In a sluggish economy, travel can be expensive for one individual – not to mention the costs associated with families of three, four or more. The solution however, is not to spend all summer at home dwindling your thumbs – instead, get creative and search for cheap cruise deals. Kids’ sail free promotions are becoming a standard advertising method for cruise lines looking to entice parents on board.
Unlike staying in a hotel, kids are unlikely to experience boredom on a cruise ship. Take the Disney Cruise Line for example. The fleet hosts more amenities than a theme park. 3-D movies, arcades, computer labs, dress-up rooms, greetings with Disney characters, pools, water slides, musicals, youth clubs, parties, virtual sports simulators and miniature golf courses are available depending on which ship you sail on. Structured activities are usually available day and night. Cruise lines that offer family discounts cater to the family crowd and there will be plenty of other kids on board. For adult entertainment, full service spas, lounges, fitness centers, nightclubs and daycares eliminate the stress of vacationing with children.
Current Special Offers for Families
Crystal Cruises has several separate kids sail free promotions currently in place. Kids can sail free to Northern Europe and experience the charming beauty of London on a round-trip tour. Or take the Copenhagen to Stockholm cruise and wind through the Baltic Sea, ancient Estonia, Russia and Sweden. Since both trips start in Europe, families will have to include the cost of air fare. For a cruise a little closer to home, Crystal Cruises also offers a third person sail-free deal for their round-trip Miami cruise – a tropical voyage that cruises through the islands in the Caribbean Sea. To cut back on trip expenses, families can even drive to Miami instead of paying for air fare.
Kids between the ages of 12 and 17 can currently sail free on select cruises to the Mediterranean, New England or Europe with MSC Cruises. Disney Cruise Lines, features free sailing for kids on board its Northern European Capitals Cruises. The discount only applies to select summer cruises. However, additional free sail deals for kids may crop up since the Disney Cruise Line offers a number of specials throughout the year. Mediterranean cruises and short Bahamas cruises have featured free sailing for kids during the first half of the year. Top cruise lines including Regent Seven Seas, Costa and Norwegian Cruise have also been known to feature third person sail-free deals.
Keep in Mind
Kids sail free deals are usually not compatible with other offers. The discount is also likely to be limited to one child, sharing a stateroom with two adults. Parents traveling with two children will still have to shell out some additional cost. It is important to note however, that almost all cruise lines offer reduced rates for children and those under 12 can usually cruise at substantially reduced rates. On MSC Cruises, children 11 or younger always sail free.
To find kids sail free deals, go directly to the cruise lines website to check out their current offerings for the year. To search all cheap cruise deals, kids sail free offers at once use an online travel booker like Orbitz. The majority of deals will be offered during January through March, the busiest time of year for booking cruises. To find deals during the summer and holidays when children are more likely to be out of school, contact a travel agent, they can assist with finding special deals that may not be available to individuals.
References
Crystal Cruises “http://www.crystalcruises.com/OfferDetail.aspx?OG=128&intcmp=10000-OTHMB128&pos=O6&pgid=OFFERMAIN-*,” “http://www.crystalcruises.com/OfferDetail.aspx?OG=125&intcmp=10000-OTHMB125&pos=O8&pgid=OFFERMAIN-*,”
MSC Cruises “http://www.msccruisesusa.com/discount-cruise-and-vacation-deals”
Disney Cruise Line “http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/special-offers/great-rates-on-european-sailings”
(Photo courtesy Photos8.com)
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