category.) I am aware of people being assigned a cat 4 with a VGT booking and another getting a cat 7 with an OGT booking. Upgrades (from one type to another) are rare, but getting a very nice cabin within your type is common.

[wake74]

Thanks Moki'sMommy. That was very helpful. We will just stick with what we got. In my wife's mind we saved about 1/3 the cost of a new cruise on the Fantasy in October. That is saving us money somehow :-)

 

 

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[MoyCoy]

I am planning a trip to Orlando for 3 weeks. We are visiting family there. Our flight from WA is quit costly for 4. I want to make the most of my time there so I decided to take my 5 year old twins on a Disney cruise. They will be visiting WDW for the first time too. I sailed the Magic and Wonder , pre children. A lot has changed it seems especially the lack of KSF promotion. I want to sail on the Dream, a 4 night Bahamas sailing on Dec 7th. Should I book the cruise at the current rate to take my chances to get the rate discussed on this thread? How would one go about booking a last minute' cruise with Disney ? What is considered last minute?? 2 months before?

[Shmoo here]

I am planning a trip to Orlando for 3 weeks. We are visiting family there. Our flight from WA is quit costly for 4. I want to make the most of my time there so I decided to take my 5 year old twins on a Disney cruise. They will be visiting WDW for the first time too. I sailed the Magic and Wonder , pre children. A lot has changed it seems especially the lack of KSF promotion. I want to sail on the Dream, a 4 night Bahamas sailing on Dec 7th. Should I book the cruise at the current rate to take my chances to get the rate discussed on this thread? How would one go about booking a last minute' cruise with Disney ? What is considered last minute?? 2 months before?

 

The *GT rates (last-minute restricted fares) typically are offered after the Paid in Full date for any given cruise. Not all cruises have them, only the ones that DCL feels are not selling well.

 

You just have to keep an eye on the DCL website.

 

If you already have a reservation, and the *GT rates come out, you must cancel the existing reservation (with penalties) and rebook the *GT rate, as they are only good on new reservations.

 

Once offered, they could disappear within a day or two or remain for a little while. They are only there until enough rooms get sold to make DCL comfortable with the number of reservations they have.

[moki'smommy]

I think most people would consider "last minute" to be any time after the penalty date. You can book on line up to 3 days before sailing. You can book over the phone or with a TA even later than that.

 

Supposedly there are some new policies coming out in March....stay tuned.

 

Dec. 7 is a very likely time for discounted rates, but you can't depend on it. IF you can be flexible with your dates (you said you have a 3 week trip), I'd wait and see what happens. If you feel your only option is the Dec 7 sailing, you should probably lock it in ASAP. You can always cancel up to 75 days ahead and get a full refund. As above, most specials are "new bookings only," so if you book now, you can't move to the discounted rate. You have to cancel, incur a penalty, and then rebook.

[LuCruise]

So I am fairly new to cruising (at least booking and researching), but "Kids Sail Free" on a Disney cruise is kind of ironic, isn't it? When we went on the Magic, it was end of January so certainly not busy time and it was packed. The ship is full of kids and families as it is geared to them. Couldn't imagine Disney ever offering such a deal.

[moki'smommy]

So I am fairly new to cruising (at least booking and researching), but "Kids Sail Free" on a Disney cruise is kind of ironic, isn't it? When we went on the Magic, it was end of January so certainly not busy time and it was packed. The ship is full of kids and families as it is geared to them. Couldn't imagine Disney ever offering such a deal.

 

A few years ago, Kids Sail Free was a common offer on DCL cruises. It was typically available in January, September, etc. The last one I remember was when they were cruising out of Galveston and on the West Coast/Mexican Riviera cruises. In 2009, there were LOTS of Kids Sail Free specials on DCL!

 

These have not been seen for a while, while a new special, the *GT has been evident. Frankly, those of us who don't have kids like the *GT a LOT better from a couple of aspects. First, we can take advantage of the special offer even without kids. This also gives a special rate for solo cruisers as well. In addition, the *GT puts a wide range of guest "types" on the ship rather than just families with 2 kids and 2 parents. Sorry,but the KSF specials resulted in a lot of unsupervised kids running around the ship. Don't know where the parents were, but.... It may have been just my perception, but it seemed to be a bigger problem than on a "normal" cruise.

