Kids’ Rates

Kids’ Rates
At the other end of the age spectrum, there are a couple of different ways to save money when booking a trip with your children. For starters, some cruise lines offer kids’ discounts on a seasonal basis. Crystal Cruises promoted a Kids Sail Free program during the summer of 2005 aboard its ships in Alaska. The discount was good for any child age twelve or younger who shared a stateroom with two adults, and the special deal may be repeated in other parts of the world during 2006.

Other cruise lines offer permanent kids’ fares all year round. Costa Cruise Line has a program called the Friends and Family Fare, in which you can save as much as $200 per stateroom off the early- booking rates as long as you book at least two staterooms at the same time. You can also choose the Costa Loves Kids program, in which children seventeen and younger who share a cabin with you may cruise for just $199 per child.

The latter of the Costa kids’ incentives is actually a program that you can find aboard other cruise lines under a different name, usually something as generic as “third and fourth guest.” If you are willing to share your cabin with your children, you can often get them deeply discounted fares. With Carnival, for example, a four- day Bahamas and Caribbean cruise costs at least $799 per person with the early-booking discount, but the third and fourth guest in a single cabin are eligible for fares as low as $199 with the early-booking discount.

Look for these kinds of savings without the name “kid” in the brochure for whatever cruise line you choose, and you’re likely to find a good deal.

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