Really?! Do kids sail free?!!!!

[Disapointed in RC]

Royal Caribbean is doing the "bait and switch"!!! This is absolutely a crime!  Try to book an Ultra Spacious Ocean View Cabin that accommodates 5

2 adults and 3 kids. ages 4, 5, 8.  They say free for kids just pay port fees and taxes on kids.  Then give you a price saying it's based on double occupancy and raise the price from $890 pp to $1900 pp.  The room is for 5 "A Family",  2 adults should be the same price and not raise it just because you have kids.

Royal Caribbean should be ashamed! 

[Xaa]

Kids do sail free.  If you try to book that exact same room with just 2 people, then book it with the kids, your fare will come out the same.  The issue that you're experiencing is the fact that the room you're choosing is a special, higher cost room.  You would never really choose it for just 2 people, but is you did it would be $X.  During KSF, it is still total of $X (+port and taxes) with the kids added.  When KSF is not running, there would be an additional charge for each occupant above 2 which isn't necessarily for the room as much as it is for the food and other included items.

Try that room when KSF is not running and you will see that the savings were there and are real.

You might want the help of a skilled travel agent.

[L454S]

Then there would also be the extra $48 per day for additional gratuities..........................and on and on, nothing is free.

[Neesa]

It's a huge promotion that seems to be working by luring families over to Royal from the likes of DCL. The promotion really catches ones attention. Like @Xaastated with the cabin & 3 little kiddos covered by the promotion go ahead and see the difference with a DCL for example, the value for money is there for sure. That promotion does not work for our family because my kiddo is over 12, so we actually have experienced that booking under this promotion affords us to pay a higher price, it seems the adults are charged more monies to make up for the KSF. No worries though, if I see a cabin I must have I book it & then @Sharla will price adjust for me at the lower better rate when the sale is over, like all other money savings promotions in every part of life, they are designed to separate you from your money providing their family friendly product in a way that makes you feel "good" about the monies we are paying for the experience. Book that great room, have an amazing family vacation. 

*I wish they afforded a vintages sale free, buy Mr. Cabash/Vintage Magnet a ticket & I sail free, yes! I would be down for that promotion

[twangster]

Price the same cabin with 5 adults then price the same cabin with 2 adults and 3 children.

You can't compare the cheapest rate on the ship for two adults and then use a completely different cabin as the basis of your comparison.  

The most common types of cabins are plentiful but they only accommodate two guests.  These cabins tend to be cheaper because there are lots of them.  Cabins that can accommodate 5 guests are in short supply.  There are few of them and they go quickly so they are in high demand.  Anything in demand goes up in price.  

[ChessE4]

Sometimes two cabins, one adult in each, would be cheaper. I echo the suggestion to use an agent.

[Maggie M]

1 hour ago, Neesa said:

 No worries though, if I see a cabin I must have I book it & then @Sharla will price adjust for me at the lower better rate when the sale is over, like all other money savings promotions in every part of life, they are designed to separate you from your money providing their family friendly product in a way that makes you feel "good" about the monies we are paying for the experience. Book that great room, have an amazing family vacation. 

Yes, remember you can always "watch" your cruise to see if they lower the cost and then call Royal back and they'll price adjust for you if your room does go down. I've done this many times! A travel agent may be your best bet here though...takes the guess work off you and they can monitor the prices.

[JNS123]

However the deal seems to be always active, meaning its not so much of a deal anymore. 

[CruisingNewb]

OP's name/handle suggests it all. One off post. 

[Wheeler825]

What is interesting to me is that, in all public communications, RCCL ships stated capacities are X number of staterrooms with 2X passengers.  So if theres 2500 staterooms they say exactly 5000 passengers.  Seems to pretend kids don't exist, eh?  Yet they have no problem charging that $16/day per kid..

[Xaa]

Quote

What is interesting to me is that, in all public communications, RCCL ships stated capacities are X number of staterrooms with 2X passengers.  So if theres 2500 staterooms they say exactly 5000 passengers.  Seems to pretend kids don't exist, eh?  Yet they have no problem charging that $16/day per kid..

That's not true.  Right on their site

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/how-big-are-royal-caribbean-cruise-ships

You see Oasis shows 6780 as capacity.  Oasis has 2796 staterooms.  2796*2=5592.

