Days of cheaper Sept. cruises seem to be over for our family :(

[Aelsantokie]

Good news is: Few days ago hubby and I bit the bullet and booked a 7 night cruise on Carnival Legend ( this is our 2nd time) for August, two weeks before school starts. :)

 

Bad news is: Our oldest is currently in 2nd grade and the boys (four of them) are in kindergarten. From now on I don't feel comfortable taking them out of school for a week to go vacationing even though it would save us some money. I figured we only have to do this for the next 12 years, right? LOL! :p

 

I didn't think they would lose out too much by skipping few days in kindergarten and my eldest excels in class so no worries but from now on, I think we have to vacation around school schedule.

 

What are other parents out there doing?

[CeleBrat]

We've switched over now as well, since our kids are in 1st and 4th grade. The 1st grader is not the problem. It's the 4th grader. Taking him out for a week now is just too risky. He would be too far behind when he got back.

 

Our upcoming Spring Break cruise is an 8-day cruise, leaving on a MON and returning on the following TUES. The kids will be missing MON/TUES of that week, which is bearable.

 

When does your school start. We took a cruise last summer that got back the day before school started. It was late enough in the summer that the prices were lower (3rd week of August.)

 

Like you, I'm longingly looking at all the fabulous September deals. Hey--here's a thought: let's ditch our families and you and I can go together! :eek:

 

CeleBrat

[Aelsantokie]

I salute you for taking the plunge for spring break vacation. I just couldn't bring myself to book one for this years' spring break...at least not for a family of 7 for 7 nights!

 

Next year, school will start the last week of August but I know myself too well. I am not organized enough to make sure to pack for our cruise AND get all the school supplies done before vacationing. I figured having 5-6 days before school starts after our vacation will be good to get settled in and in "school" mode.

 

I am with you on cruising together without the kids'! :p

There should be a cruise put together for parents' to relax and have FUN! I feel like I can't even drink that much when I vacation for fear that i will not remember to pick up my kids! hahhahha

[RoadTripFanatic]

We still travel during the school year. I'm usually very careful to go when there is a break. For example if we have two days off for Fall Break I have no problems with her missing the 3 days that week to take a vacation. I know once we hit middle school we will have to be more careful of the time we take to travel. In our Elem. school the teachers have always let DD make up her work. Also she has an excellent attendence record except for our trips. She also makes mostly A's and maybe a b or two on her report cards.

[Asil65]

I think it depends on what kind of student your 2nd grader is. We pulled the kids out of school when my son was in 3rd and daughter was in 1st for a week. We went to Germany. I thought of it as a great experience for them to learn about another countries culture. I asked the teachers for the work ahead of time and the kids had no trouble when we got back. You also have to get a feel about the attendance policy. Some schools are super strict and really dissuade you from taking them out. My son just started middle school so I would not be as comfortable anymore.

[cookie115]

I haven't been on a cruise in years and recently booked a September Med. Cruise in September for my family, with two teeneage daughters. After discussing with them, they agreed early September would be a better time to miss, before they got too far into the school year. They are both very interested in history & culture and in fact my oldest is looking into taking International Studies in college. They know they will have a lot of work to make up but feel, as I do, this will be a wonderful educational experience for us all. And...in a few short years they will be away at college and we may not have this time to travel with them again. :(

[mjkacmom]

Now that I have one going off to HS, and another going of to JH, my biggest regret is not taking them out of school for vacations every single year! I have 3 in elementary school, and would pull them in a heartbeat, but I haven't been able to do it for the past 2 years. :( Lesson learned.

[Warm Breezes]

We did it until DS hit 9th grade. When he was in 7th/8th grade he only missed a couple days around Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks but it was enough for him to struggle to catch up and it interferred with his school basketball program to the point were he was punished by the coach for missing practices/games by losing his starting spot for a couple of weeks after our return (and these were trips scheduled mostly during the breaks with only a day or two of school missed). He requested that we not schedule during the school year anymore because he did not want this to happen in HS. Before that it was no problem.

