Kids Sail Free is a joke

[ano]

On 12/18/2019 at 10:49 AM, Samanthac25 said:

I see your point, I think all of RCCL promos are a joke...

Next you'll tell me the free beverage package isn't really free.  😆

[Samanthac25]

10 minutes ago, ano said:

Next you'll tell me the free beverage package isn't really free.  😆

Nothing is free. Even if your sold on a “free” beverage package or “free” gratuities, you’re certainly paying for it in your cruise fare. They just raise the fare prices in order to offer those promos. Then they reduce fare prices when the “free” add-one aren’t offered. You’re paying for it one way or another. 

[brevardcruiser]

Back to original poster idea.  KSF is not a joke if you do your research and homework.  My family of 6 is sailing tomorrow on the Adventure using this promotion for the 6th time.  Yes it saves a ton of money if used correctly.  Based on my user ID I live in Florida and kids are out of school the majority of this upcoming week.  When they were younger it was no problem.  Now we have to look for loopholes and gaps that coincide with the school calendar. Yes they miss a couple days this week but we have already arranged with teachers homework and reading.  Making life long memories is the idea! 
 

[NateUpNorth]

We've saved literally thousand's of dollars booking the KSF promo's.

In addition to any of the other intangible learning on the cruise, it's been the best financial education the kids have ever received.

We show them exactly why we picked that time of year and exactly how much money it saves - and that's why they have to work at little harder at their schoolwork to catch up.

They're 5 and 8 and have understood exactly what the lesson is intended to teach.

[MSP_CRUISER]

If I find a good deal with KSF, I pull the kids out for a week. Simple as that,  missing one week a year isn't going to matter in the grand scheme of things.

Edited January 5, 2020 by MSP_CRUISER

[DerekDun8]

3 hours ago, MSP_CRUISER said:

If I find a good deal with KSF, I pull the kids out for a week. Simple as that,  missing one week a year isn't going to matter in the grand scheme of things.

We do the same exact thing.  When you can sail a 7-night cruise on an oasis class ship with a ocean view balcony for a family of 4 for less than $2400 it becomes a no brainer.  

Edited January 5, 2020 by DerekDun8

[Joebucks]

So many people would be so much better off if they ignored the text of a marketing campaign and paid attention to what actually matters. Because your "I sailed a KSF cruise" doesn't mean you put more money in your pocket. People will choose a cruise line because of those words, only to end up spending more. While defending that decision to the death.

 

It's with anything "free". In case you are new to this, nothing is free. It is best to compare products by the bottom line price. Imagine the tale of two similar cruise lines. One costs you $3000 for your family of 4, the other gives you "free" fares for 2 members, but you paid $3500 for a nearly identical experience. What did you get for free?

[MoniMommy]

I just came back from a cruise and took my kids out of school a week before Winter break. There were so many kids on board that you had to get in line 30 to 45 minutes early to get in the kids club. I use KSF every year and take my kids out if school. Lots of parents do it and I have never once had a teacher complain. They always tell me to enjoy our trip. We even sent pictures using the class dojo app to the teachers.

[sheffield]

We are sailing on the Kids Sail Free promo in October on the Harmony. My husband and I are paying around 1900 for a balcony room. My son and his wife and 11 month old daughter are paying 2600. To book 3 people in a balcony cabin means they have to go up a category, this is despite the fact that their daughter will be sleeping in their own pack and play. Doesn’t really feel like kids sail free to us!

[Ourusualbeach]

19 minutes ago, sheffield said:

We are sailing on the Kids Sail Free promo in October on the Harmony. My husband and I are paying around 1900 for a balcony room. My son and his wife and 11 month old daughter are paying 2600. To book 3 people in a balcony cabin means they have to go up a category, this is despite the fact that their daughter will be sleeping in their own pack and play. Doesn’t really feel like kids sail free to us!

Have them call their TA or Royal if they booked direct. With a child under 2 they can actually book themselves into a double occupancy cabin if they are using a pack n play.  I’ve done this before.  The savings are significant.  

[atricks]

   Peak travel seasons are expensive because everyone is off and the demand is there to drive prices up.   Kids sale free is just part of that, just check a price in July against the week before thanksgiving week or the week after (Or early January) to then (or any other time kids are out of school). 

 

    We're doing a bucket list 18 night Transpacific Cruise (Aus/NZ/Tahiti/Bora Bora/Hawaii) on Ovation in April with our 5 year old, we're taking out of her Pre-Kindergarten to do it, price for 3 before KSF was 7,175.03, after was $5,742.03  (For balcony semi obstructed on deck 7).  That's what put it into our doable range (even with flights from Florida to Australia and return from Hawaii) so it does work.   We'd probably do it up to 1/2nd grade for a 1 week.  This effectively 3 week trip is probably not doable once in grade school,. though.    We really taken advantage of it, she'll be hitting Emerald status (on her own) after this trip.

 

  It's important to know you only get the raw fare off though, not port fees, taxes, and other junk fees.

 

 

 

  

 

 

Edited January 6, 2020 by atricks

[sheffield]

42 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Have them call their TA or Royal if they booked direct. With a child under 2 they can actually book themselves into a double occupancy cabin if they are using a pack n play.  I’ve done this before.  The savings are significant.  

Our TA booked it and this was the cheapest fare she could get. She actually called RCCL sneaky making you go up a category even if you didn’t need an extra bed. I guess we were only aware of this because we were booking a cabin for two at the same time. Otherwise we would  have thought it was a good deal. On the invoice the 11 month old old is only charged taxes etc, it is the two adults who are paying more than my husband and I. 

[Ourusualbeach]

3 minutes ago, sheffield said:

Our TA booked it and this was the cheapest fare she could get. She actually called RCCL sneaky making you go up a category even if you didn’t need an extra bed. I guess we were only aware of this because we were booking a cabin for two at the same time. Otherwise we would  have thought it was a good deal. On the invoice the 11 month old old is only charged taxes etc, it is the two adults who are paying more than my husband and I. 

Have their TA call back and try as I suggested.  It is not something that they volunteer but like I said I’ve done this. 

 

From my experience most TA’s do not even know about this. 

Edited January 6, 2020 by Ourusualbeach

[Iamcruzin]

On 12/18/2019 at 11:07 AM, stellgod said:

So, to summarize this thread. I need to live in New Jersey, homeschool my kids, or be Jewish to take advantage of the deal. Anyone know of affordable places to live in Jersey?

No you need to move to Florida where homeschooling is very popular and real estate is much cheaper than New Jersey or New York. Plus there are more ports and more cruises from Florida than NJ. My SIL homeschooled  my niece and they always jumped on last minute deals. 

[sheffield]

34 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Have their TA call back and try as I suggested.  It is not something that they volunteer but like I said I’ve done this. 

 

From my experience most TA’s do not even know about this. 

Thank you, I will

[LuCruise]

I'm from Ontario and our March break last year fell just before the blackout date. Our cruise price had gone up so much that it didn't help us anyways (only one kid was young enough to qualify) but was surprised to see it on our cruise.

 

For our Mariner cruise end of this summer, KSF applies, even though our kids are still out of school. This time, it did save us a bit