FAMILY RATES ON A CRUISE

Because cruises are so affordable and designed for families of all
ages, they have become a popular vacation choice.  After all, the family
themed cruise ships such as Disney are loaded with fun and excitement.
The great thing is that in addition to the larger cruise ships that offer
discounts for families, you will also find a number of smaller cruise
lines that are now following suit.  In fact, some go as far as to offer 50%
off the price for kids or even free fares for kids when two full paying
adults are onboard.  When considering a cruise, you will need to pay
attention to the time of year in that some discounts are better during
the off-season months than the summer months.

Keep in mind that with a little smart planning and shopping, you can save
money on family cruises all year long.  This is great news for parents who
want to take their kids along on the cruise but are worried about
breaking the bank.  Remember that when children share a cabin with two
adults, that means the cost is shared.  In other words, most cruise lines
have an established third/fourth passenger rate that applies to both
children and adults.  That means if you were to take a cruise on a cruise
line such as Norwegian Cruise Lines, the cost of the third/fourth
cabins would run anywhere from $200 to $500 for a seven-day cruise.  If
you calculate that out, it means you would be getting a 50% discount off.

Going a step further, some cruise lines even offer a third/fourth berth
rate specifically for children.  In this case, children aged 2 to 18
would pay about $100 less than a standard person using a third/fourth
rate.  While Holland America Line is one that does this, Disney Cruise
Line is the pro.  As an example, taking a cruise on Disney means that
children under the age of 3 would pay just $119 for a seven-night cruise.
For children 3 to 12, the rate goes up to around $400 and for children over
12 the rates in a third/fourth berth would begin around $600.  No matter
how you look at it, this is a wonderful discount that makes the cruise
much more affordable.

Now, many parents struggle in leaving a very small child at home, which
is why many cruise lines have prices just for the infant and toddler age.
For example, Cunard Line, Norwegian Cruise Lines, and Costa Cruises
are wonderful.  All of these will allow children under the age of 2 to sail
on the voyage free!  You cannot get any better than that.  Now, the key to
this is that the child must be under the age of 2 at the time the cruise
ship
sets sail so take this into consideration when booking your voyage.  In
addition, the parents will still be required to pay any government fees
associated with that child, which are generally around $20.

Another thing to consider for family cruises is that during the
off-season months, which are generally in the early spring, late fall,
and winter, many cruise lines offer great incentives for children.
Take Costa Cruises for example with their famous cruise promotion
called ìCosta Loves Kids.î  With this, children under the age of 17 can
share a stateroom with two adults for just $199.  To make this cruise even
more appealing, the adults of those children can take advantage of
Costaís Advanced Purchase Rate, meaning they too can get a discount of
$499 per adult for a double occupancy reservation.  In other words, both
parents and children are enjoying wonderful rates while taking a
fabulous cruise.

Larger families usually bypass the cruise ship option because they
simply do not think they can afford it, no matter which way they slice it.
In reality, for a family of five with a minimum of two children, an inside
cabin can be booked for the teenagers and then a larger outside
stateroom just across the hall booked for the adults and any smaller
children.  By going this route, the family will have use of two bathrooms
and have ample room.  In addition, cruise lines are great about allowing
baby monitors onboard so the families can stay connected, even though
the teenagers are not babies.  The only disadvantage to this option is
that full price would still be required for the teenagers.

Another possibility for larger families is to reserve connecting
quads, quints, or staterooms.  In fact, Norwegian Dawn and Norwegian
Star are designed with a number of cabins specifically for larger
families.  Even Carnival Cruise Lines has several adjoining cabins,
perfect for larger families.  One of Royal Caribbeanís newer ships is
also designed with several staterooms to accommodate the larger size
family.  However, remember that many cruise lines realize family
cruises have become very popular.  Therefore, you will find you have
great options on Radiance Cruise Lines, Voyager Cruise Lines, Costa
Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, and others.