Too many kids on ships - when to avoid??

[CruiserJill]

I've read info on holiday cruises where teh kids overwhelm the ship.

 

We'll be cruising next year in March, adn I was wondering if that is prime spring break time?? I really don't want to be on a cruise filled with out of control kids (or even just a lot of kids).

 

When does spring break mean a lot of kids on board ships? Can anyone give me any ideas? Is March a bad time to cruise to avoid kids, or as long as it's not near Easter holidays, will it be OK?

 

Thanks for your help!!

[Dolphins]

Unless Easter or Passover take place in March, there shouldn't be too many school age kids on board. However, many colleges have spring break in March so you could run in to some of them, especially on the 7 day cruises out of Florida.

[A Sixth?]

Thought incomplete (doesn't include pre-school, middle school or high schools spring breaks) it is a good sampling of Colleges and University's who are out during any given "spring week"

 

http://www.tripsmarter.com/panamacit...sbcalendar.htm

[tamil]

The school break in Ontario begins around March 10th...other provinces are similar.

[kris12]

Spring Break in a lot of Texas schools is usually mid-March, I ususally try to cruise in April so I don't know how many kiddo's are onboard in March.

[Toto2Kansas]

Easter is April 8, 2007 but our schools always take their spring breaks in March, around the third week. So, here in the midwest, there will be a lot of kids and parents looking for a holiday.

March and April are not the best times for a spring cruise as spring breaks are different all over.

Best way we have found, since we seem to cruise the end of March each year for DH's birthday is to take a 10 day or longer cruise. Normally, the 7 day cruises are the ones full of kids.

[KAJOKG]

Early March should not be too bad. And if you take a 10 day cruise there will be fewer kids. I really do love children and enjoy being around them, but for some reason, many parents just let their kids go wild on a cruise. They push all the elevator buttons so it's slow going for everyone, wrestle in the hallways, sit on the stairs, running in the halls - All without supervision. I even saw young kids drinking booze in the elevators and leaving the drinks on the floors...I'm talking very young teen agers all completely unsupervised. I thank those parents who care about their kids, and who make sure they are behaving and having a great time.

[geoherb]

We've taken Christmas cruises the past two years. Longer itineraries (9 and 10 nights) on older, smaller ships will have fewer children. We sailed on Celebrity's Century in 2004 and HAL's Maasdam in 2005. I will be looking again this year.

[poetic license]

Geoherb,

 

Spring breaks do not revolve around religious holidays as they once did 'back in the day'; spring break weeks are pretty much every week in March and the first two weeks in April, with the heaviest times being the middle two weeks in March.

 

You have hit the nail on the head already: Taking a longer cruise during this timeframe will considerably lower your chances of sailing on a ship loaded with unruly kids and irresponsible parents. Great excuse for taking a 10 day or longer cruise, too. :)

 

Cheers,

[steve20832]

Spring breaks for colleges are the last 3 weeks of March. Spring break for public schools are the first 3 weeks of April.

[Baxter]

We sailed around the 2nd week in March last year -- never will again. Approximately 900 kids on board. As usual, most were fine, but it only takes a few out of control ones to set the others off.

[Love Boat Dream]

We're on a 10 day Mexican Riviera on March 10. I have a 6 year old that I am taking out of school (husbands schedule took precedence over school break 2 weeks ago) Princess told me there are 67 kids on this trip. I was reading a review from a cruiser who is on the ship now (which is the trip right before ours) and he said there are very few kids. I think Feb and March there are always some schools on vacation. BTW, 67 kids is probably a very small amount since during the big holiday breaks there can be 100's of kids.

 

I think if you are concerned, you can call Princess and ask how many kids are booked on the trip you are considering.

 

Susan

[Pam in CA]

As the others have said, look into taking a 10-day (or longer) cruise. You'll find a lot fewer kids, even over the holidays. As for Spring or February break, I don't think there's any one week that's better than another as there are schools out in one part of the country at any given time. For example, here in MA, February break was 2/20 - 24; in NH, it was last week, i.e., 2/27-3/3.

[KAJOKG]

When we sailed on the Caribbean Princess last year there were lots of kids. And they were not a great bunch. One family had 2 kids who were so bad, the ship's captain put them off the ship on one of the islands. That's the first time I ever heard of a cruise ship really taking control. Mostly they turn their head away.

