When is Spring break usually & need cruise ideas

[poobears]

My kids are home schooling this year but even though they did public school up until this year ours never got out for spring break so I never really paid much attention to when it was. When do colleges and high schools usually get out for spring break? I know it varies a bit but just want to make sure I don't book our next family cruise for spring break time. Dh wants to take one around mid March but I'm thinking that's Spring break time right? Or is that in Feb? We can also do April if March is a bad time, just want to do it before school kids get out for summer breaks.

 

No idea where we are going or what port yet, only requirement is 7 day or longer. Preferred port is New Orleans but I think he wants to do Eastern since we haven't done any of those ports yet so may drive to Jacksonville or Port Canaveral and port out of there, though I'm not sure about the Sunshine, reviews seem hit or miss on it, especially with lots of over crowding. They do have an 8 day that looks nice. Don't think I want to go down as far as Miami, that would be a pretty major drive for us coming from MO.

 

Galveston is also an available port for us but since it pretty much duplicates NO ports I don't usually consider it. I love the ease of porting out of NO. Mobile is also an available port that I like but they don't do 7+ sailings and Dh is set on it being at least 7 days this go round, so who am I to argue :p

[SadieN]

When prices are higher in March and April that's a good indication of when Spring Break is. Lower prices are before and after Spring break.

Edited August 19, 2016 by SadieN

[skrufy]

Spring break runs from the middle of February to the middle of April. Stay away from a 5 day, the college students cruise on the 3,4 & 5 day ones. I dont think Jacksonville has 7 day cruises, plus its an older ship. We cruised the Sunshine and did not find it any more crowded then other ships. There is a lot of dislike for the Sunshine because Carnival calls it a new ship. With kids I would choose a ship with the water slides and the Dive In movies. Port Canaveral usually has two of the newer ships in port at the same time. A 10 day cruise at any time will almost guarantee a cruise with minimal amount of kids.

[poobears]

I will take Jacksonville off the port list too then, I didn't think it showed up when I put in 7+ days last night but couldn't remember. It would be nice since it's closer for us but we can do port Canaveral, if we stop overnight we can be there in about 1.5 days. We've driven there straight through but stopping is definitely nicer.

 

I didn't see any 10 day cruises for the times/ports I was looking at. I think it's probably between:

 

7 day western out of NO on Dream should be after drydock with the updates and propulsion fixed to Montego, Grand Cayman & Cozumel

 

8 day eastern out of PC on Sunshine to Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Kitts, St. Maarten

 

7 day eastern out of PC on Magic to Amber Cove, St. Thomas, San Juan, Grand Turk

 

8 day southern out of PC on Sunshine to Aruba, Curacao, Grand Turk

 

Haven't compared prices on lido balconies yet (where we'll probably book), it's probably the only one DH will get to take with us next year so as long as it's a good destination one and at the right time, that's what really matters. Price will come in after the ship and destination on this one.

[riffatsea]

Spring Break can be various weeks in March and April but for 7-10 day cruises all you'll find are lots of nice families with their children. You won't find drunken college kids because:

a-they are not allowed to book if they are under 21

b-they cannot afford those longer cruises!

We are a senior couple who have often cruised in March and April and even we don't mind the children on board because Carnival does a great job of keeping them occupied with activities!

[wecamp]

SadieN is correct about price. Oklahoma/ Texas spring break should be about the 3rd week in March. So Galveston prices will be higher. 2 years ago we went in March because daughter was in college. Lucky, University of Arkansas spring break was the week after Ok/Tx. Ok/Tx week price was $300-400 per person more than the Ark week.

Being from Oklahoma I find similar cruises from Galveston are cheaper out of NO. So we have sometimes gone out of NO, not that much more of a drive.

All my opinions, good luck.

 

Worse cruise I had for drunk kids was in June one year. And they were not 21 year old kids......

Edited August 20, 2016 by wecamp

[maldenmusic]

Spring breaks will vary. I've been on a cruise or two when you could tell there were lots of college kids and some when there weren't.

