Free child places - Summer 2020

[lpop80]

Hello, 

 

Does anyone know which, if any, cruise lines are likely to offer free child places during the school holidays in Summer 2020 and when they would go on sale?

 

Thanks!

 

 

[SuiteTraveler]

Do you mean "Kids sail free?"  These are the lines offering that for 2019, but probably will also offer for 2020 however, I believe the offers appeared around late May 2019 so you will have quite some time to wait for the 2020 offers to appear:

Royal Caribbean https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/cruises/?icid=rtlwvf_conten_dcf_dealsp_sec1ti_3090&ksf=undefined&promoId=132659

Crystal Cruises https://www.crystalcruises.com/special-offers/kids-sail-free

MSC Cruises (select sailings) https://www.msccruisesusa.com/en-us/Cruise-Deals/Kids-Cruise-Free.aspx

NCL (select sailings) https://www.ncl.com/cruise-deals/choice?cid=PS_TSI_GENERIC_PRO_GOO-g_LEN_SRH__ncl kids sail free_aud-414297768710:kwd-374647241025&kshid=_k_EAIaIQobChMI_quH-rLa4gIVl-NkCh0r2gBdEAAYASAAEgJElvD_BwE_k_&kwid=6601956&anchor=NA&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_quH-rLa4gIVl-NkCh0r2gBdEAAYASAAEgJElvD_BwE

 

Edited June 8, 2019 by SuiteTraveler

[lpop80]

Thanks, these mainly seem to be US websites?  I've searched for a similar offer for MSC UK but can't find anything.

 

I'm basically looking at the best way to get a good deal for European August 2020 cruises.

 

 

[jocap]

I couldn't find any for MSC either, but 4 or 5 for August '20 came up under P&O out of Southampton when I googled Kids sail free. 

[lpop80]

I’ve googled that but can’t see any free child places with p&o?  Can you add a link to them?

 

thanks!

[leaveitallbehind]

Many of the mass market cruise lines will offer children sail free promotions from time to time. (NCL and RCI just ran that recently).  You just have to check with the different lines - or do so through a travel agent - to see what is currently being offered by what lines.  But they typically do so as promotions for limited times.

[Sauer-kraut]

7 hours ago, lpop80 said:

Thanks, these mainly seem to be US websites?  I've searched for a similar offer for MSC UK but can't find anything.

 

I'm basically looking at the best way to get a good deal for European August 2020 cruises.

 

 

Norwegian does do European cruises.  Baltic, Mediterranean, and Greece. In 2020 I know they are going to Israel and holy land, you just have to keep looking to when the Kids Sail Free offers come out.  They aren't all the time, for all sailings but will pop up occasionally every few months.  You just have to be patient.

[KmomChicago]

One thing to consider, there are many different types of discount offers that may work out to be just as good as kids sail free.  There are Buy one, get one, plus $99 (or whatever) for additional guests.  There are 3rd and 4th guests free.  There are xx% off which can end up being the same mathwise.  There are free gratuities or other perks added in to the basic fare that increase the value of the fare.  Since there are no longer printed brochures, it's hard to know what the "full" price of any date actually is, and how percentages and other deals will work out, but often many different types of specials will get you to a very similar number at the end.  

 

Sometimes similar dates and itineraries on different ships of the same line can have very different rates.  Sometimes one ship is charging fairly similar rates for its insides, outsides, and balconies, where another ship with a different balance of cabin types has drastically different fares for each.  It can be a better strategy to choose a cheaper ship in the first place, or a cheaper date.  I would try to set what you think is a reasonable budget and see if they have some promotion available now that gets you there.   

[jocap]

23 hours ago, lpop80 said:

I’ve googled that but can’t see any free child places with p&o?  Can you add a link to them?

 

thanks!

I googled Kids sail free, but now I realise that the offerings were with a cruise TA... we can't mention names on this site, but it's just come up again when I googled...Sorry I can't help more than that. 🙂

[leaveitallbehind]

9 minutes ago, jocap said:

I googled Kids sail free, but now I realise that the offerings were with a cruise TA... we can't mention names on this site, but it's just come up again when I googled...Sorry I can't help more than that. 🙂

 

If the offerings were being shown through a TA, then they are sponsored by the cruise line as I highly doubt they would be out of pocket as a separate offering by the TA.  So just name the cruise line that is referenced by the TA. 

Edited June 9, 2019 by leaveitallbehind

[jocap]

It was P&O, on their larger ships.

[cb at sea]

Check prices before you book...sometimes it's more "cost-effective" to simply pay the 3rd and 4th passenger rate.....they generally jack up the price of the first 2 in the cabin in order to let "kids sail"free"".   So check prices both ways.  And, those kids have to be in YOUR cabin.....just so you know.