Kids sail free on Carnival!

[Westbank is bestbank]

It is a scam to reel in people with children who do not realize another price is offered:

 

Dream, June 22nd, Balcony on Lido for 3

Prices offered as of today:

$3577 Total cost "Kids sale free"

$2936 Total cost "Dreaming of Vacation Sale"

[heatherbelle]

I have just phoned Carnival, lady I spoke to asked supervisor who is emailing me back with an answer (I am in the UK, so 5 hours behind).

[Mrsdigi]

I am looking to book the Breeze too. The 3 dates I checked offer the lowest rate for 4 with kids sail free. What date did you check?

 

 

August 24 this year. The rate is still low. However, if you compare 2 adults in a similar cabin and 2 adults and 2 kids in a similar cabin, it is not a true " kids sail for free" promo, in my opinion. I just did it again and made sure to only compare base rates and it's about $420 more for 4 people as opposed to 2 people.

[heatherbelle]

In the fare view it shows you the price of booking under the fun select rate even though it's not on the current booking page. Well it does for my cruise anyway.

 

Breeze 16/08/14

 

Kids Sail Free from $3,278.00

Kids sail free when you book a select sailing between May 1, 2014 and August 28, 2014. Reserve a cruise for only $50 per person, and don’t pay the rest until 30 days before you sail.

$50 per person non-refundable

deposit

3rd /4th /5th Guests: FREE -

price below is average per

person to allow comparison

vs other promotions

Don't pay the rest until

30 days before you sail

 

 

Dreaming of Vacation Sale from $2,677.00

Book now and get savings up to $400 per stateroom plus free upgrades. Plus, initial non-refundable deposit is only $50 pp. and don’t pay the rest until 30 days before you sail

Free Upgrades

$50 Reduced Deposit per person

Great savings

 

Super Saver from $2,677.00

Stateroom will be assigned at check-in, non-refundable deposit, no changes permitted.

 

Fun Select from $3,757.00

Includes automatic two-category upgrade, refundable deposit subject to cancellation terms, no change fee and you pick your stateroom.

Edited March 26, 2014 by heatherbelle

[airmj2123]

August 24 this year. The rate is still low. However, if you compare 2 adults in a similar cabin and 2 adults and 2 kids in a similar cabin, it is not a true " kids sail for free" promo, in my opinion. I just did it again and made sure to only compare base rates and it's about $420 more for 4 people as opposed to 2 people.

 

I would compare it more to a place that doesn't allow you to use two coupons. So you have to select the one that saves you the most money.

 

Looking at June 1 on Conquest:

 

4 No Sail Free- 2433

4 with Sail Free- 2135

2 People- 1446+228(double taxes and fees)=1674

 

So you get the Fun Select rate (which is no promotions) in order to get kids promotion.

[bplazo]

I think the adults should sail for free and charge extra for children

[Gman2004]

I will be going on my 14 cruise so I certainly know how to check prices. I am comparing the cost of "kids sail free" to the cost I paid last month when booking the summer vacation rate. It is $700 higher

 

In therein lies the problem. You're trying to compare the price you paid last month to today's price. Being a 14 time cruiser you should know by now that rates are based on availability. If the cruise you're booked on has less availability today the price will be higher, but the kids sail free promotion may still be offered on that sailing. A sale does not mean you're going to get the lowest price ever offered, especially when you're talking about cruises where rates go up as the availability goes down. If they are offering something today that wasn’t available yesterday, that is a sale.

When my wife bought a new car in 2007 we got 0% financing. She just recently bought a new car this year and we didn't get 0% financing. We still took advantage of the "sale" they had at the time. Using your logic since we didn't get 0% financing it wasn't a real sale.

Edited March 26, 2014 by Gman2004

[dnj1]

No, I see a reduction now (at first, it was a HUGE increase) as well. When I compare the cruise I have booked in June to the Kid Free sale, I save $288. However, I will lose my $50 OBC. And according to the numbers, if I bumped up to a balcony only $202 more. Of course, I haven't called to verify these numbers, these are just from the website.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Good to know. My PVP has already given us our $149 credit. I would not call it a SCAM for some bookings it is cheaper. Months ago we had already booked for August and now this Kids sail free rate is cheaper and it is cheaper than the rate was last week for the same cruise, because I was checking last week too for a price drop.

[Westbank is bestbank]

In therein lies the problem. You're trying to compare the price you paid last month to today's price. Being a 14 time cruiser you should know by now that rates are based on availability. If the cruise you're booked on has less availability today the price will be higher, but the kids sail free promotion may still be offered on that sailing. A sale does not mean you're going to get the lowest price ever offered, especially when you're talking about cruises where rates go up as the availability goes down. If they are offering something today that wasn’t available yesterday, that is a sale.