[BESTOFTIMES]

This November will be our last family cruise during school time."so sad" I find easier to take them out around thanksgiving/christmas. I have always found my kids school work/projects seem to slow down during those weeks. I have done it couple of time over the past several years and never had an issue with school or kids. My daughter will in entering high school 2011 and my son is will only be in 3rd grade. I guess it all depends on your child and how well they are doing in school.:)

[cb at sea]

The older they get, the harder it is to "make up" the work. We would sometimes take our kids out for vacations in elementary school, but not after 6th grade....and they didn't WANT to miss out...it was just too hard to catch back up...both were busy with extra-curricular activites and they were loathe to miss anything!

[Onessa]

Our DD is now 14YO and in eighth grade. We generally have done T-giving week cruises with her throughout her school "career". This past year she missed a total of 4 days for a 10 day cruise with 2 days of travel time. Her school has a 3.5 day Tgiving recess and had a "half day" the Friday before Tgiving week.

 

Much depends upon your student as well. DD's standardized test scores just came back last week (the state's "no-child" mandated testing, the EXPLORE test (pre ACT) and the district's own standardized tests) and she's in the 98 or 99th percentile in all subjects. She has little trouble "making up" the work or keeping up with her class after she gets back -- so that makes the decision easier for us.

 

Next year in high school it will be more difficult because of band (her school's band is VERY active) and she'll be competing on her school's varsity curling team. Just this summer, soccer season ends the day before she leaves for a week-long band trip to CO and SD. She gets back Wednesday night and Friday she leaves for curling camp. So our trips will be shorter in duration and likely non-cruise (just to be a bit more flexible).

 

But if you plan, you can cruise with school age kids during the school year. Just as cruising with kids is different than cruising pre-kids; cruising with school-age kids will be different than cruising with pre-schoolers. Not better, not worse -- different. Different can be good!

[Aelsantokie]

Thanks to everyone for your individual input. The conclusion is its really up to the child and what they can "afford" to miss.

 

My daughter I have no qualms about missing school work as it would be very easy to make up but I am more worried about the boys. I think it would really confuse them when missing so much of school work. Even working around their vacation for Thanksgiving or Christmas, you are still running into higher prices for the holidays so we are back to square one.

 

I think we will have to book the week long cruises during the school year and maybe do 3-4 night ones around holidays!

 

My daughter loves cruising so much that she suggested I home school! :p

[bruce-r]

Good news is: Few days ago hubby and I bit the bullet and booked a 7 night cruise on Carnival Legend ( this is our 2nd time) for August, two weeks before school starts. :)

 

Bad news is: Our oldest is currently in 2nd grade and the boys (four of them) are in kindergarten. From now on I don't feel comfortable taking them out of school for a week to go vacationing even though it would save us some money. I figured we only have to do this for the next 12 years, right? LOL! :p

 

I didn't think they would lose out too much by skipping few days in kindergarten and my eldest excels in class so no worries but from now on, I think we have to vacation around school schedule.

 

What are other parents out there doing?

I like your thinking. DW is a 1st grade teacher. She says, with some experience, that missing a week of school is a big pain for her, and almost always setback for the student. The only variable is that degree of setback.

[Queen of Oakville]

yeah ~ once you introduce your kids to cruising, ... you can't leave them at home! [oh well, we still have Vegas as our refuge!!!!].

 

 

My daughter gets 2 weeks of for spring break .... so we have some flexibility there. We may also cruise over the xmas holidays (but I suppose deals are out for that time!]

[RoadTripFanatic]

yeah ~ once you introduce your kids to cruising, ... you can't leave them at home! [oh well, we still have Vegas as our refuge!!!!].

 

 

!]

LOL! I made the mistake and took DD to Vegas!! She loves the pools!

[Warm Breezes]

yeah ~ once you introduce your kids to cruising, ... you can't leave them at home! [oh well, we still have Vegas as our refuge!!!!].

 

 

My daughter gets 2 weeks of for spring break .... so we have some flexibility there. We may also cruise over the xmas holidays (but I suppose deals are out for that time!]

 

We do the same thing. The kids are hooked on cruising and that is the only type of family vacation they want to go on. DH and I sneak off for some long weekends to get our "let's go out west" fix every couple of years with just the 2 of us.

