Deal watch: Royal Caribbean launches kids cruise free promotion -- but you've got to act fast

It's deal time for cruisers traveling with kids. But you've got to act fast.

The world's largest cruise line, Royal Caribbean, is out today with a promotion that brings free cruises for children up to the age of 12. But it expires at the end of next week.

Under the terms of the offer, children up to the age of 12 can sail for free when accompanying two paying passengers in the same cabin.

The offer is available today through March 31 — an eight-day window — for select sailings departing on or after June 1, 2022 through April 30, 2023.

If you want to take the most advantage of the offer, you'll want to book in the next five days. That's because Royal Caribbean is throwing in an additional $25 to $550 in instant rebates on fares, depending on the cabin category you book and the length of the sailing, for sailings booked by Monday.

The promotion also brings:

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• An onboard credit of $25 or $50 per cabin, depending on itinerary length, for members of Royal Caribbean's frequent cruiser program, the Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society.
• An extra onboard credit bonus of $100 per cabin when customers redeem a future cruise credit to book their cabin.
• Free upgrades on select 2022 sailings of three of Royal Caribbean's vessels: Oasis of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas and Navigator of the Seas.

Be warned: There is some fine print to the offer, including blackout dates around Thanksgiving, the winter holidays, the spring break weeks and Easter week.

Related: The ultimate guide to Royal Caribbean ships and itineraries

In addition, the "free" kids fares still will be subject to taxes, fees and port expenses, which can amount to anywhere from $60 to more than $200 per person, depending on the itinerary.

The additional savings available for bookings made by Monday are:

• $25 on sailings of five or fewer nights for windowless "inside" cabins or ocean-view cabins.
• $75 for balcony cabins on sailings of five or fewer nights.
• $150 for suites on sailings of five or fewer nights.
• $50 savings for inside or ocean-view cabins on sailings of six nights or longer.
• $100 for balcony cabins on sailings of six nights or longer.
• $550 for suites on sailings of six nights or longer.

The extra savings will be applied as an instant rebate at checkout during the booking process. The instant rebates aren't available for China departures.

Royal Caribbean in recent years has turned its focus ever more on families, and it now markets itself as the world's largest family line. The brand accounts for nearly 20% of all cruises taken worldwide.

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