Complaining About Spring Break?

[Atty]

Around this time of year I always see complaints about spring break cruises and the number of kids. True, there are generally a few more kids on board during "Spring Break" time but if you are trying to plan your cruise around a time when there aren't going to be a lot of kids on a break, you are basically out of luck. This is especially true more in the last few years as the lines start catering more to international as opposed to mainly US guests. Off the top of my head, I can think of the following times when there are likely to be a lot of kids on board:

 

First week of January: Winter Break in US

January-March: Summer Break for Southern Hemisphere (I have personally experienced this recently on Allure when it seemed like all of Brazil and Panama were on board with their kids. Also keep in mind here that, according to Adventure Ocean staff, Central and South American parents are a lot less likely to enroll their kids in AO meaning they are running around more)

March and April: Spring Break US

Late June-Mid August: US Summer Break

November: Thanksgiving

December: Christmas and also the beginning of summer in Southern Hemisphere

 

I'm sure there are times I'm missing. The point being....just relax and go with the flow. Children are all around and getting all hot and bothered because there are a few rowdy ones is going to do nothing but mean you wasted a couple grand because you can't get over a it. In my experience, badly behaving and rude adults is a much deeper problem than a few rowdy kids.

[reallyitsmema]

While close, you are off on when summer vacations start and end. Many southern states finish school in May and go back in August. Some northeaster states go until mid to late June depending on snow days but then don't go back until after Labor Day.

 

Not sure what schools get first week of January off other that universities. Public schools are usually off from right around Christmas until January 2nd or 3rd. Northeastern states typically have a week off in February and then another in April (many are off next week).

 

A lot depends on whether you are talking younger kids or college kids.

[PhoenixDawgCruising]

Arizona schools also get out in early May, go back in early August.

 

As for Spring Break, people need to stop trying to figure out exactly when it is, because every school is different. :eek:

 

In my office in Los Angeles, 3 of us have school aged kids. We all live within 30 minutes of each other.

 

My kids were out March 23-April 8, one co-worker's were out last week, and a third co-worker's are out this week, so it doesn't pay to try to think about it, just figure Spring Break is ALL of March and April to be safe.:)

[Puffinater]

Arizona schools also get out in early May, go back in early August.

 

It has changed a bit. The 3 districts we have a direct connection to are now getting out in late May. Still going back early August. There are also several that have gone to a year round schedule.

 

I agree there is no way to figure out the US school schedules.

[CruisingMouse]

Plus you would have to through the Canadian schedule into the mix to. So looks like there will be kids at all times of the year.

[PhoenixDawgCruising]

It has changed a bit. The 3 districts we have a direct connection to are now getting out in late May. Still going back early August. There are also several that have gone to a year round schedule.

 

I agree there is no way to figure out the US school schedules.

 

My cousin at Lake Havisu High gets out the first or second week of May, she's already taking about it EVERY DAY!!! We are taking her to Vegas for a week in June, so talktalktalktalktalk!!:):D

 

I feel so bad for her, she goes back the first week of August, my kids still have over a month off, plus her birthday is August 1st, which should be smack in the middle of summer break, but for her it is right near the first day of school.:p

[Puffinater]

My cousin at Lake Havisu High gets out the first or second week of May, she's already taking about it EVERY DAY!!! We are taking her to Vegas for a week in June, so talktalktalktalktalk!!:):D

 

I feel so bad for her, she goes back the first week of August, my kids still have over a month off, plus her birthday is August 1st, which should be smack in the middle of summer break, but for her it is right near the first day of school.:p

 

Even more proof that there is no real good way to figure out school schedules.

 

PS...The schedules I mentioned are in the Phoenix area.

[PhoenixDawgCruising]

Even more proof that there is no real good way to figure out school schedules.

 

PS...The schedules I mentioned are in the Phoenix area.

 

I think Kingman is the same as Havisu, but not sure. I'm just glad my kids don't go back in August, they tried that one year and I hated it as a parent.:eek:

[cb at sea]

Honestly...unless the kids are YOUR'S...who cares? Ignore them! They they their spaces...adults have theirs....we sail frequently in the Mar-May timeframe, and kids have never bothered us....we ignore them totally! There's space for everyone!

[beachnative]

Around this time of year I always see complaints about spring break cruises and the number of kids. True, there are generally a few more kids on board during "Spring Break" time but if you are trying to plan your cruise around a time when there aren't going to be a lot of kids on a break, you are basically out of luck.