 

I do know there were complaints about this type of special for both of these reasons. Obviously, the special was announced after the penalty date, but I would never opt to book a KSF cruise after my one experience with it.

 

The ships almost always cruise full (or as close to it as DCL can get.) If a cruise is not well booked before the penalty date, DCL will offer various specials to attract new bookings. These include CM specials, TA rates, military and FL resident discounts, as well as the *GT rates. In addition, on more rare occasions there have been Canadian resident and GA resident specials. They DO fill the ships most of the time. The only question is at what rate.

Edited February 18, 2015 by moki'smommy

[MoyCoy]

I decided to book a room (4D) . The inside stateroom that I viewed yesterday for $2400 was gone today - boo. My choices for a family of 4 were verandahs only. I may cancel as it gets closer to sailing if the ship is still quite empty and try for a last min discount rate. I wonder.. I have not sailed Disney for 4 years BTW, is 2$800 for a 4D a good price? Again it is a 4 day on the Dream. I could sail the week prior for 2100 for a 5C . Would you pay the extra for a 4 day?

 

A 5c is 269 sq feet and a 4D is 299 sq feet. My kids will be 5 at time of sailing. I was apprehensive to have them sleep in bunk bed style (5c).. (I have very imaginative, active children!) $D has 2 lower beds instead of a bunk bed style set up.

 

I also have never sailed in one room with them. Last time we sailed was on the Princess and we had connecting rooms. Can anyone give me advice on how to sail with your active children in one room?

 

I have a great cruise on NCL Jewel already scheduled for May . I booked it with their KSF promo. We are paying 2000 for all of us to Alaska 7 day. I live in WA so no airfare-- BUT I do which we were visiting a warmer climate.

 

I thought ,last minute, that I should maybe switch it to a DCL cruise since I don't know when we will be in Florida again. (I have relative there ,but the flight for 4 is quite costly) . I always book a year in advance so I can get the best rate. Booking now on DCL for December, I winder if I am shooting myself in the foot with the price and should wait till maybe they are 7 to sail DCL. Again I am not sure if what I booked is a good price or not.

 

 

The kids are visiting WDW for the first time too. I wonder if a cruise and WDW will be a bit much for them.. any advice (they will be 5 at the time we sail DCL and 4 if we sail NCL)

 

 

 

I indeed would love to cruise when the decorations for Christmas are up. I remember how wonderful it was to see them on my Honeymoon years ago. BUT indeed the price difference is quite interesting (to say the least) What would you do?

 

Lastly I keep reading about lackluster counselors in the Oceaneer club, but the reviews were not from this year. Anyone have any updated experience with Oceaneer club? And lastly, my children have a hard time sitting in one place so I fear the 2 hour dinner might be a bit much. Any advice?

 

So many questions. My apologies!

Edited February 19, 2015 by MoyCoy

[moki'smommy]

OK, you asked LOTS of questions.

 

IMHO $2800 is a lot of money for 4 days. But that is your choice.

 

How to cruise with 4 people in one room? I'm not sure I understand the question. On DCL you have a split bathroom--toilet and sink in one room, tub and sink in another. That helps with getting ready for whatever. You can also shower in the locker room at the spa if desired.

 

Sleeping--ask for "double rails" on the bunk bed if you choose to use it. Or put the kids in the bed with each having a head at the ends and their feet joining in the middle (5 is getting a little big for this solution). Or let them "camp out" on the floor if you are concerned about falling off the beds. Take the blankets off the beds and let them make their spots. For packing--each day's clothing for each kid goes in a zip lock bag. Put the bags in the suitcase and unload into the drawers. Easy to get ready in the morning--hand each kid a bag. At 5, they can dress themselves.

 

How much time are you planning to spend in the room? On a 4 night cruise, my guess is that you'll use it for dressing and sleeping. There's too much to do to waste it hanging out in a cabin! WDW + DCL should be fine. Not sure what you are concerned about.

 

Honestly, for $2000, I'd do Alaska for the week and leave the DCL for another time. You got too good a deal to let that one go. Alaska is AMAZING.