When my wife bought a new car in 2007 we got 0% financing. She just recently bought a new car this year and we didn't get 0% financing. We still took advantage of the "sale" they had at the time. Using your logic since we didn't get 0% financing it wasn't a real sale.

 

Ok, so look at my post after that which shows the price of my cruise with the 2 prices offered TODAY! Kids sale free is $641 more. It's misleading people with children to think that is the cheaper price. I'm just saying how can they name the sale that when you are not getting anything for free. We can agree to disagree!

Edited March 26, 2014 by Westbank is bestbank

[Gman2004]

I would compare it more to a place that doesn't allow you to use two coupons. So you have to select the one that saves you the most money.

 

Looking at June 1 on Conquest:

 

4 No Sail Free- 2433

4 with Sail Free- 2135

2 People- 1446+228(double taxes and fees)=1674

 

So you get the Fun Select rate (which is no promotions) in order to get kids promotion.

 

Exactly. You can't combine promotions. Yes there are other promotions where the rate for 1st and 2nd or less expensive, but you can't take those rates and then ask for the 3rd and 4th kids rate promotion.

[Gman2004]

It is a scam to reel in people with children who do not realize another price is offered:

 

Dream, June 22nd, Balcony on Lido for 3

Prices offered as of today:

$3577 Total cost "Kids sale free"

$2936 Total cost "Dreaming of Vacation Sale"

 

Looks like if you're booking a cabin for 3 people the kids sail free promo does not offer the lowest total price. However, price that same sailing for 4 people in the same room and see which promotion is the least expensive.

[cruizinisthebest]

In therein lies the problem. You're trying to compare the price you paid last month to today's price. Being a 14 time cruiser you should know by now that rates are based on availability. If the cruise you're booked on has less availability today the price will be higher, but the kids sail free promotion may still be offered on that sailing. A sale does not mean you're going to get the lowest price ever offered, especially when you're talking about cruises where rates go up as the availability goes down. If they are offering something today that wasn’t available yesterday, that is a sale.

When my wife bought a new car in 2007 we got 0% financing. She just recently bought a new car this year and we didn't get 0% financing. We still took advantage of the "sale" they had at the time. Using your logic since we didn't get 0% financing it wasn't a real sale.

 

This is correct. If you got a lower price for your booking last week, last month, months ago, then YOU GOT THE BETTER RATE. The idea is to book new sailings not necessarily to save people money who already booked. And for new reservations with the prices currently offered, this sale is the best rate if you have multiple people in the room in most cases. It says in the details that it’s based on the average rate per passenger using “fun select” rates. The other benefits such as the $50 per person deposit and the extended final payment date are also incentives to book.

 

It’s fine to price compare. I do it everyday. But it doesn’t always work out. This sale didn’t for me, because my category is sold out. But it has worked for some. Fair enough they shouldn’t say kids sail free, but technically if they aren’t charging you the cruise fare for them and only taxes & port charges, it is free in that sense. You can’t compare two people in a cabin and add taxes and get the same price, because the fare rate isn’t the same. And if you’re on this board, you know any sale with “free” anything comes with an uptick in pricing. All companies do it. If you’re seeing rates with huge differences in prices like what was going on this morning, I would call and make sure it is correct. Carnival had issues with that and definitely should have it worked out before they launched it. I see some people saving a couple hundred here and there. Good for you. Every bit helps.

[dna529]

The problem that people are not understanding is that while the rate may be a little cheaper it is not "kids sail free". If the 3rd and 4th passengers were actually free the price difference would be more significant ( around $500 to $1000)

 

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Edited March 26, 2014 by dna529

[Mrsdigi]

You're right. I just went back in and the fun saver rate for 2 is the same as the kids free for 4 in the same category before fees. It would be nice if it was explained a tad better on the website so we wouldn't get so confused and irritated.

[Westbank is bestbank]

Gman2004.....by the way, the reason I said that I was comparing the "kids sale free" rate to my rate from a month ago is because the other rate offered TODAY "dreaming of vacation" is the exact rate that I paid a month ago. I suspect that you do not cruise with children.

Edited March 26, 2014 by Westbank is bestbank

[Westbank is bestbank]

Looks like if you're booking a cabin for 3 people the kids sail free promo does not offer the lowest total price. However, price that same sailing for 4 people in the same room and see which promotion is the least expensive.

 

Actually, dreaming of vacation is still cheaper for 4. If you follow through with the entire booking for 4 people, balcony, on vista deck, "kids sail free" is still $90 more than "dreaming of a vacation sale".

Edited March 26, 2014 by Westbank is bestbank

[Gman2004]

Gman2004.....by the way, the reason I said that I was comparing the "kids sale free" rate to my rate from a month ago is because the other rate offered TODAY "dreaming of vacation" is the exact rate that I paid a month ago. I suspect that you do not cruise with children.

