Impact of President's Day and MLK Day on Cruising Crowds

[capriccio]

51 minutes ago, WorkerBee74 said:

 

This would be 2022 for us.  Thank you so much to everyone for your replies.  We have decided to 'attach' a trip to the Florida Keys to the end of the cruise, so we have decided to book the first sailing in April and will be home just before Easter weekend.

 

Thanks as always for your advice 🙂

 

I assume you plan to drive to the Keys.  If so, make sure you make a detour to Everglades National Park.  The Ernest Coe Visitors Center (https://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/coedirections.htm) is only 15 minutes off the highway and 5 minutes or so further into the park is Royal Palm (https://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/royal-palm.htm), a great place to view alligators, birds, fish, etc.  En route to the park or on your return to the highway stop at Robert Is Here (www.robertishere.com) for a fresh milkshake (personal favorite is key lime pie). 

 

If you have any questions about your Florida visit, there are lots of helpful folks on the Florida Departures Board: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/386-florida-departures/

[mjkacmom]

On 12/12/2020 at 9:08 AM, Markanddonna said:

A tale of two B2B cruises: We sailed on an eastern and western Caribbean cruises- both B2B in February of 2020. Back then, we thought COVID was not going to affect the Caribbean- just China and Italy. 🙄 The first week was very pleasant and not overcrowded, but the second week was LOADED with school age children. We then made the connection- these kids had time off for President's Day.  The parents may have also taken them out of school for the extra four days, who knows?

 

The end result for week two was a horribly crowded ship and the pools and hot tubs were loaded with kids.  The pool looked like people stew.  The crowding during the evening was shoulder to shoulder. Then, as the week progressed, the ship became VERY sick with so many sneezing and coughing into the air.  I wanted to wrap myself in a plastic bubble and go home a day early- it was that bad. 

 

Moral of the story:  people will justify their kids missing four days of school for a cruise even if they have just one day off.  Not really criticizing, but this is reality. Lots of kids on a ship doesn't just happen over spring or Christmas break.

Pretty much the entire Northeast has a school break presidents week, many travel.

[hallux]

2 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

many travel

Some use it as a "last hurrah" for ski season, others use it to escape the cold on cruises.  President's week is usually HUGE for ski mountains in the Adirondacks of NY....

[KreinKrunker]

Presidents Day weekend is one of the busiest for airline travel, hence the prices are higher.  We always try to avoid flying over that weekend.

[simplelife]

On 12/10/2020 at 11:26 AM, Saint Greg said:

I know some Louisiana universities get a week off for Mardi Gras which may coincide with Presidents day depending on the year. That would probably only impact New Orleans...maybe Galveston and Mobile.

Mardi Gras  Dates

Feb 16,  2021

March 1, 2022

Feb 21, 2023

Traditionally,  in Louisiana, schools and businesses are closed Mardi Gras Day (always a Tuesday) and the day before, and sometimes the day after (Ash Wednesday).

 

[Saint Greg]

2 minutes ago, simplelife said:

Mardi Gras  Dates

Feb 16,  2021

March 1, 2022

Feb 21, 2023

Traditionally,  in Louisiana, schools and businesses are closed Mardi Gras Day (always a Tuesday) and the day before, and sometimes the day after (Ash Wednesday).

 

 

And sometimes an entire week. This particular Parish in Louisiana has Spring Break coinciding with Mardi Gras week.