Best time to cruise?

[ABC11]

Is there a best time of the year for gays to cruise? I'm wondering if there are fewer children and maybe more gays cruising during months when school is in and there are no holidays such as Oct and Feb. Anyone have a favorite time to go?

[Golfgrl1911]

I prefer to travel mid to late September. Generally because the kids (other peoples) are just starting school. I used to travel to Florida at this time of year before I discovered cruising. It's usually nice & quiet down there, the weather's still warm and the snowbirds haven't arrived from the north yet! Although we are booked for a cruise this September, I think I'm going to try another strategy next year and do the land vacation in September and the cruise in May...just before school's out. Right now we've got severe cabin fever with no vacation booked in the next few months and spring break coming very quickly! Having grown up very near Daytona Beach I know the consequenses of vacationing during spring break! CHEF NANCY:)

[geoherb]

One of our favorite times is between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The prices are great, there are very few children, it's after hurricane season, the ships are decorated for the holidays, and we can shop for presents in the islands.

[Bones]

Have to agree with this time frame. In the Caribbean, the water is warm for swimming and there are less crowds on the ships.

[Tedson]

We booked a Caribbean cruise for October, thinking there would be less kids since they just returned to school, right? Wrong! Seems they now get a "fall break" in October. School starts in late August/early September, and by October they need a break??? Oh well, it's on the Mariner OTS, so I guess there's enough room for us to all peacefully co-exist :D

[Darrell6t]

The best time is any time an all-gay charter cruise is going. Check ny RSVP and Atlantis for when that is.

[Babie]

Right now, my favorite times to cruise are early April and the first week in December. Prices are lower then and the kids are usually in school. In April, we might have more college Spring Breakers, but not as many younger kids.

I don't really think there's anytime I wouldn't cruise, though. If I have the time, the price is right and I have someone to keep our daughter and niece, I'll go.

LES!

[backes]

We usually try to book our cruises for early September, just after Labor Day when many schools have just started, or early January, right after the holiday season. We've found that there are typically far fewer children on board than at other times of the year and we're usually able to book at a relatively last minute, which fits our lifestyle. We have, though, sailed during every other time of the year, and there haven't been any trips when we wished that we had picked another time. This past Christmas, we sailed on HAL to Barbados and it was wonderful. Many of our friends 'warned' us about sailing during Christmas, and there were more kids and younger families than we normally see, but it was never a bad thing...it actually made much of the trip more fun as seeing the little ones visit Santa was very entertaining. One thing to keep in mind for Caribbean cruises is that the late summer and the early fall is huricane season. We've always been lucky sailing at that time of the year, but I know of others who have had their trips altered or postponed due to bad weather conditions. One lesson that we've learned over the years is that the longer (and more expensive) the cruise, the fewer children and younger people there are. Most of the cuises that we've been on that have lasted more than two weeks had very, very few children and the average age of the fellow passengers was usually sixty and higher. I can't remember a single cruise during which we haven't met at least one other gay couple, no matter what time of the year it has been. Have fun!

[Rotterdam]

I usually cruise by destination or ship vs time of year. Carib in Jan-March, Bermuda in May- Aug. Europe May & September through December.

 

I avoid hurricane season & major holidays. I also flly in at least a day before the cruise(especially in the winter in the Northeast).

 

There hasn't been a cruise where I did not see / meet other FODs.

 

Also remember if a cruise is cheap - there is a reason....hurrican season (August - November in Carib & Bermuda) plays havoc - especially if there is a port you really want to see.

 

Have fun

[bepsf]

Right Now!!!

 

:D

[Rotterdam]

Brian - Are you ready for the OPERA????????

[bilgeboyPa]

I have always gone in the 1st or 2nd week of May. The weather in the Carribean is great, the water warm and the crowds low. The prices are great too.

 

Jeff