Cost to Travel w/ Baby?

[luv2tr@v3l]

I posted this on the "ask a question" site and realized there was also a family site. My family is planning a get together on a cruise and I have a 6 month old, does anyone know if I have to pay for her? I tried booking on-line just to see and there was no option for a child price on Princess' website.

[boulders]

There is no child price on Princess. She will pay the third person fare. It doesn't matter how old she is. There are some cruiselines where children sail free or at a discounted rate. Princess is not one of them. Most of the ones that do have discounts for children are more expensive for adults.

[aflynn3]

RCL is the same way, you would have to pay the fare for 3rd person. We paid the same for our 7 year old as we did for our 14 month old.

[cb at sea]

You may want to contact a travel agent--they will know which ships charge for children and which don't. It doesn't cost YOU anything to use a TA...and they can give you alot of info that otherwise, you'll have to search for!

[Kerry's Girls]

Just keep in mind that the total cost for all of you on a line that discounts for babies/children could be less than the total cost for all of you on a line that does discount for children.

 

Best,

Mia

[6rugrats]

Just keep in mind that the total cost for all of you on a line that discounts for babies/children could be less than the total cost for all of you on a line that does discount for children.

 

Best' date='

Mia[/quote']

 

I think you left out a "not".

[lisascott207]

I just returned from a RCCL cruise, and was shocked that we had to pay the 3rd passanger rate for DS who was 15MO. It was quite less $$, but I think it that is insane to charge the same amount for an infant or adult 3rd passanger. I believe that NCL offers free fare for children under a certain age. I might look into that next time!

[calikak]

NCL only charges the port fees/taxes for kids under 2, and you will sometimes see "kids sail free" offers for other cruise lines too--MSC has these a lot, and sometimes Costa. But I don't think I've seen a "kids sail free" offer for Princess. The third person rate is usually quite a bit lower than the first/second person in the cabin, but that third person rate usually has nothing to do with the age of the third person, just that they're the third one.

[C. Anne]

Unfortunately you have to pay for her as a person. This was the case on Carnival, anyway. We had a 1 year old and our other 3 kids on Ecstasy which has cabins for 5. We had to get another cabin just because of a 6th person (the baby). It was the 2 cabins with 1st two passengers at higher prices that made it so much. The 3rd or 4th person in a cabin is not so much.

[elvo73]

We're going to Alaska next weekend on Holland America and paid for our 2 children (1 and 4) only the taxes.

I paid $1200 for the 4 of us with taxes and all the fees. (inside cabin)

[beachchick]

While I understand why it might seem absurd to charge full fare (generally 3rd/4th person), please remember that cruise ships are not like airplanes in that they cannot count youngsters as "lap babies" to keep "seats" available for paying pax. Every single person onboard from infant to great-great-grandpa is counted toward the ship's maximum capacity. When an infant cruises, that takes a full berth. As well, a great deal of the cruise line's revenue derives from "extra" charges (casino, drinks, excursions, etc.), which babies are certainly not going to "pay" for. That many of the cruise lines make up for that by not discounting infant/child fares is purely a business decision.

 

(I write this as a new grandma who would love for my DGD to be able to cruise free--but who knows that it's not a reasonable expectation and who will book accordingly.)

 

beachchick

[sandytoes03]

To be honest, it bothers me that some cruise lines charge so much for a baby. I understand, the baby is a third person, but, if they can't use the pools, and if there's not free babysitting services, and there's not much a baby can do, what are we really paying for? I know, they do eat some food, and the cabin steward will have to clean up a little more, but still, does not seem fair to me.

[gerif]

To be honest, it bothers me that some cruise lines charge so much for a baby. I understand, the baby is a third person, but, if they can't use the pools, and if there's not free babysitting services, and there's not much a baby can do, what are we really paying for? I know, they do eat some food, and the cabin steward will have to clean up a little more, but still, does not seem fair to me.

 

As previously noted, there are only so many "berths" that can be sold - the baby takes up a "berth" that could otherwise be sold to a person who will be spending money at the bars, in the casino, at bingo, in specialty restaurants, in the shops, etc., thereby generating income for the cruiseline. Babies generate no income at all.

[Kerry's Girls]

To be honest, it bothers me that some cruise lines charge so much for a baby. I understand, the baby is a third person, but, if they can't use the pools, and if there's not free babysitting services, and there's not much a baby can do, what are we really paying for? I know, they do eat some food, and the cabin steward will have to clean up a little more, but still, does not seem fair to me.

 

You are paying for the joy of taking your baby along with you on a cruise, where everyone pays no matter what services they will/won't use. There are cruise lines that do not charge for babies - and you can choose to sail one of those (keeping in mind you get what you pay for). And there is Disney, where there are discounts and services for babies, but the prices are much, much higher. Or, you can go to a resort where kids aren't charged.