 

We never take 2 hours for dinner unless we choose to. First, tell your server to "expedite" the kids meals. Then (if early seating), when they are done, one parent excuses herself and takes them to the bathroom and OC. She is back at the table in 5 minutes to enjoy dinner in peace. If you have late dinner, the CMs come to the dining rooms and collect the kids for you! Palo doesn't take 2 hours unless you make it be that long. Normal dining room is about 90 minutes unless you want to linger over coffee or after dinner drinks. The Christmas decorations go up before Thanksgiving. The best time to book for them is early December. All the holiday activities are in full swing and it is low season/low prices. With 5 year old kids.....take them out of school for a week and do it then! Or wait a couple years.

 

Overall, we have been very happy with the YAC. Obviously, my daughter liked some better than others, but we certainly didn't have problems or issues. A lot depends on what you want. You are told up front that they can't do one on one care.If your kids can play in a small group or independently and follow simple directions, you'll be fine. Most kids love the OC and don't want to leave. Especially if they are together, I don't see an issue. If you have special needs situations, they may not be able to meet your expectations. They have hundreds of kids in each age group (not all are in the OC at any one time!) The programming is designed to meet the needs of developmentally appropriate kids of each age range. If your kids don't fit that description, the CMs will do their best but they can't promise to be able to deal with the needs of every "special" kid.

[MoyCoy]

OK' date=' you asked LOTS of questions.

 

IMHO $2800 is a lot of money for 4 days. But that is your choice.

 

How to cruise with 4 people in one room? I'm not sure I understand the question. On DCL you have a split bathroom--toilet and sink in one room, tub and sink in another. That helps with getting ready for whatever. You can also shower in the locker room at the spa if desired.

 

Sleeping--ask for "double rails" on the bunk bed if you choose to use it. Or put the kids in the bed with each having a head at the ends and their feet joining in the middle (5 is getting a little big for this solution). Or let them "camp out" on the floor if you are concerned about falling off the beds. Take the blankets off the beds and let them make their spots. For packing--each day's clothing for each kid goes in a zip lock bag. Put the bags in the suitcase and unload into the drawers. Easy to get ready in the morning--hand each kid a bag. At 5, they can dress themselves.

 

How much time are you planning to spend in the room? On a 4 night cruise, my guess is that you'll use it for dressing and sleeping. There's too much to do to waste it hanging out in a cabin! WDW + DCL should be fine. Not sure what you are concerned about.

 

Honestly, for $2000, I'd do Alaska for the week and leave the DCL for another time. You got too good a deal to let that one go. Alaska is AMAZING.

 

We never take 2 hours for dinner unless we choose to. First, tell your server to "expedite" the kids meals. Then (if early seating), when they are done, one parent excuses herself and takes them to the bathroom and OC. She is back at the table in 5 minutes to enjoy dinner in peace. If you have late dinner, the CMs come to the dining rooms and collect the kids for you! Palo doesn't take 2 hours unless you make it be that long. Normal dining room is about 90 minutes unless you want to linger over coffee or after dinner drinks. The Christmas decorations go up before Thanksgiving. The best time to book for them is early December. All the holiday activities are in full swing and it is low season/low prices. With 5 year old kids.....take them out of school for a week and do it then! Or wait a couple years.

 

Overall, we have been very happy with the YAC. Obviously, my daughter liked some better than others, but we certainly didn't have problems or issues. A lot depends on what you want. You are told up front that they can't do one on one care.If your kids can play in a small group or independently and follow simple directions, you'll be fine. Most kids love the OC and don't want to leave. Especially if they are together, I don't see an issue. If you have special needs situations, they may not be able to meet your expectations. They have hundreds of kids in each age group (not all are in the OC at any one time!) The programming is designed to meet the needs of developmentally appropriate kids of each age range. If your kids don't fit that description, the CMs will do their best but they can't promise to be able to deal with the needs of every "special" kid.[/quote']

 

Thank You so much for the awesome information. Thank you for your advice on the price. I was not sure how expensive Disney cruises were these days . I have sailed to Alaska before my children were born. We visited in Sept and it was gray and rainy. The cruise is May 30th to the June 6th. I thought we would try May /June as they are historically less rainy than September. I did snag a good deal, plus we received a OBC with a free Dinning package. The sale is still going on BTW. Maybe I should not rush to do the cruise before they begin Elementary . Your right, I could always pull them out of school . If we are not pursuing a last minute, its probably best we plan a Disney cruise way in advance for best pricing. You are definitely making me rethink visiting Alaska with the children:)

[moki'smommy]

We loved our Alaska cruise. It is one of those locations that we'd like to do again someday. August was great. But if you've been there, you know what to expect.