 

[Wheeler825]

25 minutes ago, Xaa said:

That's not true.  Right on their site

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/how-big-are-royal-caribbean-cruise-ships

You see Oasis shows 6780 as capacity.  Oasis has 2796 staterooms.  2796*2=5592.

 

Your link doesn't work, and oddly sends me to AUS page

[Ampurp85]

Link does work but just in case............

Q	How big are Royal Caribbean cruise ships?

A

Our ships vary in size and guest capacity. See below for a full breakdown of our ship sizes.    

 

SHIP NAME	GUEST CAPACITY (TOTAL)	LENGTH (FEET)	GROSS TONNAGE	CREW ONBOARD
Adventure of the Seas®	3,807	1,020'	137,276	1,185
Allure of the Seas®	6,780	1,187'	225,282	2,200
Anthem of the Seas®	4,905	1,141'	168,666	1,500
Brilliance of the Seas®	2,543	962'	90,090	848
Enchantment of the Seas®	2,730	989'	82,910	852
Explorer of the Seas®	4,290	1,020'	137,308	1,185
Freedom of the Seas®	4,515	1,112'	154,407	1,360
Grandeur of the Seas®	2,440	916'	73,817	760
Harmony of the Seas®	6,687	1,188'	226,963	2,200
Independence of the Seas®	4,560	1,112'	154,407	1,440
Jewel of the Seas®	2,702	962'	90,090	852
Liberty of the Seas®	4,960	1,112'	154,407	1,360
Mariner of the Seas®	4,000	1,020'	139,863	1,200
Navigator of the Seas®	4,000	1,020'	139,999	1,200
Oasis of the Seas®	6,780	1,187'	225,282	2,200
Odyssey of the SeasSM	5,510	1,138'	167,704	1,663
Ovation of the Seas®	4,905	1,138'	168,666	1,500
Quantum of the Seas®	4,905	1,141	168,666	1,500
Radiance of the Seas®	2,466	962'	90,090	894
Rhapsody of the Seas®	2,416	915'	78,491	765
Serenade of the Seas®	2,476	965'	90,090	848
Spectrum of the Seas®	5,622	1,139'	169,379	1,551
Symphony of the Seas®	6,680	1,188'	228,081	2,200
Vision of the Seas®	2,514	915'	78,340	742
Voyager of the Seas®	4,269	1,020'	137,276	1,176
Wonder of the SeasSM	6,988	1,188'	236,857	2,300

[Wheeler825]

16 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

Link does work but just in case............

Q	How big are Royal Caribbean cruise ships?

A

Our ships vary in size and guest capacity. See below for a full breakdown of our ship sizes.    

 

SHIP NAME	GUEST CAPACITY (TOTAL)	LENGTH (FEET)	GROSS TONNAGE	CREW ONBOARD
Adventure of the Seas®	3,807	1,020'	137,276	1,185
Allure of the Seas®	6,780	1,187'	225,282	2,200
Anthem of the Seas®	4,905	1,141'	168,666	1,500
Brilliance of the Seas®	2,543	962'	90,090	848
Enchantment of the Seas®	2,730	989'	82,910	852
Explorer of the Seas®	4,290	1,020'	137,308	1,185
Freedom of the Seas®	4,515	1,112'	154,407	1,360
Grandeur of the Seas®	2,440	916'	73,817	760
Harmony of the Seas®	6,687	1,188'	226,963	2,200
Independence of the Seas®	4,560	1,112'	154,407	1,440
Jewel of the Seas®	2,702	962'	90,090	852
Liberty of the Seas®	4,960	1,112'	154,407	1,360
Mariner of the Seas®	4,000	1,020'	139,863	1,200
Navigator of the Seas®	4,000	1,020'	139,999	1,200
Oasis of the Seas®	6,780	1,187'	225,282	2,200
Odyssey of the SeasSM	5,510	1,138'	167,704	1,663
Ovation of the Seas®	4,905	1,138'	168,666	1,500
Quantum of the Seas®	4,905	1,141	168,666	1,500
Radiance of the Seas®	2,466	962'	90,090	894
Rhapsody of the Seas®	2,416	915'	78,491	765
Serenade of the Seas®	2,476	965'	90,090	848
Spectrum of the Seas®	5,622	1,139'	169,379	1,551
Symphony of the Seas®	6,680	1,188'	228,081	2,200
Vision of the Seas®	2,514	915'	78,340	742
Voyager of the Seas®	4,269	1,020'	137,276	1,176
Wonder of the SeasSM	6,988	1,188'	236,857	2,300

This is interesting to me, as Ive seen what appears to be this chart, with different numbers.  