 

One of the wonderful things about a cruise is that everyone pays up front and then you don't have to worry about extra charges (unless you choose to). It has already been explained that because babies spend no money on board, they are not worth as much to the cruise line as a passenger who can spend in the shops, bars and casino, which is what keeps the base cost of cruising down for the rest of us. I usually pay full price for one of my girls and full 3rd passenger fee for the other, and it's still a better bargain than staying at a resort, where we are charged for every meal, etc. - and I don't have as good a time because I'm being careful with my spending. And, my kids are never treated like princesses the way they are on a ship. It's worth every penny!

 

Best,

Mia

[sandytoes03]

As previously noted, there are only so many "berths" that can be sold - the baby takes up a "berth" that could otherwise be sold to a person who will be spending money at the bars, in the casino, at bingo, in specialty restaurants, in the shops, etc., thereby generating income for the cruiseline. Babies generate no income at all.

 

You are paying for the joy of taking your baby along with you on a cruise' date=' where everyone pays no matter what services they will/won't use. There are cruise lines that do not charge for babies - and you can choose to sail one of those (keeping in mind you get what you pay for). And there is Disney, where there are discounts and services for babies, but the prices are much, much higher. Or, you can go to a resort where kids aren't charged.

 

One of the wonderful things about a cruise is that everyone pays up front and then you don't have to worry about extra charges (unless you choose to). It has already been explained that because babies spend no money on board, they are not worth as much to the cruise line as a passenger who can spend in the shops, bars and casino, which is what keeps the base cost of cruising down for the rest of us. I usually pay full price for one of my girls and full 3rd passenger fee for the other, and it's still a better bargain than staying at a resort, where we are charged for every meal, etc. - and I don't have as good a time because I'm being careful with my spending. And, my kids are never treated like princesses the way they are on a ship. It's worth every penny!

 

Best,

Mia[/quote']

 

 

OK. Got it.

 

Thinking that babies take up space, but don't generate money is one way to think of it and whey their fares cost so much. I have a different opinion. And, again, I think that if cruise lines charge a full amount for a baby it's too bad (on some ships) that there aren't at least pools that the little ones can use.

 

Never said it wasn't worth it, but still wish it was at least a little cheaper. ;)

[JEANMR1]

Two other things to think about as well:

1. Not only is the baby not spending extra money, the parents are probably not buying as much to drink, dining in the extra restaurants, and gambling because they are with their baby. So the cruiseline not only loses money from the child being there but the adults with that child as well.

2. If it was cheaper for people to bring small children, far more families would be doing it thereby driving the revenues down further. As one poster mentioned, Disney charges much more because that is what they cater to. There is also a perceived discount for small children by making the fares for 1 and 2 more expensive.

[FigmentsKiss]

Most of the PPs have already answered your question, but I just wanted to add that when planning this cruise, if there is any flexibility try to find a ship that does offer activities for infants even if it is just a splash zone, so at least you know your child gets to have some fun too.

[dreaminofsun]

I can see the original posters point of view on this. We were a little surprised that my sister had to pay the same amount for my 15 month old nephew as we did for our 8 yr. old back in January on the Carnival Glory when there is really nothing offered for him.

I don't really understand the argument that he is taking up a space on the ship. There are only so many rooms and it's not like if my sister and brother in law chose to leave him at home that the cruise line would be able to put someone else in his place because they are still taking one room regardless.

[boulders]

I don't really understand the argument that he is taking up a space on the ship. There are only so many rooms and it's not like if my sister and brother in law chose to leave him at home that the cruise line would be able to put someone else in his place because they are still taking one room regardless.

 

Actually, the cruise line WOULD be able to put someone else in his place. There is a maximum number of souls that a ship can carry. They can't put more souls on then there are spots in their lifeboats. The number of theoretical total people able to fit in all the rooms - including 3rd and 4th passengers in a room - is more than that number. So, by having a 3rd or 4th passenger in a certain cabin, that limits whether or not a 3rd or 4th passenger could fit in another cabin.

 

We booked a suite on IOS for last summer. Although theoretically, the suite could fit 5, we were only allowed to book 2 since the other booked cabins already had so many 3rd and 4th passengers booked in them.

[Rudi610]

It's not so much the capacity of the cabins onboard the ship that counts. It's the capacity of the lifeboats and liferafts, heaven forbid should they need to be used. Also, infants and babies tend to generate more garbage (diapers, wipes, etc.) and create messes (in the dining room), not to mention the staff is looking out and serving all of you, not just the adults.

[dreaminofsun]

Ok, that makes more sense to me now!

[luv2tr@v3l]

Thanks for all of the advice, I did book Princess and had to pay for another person (and yes only 6 months!). I'll make sure to check one of the other cruise lines if we do this again but since we were with family, we didn't have much choice. I understand their occupancy and why they charge but honestly she can't do anything and will be in our bed anyway. I'm not sure I would trust one of the cribs. I'll have to make some absurd requests for her, i.e. her own chair at dinner or to warm her baby food, lol...The funniest part is that she has her own cruise card which is attached to our credit card. Hopefully she doesn't go on a spending spree without us.:confused: