Money-saving family cruise offers
By Sonia Esther Soltani
Norwegian cruise ship (Courtesy Norwegian Cruise Line)
THESE DEALS HAVE EXPIRED! For more money-saving deals, discounts and travel packages, check out the latest deals we have available.
Gigantic waterparks, exciting kids’ clubs, and spectacular evening shows are just some of the many cool attractions cruise ships have to offer family travelers. Add to this a huge gamut of onboard family-friendly restaurants from steakhouses to fusion food eateries, a range of accommodations for all budgets, and some land excursions to fascinating destinations, and the whole family is in for a treat. Here are some great deals for your next family cruise vacation:
NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE: 5-Day Caribbean/Alaska/South America/Europe Cruises
What: The family-friendly cruise line that offers itineraries to destinations as varied as the Caribbean, Alaska, South America, and Europe has a fabulous offer for travelers booking a five-day cruise. The offer is valid through April 6, 2015.
What’s Included: With the Freestyle Choice Plus deal you can enjoy dinner at a speciality restaurant every night for free, receive from $25 up to $300 spending money (depending on the level of accommodation) to be used at the spa or for excursions, and get cocktails, beers and wine for free. You can also bring large families and friends since the third through the eighth passenger can travel for free.
DISNEY CRUISE LINE: 7-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Port Canaveral, FL
Kids aboard Disney Magic (Photo: Matt Stroshane)
What: A seven-night kid-friendly Western Caribbean Cruise featuring Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and Castaway Cay starts from $1,225 per person (fees and port expenses not included). The offer is valid through February 28, 2015 for departure from Port Canaveral, FL, on March 5, 2015.
What’s Included: Treat your kids to a cruise journey that will prove memorable with a vacation on board Disney Magic, the 2,700-passenger flagship of the Disney fleet. The ship is home to Youth Clubs offering wonderful playtime for young cruisers, children’s play areas, and Disney’s Oceaneer Club where kids can enjoy the new MARVEL’s Avengers Academy. The AquaLab, Goofy’s Pool, and AquaDunk, a drop-out waterslide, are a real draw for families with kids but parents can also relax at the Quiet Cove Pool.
CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE: 3-Day Mexico Cruise from Los Angeles
Carnival Inspiration (Flickr: Jay Adan)
What: Carnival’s reputation as a provider of family-friendly cruises at great value is well established. Some of its current offers confirm this with a three-day Mexico cruise departing Los Angeles, California, on March 20, 2015 with rates starting at $876 (accommodation is in an interior cabin for four people).
What’s Included: Onboard megaship Carnival Inspiration (2,056 passengers), this itinerary includes an excursion to Ensenada, a foodie paradise where you can sample the finest Baja cuisine. A great ship for young families, Carnival Inspiration has a lot of entertainment to offer from Camp Carnival for kids ages 2 to 11 and WaterWorks, Carnival’s onboard waterpark, to evening shows at Playlist Productions.
CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE: 5-Day Western Caribbean Cruise from Miami
What: Carnival Glory (2,980 passengers) has an offer for five days in the Western Caribbean departing from Miami, Florida, on March 21, 2015. Prices start from $1,276 (interior cabin for four people).
What’s Included: the journey takes in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Families will enjoy the megaship’s party atmosphere and spiraling Twister Waterslide.
HOLLAND AMERICA LINE: Bermuda/Canada/Alaska/Europe Cruises
Holland America cruise ship (Courtesy Holland America Line)
What: Thanks to Holland America Line’s ReadySetSail offer families can receive free or reduced third and fourth fares. You can also receive 10% off select shore excursions and a 50% reduction off deposits to offer more time and flexibility to pay the final deposit. Sailings must be booked by March 15, 2015.
What’s Included: Finally, a complimentary full category upgrade from lower-fare cabin to a higher category is available too. Destinations covered by the ReadySetSail offer are Bermuda, Canada, Alaska, and Europe. Kid-friendly activities on board HAL ships are varied and include scavenger hunts, mocktail mixology classes, karaoke disco parties, as well as culinary workshops for kids ages 3-15.
COSTA CRUISES: 7-Night Italy, France, Spain and Balearic Islands from Barcelona
Costa cruise ship (Flickr: eGuide Travel)
What: For parents that want their kids to discover some enchanting destinations in the Mediterranean, Costa Cruises has a fantastic seven-night itinerary on board Costa Diadema. The deal offers a whopping 65% discount off the normal rate with prices starting from $559 per person.
What’s Included: The journey departs from Barcelona, Spain, on March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 2015; and besides the mesmerizing Catalan city, it takes in atmospheric destinations including Palma de Mallorca, Marseille, the Provence area, La Spezia, Cinque Terre, and Florence. Family-friendly Costa Diadema features a great range of restaurants, a 500-meter promenade, a couple of pools and lidos, a spa for adults to chill out and a Laser Maze to keep the kids active and entertained.
Sonia Esther Soltani contributed this to MiniTime.