 

You would be incorrect. I have 3 children. Unfortunately for me, even though kids sail free offers the lowest rate it is still not within my budget this year. I'll keep checking rates and hope for something less expensive to come along.

 

 

I've have posted several times already, you cannot combine promotions. Seems like you're wanting the 1st and 2nd passenger rates of the dreaming of vacation promo and the 3rd, 4th, 5th rates of the kids sail free. It doesn't work that way. You have to choose the promotion that offers the lowest rate and for you that seems to be dreaming of vacation.

[Gman2004]

Actually, dreaming of vacation is still cheaper for 4. If you follow through with the entire booking for 4 people, balcony, on vista deck, "kids sale free" is still $90 more than "dreaming of a vacation sale".

 

You're correct. However, that's because you're pricing a higher category balcony, and the dreaming of vacation promo offers free upgrades from the lowest priced balcony. The kids sail free does not. Compare the prices for balcony on the uppder deck for both promotions.

[HappyValley3]

Take a deep breath people. NCL does this all the time. I tried to book a cruise using a kids sail free with NCL for last December. What they did then was increase the price for the 2 adults in the room to make up for kids sailing free.

 

When I called them, they told me the cabin prices listed are the average price for each person in a room.....so even with the kids sail free promotion there still will be 4 people in a cabin. That is how they justify raising the price of the first 2 people.

 

I am sure this is common practice with all the cruise lines to include Carnival. By the way, I passed on the NCL promotion.

[2bthereagain]

The problem that people are not understanding is that while the rate may be a little cheaper it is not "kids sail free". If the 3rd and 4th passengers were actually free the price difference would be more significant ( around $500 to $1000)

 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Forums mobile app

 

Exactly.

[Westbank is bestbank]

You would be incorrect. I have 3 children. Unfortunately for me, even though kids sail free offers the lowest rate it is still not within my budget this year. I'll keep checking rates and hope for something less expensive to come along.

 

 

I've have posted several times already, you cannot combine promotions. Seems like you're wanting the 1st and 2nd passenger rates of the dreaming of vacation promo and the 3rd, 4th, 5th rates of the kids sail free. It doesn't work that way. You have to choose the promotion that offers the lowest rate and for you that seems to be dreaming of vacation.

 

This is my last post about this with you because I'm done....I completely disagree with you because advertising "kids sail free" when someone can book the exact same cruise today for a cheaper price justifies that the kids are not sailing for free. They jack up the price for 1 & 2 and advertise free just to get people to book. Scam.

Edited March 26, 2014 by Westbank is bestbank

[Westbank is bestbank]

goodbye

Edited March 26, 2014 by Westbank is bestbank

[Gman2004]

This is my last post about this with you because I'm done....I completely disagree with you because advertising "kids sail free" when someone can book the exact same cruise today for a cheaper price justifies that the kids are not sailing for free. They jack up the price for 1 & 2 and advertise free just to get people to book. Scam.

 

Let me splain it a little simplier for you. You cannot combine promotions. You cannot take the lower 1st and 2nd rate from one promotion and combine it with the $0 cruise rate (not including fees and taxes) from the kids sail free. I don't know how else to explain it. Have a good day.

[momof2cruzingurlz]

Ok sooooo, my DH and I are booked for end of July. Seeing the "kids sale free" promo I went to check it out to see if it would be worth it to bring them along. Prices for DH and I are still the same price as I had booked. BUT if I wanted to add our 2 DD's using the promo the total price jumps just over $1000 more. I understand some is taxes and port fees. But those are just $355 for all 4 of us. Nothing is free. Promo should just be called "kids at a reduced rate".

 

Oh and the rate for ES for 4 in the room is the same as the "kids sale free".

 

Nevemind I am adding in now to say I just checked out the base fair and they did really raise it alot and this is how kids are free in that rate. BUT it still is the same cost if 4 ES of any age are in the room as the kids sail free promo

Edited March 26, 2014 by momof2cruzingurlz

[ziravan]

I checked. KSF isn't a good deal, at all. Carnival DID get me to their website today with this bogus offer. They also jerked my chain, and I won't book, and I won't forget that this was a scam.

 

You can't combine promotions. Whatever. If Carnival is claiming that kids sail free, then I should be able to get a comparable deal for what I can otherwise get today with only adding taxes and fees for kids. Instead, KSF is the more expensive way for 2 adults, 2 kids to book.

 

Using this promotion isn't truth in advertising. Kids don't sail free, they sail at a higher premium if this so-called promotion is used.

 

I even called my wife to excitedly tell her that we might be able to fit a cruise in this summer, after all. I had to call her back to say, "nevermind, I know better than to trust email scams."

 

I won't be getting my $500 million from a recently deceased Nigerian Prince, and my kids won't be sailing for free...