Cruising during spring break - what to expect

[TBone2K]

Due to DW's career choice we are restricted to travel during school breaks, so we have seen the best and worst. Agree with pretty much everything except the sex part :confused:.

 

The memory that stands out to me was a large group of students from two opposing colleges (FSU and UoF) on the same cruise. Lots of playful jibes and singing of school songs, but nothing bad. During events the CD generally egged them on. Biggest items I noticed was it was harder to get a seat on the pool deck, the pools were busier than normal and the adult themed shows such as comedy and the quest were busier. On the plus side, there were fewer lineups for anything happening before noon. The hoards also tended towards the buffet, so other dining areas were quieter.

 

If I were to suggest a ship to someone cruising with little ones, I would stick with the ships that have a dedicated kid's pool area.

[spookwife]

I tell it like it is. I'm not far from one of the biggest spring break capitols. There were 400 arrests made just last week. The best part is that they take cell phone videos of each other acting stupid.

 

 

moving to Pensacola has been an eye opening experience with all the daily tallies of who is getting busted where plus how often they are catching underaged drinkers. plus the stories about all the area beaches that went booze free.

[Joelstone]

I suggest googling your ship and sail dates as you get closer. My daughter (15 at the time) and I ended up on a cruise a year ago that had a lot of college spring breakers set up through an agency. It wasn't horrific but it wasn't great either. And yes it was a 4 or 5 day cruise and at the beginning of March. And I would guess most of the college students, if not all, had drink packages.

 

I wanted a cocktail now and then and couldn't get through the crowds to a bar most times. Literally it could be five or six layers of people deep with people making multiple orders. We basically didn't even go to the pool area. Fortunately neither of us are big on hanging by the pool. I think my daughter's eyes were opened by the embarrassing behavior we witnessed multiple times via the drunk young people. And several (I think it was close to 10 of them) of the college students were put off in Cozumel to make their way home on their own due to issues like chairs and other items going overboard.

 

I agree that the longer, 7 plus day cruises, will have less of this.

[Capt_BJ]

when dd was a SOPH in college

 

(go BAMA)

 

I accompanied her on a 5 day Liberty OTS cruise, from Miami, on her spring break

 

She wanted to do this having done a 'family' cruise on Freedom OTS a few months b4 where everything rocked 'til the wee hours.

 

To her disappointment this was the dullest cruise she'd ever been on ..... the spring breakers did not have $$ to spend on drinks late at night OR burned out early. The disco was dead by 11pm . . . .

 

************

 

in other threads I've said: every cruise is different ... you can't generalize . . .

Edited March 30, 2016 by Capt_BJ

[impatientlywaiting]

We've cruised on Spring Break twice with my family. A 5 night Caribbean on Brilliance and 7 night Caribbean on Liberty. We've never experienced drunk college kids that were out of control. There are small groups of college age kids but they were never out of control. There are a ton of multi-generational families on both the cruises (lots of school aged kids) and honestly the 10-12 year olds running around on their own could be more of a hassle than the college kids.

 

We hang out at the family pool or Flowrider during the day. I find that eliminates any of the potential drunk adults or college kids. Its just more of a family atmosphere.

 

Also cruising in late March or early April can help. Many colleges (not all) have breaks at the beginning of March.

 

Our cruise was late March last year and the college kids were Tennessee Vols. They all had the drink package and were boasting that they were going to get their money's worth. They were drunk and loud and obnoxious the entire week both on the ship and on the islands.

[jamesr3939]

We have done two Spring Break cruises. One out of Galveston and the other from Port Everglades.

 

I was apprehensive at first, but it was the only time some family could go as they were all educators. We never had a problem.

 

First, the longer the cruise the older the passengers. Second, there are many more places to go to get crazy cheap drunk , i.e.: AI Mexico where the age (if anybody pays attention) is 18. Third, ships and alcohol are expensive so if kids go they usually go because "mom & dad" are paying, which was very much what I observed on both cruises. Fourth, cruise lines are so restrictive on smuggling alcohol and serving anybody under 21 it's hard for anybody younger to abuse to much.

 

We did go to Mazatlan once on a land vacation during Spring Break and the El Sid hotel across the street from where we stayed was doing AI packages and it was a zoo. Fun to go over for a couple of drinks and watch, but not where I would stay if I wanted any peace and quite.

 

Bottom line, my naysayer attitude would do one without much concern.

[Loceng]

Thanks, I think we'll look for a cruise in late March , and hope there are not so many drunk youngsters on board.

[steveweese]

And all the Spring breakers get a hump balcony!

[davekathy]

I tell it like it is. I'm not far from one of the biggest spring break capitols. There were 400 arrests made just last week. The best part is that they take cell phone videos of each other acting stupid.

 

The best part is they aren't on a Cruise ship. ;o)

[2CatsInFlorida]

When cruising out of Florida during spring brake, can you expect a lot of drunk students partying all day on the cruiseships, or do they stay on the beaches only?

 

I'm not from USA, so I don't know how this spring break thing works.

 

 

We are on Celebrity Silhouette now, which sailed March 27 out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Not many kids and everyone is well behaved. This is a 7 night eastern Caribbean cruise. Would not take a chance on a three day cruise to Nassau.

 

 

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