 

Not necessarily. We recently sailed a B2B and there were 35 kids on board the first half and 115 on the second half....they were two delightful cruises. A couple of cruises later there were over 900 kids on board..........quite a difference. In January we did a B2B and there were VERY few kids on board. Cruises with small numbers of kids on board can be found...that is why people ask about schools being out. A little "education" before booking is helpful.

 

I prefer to sail with only a few kids and am pretty good at booking such.....and there is nothing wrong with that!!!

[disneyfan68]

I think people are missing the point of the post. It is more about how many people complain about kids on the ship instead of just enjoying it. There will always be kids - sometimes more sometimes less. I think it is more about how parents control their kids than how many are on board.

 

I am a parent of 2 who will be sailing in July. My kids are not babies or even toddlers. They are preteens but always behaved well at all ages. Some parents don't have any control and let their kids run wild. I saw a recent FOS review where the reviewer ave a terrible review. Not because of the ship but because of kids. They couldn't get past it. Cruising is a family vacation and some lines more kid friendly than others. I mean cruise critic review of FOS is the best ship afloat for families what do they expect. It has a Flowrider and rock climbing wall fr goodness sakes.

 

The people who complain about kids don't dislike them, they loathe them. There is a difference. My husband says it best - those kid haters were once kids themselves :)

 

Just my 2 cents.

[Bluekat74]

Holiday breaks for Australian School kids are:

 

Dec - Jan. Universities have Feb off as well.

2 weeks April

2/3 weeks in July

2 weeks end Sept start Oct

[spcopps]

Also my kids, in alabama, get a 3 days fall break around October 10th, a lot of kids and teachers take an additional 2 days and make it a week.

[rummenroman]

My think about kids is the fact that I work with them. I don't want to take a vacation where I'm reminded about work the entire week. There are reasons why I take my big cruises in January. Yes there are kids, but it's not 900 kids like others have mentioned.

 

On a side note, does it really matter if some people choose to try and find a less number of kid cruise? If that is their personal preference let it be.

[Atty]

My think about kids is the fact that I work with them. I don't want to take a vacation where I'm reminded about work the entire week. There are reasons why I take my big cruises in January. Yes there are kids, but it's not 900 kids like others have mentioned.

 

On a side note, does it really matter if some people choose to try and find a less number of kid cruise? If that is their personal preference let it be.

 

I have no problem with people trying to find cruises with less kids....just don't bitch if you guess wrong. Also, I just didn't want people to assume just because A,erican kids are in school, they wouldn't run into a week where they still had a lot of kids on board. As for no kids in January, you got lucky...I did a B2B on Allure in January and had like 1000 Brazilian and Panamanian kids both weeks. The second week had a few hundred conservative Jews as well...made for interesting people watching between them and the Brazilian speedos.

 

I still maintain that rude and obnoxious adults are a bigger problem than children.

[rummenroman]

I have no problem with people trying to find cruises with less kids....just don't bitch if you guess wrong. Also, I just didn't want people to assume just because A,erican kids are in school, they wouldn't run into a week where they still had a lot of kids on board. As for no kids in January, you got lucky...I did a B2B on Allure in January and had like 1000 Brazilian and Panamanian kids both weeks. The second week had a few hundred conservative Jews as well...made for interesting people watching between them and the Brazilian speedos.

 

I still maintain that rude and obnoxious adults are a bigger problem than children.

 

We pick cruises and ships that aren't typically family orientated. Someday I will do a cruise on an Oasis and Freedom class ship, just not anytime soon. I prefer the smaller ships, which don't have the added bells and whistles that normally attract the families.

 

I will agree 100% that normally it isn't the kiddo's that create the problems, it's their parents!

[north29]

It is the dysfunctional parents, or maybe a nicer way to say it is the new parenting LOL. After our diner experience last night, with two sets of parents/family and 5 did kids, all under no control(parents included) these people on a cruise ship would be a night mare, and it does happen as we know.

 

We were on the Freedom last month, and I think 1200 kids on board mostly school age, few college age, and outside of a lot of just active kids doing what kids do everything was fine. The parents for the most part, from my vantage point were doing their job.

One thing about cruises, for college age, they do check for age when ordering alcohol, not like many of the local connivence stores.

[sleepless]

I work for a public school system in Michigan, so my cruises do revolve around the school calendar.

