Kids sail free - 2017 and beyond

[jmae2002]

Hi everyone,

 

We had booked several cruises last May (into October of this year) - so 1.5 in advance that included a Kids sail free promotion. I have been keeping my eye out for this promotion for cruises in 2017 and 2018, but so far all that is offered are European cruises in March-April of 2017.

 

Does anyone have the inside scoop on whether NCL is planning on offering this promotion for 2017 cruises ......and when?

[takeadip]

I heard from a NCL "insider" that they (NCL) should be running a KSF promo on most voyages for 2017 starting on or before this July...keep watching the prices so you have a reference of weather the KSF promo is actually saving you money...NCL is known to dramatically increase passenger #1 and #2 when offering this free promo....it seems there is a set amount or "threshold" that they like to get per stateroom.

 

It also seems like the UBP although will have some minor "tweeks" in the coming months will also be here to stay on sailings booked through 2017.

 

So buckle up and start a spreadsheet of rates when you do see the KSF promo....and as always..be sure to post your trial and tribulations on this forum so we can all have a reliable source to turn to for valuable information that makes cruising that much better.

 

Best,

Mark

[Casino Comp Chick]

I heard from a NCL "insider" that they (NCL) should be running a KSF promo on most voyages for 2017 starting on or before this July...keep watching the prices so you have a reference of weather the KSF promo is actually saving you money...NCL is known to dramatically increase passenger #1 and #2 when offering this free promo....it seems there is a set amount or "threshold" that they like to get per stateroom.

 

It also seems like the UBP although will have some minor "tweeks" in the coming months will also be here to stay on sailings booked through 2017.

 

So buckle up and start a spreadsheet of rates when you do see the KSF promo....and as always..be sure to post your trial and tribulations on this forum so we can all have a reliable source to turn to for valuable information that makes cruising that much better.

 

Best,

Mark

 

What kind of tweeks to the UBP if you don't mind me asking?

[takeadip]

What kind of tweeks to the UBP if you don't mind me asking?

 

They are always trying to save a little bit of money and NCL realizes that the UBP cant be taken away and expect people to still book new cruises (especially with other cruise lines offering it) so i heard they may increase the price of the drinks on board the ships and decrease the allowable amount per drink that is included....

 

consider it more of a "cost sharing" program like this....if NCL lets you get a "free" drink up to $11.00 but the drinks you want are priced at $13.50 (say Kettle One or Grey Goose higher end) then you would need to pay the $2.50 which is the difference between the menu price and the UBP allowance...it still is a pretty good deal...but think on a grand scale...when a distributor for Absolut Vodka raises their per bottle price by $1.00 it will cost NCL that much more to get you drunk...and thus they cant possibly continue this free option without scaling it back a bit..

 

I was just on in March (breakaway) and i have seen some drink prices between $11.00 - $15.50...so i guess the sky is the limit....i just feel bad for those who book without the UBP...cause 2 drinks with the tip included for those people could be as high as $26 dollars!!!

 

Keep Calm and Cruise on:

-Mark

[Sand and Seas]

We wouldn't mind a few 'tweaks' to the UBP as we don't really go for the more expensive drinks. It's just fun to have the UBP. We enjoy a few cocktails and a frozen drink or two that we wouldn't have anywhere except on vacation:cool:

[MikeBTN]

They are always trying to save a little bit of money and NCL realizes that the UBP cant be taken away and expect people to still book new cruises (especially with other cruise lines offering it) so i heard they may increase the price of the drinks on board the ships and decrease the allowable amount per drink that is included....

 

consider it more of a "cost sharing" program like this....if NCL lets you get a "free" drink up to $11.00 but the drinks you want are priced at $13.50 (say Kettle One or Grey Goose higher end) then you would need to pay the $2.50 which is the difference between the menu price and the UBP allowance...it still is a pretty good deal...but think on a grand scale...when a distributor for Absolut Vodka raises their per bottle price by $1.00 it will cost NCL that much more to get you drunk...and thus they cant possibly continue this free option without scaling it back a bit..

 

I was just on in March (breakaway) and i have seen some drink prices between $11.00 - $15.50...so i guess the sky is the limit....i just feel bad for those who book without the UBP...cause 2 drinks with the tip included for those people could be as high as $26 dollars!!!

 

Keep Calm and Cruise on:

-Mark

 

Many drinks on Royal Caribbean (especially on the newer ships) are in this range, without free beverage packages.

[takeadip]

Many drinks on Royal Caribbean (especially on the newer ships) are in this range, without free beverage packages.

 

I think the prices are getting insane...not just on the ships but even in some city bars...it now cost a lot more to try and drink to forget your worries...when you are now "worried" about how much the drinks are setting you back!! lol

[melis11577]

Thanks for posting this. I always use this promotion and I booked my April 2016 cruise using ksf promo in may 2015 and balcony price was under 1000 per person....watched prices all year and this was the cheapest price and per person rates actually increased throughout the year and they took the ksf promo off the sail date.

Edited April 23, 2016 by melis11577

[Cruisermom2nick]

We booked our upcoming cruise (next weekend!) in Dec on the Spirit and there was no KSF then. However, once KSF was offered we rebooked with the deal and all the same perks, etc. :)

[tartan cruiser]

If they are "tweeking" the UBP how will this work for people booked under the old terms and conditions. When I booked a year ago almost every drink was included in the package. Sounds like that may not be the case in the future.

[Sand and Seas]

If they are "tweeking" the UBP how will this work for people booked under the old terms and conditions. When I booked a year ago almost every drink was included in the package. Sounds like that may not be the case in the future.

 

When they changed the dining they changed the acronym. Many of us have UBP for future cruises. It can get confusing! I'm glad I've got it for the next 4 cruises.

[tartan cruiser]

I know when they changed the dining acronym it created a lot of confusion and the people who booked under the old program had a hard time getting what they paid for since many of the crew where unaware of how the old program worked. Isn't the drink limit $15. If you're able to get a certain martini for $15 now but they up the price of that same martini to $17 you should still be able to get the martini with your UBP without paying the extra $2. I really hate how you book your cruise thinking you have certain amenities and by the time you finally cruise it looks nothing like when you booked. This happened to us on the Escape this year.(i.e. Margaritaville, not grandfathered in on that one, room service either). I was hoping NCL was done with the changes. Guess not. My 2017 cruise will be last one I book in advance.

[karen_cpa]

Thanks for asking this! We bought two cruise certificates in 2015 and hoping to use them in 2017. DH wants to bring the kids, so we really need a good deal to not blow the bank. I know to start keeping an eye on things!