Cruise promotions are often hard to follow. It's not easy to know when you're actually saving money given that cruises don't have a set price.
In many cases, that leaves people to base whether something is a good value or not based on previous prices. Sometimes, cruise lines can make people feel good about what they're paying by pushing that they got a certain percentage of the fare.
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The problem is that getting 50% of a price that's not standard doesn't mean anything. If a movie theater that sells tickets for $12 offers a $6 matinee, that's a clear savings. When a cruise line discounts a price that's a moving target, your savings (if you even actually saved anything) are not as clear.
Some cruise promotions, however, offer real value. When a cruise line offers free specialty dining, free internet, or even an included drink package, it's easy to see that the customer is actually getting something.
Again, the price could be raised to include the perks, but, in most cases, you can see the base price and do that math as to whether the "free" add-ons are actually a good value.
One of the most popular cruise promotions, "Kids Sail Free" has long been offered by Royal Caribbean at various times during the year. It has been brought back but with a catch.
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Image source: Royal Caribbean
How cruise ships reach more than 100% occupancy
Cruise lines price the vast majority of their cabins based on double occupancy. That means that if you only have one person in the cabin they will pay what's known as a solo supplement.
Basically, the solo person pays what the cabin would have cost for two people minus the second set of port fees and taxes. Select cruise ships have some solo cabins, but double occupancy rooms are the industry standard.
Many cabins, however, have the capacity to sleep three or even four people. Those passengers who take a room beyond double occupancy explain how cruise ships can sail at more than 100% occupancy.
A ship is considered full when it hits the number of people who would be onboard if all cabins were sold at double occupancy. Solo travelers could leave a ship with all its cabins sold could still be sailing below 100% occupancy.
Related: Royal Caribbean shares its party versus family strategy
That would be a pretty rare situation, however, since there are likely to be more cabins with more than two people on a ship than ones with only one. Royal Caribbean has encouraged people to bring their kids as the "extra" people in their cabin with its "Kids Sail Free" promotion.
Popular offer has a major new catch
Cruise lines want their ships to sail as full as possible. More people in a cabin, even ones sailing for free as part of the "Kids Sail Free" promotion generally means more spending onboard which almost always brings in more revenue than the cost of having the additional passengers onboard.
Matt Hochberg of the Royal Caribbean Blog recently noticed that in addition to the two rules that have always been part of the promotion, a third one has been added.
- The sailing is 3 nights or longer
- It doesn't conflict with a listed blackout date that covers many of the major school and religious holidays
- The sailing date is departing at least thirty (30) days after the booking date
There was previously no restriction on booking relatively last-minute cruises. Kids, it should be noted, means 12 and younger, not under 18. In addition, the promotion is only offered when the cabin contains two paying adults.
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Royal Caribbean has generally been trying to get away from offering last-minute deals, according to Hochberg. That's because the cruise line does not want its customers to think that waiting will lead to a better price.
Related: 3 common mistakes first-time Royal Caribbean cruisers make
The cruise line has been making cabins available to its casino program for closer-in sailings as offering free cabins to gamblers creates revenue and does not generally anger people who paid full fare.
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