Cruise crowds?

[Mama2girlz]

Is there a "busy" cruise season and a "low" season?

[SuiteTraveler]

The most school age kids on the ships will be during the months when school is out.

 

I think that cruises in Europe are far less crowded in April and May than in the summer months. (It is also much cooler in April and May which makes touring more pleasant.)

 

A lot of people cruise during Thanksgiving and Christmas and Valentine's week and also the week of New Years. The weeks preceding these weeks and after the holidays are often the least crowded. A lot of people do Caribbean cruises during Spring Break - which can be March and April.

[Mama2girlz]

Thanks. We are cruising for the first time October 3rd. We often travel in the fall because the crowds are less.

[tallnthensome]

We cruised two weeks after spring break a couple months ago. Crowds were minimal. Kids were back in class and many parents/teens were done with their vacations already.

[OCruisers]

High Season and Low Season totally depends on where you're cruising. ;)

 

LuLu

[Jay Sam]

For the Caribbean anyway, whenever schools are in session is low season with the exception of the holidays.

 

I have found the best 2 weeks for cruises re: a great choice of ships/itin's along with pricing, are the 2 weeks immediately after Thanksgiving, so this year 28Nov and 05Dec weeks. Also after Labor Day until Thanksgiving.

 

I have cruised 4 out of 11 times during the post Thanksgiving time-frame and have found great deals. A lot of ships have returned to the US from Europe by then and seems not a huge demand vs the capacity.

[BamaVol]

The best way to tell is to look at the prices of the same cruise over time. The lower the price, the lower the season.

[cb at sea]

The ships sail full on almost every sailing. There will be a different mix of ages throughout the year, but it's doubtful you'll ever sail on a "half-full" ship.

[Mama2girlz]

High Season and Low Season totally depends on where you're cruising. ;)

 

 

 

LuLu

 

 

Caribbean

[BamaVol]

Caribbean

 

I don't know if there's a true low season. Cabin inventory drops in the summer as ships are moved elsewhere. So while demand drops, so does supply.

 

There are shoulder seasons before and after school summer vacation and slower weeks before and after holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and Valentines Day. I still say let the pricing be your guide.

[cmdchiefthom]

Holidays, and spring break mid-February to early April, are prime cruising time for the Caribbean, with the most ships available from US Ports. The European season is mid-April thru October. Now NCL is shaking things up with a summer season for the Caribbean with the Getaway and Escape slated to be in the Caribbean all year. Bermuda is summer season, South Pacific all year as is Hawaii. Alaska is obviously a late spring to early fall destination.

Edited June 14, 2015 by cmdchiefthom

[fshagan]

The ships sail full on almost every sailing. There will be a different mix of ages throughout the year, but it's doubtful you'll ever sail on a "half-full" ship.

 

I agree with this. The ship will have the same number of people on it during "high season" as it does during "low season". The cruise lines adjust pricing to make sure they are at 100% or more capacity (they get to higher than 100% by having an average of more than two guests per stateroom). On one of the Travel Channel's shows about cruising they stated that the goal was to have the ship booked at 110% of capacity.

 

So, on a ship that says it carries 2,000 passengers, you will have at least 1,998 other people on the ship. The mix of people will differ because of the time of year, with more kids on board (and their younger parents) during vacation times. And the mix will differ because of the length of the cruise; a three or four day cruise spanning over a weekend is likely to attract younger, less affluent passengers who only have to take a day or two off work, and families. A 14 day cruise is likely to attract older, more affluent passengers who can afford the fare and have the enough time off work (or are retired) and can take a longer cruise.

 

When reading a review that says the pool area is too crowded, it is likely to be that way on every cruise that has that same mix of people on board. When reading a review that says getting into shows was hard because they were continually sold out, you are likely to experience the same. But when reading about masses of kids, that is likely to be a function of the time of year and length of cruise.

Disclaimer: Like all generalities these are not absolutes. No offense is intended to less affluent people, more affluent people, retirees, young adults, children, future children or skateboarders who take a cruise longer or shorter than I stated, or to swimming pools who cannot help if they are crowded, or to those who like crowded swimming pools or to anyone else too damn sensitive to read opinions without getting their panties in a knot.

[20165]

I agree with this. The ship will have the same number of people on it during "high season" as it does during "low season". The cruise lines adjust pricing to make sure they are at 100% or more capacity (they get to higher than 100% by having an average of more than two guests per stateroom). On one of the Travel Channel's shows about cruising they stated that the goal was to have the ship booked at 110% of capacity.

 

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I dont know if thats totally accurate. For example, a cruise during the holidays or when school is out will have more kids on it meaning more passengers per cabin so you may have an average of 2 people per cabin during non peek season and possibly 4 people per cabin during peek season.