 

Your deal sounds totally amazing. I've never cruised NCL. I've read that they have a lot of additional purchase items that are included with cruise fare on DCL, but a $7 per day soda package doesn't begin to add up to the price difference between the cruises.

 

We found the cabins on DCL to be bigger than our one recent "other line" experience. Yes, there are people here who dispute that to the point that I looked up cabin size--it was significantly smaller than DCL per on line info. Again--how much time do you spend in your cabin? That is a sincere question. We did a lot of cruises where we spent almost no time in our cabin. Now, due to a change in medical circumstances of one family member, some or all or us DO spend a lot more time in the cabin. Thus, we tend to look at the cabins more critically.

 

Whatever you ultimately decide, have a great time!

 

FWIW, our first cruise was when my daughter was 4....this was before DCL existed. Great age for travel, at least for us.

[MoyCoy]

We loved our Alaska cruise. It is one of those locations that we'd like to do again someday. August was great. But if you've been there' date=' you know what to expect.

 

Your deal sounds totally amazing. I've never cruised NCL. I've read that they have a lot of additional purchase items that are included with cruise fare on DCL, but a $7 per day soda package doesn't begin to add up to the price difference between the cruises.

 

We found the cabins on DCL to be bigger than our one recent "other line" experience. Yes, there are people here who dispute that to the point that I looked up cabin size--it was significantly smaller than DCL per on line info. Again--how much time do you spend in your cabin? That is a sincere question. We did a lot of cruises where we spent almost no time in our cabin. Now, due to a change in medical circumstances of one family member, some or all or us DO spend a lot more time in the cabin. Thus, we tend to look at the cabins more critically.

 

Whatever you ultimately decide, have a great time!

 

FWIW, our first cruise was when my daughter was 4....this was before DCL existed. Great age for travel, at least for us.[/quote']

 

Thank you so much for the great information! I am a New Mom and my twins were my first so I appreciate all that I can gleam from experienced Mothers. We first sailed with them on a short cruise (Princess sapphire) when they were 3. That cruise indeed had its ups and downs. I am hoping our next cruise at 4 will be a little easier;) My kids still nap, so we will be in our cabin during the day for at least a bit.. but your right, I wonder how long we will be in our cabin if there is a lot to do with the kids on board (apart from kids clubs):rolleyes:

[moki'smommy]

Thank you so much for the great information! I am a New Mom and my twins were my first so I appreciate all that I can gleam from experienced Mothers. We first sailed with them on a short cruise (Princess sapphire) when they were 3. That cruise indeed had its ups and downs. I am hoping our next cruise at 4 will be a little easier;) My kids still nap, so we will be in our cabin during the day for at least a bit.. but your right, I wonder how long we will be in our cabin if there is a lot to do with the kids on board (apart from kids clubs):rolleyes:

 

My favorite "mom trick for little kids..." Pack a full day of clothing in a zip lock or other bag with as much air pressed out at possible--undies, socks, everything. One baggie for each day of the trip + an extra. Obviously, any formal wear, etc. would be additional. Then when you unpack, you just put the bags into the drawer. When you are ready to get the kids dressed for the day, you hand a bag to each one. That way you know they have a decent, "go together" outfit with everything they need. You don't end up at the end of the trip picking thru "leftovers" to see what they can possibly wear. Packing and unpacking is totally easy, and even dad can help them get dressed.

 

I have a bag made of lightweight tear proof fabric. It was a gift and I've never seen another like it. It becomes our laundry bag for things that can't be worn again without washing. Things that can/might be worn again go in another place. When full, it is easy to carry to the laundry room. In the "olden days" before luggage fees, I would just take it home as an extra piece of luggage; now it smashes into a large suitcase and has all the dirties ready to unpack into the laundry room.

 

With kids who nap, I strongly recommend paying for a balcony room. It gives you a comfortable place to hang out and read or relax while they sleep!