[tequilasunrise]

If you want to avoid kids, think itinerary first, then ship, then time. Avoid 7 day trips out of Florida. Book a 10 day or longer, or if you are really don't like kids, try Tahitian or Pacific Princess which have no kid facilities and limit people under 18. There are fewer on Regal too. I'd avoid March, spring breaks vary but most are in March anytime or the first week of April. Try late April, late January, February, or early May when school is in session and higher prices don't lure famlies with less money.

 

Also, remember grand class ships will attract more families. They have good kid facilities and lots of things to do for the parents, who likely arent that old either. Families tend to not mind a lot of walking either, which happens on a big ship. And the 7 day time frame is good for working people.

[A Sixth?]

Spring breaks for colleges are the last 3 weeks of March. Spring break for public schools are the first 3 weeks of April.

 

Sorry, but that's not true. A number of Universities and colleges have their spring breaks as early as the last full week of Febuary.

 

I work at a College and last week was our spring break along with Concordia University, Saint Paul, Davidson College, Furman University, Huntingdon College, Mary Baldwin College, Notre Dame de Namur University, Oakland University, Pepperdine University, Saint Francis University, Tulane University, University of Michigan, University of Redlands, Western Kentucky University, Xavier University. to name a very few.

 

 

Once again, thought incomplete (doesn't include pre-school, middle school or high schools spring breaks) it is a good sampling of Colleges and University's who are out during any given "spring week"

 

http://www.tripsmarter.com/panamacit...sbcalendar.htm

[BarbaraM]

Ditto: longer cruise. Also consider one out of San Juan -- the cost to fly there might be prohibitive to many families. If you can reschedule your trip -- late Feb. , first week in March isn't too bad -- or early May.

[Cruisin' Chick]

For those considering cruises on the West Coast, consider that LA City Schools (local families will tend to take the Baja and MR cruises) have always (even when I was a kid in the 60s) taken off the week prior to Easter. Catholic schools here usually take the week following Easter.

 

The only cruise we had trouble with misbehaving kids was this last one and it was a 15-day cruise. And it was one extended family whose parents probably had tons of money. Never, ever had a problem on previous cruises, even on the weekend Easter weekend cruise we took on Carnival when I was pregnant (college students were pretty rowdy, but usually just around pool...they were extremely quiet after the day in Ensenada -- guess why:rolleyes: ).

 

We did have problems with rowdy, noisy college students on spring break during a hotel stay in Key West. Unfortunately, we didn't know that early March was part of spring break.

[2boyzmom]

We are cruising Presidents week (2/17/07) next year on the Crown. This year we cruised on the Jewel and there were 450+ kids on board.

[FlyingRev]

If you want to cruise and avoid the slow, sluggish old 'blue-hairs', when should you cruise? I mean, who wants to be over-run with old people who are deaf, slow and take sooo long at the buffet? After all, the canes, walkers and scooters just get in the way!

 

What do you think? ;)

 

 

 

 

 

p.s. I am just kidding!!!! Just a little tongue-in-cheek humor :)

[5kids5]

Kids breaks tend to be:

Presidents Week (3rd Mon in Feb)

Easter Week, but could be BEFORE or AFTER depending on school schedule and Passover for public schools are always factored into "Easter" breaks now.

"Spring" break was usually in March (Local Univ. has 3/11 - 3/19 off this year)

 

Just check local school calendar, but that's just me talking and I live in NY, so it could vary throughout the Country...

 

Christmas breaks, well, that's easy to figure out!

[chopped]

What about early May- good or bad time? should be avoiding spring break, and most of the summer breakers if my thinking is right...?

 

Weather ought to be good, not really hurricane season.

[LisaH]

Many of the schools in the North Texas area are on spring break during March. This week, next week and the week after...

 

We never cruise during "probable" spring breaks. We try to cruise when school is in session - February, April but normally take 10 day cruises so less kids overall anyway. April can be a bit touch and go depending on what part of the month you go. But next year when we do Alaska we expect since it is summer there will be more kids than we are used to.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Schools start getting out in May through June. The East coasters/Midwesters could probably chime in with the exact dates. From what I understand is that extreme winters could push back the last day of school.

 

Our local school district goes until late June. You'll notice that fares for cruises will start going up as more and more schools get out for the summer.

 

Colleges are the same. When I went to UCLA, it would go until just before Father's Day. When I went to grad school at Missouri, the spring semester ended the second week of May.

[Jocia]

What about early May- good or bad time? should be avoiding spring break, and most of the summer breakers if my thinking is right...?

 

Weather ought to be good, not really hurricane season.

I cruised the week before Memorial Day last year, three words. HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION!! *#&$#( *%#@( *%*#&@ @*&@&@ graduates!!! So that's a no to May for me, unless it's early May!