 

First of all, being on a cruise full of children do not bother me. Yes, I do work with them all of the time, and I still enjoy seeing them on a cruise. Most kids are well behaved. Sometimes there is a problem child; I would be careful how I judge that parent and child - there may be some health related issues with the child that are causing disruption. It may not be "bad child/bad parent". I do agree, however, that some younger parents are more accepting of bad behaviors, then parents of earlier generations were.

 

This usually doesn't bother me, as it is not my child, so I don't have to be part of it.

 

As far as the school calendar goes, most Michigan schools have two weeks at Christmas, which can include the week after the New Year has begun - it depends on the day of the week that Christmas falls on. We also get a mid winter break in February or March for one week, as well as a full week for spring break in March. That is 4 weeks off between Christmas and April. Schools are out in early to mid June.

[Big_G]

I have no problem with people trying to find cruises with less kids....just don't bitch if you guess wrong. Also, I just didn't want people to assume just because A,erican kids are in school, they wouldn't run into a week where they still had a lot of kids on board. As for no kids in January, you got lucky...I did a B2B on Allure in January and had like 1000 Brazilian and Panamanian kids both weeks. The second week had a few hundred conservative Jews as well...made for interesting people watching between them and the Brazilian speedos.

 

I still maintain that rude and obnoxious adults are a bigger problem than children.

 

Obviously you started this thread to get a rise out of people. Maybe your time would be better spent not telling people what they should or should not like about their cruises.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[HokiePoq]

I think people are missing the point of the post. It is more about how many people complain about kids on the ship instead of just enjoying it. There will always be kids - sometimes more sometimes less. I think it is more about how parents control their kids than how many are on board.

 

I am a parent of 2 who will be sailing in July. My kids are not babies or even toddlers. They are preteens but always behaved well at all ages. Some parents don't have any control and let their kids run wild. I saw a recent FOS review where the reviewer ave a terrible review. Not because of the ship but because of kids. They couldn't get past it. Cruising is a family vacation and some lines more kid friendly than others. I mean cruise critic review of FOS is the best ship afloat for families what do they expect. It has a Flowrider and rock climbing wall fr goodness sakes.

 

The people who complain about kids don't dislike them, they loathe them. There is a difference. My husband says it best - those kid haters were once kids themselves :)

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

Well behaved is the key phrase here. I don't think most people loathe children....just don't like parents letting kids run wild on the ship. My own weren't perfect for sure, but I was in there giving it the old college try rather than turning them loose on a ship, in a store, wherever.

[Cruising89143]

Well behaved is the key phrase here. I don't think most people loathe children....just don't like parents letting kids run wild on the ship. My own weren't perfect for sure, but I was in there giving it the old college try rather than turning them loose on a ship, in a store, wherever.

 

And that is the key. Many parents think that a cruise is also a vacation from their kids and turn them loose on the ship to do whatever the heck they want. Saw this last week on the Jewel.

[Atty]

Obviously you started this thread to get a rise out of people. Maybe your time would be better spent not telling people what they should or should not like about their cruises.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Obviously I didn't. Obviously, I wanted to point out that "Spring Break" is not the only time that you can expect lots of kids and obviously I wanted to point out that most of the year it's a crapshoot if you try and plan to avoid kids.

[Atty]

And that is the key. Many parents think that a cruise is also a vacation from their kids and turn them loose on the ship to do whatever the heck they want. Saw this last week on the Jewel.

 

Very true which goes back to the unruly adult statements. If those people wanted a break from their kids, then the appropriate thing to do is leave the kids with family or friends for the week while mom and dad have some alone time.

[bigque]

My kids are grown. I love kids, but I like the time of year I cruise because their are not a lot of kids on board that time of year and I like cruising with more of an adult crowd. I spent a lot of years taking the kids to Disney World, Disney Land, Universal, Beach resorts, etc with lots of kids around all the time, so now not cruising with a lot of kids around is a personal preference and not because I don't like kids!

[Atty]

My kids are grown. I love kids, but I like the time of year I cruise because their are not a lot of kids on board that time of year and I like cruising with more of an adult crowd. I spent a lot of years taking the kids to Disney World, Disney Land, Universal, Beach resorts, etc with lots of kids around all the time, so now not cruising with a lot of kids around is a personal preference and not because I don't like kids!

 

And that is a very valid position. So is the position that people just hate kids and don't want them around. My only wish is that people would stop complaining about kids or just assume that because it's a specific time of year you're going to encounter more or less kids. My point was to show that anytime you go you could be faced with a large group of kids so why not just enjoy your vacation if you find yourself in that position?