[poobears]

We've always had to book during the summer high $$ months because the kids were in school so for once I want to take advantage of the off price months lol The girls and I have one booked for Halloween but Dh wants to do one in March/April too. NO is my first choice, it's an easy 12-13 hour drive down to it but he said just vetoed it a bit ago so looks like PC will be the port we go out of. I've narrowed it down to these, a few I looked at were already sold out of 4 person balconies on Lido, no surprise they seem to go fast.

 

I don't mind a lot of kids on board would prefer to avoid a lot of extra partiers if possible.

 

All prices include tips for 4 people:

 

3/17 8 day Sunshine to Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Kitts, St. Maarten $4,011.40

 

3/25 8 day Sunshine Aruba, Curacao, Grand Turk $3,845.40

 

4/22 7 day Magic to Amber Cove, St. Thomas, San Juan, Grand Turk $3,419.76

 

 

Since I've never been to any of these ports or sailed either of the ships I'm pretty much stuck at this point. Prices are pretty comparable so are the dates. Magic has the new guys BBQ so that gives it a check in the plus column :)

Edited August 20, 2016 by poobears

[riclop]

It's different every year.

[cajunfla]

Spring breaks for 2017 start mid February, with most in March.....for universities. Elementary and high schools vary even more.

 

https://www.studentcity.com/plan-a-trip/overview/when-my-spring-break

Edited August 20, 2016 by cajunfla

[poobears]

Spring breaks for 2017 start mid February, with most in March.....for universities. Elementary and high schools vary even more.

 

https://www.studentcity.com/plan-a-trip/overview/when-my-spring-break

 

So looks like DH picked prime spring break time for college kids. Yay lol Hopefully since it's a longer cruise it will be ok. Maybe I should take the April one to be on the safe side?

 

Anyone have a preference between Magic or Sunshine?

[jennifur25]

We are in Texas and our Spring break is the week of March 6th. It was the same week last year and we cruised on the Dream out of New Orleans. I think it is earlier than most spring breaks because we did not pay spring break prices or have the crowds.

 

We are going the same week this year. March 5th out of New Orleans to Montego Bay, Grand Cayman and Cozumel- 4 of us in a balcony on Deck 8 for $2600 not counting gratuities.

[poobears]

I noticed one or two weeks were quite a bit higher mostly mid March so I guess that is the peak for spring break? But the 8 day cruises didn't seem to be effected by them as much as the shorter ones.

 

I've been looking at ports and it looks like Grand Turk is a wash if there's more than one ship in post due to the heavy crowds since it's a choice in every cruise I'm not even going to consider it when I pick, doesn't sound like there's much to do there anyway. So taking it off the list of ports. That takes me down to only 2 ports on the 3/25 cruise. Not sure if it's worth booking an 8 day for 2 ports, haven't researched them yet though. I know Aruba is one Dh has mentioned wanting to check out.

 

I definitely would like to visit San Juan and I think the kids would like the zip lines and slides at Amber cove that are right at port.

[pbsteve]

Here in chicagoland, spring break always included April first so kids weren't in school on April fools day.

[picomullet]

We liked Magic better than Sunshine. Apr 22 would be after most spring breaks I would think. It is also after Easter. College students, in Texas, would probably be working on finals/end of semester stuff. Whatever you decide enjoy your cruise. They are wonderful times!

[poobears]

Not being in April fools day would be a really good idea ;)

 

We did decide on the April 22 cruise, Dh wanted to try the newer bigger ship, I just booked it. Yay! Now to figure out all the excursions. Guess I better figure out our Oct one first.

 

Thanks for all the help!

[amydresh]

April 22 would definitely be after spring break. We went to Disneyland that same week a few years ago and the crowds were light. I think the week of Easter would be the last of the spring breaks.

[poobears]

I thought about Easter this morning and it looks like it's the week before so we should be good to go. :D