Is Freedom too family friendly for people who want less kids

[dcgrumpy]

Many school districts in the northeast are not back in school by then. We have also sailed that week with over 800 kids, many from New England states, New York and New Jersey.

 

Yes I know, I live in NY. But most kids are back in school.

 

There is a huge difference between the last week in August/first week in September to mid summer. I'm not saying there won't be any kids, just less than other weeks in the summer. Like I said I almost always go on vacation that week and it's a lot less busy than other summer weeks.

 

I sailed on FOS the third week in August and the kids were easy to avoid. Yes there were kids but I just avoided the main pool and I hardly ever saw them.

[nolesrule]

Never mind. Just realized the OP said 2016, not 2015.

Edited April 20, 2015 by nolesrule

[reallyitsmema]

School starts back up on September 2nd in our school district in New Jersey.

 

Labor Day will be as late as it can possibly get this year (sept 7th), so even school districts that usually start after Labor Day are more likely starting before it, or else the school year would end in the first week of July rather than the last week of June.

 

They are going to have to make some decision about starting earlier since I know that the big discussion around here was how to make up all the snow days from this year with the teacher's contracts not allowing school to end after June 30th. By starting earlier, they won't have to extend days or give up holidays like some school districts have done. They have been talking for years to go from having a February and April school vacation week to just one week off in March.

 

Until they finally make a decision, there will still be kids from the Northeast sailing the whole month of August.

[nolesrule]

They are going to have to make some decision about starting earlier since I know that the big discussion around here was how to make up all the snow days from this year with the teacher's contracts not allowing school to end after June 30th. By starting earlier, they won't have to extend days or give up holidays like some school districts have done. They have been talking for years to go from having a February and April school vacation week to just one week off in March.

 

Until they finally make a decision, there will still be kids from the Northeast sailing the whole month of August.

 

Our district added 2 more buffer days into the calendar for next year by shortening memorial day weekend to a 3 day weekend from 4 days, and by adding one more day at the end of the year.

 

This year, they had to add in 2 more days, so took away the Friday before memorial day and took the first day of spring break and turned it into a shortened school day (our spring break starts on a Thursday and extends through the entire following week).

 

 

Right now it's hard to predict when the Northeast schools will start in 2016, since Labor Day is going to be on September 5th. It could start the week before or the week of Labor Day depending on what they do with the rest of the off days during the school year.

[VPIcruiser]

We will be on the August 28 cruise with our three kids. :) Schools starts here after Labor Day which is late this year. We have cruised the week before Labor Day the last four years. The staff in the kids club always comment that there are fewer kids that week than the earlier weeks in August so I think you won't be overwhelmed with kids.

[mlmbar]

We will be on the August 28 cruise with our three kids. :) Schools starts here after Labor Day which is late this year. We have cruised the week before Labor Day the last four years. The staff in the kids club always comment that there are fewer kids that week than the earlier weeks in August so I think you won't be overwhelmed with kids.

 

Thank you all! We DO like kids! LOL! Didn't want to sound like we don't. Since this is our best option, it looks good. I am sure there are kids who don't want us around, too LOL

[LuCruise]

Never been to reply from personal experience, but you'd think that RCL is trying to attract families on cruises with Dreamworks characters. However, that is not to say that others wouldn't enjoy as well. These cruise ships are huge and has stuff to please all.

As others have said, any ship will have more kids during summer months and school holidays.

[njmomof2]

We're in NJ and this year (2015) we are starting school on the Wednesday before Labor Day. Next year, LD is Sept. 5th. I don't think our school (Northwest NJ) will wait until September 6th to send them back, so I anticipate starting the prior Thursday (maybe Sept. 1). So I would think that the last week of August sailing will have kids, but most would be the younger kids (maybe up to 3rd grade) and homeschoolers.

 

I would love to sail that week if my kids didn't start until 9/6, but my oldest will be leaving for college in 2016, so I think we'll be getting him to freshman orientation somewhere around August 18th (if school starts August 22nd). If I only have to take a day or so, I might take the younger one (he'll be starting HS that year) and we'll go together.