[Ampurp85]

33 minutes ago, Wheeler825 said:

This is interesting to me, as Ive seen what appears to be this chart, with different numbers.  

If you go Wikipedia, they have most of the info listed.

 

[Linda R]

11 hours ago, ChessE4 said:

Sometimes two cabins, one adult in each, would be cheaper. I echo the suggestion to use an agent.

We are taking 3 grandchjildren on a cruise.  I really was hoping to use the KSF, but it requires 2 paying adults in same cabin.  And we choose 2 connecting cabins for a second bathroom.  Thus 1 adult in each cabin, so the KSF did not apply.  But it was still less money to get those 2 cabins that getting a suite.  And some suites still only had 1 bathroom.  All and all we are happy with our selection.

[cruisenewbie91007]

On 1/18/2023 at 1:21 AM, Xaa said:

Kids do sail free.  If you try to book that exact same room with just 2 people, then book it with the kids, your fare will come out the same.  The issue that you're experiencing is the fact that the room you're choosing is a special, higher cost room.  You would never really choose it for just 2 people, but is you did it would be $X.  During KSF, it is still total of $X (+port and taxes) with the kids added.  When KSF is not running, there would be an additional charge for each occupant above 2 which isn't necessarily for the room as much as it is for the food and other included items.

Try that room when KSF is not running and you will see that the savings were there and are real.

You might want the help of a skilled travel agent.

Ive done this, same room each time, and the price goes up with the kids like double

[Xaa]

8 hours ago, cruisenewbie91007 said:

Ive done this, same room each time, and the price goes up with the kids like double

Are you able to post screenshots of the by Passenger Pricing breakdown for each?  We may be able to see what is going on.

 

[SePa]

I just booked this morning. I'm going with 2 kids aged 3 and 6. For each of them I'm paying £75 each. We upgraded our room so we paid extra 100pp that was advertised..... but I am booking a 2024 cruise. So maybe I'm getting a deal because its so far out?

[supernat]

I was just attempting to book for my family online through royal Caribbean, on their site, and with the promotion active.  2 adults + 2 kids under 12, $10800. 2 adults: $3500.  The math just doesn't add up. And these were the same room types. I think they're either trying to pull something,  or their site is broken. 

[Matt]

10 hours ago, supernat said:

And these were the same room types

There are many sub categories. 

If you select "balcony", it's actually different room types by default unless you specify a specific room code.  The Royal website is not great at explaining this.

You can more easily see it demonstrated by picking a suite because there aren't sub categories like you find with other rooms.

[twangster]

10 hours ago, supernat said:

I was just attempting to book for my family online through royal Caribbean, on their site, and with the promotion active.  2 adults + 2 kids under 12, $10800. 2 adults: $3500.  The math just doesn't add up. And these were the same room types. I think they're either trying to pull something,  or their site is broken. 

Price a cabin for four adults.  Then price the same cabin for two adults and two children.  If KSF applies to that sail date you should see the KSF factor.

There are not very many cabins for four people compared to cabins for two people.  Because cabins for two are plentiful they are often less expensive once the fewer cabins for four guests begin to sell out.  

[Xaa]

On 9/15/2023 at 11:01 PM, supernat said:

I was just attempting to book for my family online through royal Caribbean, on their site, and with the promotion active.  2 adults + 2 kids under 12, $10800. 2 adults: $3500.  The math just doesn't add up. And these were the same room types. I think they're either trying to pull something,  or their site is broken. 

The math adds up, you are just doing it incorrectly.  KSF isn't if you book a cabin for 2, now you can have 4 at the same price.  It's if you book a room for 4, the fare for the 3rd and 4th guests will be waived if they are children.  So you must compare it the way @twangster says.  Do the booking for 4 adults, see the price, then go back and replace 2 of those adults with children.  You will see the KSF promotion at work.

If it wasn't a KSF promotion time you would see the cost just using children and be familiar with it when KSF is in play.

Cabins that hold 2 and cabins that hold 4 are not the same room types.