Children sailing free

Can anyone please tell me if children under 17th sail free in 2016. Do they only play port and taxes, Planning to cruise with MSC in July 2016.

Can anyone please tell me if children under 17th sail free in 2016. Do they only play port and taxes, Planning to cruise with MSC in July 2016.

Where are you from? There are different conditions and pricing policies operating in different countries. So you need to specify which country you will be making your booking in. It is not one size fits all when it comes to MSC!

Kids have to be paid for now according to their new brochure and pricing policy.

Where are you from? There are different conditions and pricing policies operating in different countries. So you need to specify which country you will be making your booking in. It is not one size fits all when it comes to MSC!

Here in Germany, kids under 12 are still free when sharing a cabin with two adults. They don't have to pay port charges, but now have to pay half the service charge.

We've used TAs from different countries without problems.

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Hi Alex ... Is that for this year ? the brochure I have is for 2016/17.

Example from Brochure ... MSC Fantasia, (Season A) October/November, Genoa to Genoa Adult Inside Bella £929, Fantastica £979 ... Infant 0-2 = £100, child 2-12 = £469, child 13-17 = £619 when sharing with Adults!

Hi Alex ... Is that for this year ? the brochure I have is for 2016/17.

 

Example from Brochure ... MSC Fantasia, (Season A) October/November, Genoa to Genoa Adult Inside Bella £929, Fantastica £979 ... Infant 0-2 = £100, child 2-12 = £469, child 13-17 = £619 when sharing with Adults!

No, it's for next year. Until this year, kids under 18 were free, starting next year, they've lowered the age to 12. Our oldest is ten now, so we can still benefit two more years. This is for bookings through a German TA.

Here's the link to the relevant section of the MSC website (in German) http://www.msc-kreuzfahrten.de/de_de/Angebote/Familien-Kreuzfahrten.aspx

So they expect kids from the UK sharing with parents to have to pay but in Germany up to the age of 12 they will still travel Free! only a few days ago Vago was saying that bookings had gone down in Europe and he wonders why?

Once again it appears that MSC have an unlevel playing field with their continued discrimination policies, oh well looks like someone else will once again be getting our money next year.

So they expect kids from the UK sharing with parents to have to pay but in Germany up to the age of 12 they will still travel Free! only a few days ago Vago was saying that bookings had gone down in Europe and he wonders why?

 

Once again it appears that MSC have an unlevel playing field with their continued discrimination policies, oh well looks like someone else will once again be getting our money next year.

The Aus & NZ 2016/17 brochure has kids under 13 go free

Kids have NEVER been free in Yacht Club...I even had to pay for my infant. Granted, it was MUCH less than my fare, but he still was not free. And he paid full port charges and taxes for all 8 of the cruises we've either been on or have booked on YC on Divina.

Kids have NEVER been free in Yacht Club...I even had to pay for my infant. Granted, it was MUCH less than my fare, but he still was not free. And he paid full port charges and taxes for all 8 of the cruises we've either been on or have booked on YC on Divina.

That may be true for the US, but they have certainly been free in the YC in the MED. Here's an image from a UK brochure for a cruise on Splendida

The red dots show where it says kids under 18 go "free", in the pricing table; even in the YC.. This has always been the cruise element only, they have always had to pay airfares and taxes / port charges

Pete

That may be true for the US, but they have certainly been free in the YC in the MED. Here's an image from a UK brochure for a cruise on Splendida

The red dots show where it says kids under 18 go "free", in the pricing table; even in the YC.. This has always been the cruise element only, they have always had to pay airfares and taxes / port charges

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pete

Oh, lucky you! I am paying $314 cruise fare plus $115 port charge and taxes for our New Year's Eve cruise in a YC 1 for the baby and $450.00 cruise fare plus $116 port charge and taxes for the Royal Suite on March 19. Granted, it's not a lot, but I like FREE much better!

Oh, lucky you! I am paying $314 cruise fare plus $115 port charge and taxes for our New Year's Eve cruise in a YC 1 for the baby and $450.00 cruise fare plus $116 port charge and taxes for the Royal Suite on March 19. Granted, it's not a lot, but I like FREE much better!

Well, you get free water instead. You've got to pick battles. ;)

Alex ... In response to the Free or not Free issue I asked MSC what the situation was with regard to the issue, below is the response which is somewhat wishy washy, I have not seen any advertised cruises bookable in the UK with Free kids!

Good afternoon

Please be aware that each country are given different pricing grid under wish to operate MSC UK does operate under flexible pricing grid and some of our sailing do have free child places dependent on the age of the age of the child/ children.

Please also note that the website that you have sent the details from says some dates are available with free children rates. Please contact myself if you have any further enquiries.

Thanks and Regards

Alex ... In response to the Free or not Free issue I asked MSC what the situation was with regard to the issue, below is the response which is somewhat wishy washy, I have not seen any advertised cruises bookable in the UK with Free kids!

 

Good afternoon

Please be aware that each country are given different pricing grid under wish to operate MSC UK does operate under flexible pricing grid and some of our sailing do have free child places dependent on the age of the age of the child/ children.

Please also note that the website that you have sent the details from says some dates are available with free children rates. Please contact myself if you have any further enquiries.

 

Thanks and Regards

Thanks for sharing.

It seems to me that they are putting a spin on the German text that suits their argument. The only policy change, that I can see in the text, is that they've lowered the age from 17 and under to 12 and under.

The German text states that the offer is based on availability at the time of booking, which was always the case since not all cabins can accommodate four poeple and the ones that can, usually sell out first. It's always been tough to find a cabin for four last minute when some of the most spectacular prices became available.

July and August were already excluded from the kids free offer under the previous policy, but MSC used to charge a low flat fee per child during these two months. Having done a few tests, it actually looks like they've reduced the flat price from 119 EUR to 99 EUR, including port charges, which are never broken out separately in Germany.

I took a look at the Fantasia out of Genoa on October 16, 2016 and two kids under 13 are indeed still free. The price per adult for an inside Bella is 749 EUR. Kids 13 - 17 cost 149 EUR each, so still not too bad.

Alex ... A latest response from MSC !

Please note most of MSC sailings cruising the Mediterranean will have free Child place based on Child under the age of 2.

Unless they meant 12, that's what I would have assumed anyway.

Alex ... I would take it as 2 because you now have to pay for kids from the UK.