[Aelsantokie]

I can't even imagine me in Vegas with the kids! It's bad enough when I go with hubby that he has to go back to the hotel (we stay at our timeshare which doesn't have a casino) and I am to call him when I am ready to come back so he can escort me (which is usually 6-7 a.m. when the cleaning crew is out on the street)!! :eek: And that doesn't mean I am leaving with any winnings either! LOL!!

 

At least I got to make "friends" with the late shift cocktail girls! One even offered to watch my slot while I had to run to the restroom every 1/2 hour!

[cookie115]

I really debated a long time before we booked the Sept Med cruise. Both of the girls are great students, (I am so lucky!) and except for a Disney trip a few years back, really have not missed a lot of school. I added up costs, crowds, and weather and decided early Sept would be perfect for us. I am keeping my fingers crossed that with some advanced planning and meeting with the teachers, we will be able to keep them up to date with their studies. They are very excited to be able to visit some of the places they have learned about....ok, so am I. ;)

[mjkacmom]

I like your thinking. DW is a 1st grade teacher. She says, with some experience, that missing a week of school is a big pain for her, and almost always setback for the student. The only variable is that degree of setback.

 

I think it also depends on the student. When dd9 missed a week in first grade, her teacher didn't give her any work to make up (she was ahead of most anyway, and never had a wrong answer all year). It really depends on the kid.

[crusinmama06]

Our school district allows for one week "Family Vacation" during the school year -- no questions asked. It's excused.

 

So as long as my oldest stays at the top of her class (she'll be entering the 5th grade) - we'll be cruising again this September.

 

I am not as concerned with the 1st grade work -- my youngest.

[vavasmom]

First off - I wanted to say I love the pics in your signature.

 

My DD (my only) will start high school in the fall. She is part of an accelerated academic program and is currently taking 2 high school classes in the 8th grade (Geometry and Spanish). When she was in early elementary school I would pull her out from several days (a week in Kindergarten) at a time. When she started the center program inthe 3rd grade we tried to limit it to 2 days at a time max. Last year she missed 2 days to go on a family trip- the make-up work was very time consuming (they have several hands on science labs a week that are very hard to make-up) - so she requested not to miss more than 1 day at a time. I try to follow that. I have found as she gets older being there is more important with a few exceptions - the week of Thanksgiving seems to be a total loss from an academic perspective. The day before any 2 or more day school break looses all momentum after lunch - She missed 1/2 of today to prep for her spring break trip to Europe. Depending on when Winter (Christmas) break starts that week is also a total loss - She was going to miss a day and 1/2 before Christmas to go skiing ( the airfare was 65% less) but a major snow storm closed school all that week.

[Aelsantokie]

Vavasmom: Thanks!!

[RYMOMA]

as a single mom of two, 15yo DS and 7 yo DD

 

i decided that the best time for us to cruise and stay close to home was to pull them for the week

 

we are going out of Boston to Bermuda on the second sailing of the season

 

looking at the whole season it was the cheapest.

 

 

I have informed them that they are to bring schoolwork with them so they dont fall behind.

the youngest I am not to worried about seeing that she is only in first grade. she loves to bring books and workbooks with her where-ever she goes.

The DS will be the issue. he has learning disabilities, getting him to do anything extra is difficult...but i will try

 

BUT, I am the mom, I make the rules :)

[Aelsantokie]

Rymoma:

I am encountering a similar situation. My boys are in kindergarten and one of them is having a heck of a time adjusting to school hours. They were premature and I'm attributing some of the reasons to that. They technically shouldn't have started kindergarten should they have been born on time.

 

It seems boys have shorter memory than girls anyway, and even when they started back school after Xmas break it took a little bit of adjusting once again.

 

We've never vacationed during the peak season, choosing to stay home and do things locally so this should be interesting. I'm actually looking forward to more chaos and kids for ours to play with!

[cantw8togo]

The thought of home schooling has crossed my mind as a way of accommodating our love of travelling. Our 2 DS's in grade 1 & 4 aren't the strongest of students and the older that they get, the harder it is and the more guilty that I feel about taking them out of school for a week.

 

I do try to make some of the excursions somewhat educational so that it isn't all about the beach. In Belize we went on a semisubmersible boat tour of the reef; and in Costa Maya we went to see the Chaccchoben Ruins and had lunch with a Mexican family. They do learn when travelling, but it is a struggle to get them caught up with what they have missed.