Want to know the best cruise deal out there? It has to be when kids sail free. These rare offers can slash your cruise bill by hundreds – sometimes even thousands – of pounds.
Cruise lines often charge children almost the same as adults, so when a free child place pops up, it’s worth jumping on fast. I’ve managed to grab these deals several times, and in this guide, I’ll show you exactly how to find them – before everyone else does.
1. The 5 Cruise Lines That Offer ‘Kids Sail Free’ Deals
Not all cruise lines offer free child places, so the first step is to identify which ones do.
Cruise lines that I have seen offer this deal include:
- P&O Cruises
- Royal Caribbean
- MSC Cruises
- Norwegian Cruise Line
- Ambassador Cruise Line
However, these offers aren’t available all the time, so you need to keep an eye out for their latest policies and deals.
Often, the kids’ sail free deals are only available on term-time cruises. This makes sense because cruise lines have no problem filling the kids’ clubs during the school holidays.
But sometimes you can find these deals on school holiday cruises as well. I’ve done this many times, and even managed to get the kids on board Britannia for free at Easter.
Here’s how I did it: How to Find Bargain School Holidays Cruises with P&O Cruises
2. How to Get a Cheap Last-Minute Deal on a Cruise
The cheapest cruises are sometimes available to book two to three months before the ship sets sail. At this point, the cruise lines know how many cabins there are left to fill. If they’re not selling as fast as they should, they drop the price. However, the keyword here is SOMETIMES…
Cruising is becoming more and more popular every year. The cruise lines literally cannot build ships fast enough to accommodate the growing demand. So having empty cabins is becoming rarer, meaning that last-minute price reductions are now few and far between.
If you do want to book a last-minute cruise, you’ll need to be really flexible. It’s also worth noting that just because a cruise has a large price reduction, that doesn’t mean it’s cheap.
The cheapest cabins will likely have been sold months ago, leaving the higher grades of cabins to be reduced later. Rather than paying less for your cruise, you might instead pay the same, but get a slightly larger cabin in a better location on the ship by booking late.
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3. Cheap Last-Minute Cruises for Families
Finding a last-minute cruise for a family is like finding a needle in a haystack. Why? Well, ships only have a limited number of cabins which are suitable for families.
The majority of cruise ship cabins only fit two passengers. Although the demand for cruising is growing, the family sector of the market is growing even faster. This means that many ships simply do not have enough four-berth cabins to accommodate the demand.
Another problem you might encounter is that cruise lines tend to only admit a certain number of children in each age group. This is so that they can better accommodate them in the kids’ clubs.
In school holiday periods, parents sometimes find that there is a cabin available on the cruise they want, but no space for one of their children. The ship already has the maximum number of children in that particular age group booked on board.
4. Book Your Family Cruise Early
For anyone travelling with children, I would strongly recommend booking early. And the earlier the better! Cruises generally go on sale 18 months to two years before departure, and booking then will ensure that there is availability for your family.
Plus, for popular sailings which don’t get reduced, the best prices are often available when the cruises first go on sale.
Look for Promotional Deals for Early Bookers
Cruise lines have promotions all the time. Sometimes it’s a lower price, but more often than not you can get extras such as free drinks, free port parking or credit to spend on board the ship.
However, these deals are only available for early bookers. Each cruise line will have different offers that change every couple of months. If you see an offer that really appeals to you, such as free all-inclusive drinks, then don’t hang around.
Suggested read: How To Get A Cruise For Free
5. Contact a Travel Agent for the Best Cruise Deals
A good travel agent will be able to help you get the best deal. I’d recommend signing up for all their email newsletters. They can email you all the details of each cruise line’s latest promotions, and also let you know when the next batch of sailings is released, which happens a few times each year.
If you’re determined to take a cruise soon, then look at what last-minute deals are available (and find out how late you can book a last-minute cruise). However, if you’re not sure when you want to cruise, then it pays to look as far ahead as you can.
Final Word
Free child places on cruises are like gold dust – but with a bit of know-how, they’re absolutely worth hunting for. Whether it’s keeping an eye on the cruise lines that regularly run kids sail free offers, booking early to grab the best cabins, or letting a good travel agent do the searching for you, there are plenty of ways to save big.
I’ve managed to cruise with my kids for free more than once, and trust me, the feeling of knowing you’ve cut your holiday cost in half makes it even sweeter when you’re sipping that first poolside cocktail.
So keep your eyes peeled, stay flexible with dates, and be ready to book fast when the right deal appears – because those free child places never hang around for long!
Get Help Booking Your Family Cruise
Cruise Family are the only UK specialists in cruises for families of 5+ (and smaller ones too!)
Let them find your perfect trip…
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
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